I am writing this blog between the two Christmas Eve services here at the church. It is really amazing to me how many people will come and worship with us on this holy evening. Every year we have families come and sing, receive communion, light candles and remember the birth of the Christ Child–and some of these folks we won’t see again until next Christmas Eve. Some pastors make jokes about the folks who come soregularly on holy days and so seldom during the normal times of worship. I have mixed feelings. It would be wonderful if we could capture the excitement of Christmas Eve and Easter worship and have it touch all of our lives with the sort of dedication that we see at special times. It might be easy to blame the church. At the same time, it might be easy to blame the folks who only come for the special times. “If they only had more faith,” we could say, “they’d be here more often.” But there really isn’t any reason to blame any one. Maybe we should be rejoicing that God is more faithful than any of us. Maybe we should be rejoicing that God’s love as shown in the birth of Christ still draws people together!

The important thing is that we celebrate the joy that fills the world at the birth of our Savior. The angels sang of joy. The shepherds responded with joy. Mary pondered their words and treasured them in her heart. And the baby born in Bethlehem is the Christ who changes the world. Glory be to God. AMEN

Gene Feagin, Pastor