Archives: January 2006

I like to sing Christmas Hymns. On Christmas Eve, I can hardly wait for the procession to begin so that we can sing the first of our Christmas hymns. My soul is deeply warmed by those beautiful hymns.

Therefore, when I hear a new Christmas hymn, I can hardly wait to pour over the words. Recently I attended the Bentonville High School Choir Madrigal Feast and heard for me a “new” hymn which was actually written in the medieval period. The hymn was “Past Three O'clock.” I hurried home and looked up the hymn on the internet. The words reminded me of an old Anglican prayer for the evening, “O, Lord, support us all the day long, until the shadows lengthen, and the evening comes, and the busy world is hushed, and the fever of life is over, and our work is done. . .” (BCP, page 833)

By tradition the baby Jesus was born around midnight . By three o'clock the shepherds, et al, would have come and gone and maybe the fever of all that activity of the night would have died down. The work of the night was done. It was time for Mary and Joseph to quietly be together with their new born son. In my imagination I see the new parents softly talking to each other about their baby and each one holding him and counting his toes and fingers and wondering what the next year would be like for them as a family.

We all need and cherish such intimate moments. We all need time this Holy Season to just be with the Baby of Bethlehem and to hold Him close to our hearts and quietly talk about our future together as the family of God.

One of the things I like to do on Christmas Eve after the last service has ended, the doors have been locked, and the last person has left the church parking lot, is to sit in the sanctuary and contemplate on all that happened in Bethlehem 2,000 years ago and all that has happened that night in our poor stable called an Episcopal church. I like to sit and sing to myself, Silent Night or some other favorite hymn. When I haven't been able to do that, I go home, light the candles on the Advent wreath and just sit quietly with our loving God. This Christmas give yourself the gift of a quiet moment with Jesus.

This is my first Christmas with you and I can hardly wait to sing with you, “Joy to the world! The Lord has come . . .”

Merry Christmas!

                                       In Christ's love,

                                               Fr. Ken †