Christmas: Something Different and Same

Our Christmas Eve Service this year is called “Lessons and Carols”.  It is a simple worship service that focuses on the whole story of redemption from various readings from the Bible.  As each passage or lesson of Scripture is read by an elder, the congregation will respond with singing a carol.   The focus of the worship will be upon the Lord of glory who came into this world to redeem us, explained through the Word of God.  This year, the simplicity of worship, where we hear God’s word and reflect on its meaning and respond with singing is a change from the candle-light service.    From time to time, our traditions, even with the best of intentions, obscure the truth rather than display it.    We can go through the motions and still miss the meaning.   Our great desire here at First Presbyterian is to exalt the glory of Christ’s gospel.  From the architecture, to the prayers and the music, our worship is designed around the hearing of God’s Word.   This is the one thing that never changes with time and seasons: the Word of God which is also ever breaking forth in newness.    Over the years, my celebrations of Christmas have changed, from snow covered trees and rooftops on Christmas morning, and visiting grandparents in their Kansas’ farm homes.   Every year, in fact, something will change because life is never constant.   Sometimes we forget that the changes are all part of God’s design and purpose in our lives.   We are to remember that in the midst of our unpredictable lives, there is truth that remains the same.  This is the truth that God has loved us and sent His Son into our world to take upon himself our sin so that we might have all the riches of His grace and true joy in a great salvation.