A Christmas Eve Paradox: Two Dead Mice, One Bright Light!
Twas the night before Christmas and all through the church house, not a creature was stirring, not even a church mouse. That’s because the newly installed security system at Oak Chapel caught them roaming the halls after hours and zapped them.
Well, that’s not really the way it happened, but two mice did, in fact, perish during Advent. Now, I’m a person who respects all forms of life. I even capture spiders that get into our house in Dixie Cups and usher them outside where they belong. So I have to admit that I was saddened when the two furry creatures lost their lives, especially because both of them died in my office.
This Christmas Eve at Oak Chapel will not be at all quiet, sad, or mouse friendly. Despite the current circumstances, we will worship in a way that is joyful, responsible, and safe. The sanctuary has been hydrostatically sprayed, allowing us to seat 75 people with appropriate social distancing and individual masking in a pristine setting.
If you have become accustomed to worshipping from the parking lot in your car, you can continue that practice on Christmas Eve and beyond by listening on your radio at 97.9 FM. We will also have several rooms available for those who wish to worship privately with their family. In addition, there will be seating in Fellowship Hall with a video feed, and we are planning to livestream on the Internet, which means that if you can’t make it to church, you can watch from the comfort of your own home.
Regardless of where you spend Christmas Eve, be sure to take some time to reflect on the sanctity of the occasion, and carve out a warm place in your heart for the newborn Savior.
And speaking of the Savior, did you have a chance to witness the “Christmas Star” earlier this week? It happened a few nights ago during what is called a “planetary conjunction,” which occurs when two planets come together (in this case Saturn and Jupiter).
According to NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration), “the planets regularly appear to pass each other in the solar system, with the positions of Saturn and Jupiter being aligned in the sky about once every 20 years. What makes this year’s spectacle so rare is that it has been nearly 400 years since the planets passed this close to each other in the sky, and nearly 800 years since the alignment of Saturn and Jupiter occurred at night.”
Coincidentally (or not so coincidentally), the conjunction occurred on the same night as the winter solstice — the longest night of the year. Maybe, just maybe, this bright light is coming to us at the conclusion of a very dark year for a reason — perhaps to provide a source of desperately needed light. Either way, we can rejoice as we continue to follow the brightest light of all — that of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!
Until we meet again, Be Blessed! – Pastor John