"The Glory of Christmas!"

The people who walk in darkness will see a great light.For those who live in a land of deep darkness, a light will shine.Isaiah 9:2

Over the past two months, families in our church have been giving hours of their time learning songs and lines. For weeks the atrium of the ReCreation Center has been packed with parents waiting for their kids who are practicing for the Christmas play. Why are they doing this at the busiest time of the year? One dad told me, “Because this is what Christmas is all about!”

For 26 years our church has been telling the story of Christmas through music, drama, dancing, and preaching. We’ve transformed high school gyms, VFW halls, senior centers, and barns to tell the story. I can’t begin to count the number of volunteer hours that have gone into building sets, sewing costumes, taking flyers door to door, baking cookies, folding bulletins, labeling envelopes, cutting down trees. . . the list goes on and on. Why? I think if you asked anyone they’d say, “Because this is what Christmas is all about!”

This year our theme for Christmas is “Let’s Share the Light.” That’s what we have been doing all December in each of our services and that’s what we are doing on Thursday and Friday night.

Thursday night’s Glory of Christmas drama is entitled “One Candle Can Light the World” and will be at 7:30 pm in Mountainside Sanctuary. This beautiful dramatic depiction of the glory and wonder of the first Christmas will fill you with Christmas joy. Before the drama you’ll enjoy Christmas carols with the choir, and a heartwarming children’s drama entitled “What’s a Nativity?” (What would Christmas be without kids singing and acting?) Afterwards, there will be homemade Christmas cookies, hot cider and coffee waiting for you in the Library.

Friday night, Christmas Eve, we have two beautiful worship services in our Spirit Falls Sanctuary at 6pm and 11pm. As you enter you’ll notice the waterfall in all its beauty and immediately you’ll hear the beautiful harp being played by Diane Chattin. As is our tradition, we will sing Christmas carols, enjoy a ballerina dancing to Rhonda’s “O Holy Night”, Travis will share a new Christmas song he wrote, the choir will sing about joy, and the little cherub ballerina’s will bless us. And of course, Mary, Joseph, the Shepherds and Kings will dramatically tell the story in our traditional style of a live nativity. I will share a wonderful inspiring message of hope and candles will be lit as we sing Silent Night. The service will end with an invitation to communion. What a way to prepare for Christmas!!!

Please join us this Christmas. We have a light to share with you! Bring your friends, family and neighbors. They will thank you . . . “Because this is what Christmas is all about!”

Your friend for the rest of my life,

Tim White