Coming into the Light

Isaiah 9:2-7; Luke 2:8-20

When you came into the church this evening, you left behind the cold and the darkness of the streets, and you entered the warmth and light of this sanctuary. Upon entering you found friends and family gathered, and you shared Christmas Greetings with one another. In doing this, you experienced God’s light shining onto your life.

Then, as the service started, you began singing the songs of the season, you shared in a Christmas prayer, and you heard scriptures read that declared the good news that God is present in our midst. Yes God has come to us in a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes. And, again, you felt God’s light shining onto your life. It doesn’t matter where you’ve been or what has happened to you this day, God’s light has touched your life.

I know that it’s easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of the season. You get tired and maybe a bit cranky. There’s the traffic and the crowds. Then there’s the weather. It’s one thing to dream about a white Christmas, and it’s another to drive in it. Beyond the typical distractions, this year we’ve entered the season with the dark cloud of the economy hanging over us. With all that’s going on, it’s not easy to feel joyous.

The darkness might be pushing in on our lives, but tonight we’ve come to worship the source of light and love. We’ve come to bear witness to the one who brings light into our darkness, and as we do this, we begin to see the cloud lift and the darkness dissipate.

Luke’s version of the Christmas story, tells of angels appearing in the night to shepherds out in their fields. They bring them all the glory of heaven, and with it a message of great joy. For in the little town of Bethlehem, the light has begun to shine.

O little town of Bethlehem
How still we see thee lie
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep
The silent stars go by
Yet in thy dark streets shineth
The everlasting Light
The hopes and fears of all the years
Are met in thee tonight.

Yes, in a manger in that little town of Bethlehem, lies the savior, Christ the Lord. Through him the light shines in the darkness, and the world will never be the same.

The Angels’ message echoes one proclaimed centuries earlier by the Prophet Isaiah, who told the people walking in darkness that they would see a great light, and when they saw the light, they would rejoice and give thanks. For on that day, an heir to the throne of David would arise and put an end to war and break the "rod of oppression." Yes, there would be justice and peace when the Prince Peace appeared in their midst.

Although the New Testament doesn’t make use of this passage from Isaiah, down through the centuries the church has looked to it for a word of hope. Indeed, George Friedrich Handel found inspiration in these words as he penned The Messiah. And thus, we sing:

"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, The Mighty God, The everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace."

The shepherds, so Luke tells us, followed the angel’s song to a manger, where a baby lay wrapped in swaddling clothes. They went looking for the one who would bring light into their darkness, and there in that manger they found the Light of the World. Yes, in him there would be found peace on earth and good will to all.

Tonight we have come out of the darkness and into the light to hear these words of hope and peace. We come to give thanks to the Prince of Peace and draw sustenance from his presence as we sing and pray together.

In a few moments we will come to the Lord’s Table, and partake of the emblems that represent to us the body and blood of our savior, the one we call prince of peace. After we take the bread and the cup we will then take candles and encircle the sanctuary. We will send around the sanctuary the light that begins at the table and then ends at the table. In these lights we will find the symbol of God’s presence. When the sanctuary darkens, the light from these candles will bear witness to this truth – God is with us, even in our darkest hour. When we leave this place, we will carry with us this message into the darkness of the night.

Silent night, holy night
Son of God, love's pure light
Radiant beams from Thy holy face
With the dawn of redeeming grace
Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth
Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth

Preached by:
Rev. Dr. Robert Cornwall
Pastor, Central Woodward Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
December 24, 2008
Christmas Eve

House Cleaning Time

Malachi 3:1-4 If you’re planning to host a holiday party, you’ll have to get the house ready. That may mean doing some much needed winter cleaning. Dusting, mopping, vacuuming, polishing, cleaning the bathrooms, and washing and ironing those table cloths. Of course, you also have to prepare the food, unless you decide to save time and hire a caterer. Once you get all that done, you still have to get yourself ready. After all, a good host has to be properly bathed and clothed. At least that’s what you have to do if you want to throw a successful high society party. But, what if your anticipated guest is the Lord of creation? How should you prepare for such a visit? I. PREPARE THE WAY!! This question of preparation is central to the season of Advent. Although, too often this is a season that gets swept aside by all the commotion of the season that follows. When it comes to Advent, we really don’t know what to do with it. We don’t know the hymns, beyond “O Come, O ...

Crossing Boundaries -- Sermon for Easter 6B (Acts 10)

Acts 10:44-48 We tend to live in silos where everyone looks like us, thinks like us, and believes like us. It’s a comfortable existence, but there’s little chance we’ll grow spiritually or intellectually. If this is true, then perhaps we need a nudge from the Holy Spirit to get out of our relationship ruts. Although Pentecost Sunday is two weeks from now, this morning we’ve heard a word from the Book of Acts reminding us that the Holy Spirit is the central actor in Luke’s second volume. The Book of Acts opens with the story of Jesus’ ascension. Before he departs, he commissions his followers to be his “witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” However, he tells them to wait until the Holy Spirit comes to empower them before they head out into the world. The first step in fulfilling this promise took place on the Day of Pentecost, when the Spirit fell on the disciples who were huddled in the upper room, empowering them to proclaim the go...

Walking in Love ---- Sermon for Pentecost 12B (Ephesians 4:25-5:2)

Ephesians 4:25-5:2 We return this morning to the letter to the Ephesian church. Earlier we heard the author, whether it’s Paul or someone else, talk about Jesus tearing down the walls of hostility. Then we heard him call on the Ephesians to “lead a life worthy of our calling” and to “make every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” This morning Paul calls on the Ephesians to imitate God by walking “in love, as Christ has loved us.” The messages we’ve been hearing focus on what it means to be a follower of Jesus. First and foremost, that means walking in love, which involves our behavior. Last week we heard Paul call on us to live our lives “with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love.” In speaking of these virtues, we see parallels with the fruit of the Spirit that Paul speaks of in the Galatian letter. According to Paul, the fruit of the Spirit includes love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, ...

Words of Welcome

Search This Blog