By The Rev. Dr. Matthew M. Fry
Pastor, Norcross Presbyterian Church
NORCROSS, Ga. | Many churches have a similar tradition for Christmas Eve services. People sing Silent Night holding candles while the lights in the sanctuary are turned off. Many people tell me that it is their favorite church moment every year, to see the community gather around candlelight singing a favorite hymn.
And a lot of churches will follow that with the classic denouement, the lights come back on with everyone singing Joy to the World.
For more than 20 years, Joy to the World has been my favorite part of the Christmas Eve service. And it’s not because it means that the service is over and this pastor gets to go home and crash after a long busy day.
At Norcross Presbyterian, we take our still-lit candles, our bulletins with lyrics printed in them, and we go outside to sing Joy to the World. I usually say we are singing it to the world. But while we sing it TO the world, outside of the building IN the world, I hope we are singing it WITH the world. I hope that by getting outside of our building we remember that we don’t bring joy just to those who attend our service, or any service, but to all people in every corner of the world.
One of the things that happens often is that when we go outside sometimes people’s candles blow out. Windy year or not, that much movement will take the light right off of a small candle. We have gotten used to that fact, and people are well aware that when your light blows out, turn to someone next to you and let them help you light your candle again. And when your neighbor’s candle blows out, lend them your light.
And that is why it is my favorite moment of Christmas Eve. The simple reminder that sometimes our joy does get diminished, does find itself blown out. The pressure to keep your light shining bright can be overwhelming. But if you know that you have help from someone standing right next to you, and if you know that you can help someone else, that pressure seems to just dissipate, to blow itself out, if you will.
Not every year, but sometimes, someone will drive by right as we are all outside, looking silly, holding our lights and trying not to set our bulletins on fire. When that happens, I look inside and invariably see a smile on the faces of those inside the car. Last year they even rolled down the window and joined the singing. Someone gave the driver their candle. That felt holy and sacred to me.
If you want to join us, if you want to share some Joy To, In, and With the World, we start at 7 p.m. on Christmas Eve and everyone is invited. If you’ve got Joy to share, come share it. If you find that your light is running a little low, come find someone who will help you light your candle again.
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