From: "Grover Branton"
To:
Subject: Field of Dreams Today - Christmas Day 2003
Date: Thu, 25 Dec 2003 08:36:17 -0500

During last evening's Christmas Eve Candlelight/Communion Service we sang "Joy to the World" for the first time this Christmas Season. And since last evening's service all the world seems to be singing "Joy to the World," and rightly so. Christmas is an uplifting celebration of God's grace and peace coming to live with humankind in His Son Jesus. ~ But as a pastor I am aware that Christmas can be painful if we're in the grip of grief or depression, there is little joy to be felt. This joyful season often brings with it painful memories, awareness of a loved one's death, a deep empty space. ~ James Montgomery knew those feelings. James's parents left him in a boy's school at the age 12 while they went as Moravian missionaries to the West Indies. He never saw them again. James suffered from depression and the pain of abandonment throughout his life. As a young man and a newspaper editor, he shared his parent's commitment to the poor and championed the 19th century movement against slavery. He was jailed twice. ~ In December of 1816, at age 45, he was once again in the grip of Christmas depression. He read and pondered the Christmas story in the second chapter of Luke's Gospel. He began  deeply yearning for the good news in Bethlehem to come - to the West Indies, to him in England, to all the world. He put pen to paper and wrote, Angels, from the realms of Glory, Wing your flight o'er all the earth. ~ He continued to write. His final verse, not in most hymnals, is a poignant claiming of God's mercy for himself and all those in anguish: Sinners moved by true repentance, Doomed for guilt to endless pains, Justice now revokes the sentence! Mercy calls you, break your chains. Come and worship, Worship Christ, the newborn King. ~ Out of James Montgomery's hurting heart has come one of our most popular Christmas Carols. In the words of another great hymn, Earth has no sorrow that heaven cannot heal." ~ Dear brothers and sisters, today we celebrate how God's mercy came to us powerfully at Bethlehem. It can come to us still. Today I will pray to that end for us all. ~ May you have the most joyous Christmas ever. ~ Grace and peace to you and yours forever, Pastor, G. C. Branton, III ~ "Lets Roll" for the new year rapidly approaches, ~ I look forward to meeting you there!