Welcome to Pastor Jack Buckley's weekly blog and podcast.
You have three ways to hear his weekly message:
- Read Pastor Jack's GODblog.
- Listen now to an audio of the scripture reading and Pastor Jack's sermon.
- Listen anytime. You choose the time and place. Download Pastor Jack's GODcast to your MP3 player.
Monday, December 18, 2006
One Silent Night
No message on MP3 this week...
Sunday morning's "sermon" was a sweet Christmas Pageant, "Carriers of the Light", featuring our Sunday school kids with Music Director David Zechman at the keyboard. There stood Mary and Joseph, angels and wise men, shepherds and assorted livestock, all singing their hearts out to welcome Christ the Newborn King!
Best sermon I never preached.
_______________
ONE SILENT NIGHT
Each new Christmas creates within our hearts and minds a brand new set of lifelong memories.
Sometimes we work almost frantically at making sure they'll be happy ones. Often enough our share of "joy to the world" catches us by quiet surprise.
I'm remembering now that latter kind of Christmastime moment, from when I was in first or second grade. A day or two after Christmas itself.
Had the big day been especially happy or not? I don't remember. Where were my brothers and sister now? My Dad? I can't tell you.
What I can describe in detail, though, is this:
I'm lying on the floor with my new coloring book, carefully filling in the pictures with my 24-color collection of crayons.
My mother sits a couple of feet behind me, off to the side a bit, in a rocking chair. She's quietly knitting away, totally absorbed in her handiwork.
In fact, the whole scene is absolutely quiet. And dark.
No, not dark really. For the tree in front of us is filled with colored bulbs, and Mom and I are all awash in their soft glow. What's serenely dark are the corners of the room, just beyond our small circle of light.
Our family in those days struggled with numerous shadowy problems. So, all told, this may well have been a less than merry Christmas.
But this one peaceful scene is what my heart remembers all these years later. It is enough. For in its details I find the seeds of my whole lifetime's worth of happy Christmas memories.
All is calm. All is bright. Thanks be to God.
posted by Jack Buckley at
4:41 PM
<< Home
|
|
 |
|
|
