I've found myself more than usually curmudgeonly about this Christmas because, as I've indicated in previous postings, I find the commercialization becoming almost overwhelming. But Christmas Eve still brings people out. They are drawn to hear that story. I saw faces on Christmas Eve that I hadn't seen for months. But there is something about the narrative of Bethlehem that grabs them and won't let go. Overall, we've experienced a decline in church attendance. But not on Christmas Eve.
Typically, we take a "glass half empty" attitude to this, grumping about how it would mean a lot more if they'd come out for the rest of the year. But I don't know. In the times in which we live, I think you've got to find hope where you can find it. And take the hopeful signs and build on them. And the worship we had in the weeks leading up to Christmas renewed my hope. It's way too easy for people to stay away these days, not to see significance in those times when they come out.
Early in December, my new baby grandson made his stage debut, starring in the role of Baby Jesus at the annual Christmas pageant at Kingsway Lambton United Church in Toronto where his parents attend. This pageant involves about 80 children and was performed for the seventieth consecutive year. It's a beautiful acting out of the Christmas story and they have to put it on for four nights to accomodate everyone who wants to attend. That says to me that the church's message has not lost its power to engage people at the deep places of their hearts. Sure, there's an element of habit and nostalgia involved, but when isn't that the case.
Sure, we need to be on guard against spiritual phoniness. But I think we can get too cynical as well.
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We design our Christmas Eve service is totally guilt free. We know that we're going to have non-members, poor-atttenders, and non-believers, and we design our service to make them feel completely welcome, with absolutely no guilt, and no under-current of "it would be better if you came more often. We even have a group of Jews who come every year! Indeed, we don't design the service in any to satisfy our own congregation, although it seems to.
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