Wednesday, December 24, 2008

The Quality of Stillness

Tonight was our Christmas Eve service with lots of singing and we revisited the story of Christs birth with different readers leading us through the scriptures.

The front table was filled with candles and each of the tall arching windows had a set of thee candles lighting up the darkened old sanctuary. It was quite beautiful.

There was a good turnout and the people were in a mood to sing. So it was a good hour.

After it was over and the hugs were given and Merry Christmas was wished upon everyone, I was left alone in the empty dark church.

It doesn't really feel like Christmas I suppose. Or I should say it doesn't feel like our Christmases in the past have been. Which is natural I guess seeing as how we've never had Christmas here. But I digress.

I left the building, locking it behind me, and imediately looked up into the starlit night. It wasn't that cold out so I wondered around to the front of the church, beside the quiet highway, and I just stood there.

There was no breeze, nothing was moving. The darkness was deep except for the bright stars of the Milky Way, which were clearly visible this night.

And I stood there soaking in the renewing stillness of the night. The only sound I could hear was the ringing in my ears. I just kind of stood there in the quiet darkness with the starlit canopy, and my soul was restored.

It is a wonder, this place, and those quiet healing moments were a gift of Christmas to me. I don't remember a quality of stillness so similar. It wasn't a lack of anything, but a gift of everything. At least everything I needed.

As the ringing in my ears subsided and the stillness had it's healing effect, in the far distance I began to hear the coyotes. I decided it was time to get home.

So a blessed Christmas to you and yours from this healing field.
A merry Christmas to you all, and to all a good night.

6 comments:

  1. Well, Pastor Randy, may we wish you and yours a very Blessed Christmas and a very positive New Year! You people seem to be enjoying living in the "field" and I sense that good things are in the offing.
    We had our Candlelight Service here at "North Harvest Community Church".It was beautiful. Lots of candles were lit in memory of ones whe had gone on ahead of us. The Christmas story was told, Elvin and I sang a couple of songs, prayers were sent up and it was all good.
    Anyway, do have a wonderfrul Christmas Day, eat lots and remember, we love you and so does God, of course. Blessings on you all.

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  2. Sleep well my friend. Today is a new day.

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  3. Glad you had that moment last night. We missed your presence here, the way you always calmed everything and put it all in perspective with your words. Merry Christmas to all of you Friesens. Wish my arms could stretch across the many miles to give you all a big hug. Love you guys.

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  4. Missing you very much too. I think the service went well here last night. Not quite a Randall Friesen event but it was good. It was us and God was there with us.

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  5. wishing a great day with your family...may you be filled in the way you need to be.see you sunday

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  6. Dixie, you are not giving yourself enough credit.

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