From barking dogs to falling on your knees

The older I get the more I love this song (O Holy Night played before communion) and the more I appreciate communion. I hate to admit it, but as a kid, I can clearly remember dreading when songs like this came on the radio.  They put me to sleep!  I wanted the dogs barking jingle bells, Rudolph, or better yet, I loved the 12 Pains of Christmas!  “What do you mean if one light goes out they all go out?”  “Five months of bills!”  Similar with communion, my very first memory is just wanting to be able to get a drink in the middle of church.  For some reason, I thought that tiny little cup would quench my thirst to make it through the rest of the service and grape juice just never looked so good!  

My next memory about communion revolves around guilt.  Communion was my time to take inventory and see how I failed at being a “good Christian”  It was a focus on whether or not I had been “naughty or nice.”  It was a reminder of my failure with guilt stacked on...I did appreciate Jesus and remember his salvation, but the majority of my focus or my emphasis was on failure and guilt.  

Now, as I am older, I can’t wait to sing this song.  I feel like it tells my story!  I love the story line, the build up, and the passionate drama.  This song speaks to my heart and reminds me how Jesus has changed me from guilt to hope. This song reminds me that while I was/am stuck in sin...pining in error (worsening/declining) yearning because of my sin... My emphasis or focus can shift from my deeds to His power and love.  His law is love- a love that surpasses knowledge, a love so wide, high, and deep.

Now I really feel I have a thrill of hope because I am experiencing spiritual transformation.  After 40 years, I am noticing a change in who I am. I believe Jesus is transforming me.  We all can have the thrill of hope.  We have the thrill of hope that our sadness will go away.  The thrill of hope that our anger will be calmed.  The thrill of hope that our anxiety will be changed to peace as His gospel is peace. The thrill of hope that we will be transformed and made knew.

Here in communion, we remember our need for a night that was set apart, when the God of the galaxies that is way bigger than anything we can fathom, who created us, became a baby through a virgin birth.  We remember our need for a savior who died and came back to life. Let’s pray:   Father we fall to our knees.  We rejoice in our salvation. We are sorry for our sins, we thank you Jesus for saving us.  Thank you for your love that surpasses knowledge.  

Sin and error pining- declining in sin.  Worsening in sin..  Or longing for help because of sin