January 1 is traditionally a day for sleeping late, lounging around the house, watching football or movies, and maybe putting away the Christmas decorations. Every year, as I put the new calendar on the wall, I always have the sense that I am saying goodbye to the holiday season and looking ahead to the long grind of winter.

Last year, one experience stood out in my mind. Some friends had extra tickets to Chicago's "Do-It-Yourself Messiah," one of the hottest tickets in town, even though the event is free. Every year, people bring their own copies of the score and fill Orchestra Hall just for the experience of being on the inside of this classic work. I went and sat in a section with the other basses, although voices were free to sit where they liked so that families and friends could stay together. The conductor blew in like a whirlwind and told us how excited she was to be there, but we didn't need to be told; her enthusiasm filled the hall. She told us to make mistakes joyfully so we would not let any worry over performance drain away our enjoyment of the music. We sat to listen to the instrumental introduction soloists and stood when it was our turn to sing. I was surprised at how well I could keep up, even though I sang softly.

The music was beautiful, but I was every bit as moved by the words. One learns quickly that the Messiah is taken entirely from Scripture, eighty per cent of it from the Old Testament! The words from Isaiah rang throughout, "Comfort ye, comfort ye my people," "Behold a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel, God with us," and "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given."

If you know the music, you know that when you sing "born," there is a long series of rapid notes that you do in one breath. The notes look like someone took a mouse, dipped its feet in ink and let in run over the page. I sang very softly here, but when it came to, "And the government shall be upon his shoulders," I was following a little better. When we came to "And his name shall be called" I was ready and waiting...Just three notes, all the same for the basses: "Wonderful! Counselor!" And we were off: "The mighty God, the everlasting Father... The Prince of Peace!"

It was a glorious experience. I was singing praises to the name of Jesus with thousands of other voices. Although I doubt that everyone there meant it as praise, it brought the Christmas story to life for many, including me. I understood it in new ways as I used my head, heart and voice. So last year, when the calendar on the wall that told me to look ahead, I also chose to look back over that experience of praise to the Name.

The church calendar tells us to do the same; we remain in Christmastide until January 6 when Epiphany, which marks the revelation of light to the nations, begins. On January 1 the liturgical year calls us to celebrate the Feast of the Holy Name. The text for the day is Luke 2:21, just one verse: "On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise him, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he had been conceived."