Merry Christmas Eve!

It’s almost Christmas, and I’ve finished all three of my Advent devotionals for this year: Madeleine L’Engle’s The Irrational Season, Watch for the Light, and my all-time favorite Christmas book, Behold the Lamb of God.

In case I didn’t mention this when I introduced these three books, Ramsey’s book stands alone as a great devotional, but it stems from Andrew Peterson’s album by the same title. This beautiful album walks you through the “True Tall Tale of the Coming of Christ,” starting with Moses and ending with the birth of Jesus. It’s not Christmas music in the traditional sense, but it is Christmas music in its message and theme. And where else can you find the genealogy of Jesus set to music?

I think this will be the third year I’ve read Ramsey’s book at Christmas time, and I love how the short chapters are familiar and new at the same time. This year I’ve been focusing on Mary and Zechariah’s songs of praise, and I loved this quote about Zechariah:

To worship God is to dwell on who he is, to consider his handiwork. Often worship requires stillness. Stillness allows a mind to hold complicated thoughts without losing them. Silence was a gift God gave to Zechariah, and the old man put it to work.

I hope that you can find some time for stillness and worship today and tomorrow. I’ll leave you with one of the most touching songs from Andrew Peterson’s album, a song called “Labor of Love.” It will change the way you think about Christmas Eve, I’m sure.

“Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,
    for he has visited and redeemed his people
and has raised up a horn of salvation for us
    in the house of his servant David

–Luke 1: 68-69

Merry Christmas!