Behold your King

I love Christmas music. I start listening to it before Thanksgiving, before Kit is ready for it...but I love it. I like it fast and slow, rocked out, in different languages--for me it is just an exciting way to worship Jesus, something special and set apart from the regular.

One of my favorites is "O Holy Night" and as I was trying to run all my errands in one go, with three kids in tow, the girls began singing this song. And I was struck, not for the first time, but in a more profound way, that we do know theology, we sing it every year.

Here is an example- these verses are from the second stanza;

The King of Kings lay in a lowly manger;

In all our trials born to be our friend.

He knows our need, to our weakness is no stranger,

Those three verses sum up two amazing theological points, the first is that Jesus was both fully God and fully man. He was the King of Kings and he was born to a woman. In Philippians 2: 7 we see that Jesus "did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men." Jesus was equal to God, and also a man.

The second is that Jesus, our God, knows by experience the trials and temptations of this life. Hebrews 2:4 says, "For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted." God knows us. Our God lived, suffered, died and rose into heaven. That's it. That's theology. Even at Christmas.

The best part about "O Holy Night," is the verse following the ones above,

Behold your King! Before Him lowly bend!

Our reaction to theology, to talking about God, should be worship. When we see King Jesus, whether depicted as a babe in the manger or a man on the cross, our first impulse should be to worship.

So this Christmas, as we rush all around (or if your lucky, stay home), remember that He is our King, He knows us, and He is worthy of all worship.

To Live Is Christ

"It is not possible to be incidentally a Christian. The fact of Christianity must be overwhelmingly first or nothing."- Sheldon Vanauken

As women who call ourselves Christians, we must see Christ as first in our lives- but I think often we find ourselves in the position of wanting Him only now and then...It is so easy to get swept up in the day to day of life, rather than daily living for Christ. However, as Paul said, to live is Christ (phil. 1:21).

theology for daily living: a class for women

Starting in January we will begin a theology class for women.
It will be the third Saturday of each month and run through May (that's 5 classes folks).

Theology is the study of the character and attributes of God. As Christians we have the responsibility to know the God we are claiming. As women we can only be benefited by seeking God that we may be equipped for the good works God has set before us.

Remember God delights in Himself and desires us to know Him. Jeremiah 9:23-24 says,
"Thus says the Lord: 'Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord."

So please join us in a time of seeking God and delighting in His infinite character.