A Very Covid Christmas to You – Part Three (Wales edition)
I have spent this evening as I will spend many evenings this night in front of a video editor on my computer. No, I am not a professional; nor is what I am working on destined for many big screens. However, it is Christmas 2020 and in light of the pandemic, and I am helping our church prepare for our upcoming Carol Service.
We are fortunate as a church to be able to be meeting together as we have since August, with a number of social distancing and other measures in place. The one measure that is of greatest disappointment to me is the lack or the stifling of our singing. Singing is, thankfully, not illegal in UK churches; but government guidelines strongly forbid it. Therefore, many churches that are open at all are not singing; and of course Christians are surprisingly divided about this. Some say we should obey our God-given authority and not sing; some say we should adhere to our higher authority and sing. I expect this debate will sadly go on in Christian churches for as long as this pandemic lasts.
However, putting controversy to one side, I return to our Christmas Carol Service preparation. The question is obviously raised: How do you have a Carol Service with limited or no congregational singing in your service? Well one way is doing what we are doing. We asked individuals and families in our church to pick a carol, film themselves singing in their homes and submit these videos early in December. Now the final task falls to me in putting all these videos into one video which we will show “live” on the screen interspersed with Scripture readings and of course a Gospel sermon on the themes of Christmas.
The technology presents a challenge and indeed additional work, but it has been a real joy to watch the submissions as they have come in. We have had submissions from some of the youngest in our congregation (aged 6 and 3) as well as from one of our members who just turned 80 and who each year continues to write a new Christmas carol (as well as other hymns) set to well-known tunes. Families have sung and played for us; and we trust all will be blessed to watch this compilation of praise to the Lord.
As mentioned at the beginning, none of these films or the “performers” are professional; but everyone is simply doing what they can. It reminds me of a lovely carol (which ironically none of us thought to record) which tells us this:
What can I give Him,
Poor as I am?
If I were a Shepherd
I would bring a lamb;
If I were a Wise Man
I would do my part,
Yet what I can I give Him,
Give my heart.
Whatever you are doing for your Christmas service this year, remember the gift you have been given by God; and considering such a gift, is it unreasonable for us to give God our life, our heart?
Of course not, says the Scriptures!
What shall I render unto the LORD for all his benefits toward me? – Psalm 116:12
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. – Romans 12:1-2
Give Him what you can this Christmas; but most of all, give Him your heart!
Rory Johnson is an active lay-preacher in mid-Wales, where he also serves as a deacon in his local church.