The Music of Our Lives

“Jesus' claims are particularly unnerving, because if they are true there is no alternative but to bow the knee to Him.”—Timothy Keller

The more you read the Gospels, the more you realize all over again that no one has ever been more amazingly good, loving, compassionate and wise than Jesus.

And the more you read the Gospels, the more you also realize all over again that Jesus’ words for living and for following Him are Holy radical, uncompromising, costly, and sometimes uncomfortable, yet powerful and magnetic, and full of Life like none other.

Once, while in the midst of speaking such Holy radical words, a woman in the crowd randomly shouts, “Blessed is the mother who gave you birth and nursed you.” That’s weird. Except that woman is all of us at one time or another, maybe even this week—quick to admire Jesus from a safe distance, nod and smile at His Holy radical words for living, and to “Like” and “Amen!” all that friends say about Him.

That’s why Sunday mornings can be so recalibratingly good. A time to get off the sidelines of admiration and back in the game of following closely, one step of faith at a time, fueled by the encouragement of others who are on the same journey. A time to rekindle a Relationship, one that is much better and far more satisfying than following mere rules and routine. To draw near once more and hear Jesus’ response to that woman’s random shout echoing down through the ages: “…how blessed instead are those who hear God’s voice and make God’s message their way of life.”

And so, to worship beyond words on a screen and notes in our ears so that our hearts can pray once again before heading out into another week:

“Lord, play Your tunes through us. Breathe Your breath through us. Fashion us, change us, and let the music of our lives bring hope and joy and healing. Don’t let us be distracted by the beautiful earthly sounds all around us; help us enjoy them and see them as pointers to Heaven. Help us not to devote our lives to things that will end when we die. Let the words of our mouths, the meditations of our hearts, and the works of our hands be pleasing to You, that we will be able to say when we reach the top of the mountain, ‘I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.’” 

—Andy Park, “The Worship Journey”