The Coming of Christmas

Once in a while during the Christmas season, all the extraneous trappings of the holiday are peeled back to reveal an astonishingly simple, yet miraculous, story so poignant and holy that you wonder how it has been so cleverly disguised in the distraction and bustle of celebration that purports to honor it.

Tonight was such a night, as our church commemorated Jesus’ birth with a candlelight communion service, recognizing the beginning of His life on earth and also His request that his death be remembered in this way.

Just a greeting, a prayer, the reading of the Christmas story from the Bible and a beautiful carol sung eloquently by a young woman who accompanied herself on the guitar. As her sweet soprano voice rang strong and clear with the words, “Angels we have heard on high, sweetly singing o’er the plains, And the mountains in reply echo still their joyous strains,” we could sense the starry night, the blue velvet sky, and the resplendent heavenly host choir singing “Gloria, Gloria, in Excelsis Deo.” The strange Latin words are translated, “Glory to God in the Highest.”

Then a time of Holy Communion as the elements were distributed by our senior statesmen of the faith, and the prayers of thanks they offered for what they represented: the atonement for our sins as Christ gave His life for us. Small candles had already been distributed to each person in the congregation, and as the ushers lit the ones of those nearest the aisle, they in turn shared their light with the one next to them, and so on until the entire dimmed sanctuary was aglow in an interactive, tangible illustration of being a light to the world.

“The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, And upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death Light has dawned,” my husband read from Matthew 4:16 , a prophecy of Jesus spoken by Isaiah.

By this time, in an atmosphere where hearts were tender with love and gratitude, the soloist strummed the notes of “Silent Night,” and we reflected on the humble scene of Mother and Child as we joined in the chorus of solemn adoration.

Sweet fellowship followed in a surprise reception organized by the youth department where homemade goodies and homegrown conversation warmed us against the chill night, so starry and still, into which we headed homeward, mute with our thoughts and the magnitude of that silent night.