The Word in the Flesh -- Meditation for Christmas Eve (John 1)

The Holy Family and St. John the Baptist - Willem Van Mieris - DIA

Here on Christmas morning, as many of us gather in the Spirit of Christmas, I wish to share the meditation shared at Central Woodward Christian Church during our Christmas Eve service.

John 1:1-14

Christ is born, give glory; Christ is from the heavens, go to meet him; Christ is on earth, be lifted up. “Sing to the Lord, all the earth,” and, to say both together, “Let the heavens be glad and let the earth rejoice,” for the heavenly one is now earthly. [Gregory of Nazianazus, Festal Orations, p. 61].

I think these opening lines of Gregory of Nazianzus’ oration “On the Nativity of Christ” offer a useful summary of why we gather together on Christmas Eve. We’ve come to greet and meet the “heavenly one [who] is now earthly.”

On Christmas Eve we enter a mystical world. We’re invited to contemplate John’s message that the Word of God assumed flesh and dwelt among us so that we might see his glory. Tonight we gather in the mystical presence of angels, shepherds, and, even the magi to give thanks to God for the child born in the “little town of Bethlehem” in which “shineth the everlasting Light.”

While the Gospel of Luke directs our attention to the newly born child, whose parents have taken refuge among the animals because there is no room for them in the town’s proper lodgings, the prologue to John’s Gospel takes us on a cosmic journey from the heavens to the earth and back again. Together they shine a light on our world and remind us that God is present with us in and through Jesus the Christ.

While John’s prologue to his gospel takes back to the beginning of creation, in which all things were created through the Word that is God, he also reveals that this Word assumed flesh and dwelt among us so that we might see the glory of the father’s son. While no one has seen God, John tells us that “God the only Son, who is close to the Father’s heart, . . . has made him known” (Jn. 1:18).

John also tells us that through the Word who became flesh, light has shined into the darkness, and the darkness cannot overcome it. In a few moments, we’ll come to the table, receive communion and a candle. When everyone has their light, the room will darken. While we stand in darkness, it will not consume the light. These lights that have become a Christmas Eve tradition in so many churches, call on us to carry the heavenly light that comes through the Word in the Flesh into the world. In this, we can find both joy and hope, even when darkness surrounds us.

What we’ve come here to do tonight requires an act of faith and a bit of imagination. That’s because the evening asks us to ponder how the Cosmic becomes human?

The creché that sits before the table combines two Christmas stories. It brings together Luke’s shepherds and Matthew’s magi. While the historical-critical side of me wants to keep the stories separate, maybe there’s a reason why we bring them together into one story. In both stories, we see light shining into the darkness. In one case it’s the appearance of angels, and in the other, it is a star shining in the night sky. Both the angels and the star announced the birth of the heavenly one who has become earthly. John might not have a birth story, but maybe he would approve of this merger of stories.

When Cheryl and I visited the Cologne cathedral this fall, we saw the golden reliquary or box that contains bones said to belong to the three magi who visited Jesus in Matthew’s gospel. The guide told us how the bones got to Cologne, but as to whether these bones belong to the magi, she suggested that this is a matter of faith. While I tend to be skeptical about such things, I was strangely moved by this encounter with an ancient object of devotion. So, I lit a candle to mark my encounter with the divine mystery symbolized by this shrine.

Tonight, the stories and carols of Christmas invite us to enter into the divine mystery revealed to us in the Word of God who became flesh and dwelt among us. Having encountered the “heavenly one [who] is now earthly,” may we follow John the Baptist and testify to the light “which enlightens everyone.” By taking up this calling, let us shine the light of God’s glory into the darkness of our world. In bearing witness to the light revealed in the Word who assumed flesh, may we join the angels on high singing “Gloria in Excelsis Deo.”

Preached by:

Dr. Robert D. Cornwall, Pastor

Central Woodward Christian Church (DIsciples of Christ)

Troy, Michigan

December 24, 2019

Christmas Eve

Living Faithfully in Times of Crisis - Sermon for Pentecost 23C (Luke 21:5-19)

Luke 21:5-19 It’s almost Thanksgiving. The weather is changing, the leaves have dropped, and pumpkin spice is everywhere, letting us know that winter is on the horizon. We also seem to be living in a time of crisis. The United States government suffered its longest shutdown in the history of our country, which only ended late Wednesday evening. People who were working without pay, or trying to figure out how to put food on the table with the suspension of SNAP benefits, are thankful that the government has reopened. However, damage has been done. We can’t forget the war in Ukraine that continues unabated, while the ceasefire in Gaza remains tenuous, and trouble is again brewing in the West Bank. Then there are the political and cultural divisions here at home that continue to get worse, which can make for challenging times at many a family Thanksgiving table. Times like this can lead people to wonder if the end of the world might be at hand. As we ponder the chal...

Meeting Jesus, Changing Direction in Life - Sermon for Pentecost 21C (Luke 19:1-10)

Luke 19:1-10 People often had life-changing experiences when they met Jesus. While not everyone responded positively to his ministry, there were many others who left behind their old lives after they met Jesus and chose to follow him. This was especially true of people like Peter and Andrew, who, along with James and John, left behind their fishing businesses to follow Jesus. Then there’s Levi, who left his tax collection booth when Jesus invited him to join his band of disciples, but not before he threw a banquet for Jesus and his friends. Jesus would add seven more members to his inner circle, but there are others who followed him. Luke also mentions the seventy who went out on a mission. Then there were several women who joined his team after they encountered him, including Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Susanna, and others who provided for Jesus through their own resources. Even if they didn’t join the band, there are many other stories of life-changing encounters. ...

Is It Time For a Lament? - Sermon for Pentecost 17C (Lamenations 1)

Mourners, Pran Nath Mago, 1947 (National Book Trust, India) Lamentations 1:1-6 It is said that American Christians struggle with laments. We like our religion to be positive and uplifting. I understand why. We often go to church when life is difficult, hoping to be inspired, but there are times when we need to be in a community where it’s okay to weep. We need places where it’s okay to share our concerns as well as our joys, a place where we can acknowledge that there are things happening in our world that trouble us. Because we are a religious community, when bad things happen to other religious communities, we’re affected as well. We can empathize with them. So, when news came last Sunday that a man drove his truck into the front of the LDS church in Grand Blanc, shot and killed four members, while wounding eight others, before setting the church on fire, we feel their pain. Next time it could be us. There were also two other mass shootings that day, one in North Carolina a...

Words of Welcome

Search This Blog