An hour before leaving to lead Christmas Eve worship at Christ Lutheran, Coolidge, AZ, I received a call that the church lights were out. A powerful rainstorm had knocked out the power on the north side of town, and there was concern if power could be restored in time for church.
My mind immediately recalled a similar night of worship many years ago when the lights went out at my first church in North Dakota when a 1972 October snowstorm resulted in a collision between a local snowmobile and a power pole. I grabbed my badly tuned guitar just in case we needed it for “Silent Night”, three small Harbor Freight flashlights, my briefcase and my wife, and made haste over the fields and past the flocks of sheep grazing along the road.
Arriving at church as the sun was setting, I was met by skeptical worshippers whom I tried to set at ease with, “Been there, done this before, so don’t worry.” After decisions were made how to usher in the folks and not to use the guitar, the little church filled up with everyone sharing a personal flashlight. The good Lord even gave us a gorgeous Arizona sunset to remind us He was the real One in charge.
And so it was that while we were there, the days were accomplished that we should worship the Savior. In true Lutheran tradition, we all did the best we could amid murmurs and chuckles of what was to come. With God’s very personal blessing, we worshipped His Son as the Savior who was born one dark night in Bethlehem.
The service was actually quite lovely. A cappella Christmas carols sung with gusto, lessons read by flashlight, and sermon with even a tear or two, all made it memorable. Near sermon’s end the lights came on, just like they did back in 1972. And as people left, a friend was heard saying, “I liked it better when the lights were off.”
How memorable was your Christmas Eve?
Rev. Bob Tasler (www.bobtasler.com)
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