A tradition for many Christian churches is to hold a Watch Night service on New Year’s Eve. Watch Night is a time to gather, worship and hope for the coming year.
I recall one I participated in on Dec. 31, 1999. This was the time of the Y2k concern when people thought the electric power would go off, the ATM’s would quit working and everything controlled by DOS software would fail. It did not turn out this way – but just in case, we had the candles ready.
We sang, prayed, read Psalms and preached. We closed with Holy Communion and prayers for the New Year. Some usher in the New Year with gospel singings that last into the night.
Watch Night services play an important role in the African-American Christian church. President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation freeing all slaves in the Confederate States. It took effect on Jan. 1, 1863 and African-Americans gathered in churches and homes the night before waiting for the promised freedom to arrive. This Watch Night service is called Freedom’s Eve and like Juneteenth, is a celebration of freedom and liberty.
The earliest records we have of a Watch Night service comes from the Moravian Church. These early protestants began their Watch Night tradition in 1733. Participating in one of their services, the Rev. John Wesley soon held the service for the Methodists in 1755. For this service, he adapted a Covenant Prayer from the Puritan tradition. This prayer is prayed as a commitment to holy living for the coming year. It can be prayed daily.
The Covenant Prayer goes:
“I am no longer my own, but thine. Put me to what thou wilt, rank me with whom thou wilt. Put me to doing, put me to suffering. Let me be employed by thee or laid aside for thee, exalted for thee or brought low for thee. Let me be full, let me be empty.
Let me have all things, let me have nothing. I freely and heartily yield all things to thy pleasure and disposal. And now,
O glorious and blessed God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, thou art mine, and I am thine. So be it. And the covenant which I have made on earth, let it be ratified in heaven. Amen.”
As we reflect on 2020 giving thanks for the accomplishments and hurting from the pain, we look to God with hope for healing and blessings in 2021.
Eric Reece is the faith columnist for The Graham Star. He is pastor of Robbinsville United Methodist Church.