I had the opportunity for another sermon today, or maybe it’s a homily, bit shorter than a sermon at 7 minutes. The service was ‘Lessons & Carols’ where we read the Christmas story from five scripture passages paired with five related Christmas Carols. Good fun, would *so* do this style of service again.

Anyhoo, If you’re curious, audio of the sermon is here along with text, so listen or read, pick your poison. Enjoy!

Show of hands, who has experienced Lessons and Carols before? I hadn’t until now. When pastor mentioned it to me a few weeks back I looked through the format and said “Sweet! We should do this!” So thank you Pastor and Shirley for your inspiration and help pulling this together, it’s one last chance to hear the Christmas story and sing carols, good fun. And thank you all for the positive energy and singing with gusto. Maybe next year we’ll add in a Margarita mixer to the festivities. Kidding, kidding!

There is something special about combining Lessons with Carols. I only came to realize it when looking at the scripture readings side by side with carols.

For example, in the lesson from Isaiah today we hear these words:

“the people who walked in darkness who have seen a great light. For those who lived in a land of deep shadows – light! Sunbursts of light”

That theme is echoed memorably in the carol O Little Town of Bethlehem we sang this morning. I’ll take a little stab at singing that a capella –

“yet in thy dark streets shineth the everlasting light, The hope and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.”

How did you experience hearing that song? Was that different from hearing the spoken word? There are lots of ways to look at this. Maybe the spoken word involves more of the head, while the sung word more of the heart. A scientific study conducted a few years ago found a difference too. The left hemisphere of the brain takes the lead processing words, including what you’re hearing now.   The right hemisphere of the brain does most the work processing songs, and is more sensitive to the emotional features of language.

Other recent research has shown that skills with lots of things are strongest when both halves of the brain work together. So here we are, listening to scripture spoken, paired with carols – based on scripture – being sung. Perhaps that helps the message sink in just a little bit deeper than hearing just one or the other.

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Sure, it was a gravel-y, and somewhat pained, but what a beautiful sound. Her song let us know she was still here, that her spirit was still with us. This experience was a powerful reminder to me about the depth of meaning music can have, and its ability to draw out the innermost being from within.

In the Gospel reading from John today the author uses a different way to connect with our innermost being. John begins by reflecting back on the Creation story, writing “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was God. What came into existence was Life, and the Life was Light to live by.”

The reading continues, looking forward to the birth of Jesus. The translation used this morning, The Message, uses the paired words “Life-Light” to describe Jesus. It says:

“The Life-Light was the real thing:

Every person entering Life, He brings into Light.”

So Jesus brings Light into our Life. What a great pairing, our Life, coupled with the Light of Jesus. What a neat way to understand salvation. Perhaps that’s why this reading from John is paired with one of my favorite Christmas carols. Joy to the World, the carol proclaims, The Lord has come!

And here we are, on January Fourth, the eleventh day of Christmas, a good time to reflect on 2014. There was probably some light in your life this past year. And probably some darkness too. Maybe you even felt alone and devoid of life at some point, waiting for a sign, maybe a song, to shake you from your slumber.

We can also reflect on the winter solstice of December 21, not too long ago. On that day, the darkest day of the year, we know that there will be more and more sunlight each day going forward that surrounds us. We can also reflect back on Christmas day, and to a tiny baby, the Life-Light, Jesus, born to guide our ways.

After looking back for a spell we then turn our gaze, and look forward to 2015, to what is to come.   The reading from John forecasts an excellent pairing: Your Life, with the Light of Christ. Your Life, A life that proclaims Joy to the World, the Lord is come. Your Life, that when paired with our Creator, overcomes the darkness.

May it be so. Amen.