IQ # 255 O Night Divine

To my Friends in Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, may all that you have longed for and hoped in be found in the birth of our salvation, God’s promise.

“What is the most meaningful part of Christmas for you?” Several nights ago this question was posed to a group of youth and leaders. As each person shared their own personal thoughts my mind took me back to the church I grew up in. For many years a candle light service would be held at eleven pm on Christmas Eve, and close to the midnight hour all of our candles would be lit, and as the room lights lowered we would begin singing “Silent Night”.  Just before the last verse we would all raise our candles and sing, 

“Silent night, holy night, wondrous star, lend thy light. 
With the angels let us sing.

 Alleluia to our King.

Christ the Savior is born.

Christ the savior is born.”

Those moments in time have always been a special place in my heart during Christmas time, but it was a song heard earlier in many of those services that brought me emotionally and spiritually to my knees.

Her name was Gloria, a most befitting name, blessed with a most beautiful angelic singing voice, and she would honor God’s gift to her with the singing of, “O Holy Night” (also known as the Christmas Song) 

As Gloria would begin singing, “O holy night, the stars are brightly shining, it is the night of the dear Savior’s birth…”  I would find myself at the manger scene observing the birth of the coming King. “Long lay the world in sin and error pining, ‘Till he appeared and the soul felt its worth. A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices, for yonder breaks a new and glorious morn…”  A silent night of anticipation was awakened by the birth of God’s son, our Messiah.  I could feel His new born presence come alive in my soul. How could I not be moved by such a magnificent event? How could anyone not be moved, knowing that God had come to all of us in living, breathing, human form?

“Fall on your knees, O hear the angels voices!

O night divine! O night when Christ was born.

O night, O holy night, O night divine…”

While Gloria continued singing, “Led by the light of faith serenely beaming; with glowing hearts by his cradle we stand:…“,  my faith and belief in God resounding in his physical presence in my life became very clear.

“He knows our need, to our weakness no stranger!

Behold your King! Before Him lowly bend!

Behold your King!  Your King! Before Him bend!...”

How could I be in His presence? I am not worthy to be here at His birth? The unrest in my life would rekindle its destructive forces, until… until I would change my focus towards God’s truth.

“Truly He taught us to love one another;

His law is love and His gospel is Peace;

Chains shall he break, for the slave is our brother;

And in His name all oppression shall cease,

Sweet hymns of joy in grateful Chorus raise we;

Let all within us praise his Holy name!...”

As I continued to reflect back to those special nights of the coming Jesus, It also brought back a bit of sorrow, yet filled with hope and love. In the final years of Gloria’s life she would suffer the loss of her legs due to diabetes. Confined to a wheelchair made entering and navigating throughout our out dated and stair encased church building very difficult, and to reach the alter area where she would sing, more steps needed to be scaled. Gloria’s gift to us on Christmas Eve seemed to have come to an end.

“Truly He taught us to love one another;

His law is love and His gospel is Peace;

Chains shall he break, for the slave is our brother;”  

With the love of God in our hearts, the chains were broken. We lifted Gloria, wheelchair and all, to the top of the alter area, and there on this special night, this holy night, God’s angelic voice was heard once more.

“Fall on your knees, O hear the angels voices!

O night divine! O night when Christ was born.

O night, O holy night, O night divine…”

When it was my turn to share the most meaningful part of Christmas, the words of the experience I just shared with you above were hard to come by that night.  My emotions were heavy in trying to relate God’s presence in my life and the love he taught us and how we acted upon His law of love.

No matter what else goes on through the rest of my life, when the time comes I will be reminded of Simeon’s praise to God as he held the baby Jesus in his arms,

Luke 2:29-32

“Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,
 you may now dismiss your servant in peace.
For my eyes have seen your salvation,
which you have prepared in the sight of all nations:
a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
and the glory of your people Israel.”

With the love of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior,   

Papa John 12:19:15