Luke 2:22-40, The Big Closing Number

Observation: the first two chapters of Luke's Gospel start things off in a way unlike any other Gospel: as a musical. When Mary visits Elizabeth, she sings. When Zechariah the priest (John the Baptist's dad) meets his newborn son for the first time, he sings. When the angels announce Jesus' birth to the Shepherd's, they sing. And now as Mary and Joseph dedicate their firstborn son in the temple, an old man named Simeon sees him and sings. But after Luke 2, the story settles into more traditional storytelling (no more songs). That makes Simeon's song the "Grand Finale". 

Application: My wife and I saw La La Land almost a week ago now, and it um...made an impression. Laura bought the soundtrack CD the next day, and it's been spun more than a few times since then. We've joked about feeling like any moment we could break into a choreographed dance routine (which, knowing my "skills", would be a sight to behold.) Especially when life is tough, there's a wonderful catharsis in spending time in a world where song and dance are as much a part of life as walking and speech. 

What's really cool is, if you're part of a worshiping community, that's the world we live in. A world of song and movement. Granted, not all Christians spontaneously dance in the aisles (though some do) but in most every tradition, we respond to life with hymns, liturgy (which just means "work of the people") and music to fit any mood or life situation. We have songs of hope and lament, songs of mystery, awe, and everyday work, songs to greet a life begun and songs to celebrate an earthly life finished. Life in a worshiping community truly is a musical: and though none of us has seen the final act yet, let me tell you, I've read the score, and God has a spectacular, hope-filled closing number planned. Let's get together Sunday and rehearse. 

Prayer: God, 

Thank you for the music, the songs we're singing; 

Thanks for all the joy they're bringing! 

Who can live without it?

I ask in all honesty:

Without a song and a dance, where are we? 

So I say, thank you for the music, 

For giving it to me.