It's A Wonderful Life

"Strange, isn't it? Each man's life touches so many other's lives. When he isn't around, he leaves an awful hole, doesn't he?" -Clarence

Really, it is a wonderful life! I will be making a trip to the store to get this movie so I can watch it this Christmas-time. It seems like I have seen everyone's favorite Christmas movies but mine. It is a wonderful life. 

I have been working on music, images, PowerPoint presentations, and bulletins all day for the Christmas Eve service. After scanning through hundreds of images, I have to ask, why do we come together to hold a candle and sing a song like "O Holy Night" or "Silent Night", and "Joy To The World"? I don't think there is any one right answer. Is it, by tradition, what makes Christmas Christmas for us? Is that just what we do when we come to worship God on Christmas Eve? 

I don't know why, but the images of people holding these candles and singing just looked so strange to me! ... and I have grown up doing this! I'm so happy to have traditions that give meaning and order to my own spirituality, even if they sometimes look or feel trite or simplistic! As we do these simple gestures in worship services across the world, consider the most meaningful thing you can do to worship God by serving somewhere, reaching out as the hands and feet of Christ Jesus, who came down to earth so that he could fulfill a purpose, and give us hope by bridging the gap between us and God caused by sin. :)

At my church, we will be singing (I think in all of the services) "O Holy Night". I was fortunate to grow up in a church that sang this every year as the candle light was passed from row to row, person to person. That is my tradition. I heard it sung last night at the CMA Country Christmas, and while it was a "nice song", I felt very much like the meaning behind the words had been lost in the struggle for vocal agility as Martina McBride belted out the chorus. Sometimes coming together in one voice lifting up a desperate cry for and declaration hope is celebratory enough. Maybe I'm just too picky about how we use our Christmas hymns. Maybe I just need to eat something! Mmmmm potato soup sounds so good!

I encourage you who attend church on Christmas Eve to always be mindful of the meaning behind the light we share during this service, and the words we sing and that through these times of worship, hoping that all your needs will be met with every spiritual blessing that God pours out on us :).

Merry Christmas! 

Lindsay