The Weary World Rejoices: 2020 Green Bean Project
In the famous Christmas Carol O Holy Night, the songwriter wrote “Long lay the world in sin and error pining.” This is a feeling our world has been familiar with in 2020.
We have seen sin, sadness, and sorrow. We have seen people in the streets with violence and anger—hate where there once was love. Friendships, once true and faithful, have been divided by opinion and position with no effort toward understanding. We have gone from loving one another to holding our political positions as the standard of worth we place upon others.
In 2020, we have seen excruciating sickness, lives lost, and families grieving. Lives have been disrupted by a disease no one knows enough about to truly understand. We have seen financial devastation, losses of jobs, losses of businesses, and for some loss of hope.
We’ve seen death by disease, but we’ve also seen death by suicide and even death by loneliness. We have seen despair.
But O Holy Night does not stop with the description of the weary world. Two lines later, it continues: “A thrill of hope!”
A Thrill of Hope
Why hope? Because when we, the weary world, came to see our despicable state, our sin, our error, our helplessness, when all that was left was to mourn and pine over our wretchedness, then He appeared and by His love and sacrifice revealed our worth.
Not the worth of some magnificent, priceless, perfect gem. No, the worth of a broken and now flawed creation in the eyes of a perfect Creator. A worth so dear and precious to that Creator that He sent His only Son to purchase our redemption and our adoption with His own life. When we looked at the cross, “the soul felt its worth.”
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices! 2020 has been excruciating, but the world can still rejoice!
The Response of Worship
I wonder about that songwriter, Placide Cappeau. Before writing that song, he was not a believer, and yet if you read the lyrics, you see he understood the hope that lies in the birth of our Savior. He saw the understanding heart of God when he said:
- “He knows our needs, to our weaknesses no stranger”
- “In all our trials born to be our friend”
- “Truly He taught us to love one another; His law is love and His gospel is peace.”
Placide Cappeau saw hope for the end of oppression:
- “Chains shall He break for the slave is our brother; and in his name all oppression shall cease”
Whether he ever acted on it on or not, Cappeau also saw the position that we, the sinner, must take before a holy God:
- “Fall on your knees!”
- “Behold your King! Before him lowly bend!”
- “Christ is the Lord! O praise his name forever, His power and glory evermore proclaim.”
The songwriter knew that upon seeing the cross, upon seeing the worth that Christ put on our souls in that moment, the one right response was worship. And in worship there cannot help but be rejoicing!
Worshiping Together
As we come into this Green Bean Project season, we want to walk with you in worship and rejoicing. This Holiday season, November 1 through December 31, we want to rejoice together with you.
Will turmoil still surround us? Probably. Will there still be grief and sorrow? Yes. Will the world be free of sin? No. But we can continue to rejoice.
We can lift the newborn babe up on high and exalt Him. We can keep our eyes upon the author and finisher of our faith. We can step outside of ourselves and do those things which lift the chains of self-pity and self-obsession. We can turn our eyes on the Lord and on the needs of others. We can find the joy in singing, the joy in giving thanks, and the joy of worshiping Him who is highest above all. And we can find the joy in sharing what He has done for us with others.
Let us fall on our knees humbly before Him and then rise up in worship and praise. Let it be said of us,
“The Weary World Rejoices!”
This Year’s Needs
Each year the Green Bean Project seeks to meet specific needs in four orphan ministries around the world. This year has created unique stresses for each ministry. By partnering with us, you can help us meet those needs.
Asia: The children’s home needs to purchase land to build a new building so they don’t have turn children away.
Central Asia: Purchasing coal for heating and paying school fees.
Kenya: Restrictions in Kenya have been quite heavy. They have been given permission to reopen in January if they meet the following requirements:
- Thermometers
- Two Hundred more chairs
- Two new washrooms
- Three additional classrooms
- Two additional dormitories
- Masks, sanitizers, washing points
- A qualified Nurse
Billings, MT: Helps us meet individual needs of single moms and their children, including food, clothing, cleaning supplies, and other situation specific needs.
Beyond the basic needs, each of these ministries seeks to love the children they serve to Christ. They have loved and served faithfully for years. We get to have a tiny part in making a difference in their corner of the world. What a privilege that is!
To give to the Green Bean Project text GBP to 1-406-201-5797 or give through Paypal here.
