ELCA 'Voices' in CBS Television Special on Christmas Eve

CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Several members of the Evangelical
Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) are among the "Voices of
Christmas from the National Council of Churches" -- a one-hour
special to broadcast Christmas Eve on 190 CBS television
stations across the United States. The program will air
Dec. 24 during the "Late Night with David Letterman" time
slot -- 11:35 p.m. Eastern time.
During the program the Rev. M. Wyvetta Bullock, assistant
to the presiding bishop and executive for administration, ELCA
Office of the Presiding Bishop, talked about how God sees power
in "Jesus being born to common people" and in a stable. "It's
a sense that the last can be first, that God levels the playing
field and makes a way for all people -- for all humanity,"
she said.
Segments of the program feature Christmas music from many
of the traditions participating in the National Council of
Churches USA -- Baptist, Brethren, Methodist, Moravian and
Presbyterian. The broadcast is in recognition of the council's
100th anniversary, bringing together 35 Christian denominations
and communions in ecumenical fellowship.
The television special offers Christmas music from a
celebration at the Evangelical Lutheran Church of St. Luke,
Chicago, that included a full choir and orchestra -- "O Come,
All Ye Faithful," "For Unto Us a Child Is Born" and "Silent
Night, Holy Night!"
The Rev. Katherine A. Shaner, an ELCA pastor in Somerville,
Mass., is featured among the spoken voices in the television
program. "A tiny child could be the one to flip our world
upside down," she said. "The birth of Christ addresses my
fears in that it is an audacious symbol of hope."
"While the rest of the world is deeply engaged in the
Christmas season, Lutherans and some others who are more
liturgical are in the midst of waiting, still," said Laura
Strietelmeier, Bexley, Ohio. "The rest of the world is already
celebrating, and we are still awaiting the advent of Christ,
both as a small child and then also celebrating the final
return of Christ in glory."
"As a child growing up I remember my parents preparing
baskets for people in our neighborhood who needed food,"
Bullock said. "My parents would buy all these groceries,
spread them out, make these baskets and then whatever was
left was ours. And I kept thinking there's something wrong
with this picture. Why don't we take something first and
then whatever's left give it away?" she asked.
"It taught me how to be generous," Bullock said. "It
taught me that Christmas is really about giving and about
giving your best."
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A preview of the program is available at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMBYTPfzChA on the Web.

For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or news@elca.org
http://www.elca.org/news
ELCA News Blog: http://www.elca.org/news/blog