Sermon Christmas Eve 2012

Sermon:

Text: Luke 2:1-20

       Grace and Peace to you from God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ who is with us.

         Who here is ready to Celebrate Christmas? Let’s see some hands.

I love celebrating Christmas. Lights on the tree, Egg nog, Hot Apple Cider, Glogg, a Swedish Mulled Wine, Lefse, Braun Kluchen, a German Spiced Donut, Meat Balls, Spatzle, Schnitzel, Presents under the Tree, and best of all my parents …  brought our Dog Eddie who’s at home right now.   Oh, I’m also happy their here as well.

         I love getting together for Christmas Parties and singing Christmas Carols with good friends, eating great Christmas Cookies and Snacks. Practicing and getting done with the Christmas Program, I mean, performing the Christmas Program with the Kids. Seeing all the work they put into telling the Story of Christ’s Birth, and watching them get so excited about the Cookies afterwards. I loved watching Middle Schoolers and High Schoolers at Confirmation having so much fun decorating Cookies and putting together Advent Chains.

         I just love celebrating Christmas. And definitely think I’m ready to Celebrate Christmas.

         But, am I, are We, ready for Christmas itself?

         Celebrating Christmas is one thing. Going through the pageantry and fun that is Family and Friends, Snacks and Goodies, Fun and Laughter. But, being ready for Christmas is another thing altogether. It means looking at why Christ came to us in the first place, and it’s not so we can have an excuse to eat way too much food.

         This last week as I reflected on the tragedy facing 26 families from Newtown it caused me to be aware that everyone of us suffers in much the same way, whether it’s our grandparents who’ve died, our mother or father, or just as many of the families in Newtown, it’s our children.

         And we reflect on all the blackness that fills this world. Those who have no food this evening, who have no presents to share, those whose minds are filled with the fog of mental illness, those suffering from depression, anxiety, and disillusionment. Those who live in abusive relationships, and fear to leave them because they don’t know where to turn. Children who fear not just at school because of bullies, but who are in fear in their very homes.

         This world is much to often one of pain and hurt, when it should be one of grace and joy.

         This world is a place where much to often we find ourselves in the most deepest, darkest places.

         It is there in that place where we fear so much, where life overwhelms and fear overcomes, where we have no light, no path to follow, that Christ our Lord comes.

         Our God is Immanuel, God With Us. With us in joy filled moments, but who came to us because of the fear filled moments. Who is with us in Christmas Pageants, but came to us because of moments of terror in a School.

         Who laughs with us, but came to weep in anguish with us.

Being ready for the celebration of Christmas means baking, decorating and singing. Being ready for Christmas means opening our eyes to the utter despair that fills so much of this world, and then seeing a star in the heavens.

         It means listening to the sobs from ourselves and our loved ones, and then hearing the angels voices, Do not be Afraid.

         It means walking in the darkness, and then having it erupt in the Light of Christ.

         Being ready for Christmas means that we know that Christ has come to us in the celebrating, but it mainly means that we know that Christ has come deep, deep down to us in the moments we let no one else see, where we feel alone, into that moment our God comes and light breaks forth.

         We celebrate Christmas because God is with us. We break forth in song because God has cleared our eyes, opened our mouths, and filled our hearts. We give praise because God walks with us, and carries us when we cannot.

         The painting we look at now is Rembrandt’s Adoration of the Shepherds. It is one of my favorite images of Christmas. The image we started with was one full of light, glitter, champagne, and Santa, this is an image of dark. The shepherds have a lantern, but it does nothing, they are dirty, cold, and work weary. They come in from the dark, and find themselves in light. Not from a lantern, but from the child. Celebrating Christmas is the first image, glitter, decorations, and gifts. Here we find weary, dirty, cold people in the dark, and then light bursts forth from a tiny child, lighting up the world. That is Christmas.

Let us pray,

God of love. You come into our lives for the happy moments, but you came to us to light up the dark moments. In our fears, our tears, light our world, wipe our eyes. This Christmas eve as we walk out into the dark of night, let us see your light streaming through those gathered here. As we enter the cold, let us feel the warmth you give your children. God of blessing, We rejoice at your coming and give praise to all that you have done for us.

Amen.