“What did you think of the song on Sunday?” Jason, the worship director, asked the question about a new song. A group of us sat in a debrief meeting for the church service this past Sunday. The question hit me like a high school pop quiz when I forgot to do the homework. I heard the song during the week played in Jason’s office and even a portion during practice. It never occurred to me to take notice of the song.
Sunday was exhilarating. Browncroft, the church I serve, embodied the Gospel. A group of passionate volunteers assisted people in getting connected to a community. These Browncrofters affirmed and encouraged others to take the next steps in their spiritual growth. Not in a forceful way, but an empathetic and encouraging way that said, “I took this step too, and Christ worked in my life.”
I spent that day frantically sweating the small stuff. My mind ran through the to-do list a thousand times. Each moment brought a worry that I had forgotten something. Rather than pausing to see the Gospel displayed by God’s people or listening to the new song, I rushed in my anxiety.
Honestly, I identify with Martha more than Mary. Sitting still to listen to Jesus seems foreign and unnatural. In a Martha tone a voice, I can hear my thoughts, “Jesus don’t You see the work needing to get done.”
Somehow the lie of earning God’s love and grace reoccurs in me. If I’m not producing, then I’ll disappoint God. The Gospel says otherwise, but old habits die hard.
Jason asked about the song called King of My Heart by John Mark and Sarah McMillan After the meeting, I looked up the song and listened to it. The following lyrics stopped me:
Let the King of my heart be
The wind inside my sails
The anchor in the waves;
Oh He is my song
Let the King of my heart be
The fire inside my veins
And the echo of my days;
Oh He is my songYou are good, good, Oh
You are good, good, Oh
I wonder how often God calls us to simply be with Him. We worry ourselves with unnecessary concerns. Our hurry from task to task can cause us to neglect seeing the beauty of Christ presence all around us. As I look back at Sunday, in my busyness I overlooked the chance to recognize Him by listening to a song.
Christ, who anchors our souls through the waves, invites us to know Him. What if at one moment today, you stopped to recognize His presence with you? What would you see?
Often, we remained tunnel vision by what we do and accomplish. Grace stops us to take notice of what we could never make happen on our own. Christ has reconciled us through His death and resurrection. Sometimes He calls us to sit like Mary because we need to pause to meet with Him.
Last night, I listened to the King of My Heart. At some point in the day, take the time to listen to this song and ask God to give you the vision to see Him. Perhaps, Christ has called you to do less so that you might rest in Him.
Photo credit by Thibaud Vaerman.