The Song of Simeon

Christmas preparations are well underway. Cards have been purchased or made. By the end of the week those going to family and friends living at a distance will have been posted. It is good to keep in touch, even if it is only once a year. In the writing of the cards memories are stirred. The Ghosts of Christmas Past are never far away at this time of year.

This coming Sunday afternoon our church is hosting a bereavement service. We will sing carols and offer prayers for all who have experienced the death of someone close to them. Towards the end of the service we will light candles to remember our loved ones, giving thanks for the light they brought into our lives. As we approach the Christmas celebrations it is good to reflect together and seek God's light for our darkness.

Sunday's special service includes a reading from Luke 2. The passage contains the Nunc Dimittis, also known as the Song of Simeon. Noticing the infant Jesus who has been brought to the Temple by his parents, Simeon knows he has seen God's promised Messiah. His prayer of thanks begins with the words Now, Lord, you let your servant go in peace: your word has been fulfilled. Simeon's prayers have not gone unheard.

Each Christmas we celebrate as Simeon did centuries ago. Even in the darkest times, our prayers do not go unheard. Jesus, the Light of the World, comes to us once again.