Worship Matters

Each year as Christmas approaches we have the opportunity to remember in a more focused and thoughtful way why Jesus had to come to earth. It wasn’t plan B, it wasn’t optional, and it certainly wasn’t something we asked for.

Paul tells us, “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.” (Gal. 4:4-5) The phrase “under the law” means we were justly condemned as transgressors and rebels before God, held captive by our sin, and in need of His mercy and forgiveness (Rom. 3:19-20). Of course, God did better than “simply” forgive us. Through the obedience of Christ and his once and for all substitutionary sacrifice, God made a way for us to be forgiven, reconciled to himself, and adopted as his precious children. Thank God the Savior has come!

Shine Into our Night, from The Gathering: Live from WorshipGod11, is a song that expresses our need for Christ’s saving work in our lives, a longing that God’s people experienced for hundreds of years before Christ came. But even on this side of the cross and resurrection, we’re aware that “we are not what we should be.” Even as believers in Christ, we stumble in many ways and are in constant need of the Christ’s redeeming work in our lives. While Shine Into our Night could be sung any Sunday (or any day of the week, for that matter), the weeks leading up to Christmas make it especially relevant.

This video was recorded at WorshipGod11 last August, and features Meghan Baird on lead vocal. You can download the guitar chart here and the lead sheet here. Lyrics are below.

Shine Into Our Night 

We are not what we should be
We haven’t sought what we should seek
We’ve seen your glory Lord, but looked away
Our hearts are bent our eyes are dim
Our finest works are stained with sin
And emptiness has shadowed all our ways

Jesus Christ shine into our night
Drive our dark away
‘Til your glory fills our eyes
Jesus Christ shine into our night          
Bind us to Your cross, where we find life

Still we often go astray
We chase the world forget Your grace
But you have never failed to bring us back
Reveal the depths of what You’ve done
The death you died the vic’try won
You made a way for us to know Your love
Music and words by Joel Sczebel. © 2011 Sovereign Grace Worship (ASCAP).