It's Highly Irregular!

When singing from the hymn book, there are notations at the top of the page that sometimes give directions or comments about the singing. For example, "Onward Christian Soldiers" has the notation, "in unison". And as Christ's soldiers, we need that unity specified by the hymn. How sad that we are not! Or again, the hymn "Christ the Lord is Risen Today" has the notation, "with Alleluias"...very appropriate. And the hymn "Joy To The World" has the instruction, "with repeat". "Joy to the world, the Lord has come"...that's right, repeat it, repeat it, repeat it again and again.

But here is another:

"There's a song in the air, there's a star in the sky.
There's a mother's deep prayer, and a baby's low cry.
And the star rains its fire while the beautiful sing,
For the manger of Bethlehem cradles a King."

The notation at the top of the page says: "highly irregular". Well I should say so. The whole thing is "highly irregular"...a baby born in a barn. What could be more irregular than that? Shockingly so!

In Christianity, we have a most irregular religion. We worship a most irregular God. His ways are past finding out. Anything can happen. And the worst enemies of religion are those who try to regularize it, and make God into a sort of clock‑works.

My faith says that Jesus was a man...born as a baby, with flesh and blood, like us in all points, except without sin. But it also tells me that Jesus of Nazareth, was the Christ. He was the Word become flesh...very God of very God.

Because he was God, I can trust Him. Because he was a man, I can be like Him. Highly irregular to be sure. But then so is the love of God, and forgiveness, and mercy, and Christ's strange prayer upon the cross.

That's right. I am committed to a highly irregular faith. And my sin, is that I tend to allow it to regularize me out of an expectant faith. I have learned to do the regular things. I have argued like everyone else. I have shown mercy, but no more than others. I have hid within the crowds, and failed to take a stand for the least and the lost and the poor and the dispossessed of our world.

I think I may go looking for a Barn someplace. For we may expect God this Christmas to be found in the unexpected. I know, it's highly irregular...but that's where I need to be.