Adoration lies at the very heart of the Christmas story. Every nativity play is, in one sense, a procession of visitors coming to adore; the shepherds, the wise men, and all who gather around the child in the manger.

And yet this isn’t just a quaint tradition. I believe we are all wired to worship. Every human heart longs to adore something or someone. So many of the world’s problems come when our adoration is misplaced, when we give our devotion to things that cannot satisfy.

Christmas invites us to rediscover the true object of our adoration: the God who made us. More than that, the Christmas story reveals a God who comes close, right into the midst of our world and our reality. In Jesus, God shared the human experience, entering the vulnerability of a poor couple, far from home, giving birth in risky circumstances.

It is astonishing that God chose to be born in such a setting. Yet he did so to show us his love and, ultimately, to reveal what true humanity looks like. That same body, born in Bethlehem, would one day bear the sins of the world. This is the Father’s gift, the Son’s obedience, and the Spirit’s power, all of which calls forth our adoration more than anything else.

Growing up, the carol O Come All Ye Faithful was one of the most formative in shaping my worship. As a worship leader, I’ve often used that chorus even outside the Christmas season, because its invitation is timeless.

This song Adore (written with Martin Chalk) was born out of that same heart. It carries the resonance of that carol and points us again to Christ, the centre of our worship at Christmas and always. My hope is that worship leaders, choirs, and congregations will find it a useful song this Christmas to draw people into heartfelt adoration of Jesus in the midst of their celebrations.