“…Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.” Matthew 6:9 The irony of my experience with the Christmas song, O Holy Night , was not lost on me. The occurrence was painful and yet beautiful at the same time. Later that morning at the airport, I flashed back to my prayer time at the start of my day. I had been in my hotel room in Oklahoma City rising to prepare for my return trip to Richmond. I had been quietly reading for a while and then came to a time to pray. I had been praying through The Lord’s Prayer . I began with “Our Father in heaven,” and then I began to do just as Jesus instructed his disciples. I began to acknowledge his name as hallowed. I get to join the chorus of the multitudes already hallowing his name. As normal, God’s praiseworthy attributes flow from my lips. I report whatever praise is on my tongue. Holy. Majestic. Mighty. Set apart. Worthy. Creator. King of Kings. Lord of lords. Kind. Just. Faithful. Gracious. Loving. Powerful. On this morning, I proclaimed in prayer his is the name at which every knee was to bow. Every knee. I proclaimed his is the name every tongue was to confess that he is Lord. Every tongue. “…God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord...” Philippians 2:9-11 I slid out of my chair and onto my knees. Then I carried on. I continued hallowing his name. I began praying for specific needs and did so in keeping with his kingdom and his will. I thanked him for his provision, daily bread. I sought forgiveness and acknowledged that his forgiveness is in keeping with my own forgiveness freely given to others. I begged that he would keep me from temptation and deliver me from any evil. Then within a couple hours, I am driving to the airport when I experienced my first Christmas carol in my first Christmas season without Kim. And I abruptly heard her favorite carol, O Holy Night . “Fall on your knees…” Call it a coincidence if you want. But I was struck by the confluence of the experience in prayer that morning and the powerful line from a well-known song, O Holy Night . I fell on my knees in worship that morning. I heard “Fall on your knees” later that morning. "To me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear allegiance.” Isaiah 45:23 A reminder was given to me that while there’s a hole in my heart , I can fall on my knees. I can fall on his mercy. I can fall on his goodness. I can fall on a firm foundation. He is hallowed and my tongue shall swear allegiance. Fall on your knees and worship him who is worshipped. His name is hallowed. I choose to join the chorus. I choose to stay in the chorus. It’s a worldwide chorus—or it will be. Every language, every people, every tribe, every nation. It began with the shepherds. It continues with us. Hallowed be his above-every-other name. “Come adore the humble king lowly in the manger. Fall before his majesty, hail the little Savior. ... Fall, oh fall, before the one who in mercy left his throne... Bow before, come adore the Name above all names...” Matt Papa and Matt Boswell, Come Adore the Humble King “And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!’” Luke 2:13-14