Summertime marks the time of year where we prefer to turn off our ovens and fire up the grill. Fresh vegetables and fruits abound, allowing us to savor them in their raw state or perhaps cooked over an open flame. It’s a no fuss season when it comes to cooking or meal planning, and we certainly prefer for our protein to be just as simple and flavorful as the produce we are enjoying.
The final verse of “Once and Again” refers to Jesus as “the Lamb of God.” Sheep are interesting creatures. In the wild of these Central Asian mountains I am looking out from right now, I see (and smell) herds upon herds of sheep of every shape and size. In this part of the world, one comical and notable feature of sheep is their distractingly large rumps consisting of pure fat. When they run into roads, traipse over busy train tracks, and foolishly trip along obviously dangerous mountain paths, their massive rumps and tiny brains tumble along.
For weeks, I have found myself humming or singing the new Advent song, “Once and Again.” Whether I am working at my computer, buying presents, running errands, wrapping gifts, hosting, or doing any of the myriad of things women do during the holidays, I find myself singing these lyrics. The biblical truths they proclaim has made them the melody line to my Christmas, reminding me over and again of the redemptive gifts of Advent: Jesus has come and He is coming again!
Theology and music. These two words make my heart sing. Is there any better song than one that is written with a biblically accurate text set to a beautiful tune? Douglas O’Donnell notes, “We are to sing to the Lord as he is revealed in Scripture. We are to sing of his name. We are to sing of his person. We are to sing of his works. We are to magnify him and him alone!” How blessed we are as a church to be able to sing “Once and Again” this Advent season, which allows us to sing about our trinitarian God as He is revealed in Scripture.
The advent season is upon us, and we know in our busy bones that this means we should pause to reflect – pause the shopping, pause the planning, just pause, and be with Jesus. If you’re anything like me, this can feel like being pulled in two directions. Being still in this whirlwind of a season can feel like mixing oil and water! I find this especially true as a public school music teacher – a typical December week looks like three school concerts, three to four rehearsals, and a personal gig or two. Everybody’s busy looks different! But no matter what your busy is, when you stop to consider the season, pressing pause in a full schedule is oil and water to the soul.
