The Worship Quote of the Week for (12/28/2004):

Mary's Contemplation Today’s WORSHIP QUOTE is a quiet little verse of Scripture that jumped out at me as I heard the Christmas story yet once again. After recording all the background and action of the miraculous Bethlehem birth, the Gospel writer, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, tucks this little sentence into his account. MARY’S CONTEMPLATION But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart (NIV). —Doctor Luke, in Luke 2:19 Here is the same verse in two other versions. “Mary remembered all these things and thought deeply about them” (Today’s English Version). “Mary kept all these things to herself, holding them dear, deep within herself” (The Message). [Certainly a very important part of our Christian worship is caught up in that phrase, “treasured up all these things.” Mary’s pondering, of course, included a great deal more than we can know; but you and I must take time to ponder and treasure the things of the gospel. We must realize that the marketplace is not that interested in quiet pondering, but the Lord of the Universe calls us to “treasure up” the reality of Immanuel—God with us. Look again at John 1:10-14.] “Let every heart prepare him room!” Have a great week, Chip Stam Director, Institute for Christian Worship School of Church Music and Worship Southern Baptist Theological Seminary Louisville, Kentucky carlstam@aol.com www.carlstam.org www.sbts.edu/icw =========================== WORSHIP QUOTE OF THE WEEK: To subscribe, unsubscribe, or view a complete index of worship quotes, please visit http://www.wqotw.org ===========================