SILENT NIGHT

Thursday, March 11, 2010

It looks like anything but Christmas here in Scottsdale today.

The sun is shining, the sky is a beautiful blue, it's warming up outside and will be into the 80's next week.

But come to think of it--that's about the way it is around here at Christmas time.

I have been listening to Susan Boyle sing Silent Night on her new CD.

It's absolutely beautiful. Especially when the other singers join in. Wow!

I like every song on this CD but I especially like Silent Night.

I get misty eyed every time I hear it.

I learned Silent Night and other "Christmas songs" at school when I was a kid.

I didn't go to church when I was a kid and when I started attending the Church of Christ we didn't sing them there. Which is another ridiculous story all it's own and I won't bother you with it now.

I don't know it for a fact, but I don't think they sing these songs at school anymore. And that makes me sad. Almost as sad as not singing them at the Church of Christ.

I was the senior minister at the Lincoln Heights Christian Church in Phoenix for fifteen years. At Christmas time we always closed our candlelight service by standing and singing Silent Night. I feel the emotion of that even as I write these words. Did it make me feel closer to God? Absolutely!