As I'm becoming a little bit overwhelmed with Advent/Christmas planning, I thought maybe blogging about some of my challenges might be good therapy. Christmas Eve is very much on my mind today. I love Christmas Eve. I love Christmas Eve services. And at the same time, as a minister, I never look forward to Christmas Eve services.
Well, the services themselves I look forward to. It's the planning of the services that I don't like. I mean, really, once you've done it 7 times (as I've done at my current church) or 18 times (as I've done in my ministry career) what do you do? I've scoured my brain; I've scoured the internet. Nothing much is leaping to mind. I could scour old services from previous charges that I've served I guess. Still, whatever I do, the choices for the occasion are so limited. There are basically - unless you want to get really radical - two Scripture stories that can be told - the Christmas story of Matthew or the Christmas story of Luke. Joseph's perspective or Mary's perspective. So, which is it this year? And carols. You want to sing the old familiar carols. I mean, choosing something that's not familiar causes enough grief when you have just the regulars in church. Choosing something unfamiliar in a church in which more than half the congregation perhaps aren't usually there is more challenging. So, do I open with O Come All Ye Faithful or Silent Night? Somehow, they both have to be there. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing works, but I often like to use that as a closing hymn on Christmas Eve. I might get away with Still, Still, Still. The church folk know it - most of them; some of them, anyway. I'll think about that. I could throw a curve ball and open with an Advent song! O Come, O Come, Emmanuel! That might work, and it would be a little different, but I think I'm using it on a Sunday in Advent, and I usually try not to repeat. Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus? Maybe. And I have to remember that if I use Hark! The Herald Angels Sing to open I have to find something else (familiar) to close with. Hmmm. Strange but true - there aren't really a lot of good Christmas carols that work as a good closing hymn. My opinion, anyway. Somewhere along the way (if I want something fresh) I could go the You Tube route. That's an idea. How about Mary, Did You Know? There's a nice You Tube version of it. That's a nice one, kind of meditative, and it suits the occasion. And somewhere in the middle of this I have to find a place for O Little Town Of Bethlehem. What would Christmas Eve be without O Little Town Of Bethlehem?
And then, setting all that aside, there's the 11:00 Communion service. It's a bit easier. I give myself more flexibility in Scripture readings for that service. Maybe I'll frame that late service with the angel hymns. You know: Angels From The Realms Of Glory, and Angels We Have Heard On High. One to start and one to finish, with something more meditative in the middle to go with Communion. Maybe here's the spot for Still, Still, Still!
I have made a change to my Advent preaching. One thing I both like and don't like about the way we do things here is that I only preach twice during Advent - one service (this Sunday) is the Children's Pageant, and one service (the Sunday before Christmas) is the Choir Cantata. I like it because it cuts down on prep work; I don't like it because it prevents the development of any sort of flow to the Advent season. But it is what it is. Originally, for December 16 I was going to do a critique of society of sorts, reflecting on those things in the world that prevent us from truly celebrating Christmas. But that wasn't sitting well. And then I realized - that's the Sunday before the end of the world! I jest, of course. But December 21 is the doomsday scenario for some people (Mayan calendar and all) and I've decided to bring that into the service and make it a kind of Advent theme of watching and waiting, using some of Jesus apocalyptic sayings. I've decided on Mark's version for that - 13:28-37. Jesus apocalyptics are, after all, traditional Advent readings that suit the origin of Advent as a look ahead not to Jesus' birth, but to the ultimate fulfilment: Jesus' return in glory. (Which makes it kind of odd that, liturgically, the church makes Advent the start of the year.) So, anyway, I'm gonna call that one "Watching And Waiting." The emphasis will be on the waiting. In other words, don't panic - the Mayan calendar is wrong. The world isn't ending on December 21. We need to simply be watchful for the signs of Christ's appearance (among us now, and as a future hope.) And if I'm wrong and the Mayans were right and the world does come to an end on December 21? Well, then December 16 is the last church service I'll ever conduct and so no one will have the chance to call me on it!
I have selected an opening hymn for December 30. It's an oldie, and it's not even in the hymn book, and for some reason I really like it. God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen. (I know the title and first line is a bit sexist, but political correctness is not really something I'm obsessed with.) I've even got a sermon title. "OK. So What?" Exploring why Christmas is still important to the Christian faith.
Some of the planning is already over, of course. The big challenge to start out is always finding a fresh sort of candle liturgy that's family friendly because we like having children involved. I like what I'm using this year. It doesn't follow the joy, peace, love, hope routine. Instead, it's prophets, shepherds, Mary, Joseph. Kind of different. I like it.
Has this helped my brain get a handle on the next three and a half weeks in church? Maybe. I don't know. I'll find out tomorrow. I think I'm giving it a rest for now!
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