It came upon the midnight clear,
that glorious song of old,
from angels bending near the earth
to touch their harps of gold:
“Peace on the earth, good will to all,
from heaven’s all-gracious King.”
The world in solemn stillness lay,
to hear the angels sing.
(Edmund Sears, 1849)

Happy December 24th, friends!

I remember more than one Christmas Eve – it likely happened in Brandon and in Wake Forest – when Rebekah wondered aloud about going over the same set of scriptures and if repetition took the edge off the Christmas message? Those were times when we had multiple worship services and so many people in church it was hard to count. Everything was exciting and full with energy and kind of overwhelming but at the same time loaded with peace and promise, and so much positive momentum it seemed like anything was possible – and it was, it is.

So Rebekah stands up and she says, rhetorically, “How many times can you preach the same Christmas message and still come up with something original to say?” And of course many preachers do go to “the barrel” and drag out a repeat but Rebekah does not – cannot – the story is too compelling for that.

Instead her message is always something surprising and original (like the Bonny and Clyde Christmas story she shared in Brandon – pulled from an inspirational encounter with some young people cranking out tunes at the intersection of two busy streets – read “Can You Hear it?“).

And – always – we hear the familiar narrative with new ears, and our hearts are full to overflowing, and it’s like the gift of Jesus is brand new and disarmingly beautiful and so very wonderful.

But that is how it goes every year. The Good News message is fresh, and relevant and full with life and stunningly on-point for exactly this time and this place and this season of our lives.

And there in the midst of hundreds of people the lights turn down, and just the white candle remains lit, and I pick up my guitar to play the simple harmonies of “Silent Night” while Rebekah lights her candle from Christ’s. And she passes her small flame to the elders who, in turn, share the light with the congregation until the coming of hope into the world is illustrated so beautifully that it really does feel like angels bending near the earth to touch their harps of gold…

Silent night, holy night,
Son of God, love’s pure light
Radiant beams from Thy holy face,
With the dawn of redeeming grace,
Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth,
Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth.

And it never fails. The Silent Night breaks out into Joy to the World, the doors of the church are thrown open, and redeeming grace spills out and all over this community.

May that redeeming grace touch all of us today, exactly at the point of our need – DEREK