- The minister with whom I was working and I were walking through his backyard, or his garden, as they call it, it was pitch dark, foggy, as it often was, a gloomy, gloomy night. We wound our way through the backyard, through the garden. And as we did, the Reverend Willy Wright, 72 years old and a saint, if God has ever had one on this earth, turned and said to me, "Bob, you know, there's scripture that's appropriate to us as we make our way through the darkness of this night. Oh Lord, let thy word be a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path." And he said, "You know, the love of Christ is like that. There are times when we need a lamp unto our feet to show us where to take the next step along the way." And then he said, "There are other times when we need not a lamp unto feet, but a light unto our path to give us a longer view and to help us to see how to make our way along a distant path." And so tonight, as you receive the ever-present love of Christ symbolically with this light, may you be reminded that His light is with us always. His light is available to us always. And perhaps just as importantly, and maybe more importantly than anything else, it is to be shared. And so this night, let love be yours to receive and to give. Let us join now in singing "Silent Night, Holy Night." ("Silent Night") ♪ Silent night ♪ ♪ Holy night ♪ ♪ All is calm ♪ ♪ All is bright ♪ ♪ Round yon virgin ♪ ♪ Mother and child ♪ ♪ Holy infant so tender and mild ♪ ♪ Sleep in heavenly peace ♪ ♪ Sleep in heavenly peace ♪ ♪ Silent night ♪ ♪ Holy night ♪ ♪ Shepherds quake at the sight ♪ ♪ Glories stream from Heaven afar ♪ ♪ Heavenly hosts sing hallelujah ♪ ♪ Christ the Savior is born ♪ ♪ Christ the Savior is born ♪ ♪ Silent night ♪ ♪ Holy night ♪ ♪ Son of God ♪ ♪ Love's pure light ♪ ♪ Radiant beams from thy holy face ♪ ♪ With the dawn of redeeming grace ♪ ♪ Jesus, Lord, at thy birth ♪ ♪ Jesus, Lord, at thy birth ♪ ♪ Silent night ♪ ♪ Holy night ♪ (music continues) (music ends)