It is upon us, that day of days. Or maybe I should say we have come upon it, following its trail through December, tracking it day by day, moment by moment, until at last ... See? Just ahead. There it is.
It’s been quite a trip so far—from the Hanging of the Greens with the youth to wreath-making and a Christmas pageant with the children. There was the Service of Lessons and Carols in all its beauty and magnificence and the Service of Grief and Hope to acknowledge that not all of life is beauty and magnificence. And, of course, there have been opportunities to gather around tables and study together and eat together—so vital to keeping up our strength and spirits for the journey. And every Sunday, we lit another candle to light the way.
All along the way, we passed signs of the good news of great joy that awaited us.
Maybe it was the lights of a lawn surprising you as you rounded a corner or the lights of your own tree whispering peace. Christmas. Or maybe some ornament on that tree or some scent of the season carried you back in an instant to Christmas past. A moment with family and friends or even a journey down a shopping aisle offered a lens through which the glory of Christmas shone.
Bits of it everywhere—on television, radio or leaping from your mailbox—announcing its approach. All of it good company for the journey.
And now, here we are. Christmas is here.
And I do mean that Christmas is HERE. We’ve come back to where we started this trip, the church.
If it’s the purity of the Christmas message you’re seeking, nowhere will you find it more gloriously than in worship with friends and strangers, saints all. Add your voice to the carols; dive into the story of God’s love made flesh. Shuffle past the shepherds and nudge aside the sheep and donkeys until at last, you see the mother’s face there beside the feed-trough cradle. And in that cradle … the baby, the Christ child, full of grace and truth, right there in the midst of our worship and right in the middle of the sometimes-crazy life we share in this world.
And here is our wonderful part in it all: to sing, to love and rejoice, to worship and welcome the Christ.
Christmas is here at Glenn Memorial, and I hope you will be, too.
Christmas Eve
4 p.m.: The Christmas Story
A beautiful and unique telling of the Christmas story by children and adults, with song, dance, and wonderful costumes that recreate the most holy of nights.
7 p.m. Traditional Service of Worship
This service, new this year, will include beautiful music by the Glenn Chancel Choir, accompanied by organ and brass, the Christmas story from Luke’s gospel, a Christmas Message, and candlelighting.
11 p.m. Service of Holy Communion
We’ll see in Christmas morning with carols, the story,
Holy Communion and candlelighting.
In Christ,
Mark Westmoreland