glory to God in the highest

tonight was the last singspiration of the year (an all worship chapel on sunday nights, my favorite!) and i need the chapel credit...just one more...i have a final tomorrow that i've been procrastinating and not studying for...but i went anyway. they played all christmas music and if you don't know me that well, i'm not the biggest fan of christmas music.

now before you tie me up and burn me at the stake, let me explain myself.

its not that i hate it, it just doesn't happen to be my favorite genre of music. i don't look forward to thanksgiving so i can start listening to it. i don't compile hours upon hours of it to listen to in the car (no offense abby). i wouldn't go out and purchase my favorite artist's christmas album. i can certainly handle it in small amounts. christmas tree lighting, sure...wouldn't be the same without christmas music. christmas shopping needs a little holiday music playing in the background. Every now and then i catch myself humming along to a song on the radio or singing wham!'s "last christmas” in the shower. but its still not my favorite.


anyway...back to singspo. the last few weeks have consisted mostly of christmas songs and i'm juuuust about done with them. so tonight i must confess, i was a little disappointed when the band announced they would be doing worship "christmas style" and they hoped that would be ok with me. well, yeah i'm going to sing and worship, but i would have loved "regular" worship instead.

(and i know anything is worship, i do acknowledge that, and i know we should be open to all kinds of worship, but thats a whole other post)

after a bit, i'll admit, i was into it...and about half way through they played the little drummer boy. again, kind of a cheesy, weird christmas song if you ask me. it always reminds me of the odd 1968 claymation story i used to watch on video cassette as a kid. but this time, something was different.

as the lyrics appeared in the slides, i read them and this time understood. at about the "i'm a poor boy too" line i about lost it. what is going on?! why am i getting all emotional over the little drummer boy?!

but i understood what he was saying, the drummer boy, told to go visit the newborn Christ child and bring a gift to honor him. the wisemen had brought the finest gifts, what could a child bring that would be acceptable to a Savior? he says, i have no gift to bring that is fit for a king, all he has is himself. he brings himself as an offering-he plays offering up his talents, his gifts.
in my heart i asked God, what can i bring Lord? i have nothing. i am not worthy.
i felt a quiet response, just come.

aren't we supposed to honor God with our gifts? our personal gifts, our spiritual gifts. nothing we can offer will ever be enough to pay our debt. all he requires is our heart, our love, our faith.

just come.

Come they told me, pa rum pum pum pum
A new born King to see, pa rum pum pum pum
Our finest gifts we bring, pa rum pum pum pum
To lay before the King, pa rum pum pum pum,
rum pum pum pum, rum pum pum pum,

So to honor Him, pa rum pum pum pum,
When we come.

Little Baby, pa rum pum pum pum
I am a poor boy too, pa rum pum pum pum
I have no gift to bring, pa rum pum pum pum
That's fit to give the King, pa rum pum pum pum,
rum pum pum pum, rum pum pum pum,

Shall I play for you, pa rum pum pum pum,
On my drum?

Mary nodded, pa rum pum pum pum
The ox and lamb kept time, pa rum pum pum pum
I played my drum for Him, pa rum pum pum pum
I played my best for Him, pa rum pum pum pum,
rum pum pum pum, rum pum pum pum,

Then He smiled at me, pa rum pum pum pum
Me and my drum.