Monday, December 24, 2007 - Merry Christmas from Hope Baptist
Heat, humidity, thundershowers, and overcast skies… Fireworks in the evening punctuate the air filled with the smell of backyard barbeques and freshly cut grass, yes, it’s Christmas in Brazil when once again we get to carve the traditional yuletide watermelon.
Christmas in the Southern Hemisphere falls in mid summer just as rainy season is getting into full swing. Here the big moment falls on Christmas Eve. Most churches have a midnight service that ends in a huge meal in the wee hours of the night. At midnight often the neighborhood erupts in fireworks.
Last night at Hope Baptist we had our Christmas service. The kids were planning to sing by candlelight and afterwards the ladies had prepared a party complete with a birthday cake.
As we arrived at church the skies were dark and low. At the beginning of the service the rain started to pour and lightening sounded off like artillery. At one point the sound system even buzzed with a power surge. You know what happened next. Right in the middle of the song service Ka-BAM! Direct Hit! Our neighborhood was knocked off the power grid and the lights went out.
The kids had all made candleholders out of cut-off bottle tops so we lit them all up and found an extra box of candles in a drawer. Soon the church was aglow again. The singing was cut short as our instruments, sound system, and overhead projector were out of commission. I preached my Christmas message by candlelight, we had the Lord’s Supper, and the kids sang their special music.
Afterwards we set up the candles in the next room and had our Christmas party.
It seems every year during rainy season we end up doing at least one service in the dark. I have preached in the glare of car headlights, sputtering gas lanterns, dim flashlights, and now the soft glow of candles. A Christmas service by candlelight does add a touch of class. We really can’t complain, some people do such things on purpose.
Merry Christmas,
Dave, Patty, Erin, Karina, and Daniel Luke McIntyre
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