Silent Nights and Ponderings: A sermon for Christmas Eve

Text: Luke 2:1-20

vs ¹⁹ But Mary treasured all these words

and pondered them in her heart.

Grace and Peace to you from God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ who brings us peace on a silent night.

            I’ve been quizzing the high school, middle school and Sunday School kids the last couple weeks about their Christmas traditions and plans. If this sounds about right let me know. Most of you are probably going to be heading home after this. Right?! I knew it. Ok, that part wasn’t the hard part. You’ll all have dinner soon after you get home, and then present traditions will begin. Probably around half of you will open one present or just a couple today and the rest of your presents tomorrow, most of the rest probably opening all your presents tonight after dinner. A few I’m guessing may have done presents with family this weekend already or are waiting until next weekend or later in the week for family to gather. Many of you are gathered at one side of the family tonight and will all jump in cars, or head to airports tomorrow to go visit the other side, and some of you have even more sides that just two to see! A few have been travelling probably since last Friday or earlier, and won’t be “home” until next week. If you aren’t travelling, a lot of you have family visiting and a full, busy house. Trying to figure out food and drinks for the next week or so.

            A lot of you have had something pretty much every weekend since Thanksgiving, and if you have kids or grandkids may have had 1, 2 or even more Christmas concerts at school and/or church. Looking ahead, most of you are also thinking about New Years plans and parties and gatherings.

            And my guess for all of you is you’ve heard all that and are starting to think, when is the next time I’m going to find some peace and quiet. This is such a busy time, and there seems to be not a moments rest to be found. Most of it is indeed good things happening. Watching family and friends rip wrapping open. I love watching nieces on both sides get almost more excited about ripping wrapping paper apart than the gifts inside. It will all be fun, and great, and wonderful, and busy.

            There’s a reason we often use the saying, I need a vacation to recover from my vacation. WE don’t pause all that much as a culture, if you are paused, you’re lazy and should be doing something. And the busyness spirals, it gets more, and more, and more.

            I think one of my favorite parts of the Christmas story is the second to last verse. Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. All of the things have happened to her so far. All of the things. She’s pregnant, travelling on donkey back during the last month of pregnancy. Now, I’m obviously not a lady, but I have a good feeling that during the last month of pregnancy travelling is not the most comfortable, and on a bumpy, rocking, donkey back probably not the greatest. She gets to Bethlehem, to the in-laws house, and guess what, no room. So off to the stable it is. Where she has her child. It may not be a hospital room, but at least the stable is warm, and they can rest now. But, then more things happen, a whole bunch of shepherds burst in to tell her all about some angels showing up to them in the middle of the field. GREAT NEWS! SOME ANGELS TALKED TO US AND TOLD US ALL ABOUT YOU! YOU DON’T KNOW US, BUT WE’RE HERE TO TELL YOU EVERYTHING AND SEE YOU AND WHAT HAS ALL HAPPENED.

            I’ve talked to enough new fathers, and especially new mothers to know that, yes, guests and visitors are nice, but keep it short, and only a few of you at a time, and really, a call or even better a text, is appreciated instead.

            Because it’s all great that all this stuff is happening to Mary, but to her the best moment, the absolute best moment, is after they all leave. And she can take her little baby in her arms, and she can ponder it all, holding it in her heart, while it’s just her and Jesus, and quiet finally.

            It’s the 200^th anniversary of the first singing of the hymn Silent Night. There are so many reasons we love this hymn. It has a nice tune of course. What I think really draws us is the words, and the way we sing it by candle light.

Silent night, Holy Night, All is Calm, all is bright. Round yon virgin, mother and child. Holy Infant so tender and mild, sleep in heavenly peace, sleep in heavenly peace.

            We are drawn to it, because it gives us a moment of silence and quiet.

            It shows us peace, rest, and love.

            And in the midst of candle light, we finally can pause to ponder all that has happened.

            We are drawn to the peace of darkness. Without light, Darkness can be scary because we can’t see what else is out there. But, in the warmth of a fire, or flicker of a candle, we find peace. It allows us to step away, turn off the distractions of the world, and bask in the light of Christ’ presence.

            The peace of Christmas is so that for a moment, maybe just one tiny second, we can breathe, and like Mary reflect that Christ, the savior is born. That God has come to you. So that in the busyness of everything, you can be certain that you are not alone, and you will always have a place to turn, a place to be, a place to belong, for life, for love, for rest.

            This Christmas Eve, may you find peace. May you know the joy, hope, delight, and wonder that this small birth means to you. May this night be a silent night and a holy night. Amen.