12/26/2016


I did find Christmas in the end. I found it in an obvious place. And yet it didn't occur to me to look for it there first.

I found Christmas in music.

There were three moments in particular that made this past weekend memorable to me.

First. On Saturday afternoon me and brother K. went to a Christmas service in one of the Old Town churches, the Holy Spirit's church. Brother S. is singing in that church choir and we thought it'd be nice to go and listen to him sing. The Holy Spirit's church is the only one in Tallinn - as far as I know - that has their Christmas services in English. It's a church that follows a high church service tradition. I thought about it quite a bit when sitting there and also later on our way to dad's place - in our church everyone's expected to be involved in the service in a way or another, mentally and emotionally and intellectually involved. When I preach I always look for - consciously or unonsciously - people's responses, for a nod, for a smile, even for a tear, anything that tells me that people are 'on board with me'. It is a strange thing to suddenly find yourself in the middle of a different mindset and tradition. The whole Christmas service consisted of choral and congregational songs and Scripture readings. No sermon, no nothing. Everyone is left to mind their own minds in the pew. I found it very refreshing and relaxing. So about half of the service time we just sang with the other churchgoers, we sang all the old Christmas classics from Hark! The Herald Angels Sing to Oh, Little Town of Bethlehem to Silent Night. And we stood and sang with K. as if our lives depended on it, inventing three part harmonies on the go and beaming with delight when they turned out well. As if we've heard those songs before, K. commented quietly after another one of those carols. It was the first time I could really sing my heart out this Christmas time and it really bought Christmas home to me. Despite the weather.

Second. After we had arrived at dad's place and had the Christmas dinner, we needed to start practising for our care home visit the next morning. Once again, Christmas songs came out and sounds of singing and instrumental music filled the apartment. It was way beyond little E.'s bed time so H. tried to put her to sleep in the next room but as there was so much noise and interesing sounds coming from the living room, she just didn't fall asleep. H. came back with her as putting her to sleep didn't seem to be working out so E. could closely observe different instruments being played. The piano was cool, the flute also, but the violin seemed to top everything else. When I played the violin, she just stared at the instrument for a long time with her eyes like saucers, occasionally making funny faces. I think she's hooked. The violin it will be! :)

Third. On Sunday morning we went to give a little Christmas concert in a care home not far from where my dad now lives. We sang and played and dad shared the Word. It wasn't a long concert, just a little longer than half an hour. But it filled my heart with the kind of satisfaction neither Christmas dinner not presents could fill. It was good to go out and make someone else's Christmas a little brighter. Even the weather helped us - we had had no sunshine for almost two weeks, but just as we were playing and singing, the sun came out and made the little care home communal room light up. The elderly people who came to hear us were very grateful, both for the songs as well as for the sunshine. So were we.

The magic of music did it again.

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