Sermon for December 26, 2010

Last Sunday evening, after the amazing and powerful "Feast of Carols" here at 1st Presbyterian, I went up to Bill Dickinson and told him that he and the choir really knew how to fill this sanctuary--the two choirs, the orchestra and brass section, the organ, piano, bells, and percussion, all filled this room with resplendent and majestic music, praising God in the Highest. But they also managed to fill the sanctuary with people, too, and not just here up front. I was grateful to have been one of those people filling the sanctuary. But I'm also grateful that it isn't quite so full this Sunday morning after Christmas, because that would have just ruined my sermon this morning!

I wasn't too worried, though. In churches across the nation, this morning marks an event that has a name, although you won't find it in any liturgical calendar: The Sunday after Christmas is often referred to as "Low Sunday." As in, "low attendance" Sunday. A friend of mine, who is the youth director at a large, multi-staff church in Dallas, refers to it as "Associate Pastor Sunday" or "Guest Preacher Sunday," reflecting the fact that often even the pastor doesn't show up. Don't put Dr. Bob on the hook too much, though--I actually volunteered to preach this Sunday way back at the end of the summer, when I knew this would be my only Sunday here in El Paso.