Come and Worship

What a treat as I pulled into Pine Valley United Methodist Church Sunday evening to see our Christmas musical. As I pulled into the parking lot, it was raining and cold but those kids looked so excited to be a part of the live nativity.  They were waving and smiling!  They looked like they were excited for us to go and hear the great news!

Sunday evening I attended, “Christmas Classics” presented by our very own chancel choir and orchestra!  What a blessing it was!  All week I had been watching the hard work go into this musical.  First the big Christmas tree was put up and the beautiful big sleigh filled with Christmas gifts!  Everyday people were working around the stage getting set up!  On Sunday night it was so beautiful with the lights dimmed and the stage lit up.  In walked the choir looking festive!  The men wearing tuxes with red bow ties and the women wearing all black with glittery tops.  They were stunning! 

The audience was asked to participate because this was a worship experience.  They sang many beautiful songs and some of my favorites including, “O Holy Night” and “What Child Is This?”  I found myself watching the people play the drums and the horn because it was so beautiful!  They all did a fantastic job!  But it was mentioned that the women did have the hardest part!  When they sang, “A Merry Carol of the Bells,” the men only had to sing,”God rest ye merry gentlemen” while the women had a very difficult song to sing!  Bravo to the ladies!  

The words, “amazing, unending love” gave me chills when the “Little Drummer Boy” was sung.   Now, it was a rainy and cold night but they were not that kind of chills.  It was the chills that I get when listening to some music.  Research shows that music stimulates the brain, encouraging dopamine to flood a part of the brain activated by addiction, reward and motivation. And that is when some people may feel chills!  I would say that was definitely a reward!  

At the end of the musical the choir sang, “Hallelujah Chorus”.  What better way to end such a worshipful evening?  It was written by Frederick Handel using three scriptures.  Revelation 19:6, “And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.” 

Revelation 19:16, And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, King Of Kings, And Lord Of Lords.”  Revelation 11:15,And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.” KJV  This piece is usually sung by many people and it expresses great joy.  Some of the lyrics are:  

“Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah,

For the Lord God omnipotent reigneth

King of Kings forever and ever hallelujah hallelujah

And Lord of lords forever and ever hallelujah hallelujah”

Handel wrote this at a very low time in his life.  In 1741, he set to compose a musical, Messiah, with words taken from the book of Isaiah and The Gospels.  He intended to depict Jesus’ life, death, resurrection, eternal glory and the concept of redemption.  For 24 days and nights he worked hardly eating or sleeping which resulted in his masterpiece, “The Messiah.”  He later recounted, “I saw the great God himself, on His throne and all his company of Angels.”  

After singing the songs of Christmas what better way to end than singing the Hallelujah chorus?  When we worship like that, how can we not see the great God, Himself, on His throne with all His company of Angels?  To God be the glory!  We went and we worshiped!  

Jill Jarrell-Newsome