Isaiah prophesied,
“The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.”
Before Jesus began his ministry, John the Baptist said of him,
“The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.”
Finally, Jesus said of himself,
“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
This Christmas, celebrate the light that frees us from darkness.
The lone microphone washed in the color of lights stands ready to receive the voices of the church choir at Christmas. In the background the organ pipes glow with expectation as well. Christmas is here and the birth of Jesus is about to be announced. On that day in Bethlehem so many centuries ago, the coming was announced by angels declaring, “Glory to God in the Highest.” Today we announce Jesus’ birth with microphones and music, with human voices and instruments of praise because even after all these years it is an announcement worth declaring. Glory to God in the Highest!
Last Sunday evening our church had a marvelous Christmas celebration they called “A Christmas Journey.” We listened to our children, our youth, and our adults proclaim the coming of the infant Jesus, all under changing lights that made the auditorium sparkle and caused me to think of the night skies above the shepherds on that wonderful night. Cynthia Clawson and her husband, Reagan Courtney, joined us to share their gifts of song and verse. I don’t count myself a musician, but I’m grateful for the creative gifts of so many others who can praise God through melody, harmony, and rhythm.
This wonderful pipe organ at First Baptist Church in Oklahoma City has black keys instead of white, blond wood rather than dark, and brown knobs in place of white. The reversals attract the eye and cause me to wonder at the constraints of convention. How often do we assume something is correct simply because it’s always been that way or we’ve never experienced it differently?
I’ve been taking pictures of my church recently for a project I’m working on. Last week I spent a morning in the church sanctuary alone snapping shots. I love these kinds of shoots because I can take my time and be as creative as I want. If the picture doesn’t come out as I’ve envisioned, it’s no big deal. I can take a hundred pictures to get one good one. When I show the one good one, everyone thinks I’m a genious.
The other, more important, reason I enjoyed this morning is because it gave me time to feel and experience the wonder of this room. I found myself thinking about the thousands of people who have walked through those doors in the last 100 years. I stood behind the pulpit and thought about the majestic prayers and powerful sermons that have been offered up. I stood at the end of the long aisle and remembered how difficult it was for me as a child to step out of the pew and walk the never ending aisle to profess to the people in my home church my belief in Jesus Christ.
Down this aisle hundreds of people have walked to do the same thing–to let a community of people know that they also believe–to share their desire to join these like-minded people in their pursuit of faith and service–to seek the support and prayers of this faith family for their personal struggles. The aisle in the Baptist tradition is a holy place, for it represents steps of commitment, courage of faith, and seeking of community.
At the singing of our commitment hymn toward the end of each service, those who attend are invited to walk the aisle to share their decision. When they do, their decision is owned by the community. It becomes ours. I often find myself teary-eyed when people step into the aisle and make their way forward for I know it is not done lightly. It is done with trepidation, thought, and hope. I am filled with joy that these people have allowed me to share in the personal faith moments of their lives.
Check out more of my flickr photos on my Flickr page.