"If the God you believe in as an idea doesn’t start showing up in what happens to you in your own life, you have as much cause for concern as if the God you don’t believe in as an idea does start showing up. It is absolutely crucial, therefore, to keep in constant touch with what is going on in your own life’s story and to pay close attention to what is going on in the stories of others’ lives. If God is present anywhere, it is in those stories that God is present. If God is not present in those stories, then they are scarcely worth telling." ~ Frederick Buechner

06 January 2011

Bright Morning Star

My favorite types of contemporary worship songs are the ones where I am encouraged to reflect on the various aspects of who God is. Songs like "You Are Holy (Prince of Peace)" come to mind immediately. I don't know if it's a Chris Tomlin original or if Michael W. Smith wrote it, but I absolutely love that song.

Our worship pastor at church recently introduced Mark Roach's "You Are" to us. The lyrics are simple, not entirely poetic, but definitely worshipful.

At the end of the chorus, there is a line that names God as "the Bright Morning Star." I've always thought of sunrises when we've sung that line, but this morning changed my mind. As I was standing at our living room window, waiting to wave goodbye to Nich as he headed off to work, I was watching the narrow strip of deep pink, dark orange, and gold widen into the deep bluish purple of the dawn sky when my eyes were drawn higher up into the dark sky.

There, shining alone in the inky blue, was a bright gem of a star, shining steadily above the neighbor's tree.

And God brought this song immediately to my heart.

You are holy, You are faithful
You are Savior, You are friend
You are all I'll ever need
Lord, You are

And You are every question's answer
You are every reason why
You are moving, You are still
Lord, You are

And You are the Lord on high
And You are the way, the truth, the life
And You are the Word made flesh
You are the Bright Morning Star
You are


You are glory, hallelujah
You are hope of peace on earth
You are Alpha and Omega
You are

And You are comfort, You are refuge
You are love personified
And You are kindness and compassion
You are

You are my God and my King
You are the words that I sing
You are the reason I make this offering


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