"Now tell me frankly, would you rather not have been in the dark stable which was full of the baby's crying, rather than with the shepherds, ravished with joy and gladness by sweet heavenly music and the beauty of this marvelous light?"
I don't know about anyone else but this stops me in my mental tracks and causes me to be honest with my view of Christianity.
I look for the experiential in my faith. I long for the experiential in my faith. Oh...and...a good experience by the way. Nothing really hard or difficult to endure. I like my Christianity pleasant and smelling nice.
I spent half my life around farms. I know what a barn filled with animals smells like. It's going to take a lot of Johnson's baby powder to make such a place an enjoyable stable memory. But yet, is this not the point of de Sales words?
The times I usually get lost spiritually are those connected to my quest for things other than Jesus. The times I get the most deceived are when I look for the experience rather than the person. I have convinced myself that Jesus can only be found in a multi-million dollar facility with a professional praise team and a pastoral rotation of Billy Graham, Louis Palau, Ravi Zacharias, Charles and Andy Stanley, John MacArthur, and David Jeremiah.
When I go to church on Sundays, I must confess that my worship "experience" is not often what I'd like it to be. I get a little bored. When that happens I internally reason that the "babe" must be in another stable somewhere in town. I'm in the neighborhood but just haven't found the right address. But what is my focus? Was it on how something was not done according to my preference? Perhaps I didn't like a worship song or something wasn't executed the way that I would like it done. Perhaps it was...it doesn't matter...I think you get the idea.
Francis reminds me that it really is all about Jesus. Surely the angelic light show and concert would be really great to see but the shepherds didn't run into town and focus on the angelic presence. Luke 2:17 tells us, "....they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby who was lying in a manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about the child."
The angelic experience was certainly part of their story but they rushed to see Jesus.
It doesn't matter where I am - a stinky barn or the open hills of Judea. Just give me Jesus. And if you could take the crying children out when the preachers preachin' that would be nice. Oh.. .and the piano needs tuned. Oh...and..please turn your cell phones off - off, not on vibrate. We can still hear you. Oh...and...make sure a vision of Jesus is somewhere in there as well. Perhaps a painting will suffice. Sarcastic but unfortunately true. How quickly we revert to our distractions.
God of all creation, transform our hearts until all we really need and seek is Jesus. Let all the distractions fall away. Let all the disruptions drive us deeper into his arms. Let us celebrate the song in the hills but may our hearts yearn for the cry in the smelly stable.
If you have time today, listen to "Give Me Jesus" by Jeremy Camp. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_SwjzlMGhw.
May our worship be filled, not just on Sunday, but each day, with Jesus. 
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