DEACON LESLIE MAZZACANO'S  MESSAGE

An excerpt from Bouquet of Blessings/Devotions to Delight Your Soul

Blessed: A Bouquet of Praise

How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of Hosts! My soul longs, yes, faints for the courts of the Lord; my heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God. Psalm 84:1-2

We don’t stop often enough to thank God for his blessing of creativity. But think about how that blessing guides and shapes our worship.  Think about how it evokes our praise! For the artist and the musician, expression is like breathing out beauty. For those who see, hear, and are guided in our worship by works of art and music, impression is live breathing in revelation.

But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. 2 Corinthians 2:14

Like the aroma of flowers in a garden, the knowledge of God is a fragrance that spreads everywhere—at least in part through the creativity of artisans, musicians, and many other artists:

• Paintings and sculptures of biblical characters fill museums and churches.
• Concert halls and church services ring with the harmonies of symphonies and choirs

Let all the heavens resound with his name;

Let all the earth sing his glory and fame.

Ocean and mountain, stream, forest, and flower

Echo his praises and tell of his power.

(“Blessing and Honor and Glory and Power,” Horatius Donar)

Sacred music. Sacred art. All the work of Christian artists blesses us. But our Lord, ever generous, gives even more; music to lighten our day as we work or drive; paintings and plays that send our spirits soaring or set our minds to thinking; sculptures that brighten our homes; books that lift our hearts.

All of these are blessings from God; flowers of blessing that bring us to our knees in praise.

So let us give thanks for the wonderful creativity we have in our worship, the music the liturgy and us.  With the Christmas services over hopefully they filled our hearts and souls with the knowledge and love of the gift of the Savior. Let this New Year resound with our praises as we worship, and express our love to one another and to our God.

~Deacon Leslie Mazzacano