Make a Joyful Noise -- 3rd Pause in Advent

Yesterday evening was our church's Christmas Service. I worked very hard, as a small church pastor's wife, to plan the program for this Lessons and Carols Service, enlisting readers for the various Scripture passages and asking people to sing or play. Twisting a few arms. Shifting around numbers at the last minute with cancelations and additions. Making sure the candles were lit in the windows, the lectern and Bible were ready, the Advent wreath was situated, the music was in order, the fellowship hall was set up for a massive covered dish dinner, all the decorations were in place, the ovens were warm, the drinks were cold, the tables were set, the poinsettias were watered, the bulletins were printed .... Well, you get the idea.

And it was a lovely service and meaningful to those who attended. We had many visitors. The dinner was delicious, even though it seemed every church lady must've thought, "I'd better take meat! What if nobody brings meat? I'll cook a roast!"  It was a man's covered-dish, sure enough.

The church kitchen afterward is always a bit of a disaster, and Adam and I were technically in charge of the set up and clean up. But as usual, church ladies gathered in the kitchen, bustling around with sponges and dishes and cloths, and before you know it, poof!! The kitchen is sparkling.

And that's when my favorite moment of the evening occurred. One church lady (Martha) just spontaneously burst into song in the kitchen while she was drying a plate. Her face was suddenly alight, and she opened her mouth, and sang "O Come, All Ye Faithful," and we joined in. We sang carol after carol as the eaters sopped up their plates and the desserts disappeared, and the pots and pans were brought in for washing. It was a joy! I loved glancing around at Joyce, Linda, Martha, and others, singing lustily and happily, who would never dream of joining a choir, who don't sing that loudly in the sanctuary! I wiped a table down, bending over the crumbs and smiling as I sang with them.

Sometimes the best moments of Advent are unscripted. They occur when the joyful heart is overcome with wonder and love, and it bursts into song, unasked. Thank you, church ladies. It was some of the nicest music of the evening. I'm hoping for more joyful, unexpected moments this Advent.

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