Tuesday, December 13, 2005

While You Were Sleeping

We had the opportunity to attend a "sing along Messiah." They played the first part of Handel's Messiah and the Hallelujah Chorus. Musically it was a wonderful evening. There were probably several hundered singers who came to join in the sing on the choruses, and the solos were wonderful.
However, we were saddened by the almost total lack of mention of the subject of the music. The program made it clear that this church "repects all faiths." Apparently this means that you sing the Messiah, but make no mention of who or what the Messiah is. As sheshe said I wanted to shout, "let us pray" after it was over. Instead we were told about the wonders of the music and how we had "feasted on it" tonight.
The Hallelujah Chorus always brings me images of all the saints from throughout the ages standing around the throne singe praised to The Lamb Who Was Slain. This time though, I could only wonder how many of those who stood there truly call Him King of King and Lord of Lords. They certainly were not led in that direction from the stage.
In the words, the Promised One came but the hearts of the singers seemed to have missed Him. I am reminded of the song "While You Were Sleeping" by Casting Crowns. I pray that the hearts of those there will awake to the Messiah.


"While You Were Sleeping"

Oh little town of Bethlehem
Looks like another silent night
Above your deep and dreamless sleep
A giant star lights up the sky
And while you're lying in the dark
There shines an everlasting light
For the King has left His throne
And is sleeping in a manger tonight

Oh Bethlehem, what you have missed while you were sleeping
For God became a man
And stepped into your world today
Oh Bethlehem, you will go down in history
As a city with no room for its King
While you were sleeping
While you were sleeping

Oh little town of Jerusalem
Looks like another silent night
The Father gave His only Son
The Way, the Truth, the Life had came
But there was no room for Him in the world He came to save

Jerusalem, what you have missed while you were sleeping
The Savior of the world is dying on your cross today
Jerusalem, you will go down in history
As a city with no room for its King
While you were sleeping
While you were sleeping

United States of America
Looks like another silent night
As we're sung to sleep by philosophies
That save the trees and kill the children
And while we're lying in the dark
There's a shout heard 'cross the eastern sky
For the Bridegroom has returned
And has carried His bride away in the night

America, what will we miss while we are sleeping
Will Jesus come again
And leave us slumbering where we lay
America, will we go down in history
As a nation with no room for its King
Will we be sleeping
Will we be sleeping

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Bob, those are very appropriate words. You fail to cite the author though.

Bob Edwards said...

Well I did site it as being from the group Casting Crowns. I don't know the exact author(s). If it is a song from a musical group, is it not sufficient to reference the group?

Anonymous said...

Sorry, you are right. It is very sad but true