Christmas Eve

December 24, 2020

In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.’ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying,
‘Glory to God in the highest heaven,
   and on earth peace among those whom he favors!’ –Luke 2:1-14

An astrological phenomenon called the Jupiter Saturn conjunction occurred during this 2020 season of Advent leading to Christmas. The bright, large appearing star that resulted is identified, by some, as the star of Bethlehem that led the Wisemen to Jesus. The Wisemen’s visit is described in Matthew. Luke reports shepherds in the field being led by angels to see the newborn Messiah. God with us is a paradox, impossible to explain and as real as a baby. Some things must be taken on faith. Hebrews 11:1 describes faith as the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

Wisemen follow stars on faith; shepherds leave their flocks at the behest of angels searching for the Messiah, the Lord. John 1:14 skips the whole birth story, recognizing this child as God’s very Word in human form. And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth. Mark, the oldest of the Gospels, jumps straight to Jesus’ baptism illustrated by the Spirit like a dove and a voice from heaven:

In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. And a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.’—Mark 1:9-11

 And so, on this day before Christmas 2020, in times that try people’s souls* when our world seems to be spinning out of control, we find ourselves caught in the mystery that is God with Us who by faith we profess as our Savior. He shows us the way when we take the time to seek and follow his guidance. Starting this Christmas, let us dedicate time to meeting this Jesus again.

Prayer: Creator of all that is, lift us from the mire of fear and hate and privilege and greed and lust for power and help us discern false prophets that stir chaos and see clearly your better way and follow that path. Amen.

*Borrowed from a quote of Thomas Paine, a leader of the American Revolution.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

Advent

December 21, 2019

Scripture Reading: Matthew 1:18-25

Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. –Matthew 1:18-20

I just finished reading Comfort and Joy by Kirstin Hannah, which contains a very real portrayal of a great unexplainable mystery not related to the birth of Jesus. I have read the gospels’ versions of the birth of Christ and several commentaries and other books which analyze and dissect these stories both for factual truth but more often for theological implications. Most of us modern folk reared in the scientific era want facts. The post-modern people of the 21^st century seem comfortable with that which cannot be explained. They are more at ease with mystery. Some seem to believe that Jesus’ virgin birth is required to prove he was the Chosen One, others do not care, and others accept Jesus but not the virgin birth. We invest a lot of time and energy debating minutia probably more because of our personality types then the issues we debate. Most of the time I enjoy a good discussion on scripture because it often opens my eyes and heart to things that I would never see as I explore scripture on my own. I also like mystery.

Stories written in ancient Israel before and during the exile tell of God’s promise of the Messiah, a Savor who is God with us.  The promise was fulfilled in God sending One who meets the requirements of the Thomas’s who need to touch the wounds on Jesus’ side to prove that the risen is alive, and the fervor of Paul who was blinded by a mysterious light and a voice from heaven sending him forth to spread the love of the Christ. Tradition says that Thomas took God with us to India, Paul turned toward Asia Minor and Rome. Together an with others they changed the very course of history.

As we prepare for the celebration of the birth of Mary’s child, let us praise God for meeting us where we are and taking us far beyond what we ever imagined we could be as we strive to love like God with Us.

Prayer: Lord, we praise you for the greatest gift of all, your coming to dwell with us in spirit and in truth. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.