Sugar plums!
I know you’re making a list and checking it twice, and worrying about candles and trying to work out lighting cues for “Silent Night” and trying to figure out how much of the world’s concerns you should refer to in your homily because it’s Christmas Eve, and shouldn’t things be joyful and beautiful and sparkly?
Yes, they should.
Please know that folks who are coming to worship tonight are coming with a lot of subtext. Some of them are coming with nothing but a to-do list in their head. Let the gospels and the readings do the heavy lifting, like this reading by Howard Thurman:
When the song of the angels is stilled,
When the star in the sky is gone,
When the kings and the princes are home,
When the shepherds are back with their flocks,
The work of Christmas begins:
To find the lost,
To heal the broken,
To feed the hungry,
To release the prisoner,
To rebuild the nations,
To bring peace among people,
To make music in the heart.
Please make time for silences. Give a deep prayer. Don’t worry about fidgety babies: you should have a plan worked out for parents of fussy little ones and make that alternative clear during the opening words or welcome. (eg, “If your little ones are having a hard time in the service, please know that the Parish Hall is open to you and has lots of running around space. This is an exciting night! You will be able to hear/watch the service from there over the live video stream. “).
As you review your Order of Worship, please, please review the lyrics of the carols and be ready to confidently song-lead. I decided to cut and paste all of the verses into my own personal manuscript so I don’t have to put my folio or Kindle down and pick up a program (we have carol books, actually) and squint. In doing this, I found a HUGE discrepancy between the lyrics printed in my carol book and my own version of “It Came Upon The Midnight Clear” (I had the messed up version – the carol booklet is correct). What a terrible moment of being thrown off my game that would have been, had I been standing there going “Uh BLuh BLUH BLUH” while the congregation trilled along.
Little things can throw us!
Do spend extra, slow, calming time on your personal toilette today. Pack your hand sanitizer and try very hard to thank everyone an extra lot for making Christmas Eve with the church and for the people: ushers, video tapers, readers, choir members, musicians, cookie bakers, greeters, chair setter-uppers.
Be beautiful. Christ is born because God loves us that much.
Blessings on your beautiful ministries, PB
May you have patience in the final details, grace for what escapes anyway, and much love surrounding you on this holy night.
Thank you for all the BTFM wisdom this year, and for the past DECADE!!
Notable tonight was the small brief fire incident at the children’s service, when a wand was too close to the advent candles. Parents quick to the rescue. Luckily is was foil and it just has a hole in it.
Also notable the surprise visit from Mariano and his bride. Mariano spent 7th grade with me and family in Belmont MA, from his home in Queretaro, Mexico. A long family friendship with multiple exchanges.
Magic happens.
I wore heels for the traditional service, to dress it up, and it is the last time I do that. I’m in flats from here on out. Anyone interested in a lot of black size 9 medium shoes with heels?
Oh Peacebang, that reading from Howard Thurman is not just what I needed to hear, but what I needed for tomorrow’s sermon! Thank you (https://fatdormouse.wordpress.com/2014/12/27/sermon-after-christmas/)
God bless you and grant you a peaceful and joyous 2015
One comment from me, post-Midnight Mass. Please remember that we’re tired and want to get some sleep! The service I went to was a solid hour and a half. I had totally had enough by about five minutes past the hour. We didn’t need all three verses of a dramatic tenor solo ‘Oh Holy Night’, we really could have sung one fewer carol, cut the ‘kiss of peace’ and the prayers shorter, had less liturgy leading up to communion… I know it’s one of the high points of the year, but really it’s half twelve already and we’ve got a long day tomorrow…
I’ve been through this!