Christmas Letter from Rev. Brad
This is our first Christmas together, and I cannot tell you how excited I am for Advent leading up to Christmas Eve. Every year, there are two moments I most look forward to at Christmas. One is my granddaughter eyeing the Christmas tree as she arrives to see what magic has transpired. The second is singing “Silent Night, Holy Night,” as the lights are slowly turned down and the candles are lit in the sanctuary on Christmas Eve night. Another big day in the Christian faith is Easter. It is supposed to be the big day when we Sing “Christ the Lord is Risen Today” with the accompaniment from the organ. The throngs gather, with fragrant lilies, and the spring air of Easter are pretty special, but it is Christmas that touches my heart like no other. Maybe it is the kid in me. I know that Christmas is wrought with commercialism, consumerism, and a secularity that some mourn. But it is that moment where nothing matters but the culmination of hope, peace, love, joy. I can block out the noise, fear and the distractions. And yes, “Silent Night,” has helped contribute to a falsely idyllic understanding of Christmas, but I’m okay with that because it is a song that can and has brought pause to war, even if only for a moment. On Christmas Eve, I have a pretty special view. I get to stand up front and look out at the faces of those gathered. I can close my eyes and picture each of the congregations I’ve had the honor to serve. I can see the faces of those who have befriended, supported, shaped, challenged, and molded me into the pastor that I am today. They are the faces of the young and old, women, men, and children, the single and the married, the healthy and the sick. I can see the faces lit by the glow of a small candle as we sing those holy words.
This year, I am looking forward to singing it with you. We haven’t been together very long, but things are going well. Already we’ve laughed and cried together. We’ve dreamed of a coming Kingdom and mourned the loss of pillars of our church. We’ve eaten too much, shared some of our scars, and worried a little. I see the excitement and the energy as good things are happening here at Jackson First. People are being fed. I can see the invitation through welcome and grace that is born from joy. I can see the Body of Christ, redeemed by Christ’s love, reaching out into the world. Incarnation is what Christmas is all about. It is the coming of light in a world of darkness. It is God breaking through the barriers that separate. It is strength, power, and might redefined in the form of a newborn baby. Christmas is peace, love, joy, and hope. The light spreading from candle to candle in the sanctuary with singing in the pews, we experience the light of Christ spreading into the hearts of the faithful and then being carried out into the world. Christmas is not about a “happily ever after” fairy tale. It is about the presence of God in the midst of real life; it is a promise that God is with us. Even in the midst of a diagnosis, there is hope. In the midst of struggle and upheaval, there is peace. In the gathering of people, there is joy. In fellow humans who are broken, hurting, sinning, and falling, there is love.
So, I’m looking forward to Christmas Eve, not always patiently. What I’m looking forward to, is to wish you a Merry Christmas, and to see your face lit by the glow of a candle. And I’m so glad we get to do this together.
Rev. Brad Luck; Senior Pastor