If your holiday season is starting out anything like ours, joy can be a little hard to come by. 2020 has been filled with death, isolation, loneliness, fear, failed church plants, disagreements and divisions over politics, masks, race and a whole host of other ills. To make matters worse, many of us don't have those weekly spiritual resets and reorientations in the form of Church. Services were cancelled (some yet to restart), Sunday Schools put on indefinite hold, Bible studies and fellowships halted. Truthfully, if things were started but you have kids, chances are colds abound with snotty noses and coughs so you end up staying away from those things anyway! It's been a hard year, our souls ache.
To help put some salve on some of that pain, Molly and I have found encouragement in a few different places. If you listened to our recent episode (33), we talk a little bit about those things that have been keeping us sane. I encourage you to listen- links are included in the show notes to some of the music and materials that have helped us personally as well as kept the spirit alive with the kids. Here though I want to share a wonderful work that is incredibly meaningful to us this season.
Musician and author, Andrew Peterson has been putting on a very special Christmas concert at the Ryman Auditorium for the last 20 years. It's called Behold the Lamb of God. This was the first year they livestreamed the concert to the world. And wow is it amazing. They begin with a roundtable of wonderful guest artists sharing heart-warming songs and stories. Then, Andrew performs the entire selection of Behold the Lamb of God songs tracing the story from the fall to God's great rescue plan and the hope that brings.
As a teaser, a new song by Jess Ray has been on repeat for me. She performs this song at the open of Andrew's concert. I cannot think of a more appropriate song for this time in our lives.
Purchase tickets now and enjoy a sacred evening of music that celebrates the great joy of Christmas!
