This morning I led worship, as I usually do on Sundays. It was the first Sunday of Advent, the very beginning of the church year. In the Lutheran Church, Advent is not yet Christmas; Advent is a time of waiting and longing, while Christmas begins on December 24 and lasts twelve days from there. This particular factoid has sometimes been a source of friction between church leaders and congregation members, some of whom inevitably want to start singing Christmas songs in church the same time they’re sung in the shopping malls.

This year we’re trying to do something a little different at my church. We’re trying to focus on the tension there between Advent and Christmas. We’re noting that even though we are waiting for Christmas, waiting for Christ to come, waiting for hope, we also proclaim every week (whether it’s Christmas or Advent or Lent or whenever), that God is here. In fact, we do that specifically in the ritual of Holy Communion. Lutherans teach that Christ is truly present when we share communion.

So we’re kind of, sort of trying to do both Advent and Christmas together this year. It’s different, it’s not completely comfortable, but it’s interesting. Our Minister of Music and I are thinking of the service as having two halves – the first half is more Adventy, and the second half more Christmasy.

And today, right at the middle, right where we transitioned from Advent to Christmas, in a part of worship called the Offertory, a soloist named Laraine sang. A member of the church with a beautiful and rich contralto voice. She sang a song entitled Hope is Born This Night. And the words, combined with her sublime performance, spoke to me deeply today. This was the key to the whole Advent-Christmas thing we were trying to do. This was the whole point. Advent is hope and Christmas is Jesus – there in that song, both were born together. There, in that song, in a moment of worship when I wasn’t leading, but rather worshiping along with everyone else. There, in that song, Laraine sang out the hope of Christmas coming; Laraine’s voice became the hope of Christmas coming. The yearning of Advent answered. I heard the grace of God arrive.

That’s where I saw the light of God today, the first Sunday of Advent.

You can hear Laraine’s beautiful song here.

Image by Peace,love,happiness from Pixabay