Merry Christmas!

For as long as I can remember I have been in church on Christmas Eve for a traditional candlelight service. Carols, candles, the Christmas gospel…these are some of my favorite things. As a child, this night was filled with wonder for me as the lights went dim and we raised our candles, singing Silent Night.

Christmas Eve, 1983. It was my first Christmas as a parish pastor. Can you imagine how surprised I was to learn that my new congregation didn’t even have a Christmas Eve service? Their long-standing tradition was to have the children’s Christmas program on Christmas Eve. Not knowing better, I suggested that we move the children’s pageant to the Sunday evening before Christmas so we could have a candlelight service on Christmas Eve. The congregation was kind to their young pastor and agreed to try it. Once.

The Christmas program came off without a hitch. Then I waited with Advent patience for Saturday, December 24 to arrive. Brand new candles and drip-cards were delivered. A pre-printed bulletin was ready for the ushers. The organist and pianist were well rehearsed. My sermon was set to go. I was excited…really excited.

The long awaited day arrived. But as the daylight hours progressed, my heart sank as low as the thermometer. It was snowy, windy and very, very cold. It was, in fact, dangerously cold and no one had any business being outdoors or in their car. Church cancellations were being announced throughout the day. It was after everyone else in the area had cancelled that I called the president of the congregation and we finally added our name to the list. The candles were put away, the bulletins stored, and the sermon filed away unused. I was miserable.

On the bright side, Sunday, Christmas morning, dawned brightly and 19 brave souls showed up for worship!

I do hope your celebration of Christmas is filled with whatever it is that makes it complete for you. I expect to be in church singing carols, lighting a candle and hearing the Christmas gospel. I remind you, however, even as I remind myself, that our celebration of Christmas is complete if we simply recall that our Heavenly Father gave us the gift of the Savior, Jesus. Thanks be to God!

Merry Christmas.