Christmas Eve Service and the Ultimate Misfit of Christmas

Well, the anticipation is almost over; it is about here - the reason for all this festive activity. Oh yes, there is a reason we are deep in festal joy! Here at St. Patrick Advent is a big deal because Jesus' coming into the world is a big deal. So we have decked and gilded our church, lit candles, and pondered Jesus' coming into the world from several angles. This weekend it all comes to a grand and glorious culmination in our Christmas Eve Candlelight Service. It begins at 5:00pm on Saturday. It is truly a great time of worship and reflection. Like jesters before a king, our folk bring their gifts and we walk through the texts of Scripture that tell the story of the Incarnation of God. I want to encourage you to get here early. We have put an extra 100 chairs in the Sanctuary and in the Narthex. So word to the wise - get here early if you want a seat. Or consider not getting here early so that some of our many guests can have the best seats in the house!We will also have worship on Christmas Morning. I feel a little embarrassed to mention this, but even though many people won’t have services, know that we will. We view this like Easter, we will worship as a family and then we will go and feast like there is no tomorrow with our own families. But since it is a day when children wake up to toys and celebration, our service will be much shorter than usual (45 minutes), and feel free to bring your kids in their pajamas! We will talk about the Ultimate Misfit of Christmas and why Jesus did not just use misfits, but he came as the ultimate misfit. I look forward to seeing you a few times this weekend. I can’t wait to celebrate this unspeakable glory with all of the misfits of St. Patrick!Blessings,Jim