May I Have a Word, Please

We made a word-change in the Christmas Eve bulletin. I'm not sure anyone noticed it but me, since I changed the copy before the bulletin was printed.

In the midst of the beautiful candle-lighting ceremony that concludes this grand worship, right after proclaiming the opening poem that begins the Gospel of John, a dialogue occurs between the minister and the assembled congregation. The technical name for this exchange of scriptural declaration is: Christmas versicles.

I'm not completely certain about the difference between verses and versicles. Neither am I certain that those who see the word only once each year would be able to distinguish versicles from ventricles, icicles, or even popsicles. What's more interesting to me is the word put in its place.

The word I chose to use instead was "testimony." Not only does that word seem more user-friendly - and only somewhat churchy, the word also more accurately captures the feeling and the action the dialogue intends to get across.

The dialogue’s phrases go like this: The minister says, The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light. The people respond, The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it.

You can see why these words are more than just the dialogue in a church-sponsored stage play! The language, the setting it’s spoken in, as well as the exchange of emotion between the minister and gathered people, are meant to invigorate the hearts and minds of all within ear-shot.

Speaking boldly, this dialogue intends to commit in those same minds, promise from those same hearts that we will BE and we will DO what we have just said to one another! Maybe, if we say what we mean, and mean what we say (even if you weren't in the room that night to participate actively) we'll never have to fret again over how we might keep Christ in Christmas.

The dialogue’s second phrases speak this: The minister says, Those who dwell in the land of deep darkness, on them has light shined. The people respond, We have beheld Christ's glory, glory as the only Son from the Father. Having promised how we'll walk in our journey together, we now commit to each other where we'll walk.

We say we'll accompany one another into any place. There's no place too lonely, too off-putting, or too frightening which can make us abandon one another because, together, we carry both memory and promise of Emmanuel, God With Us. That's truly Sharin' Plenty Good News!