Christmas Eve: Don’t Miss It…
Sermon Title: Don’t Miss It: Don’t Miss Jesus
Good News Statement: God Blesses Us with the Birth of Jesus Christ
Preached: Sunday, December 24th, 2024 @4:30PM at Dogwood Prairie UMC
Pastor Daniel G. Skelton, M.Div.
Scripture (NRSV): Luke 1:26-33
The Birth of Jesus Foretold
26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, 27 to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And he came to her and said, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” 29 But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. 30 The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. 33 He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”
Scripture (NRSV): Matthew 1:18-21
The Birth of Jesus the Messiah
18 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 pregnant from the Holy Spirit. 19 Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to divorce her quietly. 20 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. 21 She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”
Order of Service
Prelude:
Welcome – Lighting of the Advent Candles
Candle: The Christ Candle, white
Reader: To a people longing for hope and yearning for deliverance, the prophet Isaiah declared, “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness on them light has shined…For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders; and he is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”(Isaiah 9:2, 6)
Reader: Tonight, we come seeking hope, peace, joy, and love, and we find these things in a child. God made flesh as a baby in a manger. A baby who is both the beginning and the end of our salvation, who dwells with us even now, our Emmanuel, God with us.
Readers: We live as people in the in-between who celebrate the arrival of the Light that shines in lost and broken places as we wait for the day when we will live in the fullness of God’s kingdom.
Light all five candles (purple, purple, pink, purple, and white) of the Advent wreath.
Prayer: Let Us Pray – We light these candles as signs of our shocking hope, our just peace, our fierce joy, the love that transforms us, and Jesus Christ, our wondrous Light. May the Light burning in our hearts guide us, comfort us, protect us, and tend us in all seasons and circumstances, reminding us that day and night, in the light and in the darkness, God is with us. Our salvation has come! Amen.
Opening Hymn: “There’s A Song in the Air” (#554) Jeff Shipman (Guitar)
“What Child is This” (#540) Jeff Shipman (Guitar)
Congregational Prayer: “Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus” (#545, not sung)
- Come, thou long expected Jesus,
born to set thy people free;
from our fears and sins release us,
let us find our rest in thee.
Israel’s strength and consolation,
hope of all the earth thou art;
dear desire of every nation,
joy of every longing heart.
- Born thy people to deliver,
born a child and yet a King,
born to reign in us forever,
now thy gracious kingdom bring.
By thine own eternal spirit
rule in all our hearts alone;
by thine all sufficient merit,
raise us to thy glorious throne.
Opening Prayer:
O heavenly Father, as we prepare ourselves for the coming of your Son, fill our hearts and life with praise. Grant that we may be just and merciful, and ready to help in the needs of our neighbor and aware of your good news and great joy for all the people. Fill us with your abounding hope, grant us a silent and holy night of peace, administer joy to all the world, and indwell in us an unconditional love that transforms us each and every day. Bless our life with your spiritual gifts of forgiveness, patience, mutual love, and unending joy. And may we be a beacon of light in this world which shines brightly through and in you. All this we ask in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Hymn: “It Came Upon the Midnight Clear” (#535) Jeff Shipman (Guitar)
Scripture Reading: Isaiah 9:2, 6-7 (pg. 993 in Pew Bibles)
The people who walked in darkness
have seen a great light;
those who lived in a land of deep darkness—
on them light has shined.
For a child has been born for us,
a son given to us;
authority rests upon his shoulders,
and he is named
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Great will be his authority,
and there shall be endless peace
for the throne of David and his kingdom.
He will establish and uphold it
with justice and with righteousness
from this time onward and forevermore.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.
Hymn: “The First Noel” (#538) – Verses 1, 2, & 4 Jeff Shipman (Guitar)
Scripture (NRSV): Matthew 1:18-25 (pg. 1342 in Pew Bibles)
18 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. 19 Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. 20 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. 21 She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet:
23 “Look, the virgin shall become pregnant and give birth to a son,
and they shall name him Emmanuel,”
which means, “God is with us.” 24 When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife 25 but had no marital relations with her until she had given birth to a son,[a] and he named him Jesus.
Scripture Reading: Luke 1:26-35, 38 (pg. 1438 in Pew Bibles)
In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, 27 to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And he came to her and said, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” 29 But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. 30 The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. 33 He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” 34 Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” 35 The angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God.”
38 Then Mary said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.
Hymn: “O Little Town of Bethlehem” (#541) – Jeff Shipman (Guitar)
Scripture Reading: Luke 2:8-20 (pg. 1431 in Pew Bibles)
8 Now in that same region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 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: 11 to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying,
14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace among those whom he favors!”
15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph and the child lying in the manger. 17 When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them, 19 and Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, just as it had been told them.
Hymn: “Hark, the Herald Angels Sing” (#537) – Jeff Shipman (Guitar)
Homily: Look Up! Don’t Miss It…
Introduction:
Every year, at least a few weeks before Christmas and even leading up to Christmas, my phone has a way of reminding me of what I did last year or a few years ago on a particular date. Either through Facebook, Google photos, SnapChat, or the infamous and never able to understand iCloud, I am able to see images of where I was and what I was doing and who I was with on a particular day from the past.[1]
Every time I see these images, I give thanks for the ability to remember the past—moments that I may have forgotten but yet are still cherished in my heart. I give thanks for the opportunity to retell the story associated with the each and every photo. I give thanks that I was able to capture that moment—to suspend time and to freeze frame what was happening. I give thanks I was even able to capture what was going on in front of and around me. Ina way, through these pictures, I get the chance to look back and say, “I didn’t miss my chance to hang on to the past. I didn’t miss my chance to remember history.” Do any of you feel that way when you look at the photos on your phone, hanging on your wall, placed in plastic sleeves in photo-albums, saved to a folder on your computer, and those that show-up from time-to-time on your social media accounts?[2]
I begin our time together by thinking about photos because when we look at the photos we have taken, we often tell ourselves, “I didn’t miss it.” However, does that photo tell us everything that was happening at that particular moment in time? Or is it missing something? Did something not make it into the frame that should be there? I feel like during Christmas we spend so much time focused on what we need to do, where we need to go, who we need to meet, and what we need to get, that we miss out on seeing everything that should be in the photo: we miss out on what is right before us.
This evening, the evening before Christ is born—before the Word becomes flesh and dwells among us, before God becomes incarnate and is found in a humble and lowly stable, and before the world hears Jesus’ first cry, sees the color of his eyes for the first time, and witnesses two blessed but scared parents—we take time to think about this phrase: “Don’t miss it.”
Body:
The previously mentioned phrase of “Don’t miss it” comes from the closing section of author and pastor, Magrey R. DeVega’s book titled The Christmas Letters: Celebrating Advent with Those Who Told the Story First. The premise of DeVega’s book is to invite the reader to view the Christmas story through non-traditional, what we would call, “Christmas scriptures” from the Gospels of Matthew, Luke, and some of John. Notably, the author suggests that contained in the letters or epistles of Romans, 1 John, Philippians, and Colossians, we can get a glimpse of the Christmas story, specifically who and what Jesus is and will do. It’s through these “Christmas Letters”—written by those not particularly around the manger when Jesus was born—that those of the early church began to realize that the story of Christ’s birth is not just a story that we read and talk about once a year. It’s a story that we live and a story that lives within us every day. It’s a story of transformation and renewal. Christ’s birth lives within us. It lives within you.
However, we sometimes miss out on this realization because of how busy we let ourselves become over the holiday season. We treat the Christmas story as something we merely read about and hear about instead of treating the Christmas story as something we live out. Therefore, we have missed it. Nevertheless, DeVega is telling us it’s time to stop missing what God puts before us; and tonight he has put before us a silent and holy night.
In DeVega’s closing remarks to his book, he highlights five key points to help us not miss out on the true reason of the season, opportunities to experience everything in the photo and beyond. So, this evening, I invite you to not only hear these five points but to cherish them in your heart as you gather with friends and family to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.
Movement One: Don’t Miss the chance to Look Up…
First, DeVega notes, “Don’t miss the chance to look up into the sky.” When was the last time you deliberately took a few seconds or minutes to look up at the sky either in the morning, the afternoon, the evening, or at night? If you haven’t noticed, no matter what time of day it is, there is always something in the sky that catches your eye. Looking at the night sky has become one of my favorite things to do here. In Chicago there is so much light pollution that it’s almost impossible to see the twinkle of a star; but here you are not only able to see the twinkle of a single star but the twinkling of hundreds and thousands of stars.
Did you know that some of the stars that you see up in the sky have been around for possibly a few millions of years? As a matter of fact, according to NASA Science, every star has its own life cycle, ranging from a few million to trillions of years. Currently, the oldest star is anywhere from 12 to 13.7 billion years old: it has been dubbed the “Methuselah Star”—named in reference to a biblical patriarch, the son of Enoch and grandfather to Noah, who is said to have died at the young age of 969, making him the longest-lived of all the figures in the Bible Now think about this, some of the stars that you witness in the night sky have been around since the time of God creating the earth. According to numerous archeological studies, the earth was created between 5,500 BC to 4,000 BC which is about 6,000 to 7,000 years ago. This means that, if you take time to look up, you could be seeing some of the stars that God created on the fourth day. But when was the last time you looked up?
To put this into context, remember the shepherds and the Wise Men. The shepherds were the first ones to know about the birth of Jesus because they were the only ones who looked up to see the angel while the townsfolk were busy doing the kinds of things that townsfolk always do. The Wise Men, being astrologers, looked up and followed one particular star. Because the shepherds and Wise Men looked up, their lives were changed. As a matter of fact, their lives were transformed! Anna Lamott once said the reason why you can trap bees in a jar is because they never look up. Instead, they are always bumping into invisible walls because they don’t look above them. Don’t become easily trapped by the busyness of the season. Take a moment to look up, notice what is right before you and maybe when you do, you will see a star that will transform your life.
Movement Two: Don’t miss the chance to Forgive…
Second, DeVega shares, “Don’t miss the chance to forgive; that includes forgiving yourself.” Life is busy this time of year. Things happen that aren’t supposed to happen. Schedules are changed, added to and subtracted from. When life is supposed to be perfect it ends up being far from it. Life is busy. But is it too busy to offer forgiveness?
A couple of weeks ago when talking about peace, I mentioned that out of 163 countries surveyed by the Global Peace Index, the United States was ranked as the 132nd least peaceful country in the world. Keep in mind that the most peaceful country is ranked number one while the least peaceful country is ranked 163rd. So, the United States is not doing that well according to the Global Peace Index. Today, there are several factors that feed into our current position on this list. But as I was thinking about the issues that got us to where we are, I was also thinking about the things that can hopefully increase our rank for next year.
For example, “treating others the way we want to be treated”; “loving our neighbor as we love ourselves”; choosing to follow Christ more diligently and faithfully; and finding ways to put away the sword for a moment of peace. I also considered the practice of forgiving. I can’t speak for you, but when I offer forgiveness and it is received or when forgiveness is offered to me, there’s a feeling of humility and completeness that rests upon my heart. In Hebrew and Greek, the words for “complete and wholeness” are shalom and eirene. Shalom and eirene not only mean to be made complete or whole but they are often translated as the word peace; and through forgiveness we experience peace in our life. It’s as if a weight has been lifted from our shoulders, and we can breathe once again with deep and not shallow breaths.
When was the last time you honestly and truly offered forgiveness—a moment of peace and wholeness—to someone in your life? When was the last time that you respectfully offered forgiveness to yourself? During this time of year we tend to focus on hope, peace, joy, and love and not so much on forgiveness. But, that is not an excuse. We are called to extend forgiveness to those in our life because that’s what Jesus did.[3]
There is always a moment to offer forgiveness. After all, isn’t that what Jesus did for us on the cross: forgive us of our sins and grant us salvation? At the manger lies an infant holy who is already forgiving you and loving you and thinking of ways to make you complete and whole. Like King Solomon when building his temple, Jesus was and is the missing brick in our life that completes who we are. When we choose not to forgive, we aren’t complete and our peace runs dry. Don’t miss the change to offer forgiveness to someone and to forgive yourself. That forgiveness might just be what you need and someone else needs to be able to experience the miracle of Christ’s birth in their life.
Movement Three: Don’t Miss the chance to say “I Love You, Thank You, Sorry…”
Third, DeVega says, “Don’t miss the chance to say ‘I love you, I’m sorry, and thank you.’” These three phrases are easy to say, but difficult to really mean sometimes. Quite frankly, when we say them, we don’t really put meaning behind what we say.
Saying “I love you” says you matter to me. When you say “I love you,” you are making a declaration to the person receiving that love that they matter to you, that they mean something to you, and that you are grateful and blessed for having them in your life. The love you give shouldn’t be hollow or shallow. Rather, it should be filled with patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, humility, empathy, compassion, understanding, forgiveness, and acceptance. It should be a love that, as Paul would declare, “bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things, and never ends” (1 Corinthians 13:7-8). Saying “I love you” is what God did when he became incarnate, was born of a virgin, and was found lying in a humble manger in the small town of Bethlehem because there was no room in the Inn or guest room. The love that will come down at Christmas is the same love that we can’t miss out on in our life. As a matter of fact, it is a love that will change our life. Don’t miss the chance to share this love with someone in your life.
Saying “I’m sorry” says my actions matter to you. Just like forgiveness, when we say “I’m sorry,” we are potentially changing someone’s life, lifting a weight off our shoulders, and receiving a fresh start. Just the other day, when Emily came home from work the first thing she said was “I’m sorry.” At first I was a little concerned because she has been taking my car to work these past few days, so I immediately thought something happened to the car. Nothing was wrong with the car. Instead, she simply said sorry because at the time that is what she felt in her heart. To this day, I don’t know what she was sorry about, but when she said it I felt a sense of relief as if I was noticed. Similar to saying “I love you,” saying “I’m sorry” suggests that you notice the person and you notice what they have done for you that quite possibly you have taken for granted. Don’t miss the chance to say “I’m sorry” because you never know how that act of forgiveness might be what that person needs to hear to feel noticed.
Lastly, saying “thank you” says that our relationship matters. Saying “thank you” is about showing respect for the relationships in your life, about appreciating what others do for you to make your life a little easier. Like love, thanks is also a deeply involved word. In scripture it is often associated with the Greek word charis (cariV) which is commonly translated as grace, favor, and kindness.
First, grace is often defined as something by which is given to us by God as a gift. Paul writes in Romans 3:24, “[They] are now justified by his grace as a gift…” Rebekah Miles highlights in the book Where Do We Go From Here that grace “leads people toward greater love of God and neighbor, toward holiness of heart and life, and toward forming and reforming each other” (Kevin Slimp, 149). Simply by saying thank you, you are inviting others to know God because we are reflecting God’s nature and God’s habits, and you are offering grace—a free gift—and letting them know how important they are in your life.
Second, charis (cariV) is also translated as favor. What does it mean to favor someone or something? For me, it means that I have chosen that person or thing above everything else; I have a strong liking, approval, or preference for that person or thing. When you say “thank you” to someone you are showing them favor by letting them know that what they have done for you has meant something to you: it has taken precedents in your life. During the Christmas season, there are ample upon ample of opportunities to say “thank you” but how often do you take time to say “thank you”? How often do you show “favor” toward those who have helped you and made your life a little easier?
Third, and lastly, charis (cariV) means kindness. When looking up definitions of favor, kindness was mentioned. One definition read that favor is an “act of kindness beyond what is due or usual.” The Greek word for “kind” is chrestos (crestoV) meaning ‘useful.’ To be kind is to act humbly in the presence of others. Kindness involves action: it involves a state of being useful for someone else. Kindness is that gentle reminder, like saying thank you, that let’s others know that they have been noticed and are appreciated for what they have done. When you say thank you, you are offering kindness where kindness is deserved.
Don’t miss the chance to notice those in your life who you greatly appreciate, who God has blessed you with, and who has possibly changed your life. Don’t miss the chance to say “I love you, I’m sorry, and thank you” to them and to Jesus Christ.
Movement Four: Don’t miss the chance to Sing, To be Joyful…
Fourth, DeVega wrote, “Don’t miss the chance to sing.” Despite all the confusion and hardships in our lives and in the world, God can always put a melody in our hearts (because there is a song about everything!). Find a song that brings you joy. Better yet, find a song that adds more joy and beauty in the world, and claim it. Sing it. Sing it in front of others if you dare. They’ll let you know if you can keep going. In the words of Buddy the Elf, “The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear!” Do as the Psalmist suggests, “Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth; break forth into joyous song and sing praises” (Psalm 98:4). Is there a song that brings you joy this time of year?
In thinking about DeVega’s words regarding taking time to sing, I believe what he is trying to tell us is don’t miss the chance to be joyful this time of year. This time of year can be stressful, busy, overwhelming, non-stop, chaotic, frustrating, and feel as if you are physically and emotionally and mentally on a rollercoaster. Sometimes it’s hard to find joy amongst the chaos and the noise, but that doesn’t mean that joy isn’t present. Find something that brings you joy, that puts a melody in your heart, and that reminds you that on a silent and holy night joy entered this world as a lowly baby. Don’t miss the chance to experience the joy of the season.
Movement Five: Don’t Miss Jesus…
Lastly, DeVega noted, “Don’t miss the chance to see Jesus.” He’s here. In a weird way, we’ve been anticipating the coming of someone who has always been with us—and never really left. Matthew said we could find Jesus in the faces of the poor, the hungry, and the sick. Luke said we could find Jesus in the oppressed, the downtrodden, and the underdog. Mark said we could find Jesus on the cross, where we discover our sins on his body instead of on our own. John said we could find Jesus in the truth of God’s love. God promised that we could find Jesus in the light of the world. Jesus is here, but how many times have you missed the chance to acknowledge his presence in our life? How many times have we taken a detour to get to Bethlehem? How many times have we bypassed going to Bethlehem because we felt as if there were more important things to do?
If we miss the chance to see Jesus in our life, then we are missing out on witnessing the miracle that changed the world. In The New Church Hymnal published in 1976, there is a hymn titled “Over in Bethlehem” (#551) composed by Ralph Carmichael. Listen to these lyrics: “Over in Bethlehem one clear shivery night, all of the stars were out, but one was especially bright. For it was shining down over that little town where baby Jesus lay. There on a bed of hay, Jesus came to love us like we are right now; glad or sad, good or bad, tall or wise, about your size! He can love us anyhow, anyhow. Over in Bethlehem bright stars still shine above. Children still laugh and play, protected by the Savior’s love.”
Over in Bethlehem is a miracle that we have been waiting for, a promise fulfilled, a prayer answered. God is inviting you to see His Son. Don’t miss the chance to see Jesus because he never misses a chance to see you. Look around, notice where he is, notice where he lives, notice who has him in their heart, notice those who don’t have him in their heart, notice where God’s creation could use a little bit more Jesus, and notice where Jesus is missing. Don’t miss the chance to see Jesus in your life. Don’t miss the chance to witness what is happening over in Bethlehem, because what you witness there just might transform your life.
Every year, above the closet in the living room of my parents’ house on a piece of draw wall, I write a little bit about what is happening or has happened in the family over the past year. (To my knowledge, no one has read it except me.) It started out as me just signing the draw wall, dating when we decorated for Christmas; but now it has become a storyboard: a hand written photo. There are certain things in life that I don’t want to forget, things that I don’t want to miss. What are you doing to make sure you don’t miss out on what Christ is doing in your life? Write them down, take a photo of them, cherish them in your heart. Don’t miss the chance to remember what has transformed your life. Don’t miss the chance to see how Jesus is working through and in you to create a forever photo album. Don’t miss the chance.
Conclusion: Don’t Miss the Chance to be Transformed…
On the way to the manger scene, to the humble stable in Bethlehem where the streets were probably crowded with people coming back home to be counted for the census and where Roman soldiers policed the town, lives were transformed. Mary’s life was transformed. Joseph’s life was transformed. The Shepherds’ lives were transformed. The lives of three astrologers were transformed. And those who witnessed the birth of Christ were transformed. Why? Because they didn’t miss the chance to look up, offer forgiveness, say “I love you, I’m sorry, and thank you,” and find joy in their busy lives. And most importantly, they didn’t miss the chance to see Jesus, the light of the world.
The story of Christ’s birth is not just a story that we read and talk about once a year. It’s a story that we live and a story that lives within us every day. It’s a story of transformation and renewal. Christ’s birth lives within us. It lives within you: it is transforming you right now. Don’t miss the chance to be transformed by the story that changed the world. Don’t miss what is happening over in Bethlehem. “Don’t miss it.”
Congregational Response: “Away in a Manger” (#552) – Jeff Shipman (Guitar)
Sharing of the Light of Christ:
The time has come to accept the light of Christ. The announcement has been made, Mary gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth and laid him in a manger, and the heavenly host has sung “Glory to God in the highest heaven and on earth peace among those whom he favors” (Luke 2:14). The light of Christ—the light of peace and love—has entered our life through the manger so that we may have a life in Christ. “And the Word became flesh and lived among us…” (John 1:14) so that we don’t miss out on a transformative life.
The life which Jesus gives us starts now. And it starts by accepting that Jesus Christ is the true light, which enlightens everyone; that Jesus Christ is the true light that brings us out of darkness; that Jesus Christ is the true light that has come into this world, full of grace, full of love, and full of truth and hope, peace, and joy. Jesus Christ is the true light of peace found on a silent and holy night. Tonight, this light is reminder of not only the things that we promise not to miss but is a reminder of the person that doesn’t miss us, Jesus Christ.
*Sharing the Light of Christ:
As Adam Hamilton notes, “Jesus came to be the light for us that we, as his followers, might in turn be light for others.” May this light bring you hope, joy, peace, and love. May this light be all you need to embrace a silent and holy night. At this time, we will share the light of Christ with our neighbors by passing them the light of Christ. As you pass the light, say to your neighbor, “The Light of Christ shines for you.”
Once everyone has received the light, we will see “Silent Night.” The words will be shared on the screen.
*Closing Song: “Silent Night” (#530) – Jeff Shipman (Guitar)
*Benediction:
In just a few minutes or hours, you will gather together with family and friends, laughing and smiling and enjoying the Spirit of Christmas. After the festivities have concluded, place yourself in the manger scene next to Mary and Joseph as they hold their new born child, our Lord and Savior, for the first time. As you stand there set aside the chaos and the noise and embrace the peace of a silent and holy night. Don’t miss it. May God bless you, May the Light of Christ shine within you, and May the peace of the Holy Spirit fill your heart. Amen.
Merry Christmas everyone!
[1] I will be honest with you, some of the pictures that I get to see bring back wonderful memories and great joy and even laughter. Seeing pictures of my nieces and nephews at their Christmas concerts, seeing pictures of decorated Christmas cookies and gingerbread houses, the family sitting around the Christmas tree waiting to open presents at my parents’ house, and the many selfies that Emily and I typically take during the holidays. These are such great memories from the past that continually find their way into the present. However, there are also pictures that need to stop resurfacing every year for a number of reasons. I’m sure some of you can relate.
[2] Just for fun, I went through my phone the other day to see what my earliest photo saved was and my most recent. My most recent photo is a picture of the children that came to help sort food at the food pantry from the “Pack-the-Bus-Event.” They were wearing their pajamas since it was pajama day at school. The earliest photo I have saved on my phone is a photo of my grandmother, my mom’s mom, who passed away in July 2022. The photo was taken on December 19th, 2013; and she is wearing her Christmas sweater, holding a small wooden bat, and drinking something. She had this look in her eyes that said, “You better watch out!” What is your earliest saved photo and most recent saved photo on your phone?
[3] You have probably encountered situations this Christmas season that you have never experienced before: maybe you were hard on yourself for not getting everything done, or disappointed in someone for not getting your package to you on time because you ordered it late, or maybe your ignored someone because they were in your way. Or maybe you were too focused on you that you forgot to look around and notice those who simply need to be lifted up by the act of forgiveness.
Recent Sermons
Revealing the One who Reveals (Part V) – Amazing is Something
February 09, 2025
Revealing the One who Reveals (Part IV) – “Blessings Change Lives”
February 02, 2025
Revealing the One who Reveals (Part III) – “Are We Listening?”
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