December 23, 2016

Christmas Eve has always been one of my favorite days of the year. As a child, we had a tradition in our family that we got to open Christmas presents on Christmas Eve after we got home from church. As you can imagine, the fact that I got to open presents the day before all my friends was certainly a highlight. But, as I grew older I began to appreciate Christmas Eve for a very different reason.

I tend to be a creature of habit (for those who know me well, I know this is a huge surprise!), and I love the routines and traditions that get created over time. At Christmas Eve, I especially love the tradition of lighting candles as we sing “Silent Night” at church. It’s not the traditional acts themselves that give meaning to Christmas Eve, but I find deep holiness in participating in the rituals that I know are being performed all over the world and have been performed throughout the centuries. I love knowing that I am connected to every other person throughout time and all over the globe who are taking part in that tradition of spreading the symbolic light of Christ by lighting candles as we prepare to go back out into the world after hearing the good news of great joy that a Savior has been born.

I hope you have a place where you can join us in that time-honored ritual of lighting candles on Christmas Eve. If you don’t already have a place to attend worship tomorrow night I want to invite you to join us for one of our worship services at St. Luke’s. More than anything, whether you are worshipping at St. Luke’s or somewhere else, whether you are lighting candles or simply remembering and celebrating that Light that has already come, I hope you find joy and hope this Christmas know that God has come to be with us – Emmanuel.

Merry Christmas to you all!