I speak to you in the name of the One who created us, joined us, and is with us still. Amen.
[Singing] O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant . . .
Wait, hold on:
[Singing] O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant . . .
There’s something wrong here.
It’s a glorious hymn.
Every church I know
sings it at the start
of EVERY Christmas Eve service,
but clearly that hymn
was written in hindsight.
After all, on that first
Christmas night,
all those years ago,
Many were faithful,
but joyful and triumphant?
I don’t think so.
A registration
had been ordered by the Emperor,
in the middle of winter
when the days are short
and the nights are cold,
and travelers returned to hometowns,
many pouring into Bethlehem
to be registered.
Were they faithful? Maybe,
but also fearful and exhausted.
Joseph, accompanying his pregnant fiancee
trusting the story she has told him,
certainly was faithful,
but perhaps also anxious and worried.
The innkeeper,
probably just a homeowner
who rented out his stable
when there were big events in town,
was also probably faithful,
but on this night
also overwhelmed and crabby.
The shepherds—
who knows about them?
Shepherds were, well,
the least of the least,
on the margins of society.
But faithful?—at least in terms
of showing up at Temple for worship?—
Doubtful.
But definitely busy and tired,
outcast and hungry.
Finally, what about Mary?
Surely Mary was faithful that night?
Surely she was joyful and triumphant?
I suppose she might
have felt joy after giving birth
to her first child,
but triumphant?
This mother pondered
in her heart
all the mysteries
of giving birth to the Messiah,
but she must also have felt
the cold shadow of
both the cross and the tomb looming,
so “triumphant” seems a stretch.
What about joyful and sorrowing?
But here they all are,
gathered on a winter’s night,
all those years ago.
They came, faithful,
to a little town, nothing special,
in a night that seemed
like any other night,
except on this night
the emperor was
moving people around
the country like pawns
on a chessboard.
Here they all are:
faithful, fearful and exhausted.
Faithful, anxious and worried.
Faithful, overwhelmed and crabby.
Faithful, busy and tired.
Faithful, outcast and hungry.
Faithful, joyful and sorrowing.
And to these people—
no one extraordinary,
not especially holy or ready or religious—
came a child,
a king, a Messiah—
and on that night,
to the least ready,
the least important,
to the shepherds
came the angel
and they were surrounded
by the glory of the Lord,
and they were sore afraid,
but the angel announced:
“Fear not!
For, see—
I am bringing you good news of great joy
for all the people:
to YOU is born this day
in the city of David a Savior,
who is the Messiah, the Lord.”
The shepherds hastened
to share this good news,
to find this Messiah,
and, so, they found Mary and Joseph,
and the child lying in the manger,
and they shared
what had been told to them,
and all were amazed,
and Mary treasured
all these words, pondering them in her heart,
and the shepherds
returned to their fields,
glorifying and praising God. . . .
How swiftly these ordinary people
received Good News of Great Joy!
The Good News that God
loves us so much that God
decided to join us in our humanity,
taking on our flesh and blood,
our sorrows and joys,
our disappointments and confusions.
How amazing that these
ordinary people
should receive this Good News!
[pause]
And what about YOU,
all ye faithful?
Do you come, joyful and triumphant?
I hope so!
But perhaps not;
perhaps you share
more in common
with those who gathered
that first Christmas.
But here you are,
you faithful ones,
sitting in the pews
on Christmas Eve
or worshipping over livestream on Facebook,
and no matter how you feel,
this Good News of Great Joy
is for YOU!
So, come all Ye faithful,
Joyful and Triumphant.
Come, all Ye Faithful,
hopeful and doubting.
Come, all Ye Faithful,
worried and anxious.
Come, all Ye Faithful,
Tired and exhausted.
Come, all Ye Faithful,
broke and in debt.
Come, all Ye Faithful,
Lonely and Brokenhearted.
Come, all Ye Faithful,
ALL of you,
Come, because no matter
HOW you are feeling,
you are here—
Faithful,
hoping for,
longing for,
Good News.
And here it is:
I bring you Good News of great joy!
God loves us so much,
So very much,
That even when we’re not ready,
even when we’re not
particularly joyful or triumphant,
even when we’re sad or anxious,
overworked or distracted,
God loves us so much
That God comes right in
To join us,
As one OF us.
And just so we get it,
just so we understand
what God is up to,
God comes first
to no-account shepherds,
an unwed teen-age mom,
some astrologers
from another religion
whom we now call kings,
all to make clear
that the Good News
is for ALL people,
that even if—especially if!—
you’re uncertain about what you believe,
if you feel unlovable,
forgotten, lost,
then this Good News
of great joy is for YOU . . .
and you . . . and you . . .
and me:
God loves us,
God wanted to be with us,
and God is with us still. . .
“Fear not!
For, see—
I am bringing you good news of great joy
for all the people:
to YOU is born this day
in the city of David a Savior,
who is the Messiah, the Lord.”
So, Come all Ye Faithful . . .
Come, and behold him, born the King of angels;
O Come, Let us Adore Him!
Christ the Lord.