Christmas Eve

My son maiden sit in and sink.

She was at a little child, a sweet lady.

My dear son, my sweet, my dear one, my lord.

That same Lord is he that made all a thing of all our Lord is he is Lord of all the kings king my life, my dear son, my sweet my liking angels might sing their song to the child.

Blessed be thou, and so be she.

So we can so long.

Blessed be God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and blessed be God's family now and forever.

Amen.

Let's pray together.

Almighty God, to you all hearts are open, all desires known, and from you no secrets are hid.

Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you and worthily magnify your holy name through Christ our Lord.

Amen.

The Lord be with you.

Let us pray.

O God, you've caused this holy night to shine with the brightness of the true light.

Grant that we who have known the mystery of that light on earth may also enjoy him perfectly in heaven, where with you in the Holy Spirit He lives and reigns, one God in glory everlasting.

Amen.

Let us receive the king.

Who says to Zion, Your God reigns.

Listen, your sentinels lift up their voices.

Together they sing for joy, for in plain sight they see the return of the Lord to Zion.

Break forth together into singing your ruins of Jerusalem, for the Lord has comforted his people.

He has redeemed Jerusalem.

The Lord has bared his holy arm before the eyes of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.

The word of the Lord.

The Lord has made known this victory.

The Lord remembers mercy and faithfulness to the house of Israel.

Shout with joy to the Lord, all you lands.

Sing to the Lord with the harp.

With the harp and the voice of song.

With trumpets and the sound of the horn.

Let the sea make a noise and all that is in it.

Let the rivers clap their hands.

Long ago, God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by a son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom he also created the worlds.

He is the reflection of God's glory and the exact imprint of God's very being, and he sustains all things by his powerful word.

When he had made purifications for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels, as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.

For to which of the angels did God ever say, You are my son.

Today I have forgotten you.

Or again, I will be his father, and he will be my son.

And again, when he brings the firstborn into the world, he says, Let all God's angels worship him.

Of the angels, he says, He makes his angels winds and his servants flames of fire.

But of the Son, he says, Your throne, O God, is forever and ever.

And the righteous scepter is the scepter of your kingdom.

You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness.

Therefore, God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of the gladness beyond your companions.

And in the beginning, Lord, you founded the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands.

They will perish, but you remain.

They will all wear out like clothing.

Like a cloak you will roll them up, and like clothing they will be changed.

But you are the same, and your years will never end.

The word of the Lord.

Glory to you, Lord Christ.

In the beginning was the Logos, and the Logos was with God, and the Logos was God.

He was in the beginning with God.

All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being.

What has come into him into being in him was life.

And the life was the light of all people.

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.

There was a man sent from God whose name was John.

He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him.

He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light.

The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.

He was in the world, and the world came into being through him, yet the world did not know him.

He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him.

But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, who were born not of blood or of the will, or the flesh, or of the will of humans, but of God.

And the Logos became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a Father's only Son, full of grace and truth.

The Gospel of the Lord.

Please be seated.

John's Gospel thinks you already know the story about shepherds and angels and magi.

So John takes the eagle view to say what it all means and what it might mean.

Because you had to.

Maybe you had a high pain threshold and you chose to do that in college.

But just to bring you up to speed, Plato talks about how the Greek gods like Zeus and Hera are actually worse than human beings.

They are not to be emulated.

They're nothing.

Plato says instead, everything came to be through the forms.

You know how a great Dane and a Chihuahua are both dogs, even though they have very little in scale alike.

They both have the form of dogness.

And the forms came from the virtues, and the virtues came from the logos.

The universal ordering and creative principle, the first move, the energy of the universe that underlies everything.

And so when Plato wrote about geology, he wasn't talking about words about the earth or the study of the earth.

For Plato, geology meant the universal ordering principle, the logos, as made manifest and evident in the planet itself.

Biology is not the study of life, it's the way in which living things make transparent the otherwise opacity of the logos.

And it's really important to hear the word logos instead of word, lest we get confused about what John is talking about.

John is saying today in conversation with Plato, the universal ordering principle, the creative genius, the energy that is behind everything, wasn't just with God, the Logos is God.

And after preparing the feast of the entire cosmos and of our world, human evolution, the Logos decided to join the feast.

The Logos decided to sit at the table with us.

This is really important because there were people at the time of John who had decided, much as we often do, that there is some kind of difference between sacred and secular.

That we have this wonderful infinite spirit stuck in this temporal body.

And John is saying, the logos took on the body.

The body's not a prison, the body is an expression.

The body makes visible the light, the universal ordering principle, the creative genius of God is not at odds with the body.

The body shines forth in it.

The incarnation tells us that things are only secular if we fail to recognize God's sacred presence in all things, especially in ourselves.

Now, a long time ago, if you were in school and you didn't have the right answer, you got to wear one of those cone hats.

Do you know what it's called?

The Dunsk hat, right?

Named after theologian Dunce SCOTUS, who for a long time was thought to be the cleverest person in Europe.

And Dun SCotus had this to say about the incarnation.

The incarnation was not God's plan B.

That is to say, it's not like Adam and Eve messed it up and God had to come up with another idea.

Dunn SCOTI said, the incarnation was God's plan from the beginning.

To set the table and then dine at it.

Jesus is not, the incarnation is not.

Salvation is not God trying to help us catch up.

The incarnation is God enjoying everything that God has made, and we're invited to do that as well.

We get to hear in the scriptures today, in both Isaiah and in the Psalm, God bearing a strong arm.

Of course, there's this wonderful mystery of the incarnation.

God didn't choose to become incarnate in some swarthy Fabio-like being, but in a helpless child.

Particularly when you consider that infant mortality was something like 25 to 40%.

We hear this story every year, and I suggest it's not so that we can remember something did long ago, but quite honestly, the way John tells the story is we have an opportunity to go back so that we can go forward instead of just going back.

That is to say, our opportunity is not to celebrate something that happened long, long ago, but to celebrate a new way of being, beginning today.

We know what that looks like.

That happens in Holy Week.

They didn't like his politics.

Imagine that this year.

Someone didn't like some politics.

So they decided to get rid of him.

We go back to the story, I think, because we have this innate part of human evolution that is really predisposed as mammals for us to treat infants with care and compassion.

Consider.

You've probably seen this news story before.

That if a lion's parents are killed, you can take it to the zoo and have a dog raise it.

Have you seen this?

The dog will see the lion cub, and the mothering instinct of the dog will kick in and raise this lion.

We all know one day the lion could easily eat the dog, but of course, you also know the lion never will.

Because the lion has recognized the dog as its mother.

This is going to sound strange, but I'm pretty sure that's why we baptize babies in the Episcopal Church.

Because there's this moment in which you see this small child and you say, Yes, that's one of God's.

Because our brain as a mammal is hardwired to see babies with awe and wonder and care and compassion.

And boy, it's going to be four months till we get to Holy Week again.

And imagine if we could see the adult Jesus, whose politics the people didn't like, with care and compassion, like he was a baby.

That's why we come back so we get a chance to do it again.

We get a chance to live into the brain that God has given us as mammals to be compassionate, to be empathetic.

We get to do this story in church where we talk about a real baby so that we can go, even if it's only on a Zoom call, with those adult members of our family that drive us crazy.

And say, wow, if I could do it for God, maybe I can do it for Uncle Frank this year.

After all, maybe Uncle Frank's just tired.

Maybe Uncle Frank just needs a change.

Maybe he needs a nap.

Maybe God decided to be incarnate in Uncle Frank.

And maybe everything that seems secular about him just needs a different lens so the sacred can come out.

This is the difference.

And words matter between saying that somebody told a lie and calling them a liar.

I don't know anyone who lies every time they open their mouth.

You don't either.

I know people who lie more often than they tell the truth.

The difference, though, has to do with shutting out the light and being open to it.

We come back here every year so we can try again.

So we can try and get this right a little bit more so that the logos can be incarnate, not just in our neighbor, but in us.

This is an opportunity to start over.

To start over.

And it's another reminder of the goodness that God has made.

That is to say, in the words of the African proverb, God made us because God thought we would enjoy it.

It's an opportunity to hear that hymn, one glad morning, when this life is over, I'll fly away and rewrite it.

One glad morning, when I finally live into the life God's given me, I'll rejoice in the logos among us.

There's this last bit about light that's really interesting.

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

And I've talked about this a couple times in Advent.

And if you've ever been in a cave and they shut out the lights, your eye starts to panic and go crazy looking for any spark.

And inevitably, somebody cannot handle being in the dark for more than three seconds, and they'll pull out their phone, so there's phone light.

I don't know if you've had this experience.

Your eye is so happy because your retina has some visible light to grab a hold of.

It's very soothing.

It's what your retina is designed to do.

A small light can really soothe a lot of retinas.

But I think John's telling us something even stronger than that.

Not that Jesus is some sort of small flickerer that never dies in a vast ocean of apparent darkness.

Rather, I think John is suggesting, and I hope you'll consider with me, the reason the darkness will never overcome the light is because it's already full of it.

That is to say, the darkness is full of, well, infrared and ultraviolet and microwave.

You just can't see it with your eye, but it's there.

It's the wonder of the universe, isn't it?

That the light is teeming even in the apparent darkness.

I put to you again, that's why we come back to the story again.

So we can come back to something that's foundational, a baby, people visiting, bringing gifts.

And I hope that then we can pivot to our families and to our workplaces and to people on the TV whose pictures just bother us and start to say maybe there's light there that I just can't seem to see.

Maybe.

And then I'm going to exercise my arm not by cocking back, but by choosing to raise up.

And even though we're celebrating the birth of a child this week, by the way, this year it's a boy.

But if we're fair tomorrow, it might be a girl.

In fact, if you don't see it in a girl, we need to come back here again.

Because the whole point is that God has chosen to be incarnate in each and every one of us.

We do this because it's easy for some reason.

We're going to celebrate at the Lord's table because after all, we need energy for that journey.

We need energy to see light in places we'd rather not even look.

So it may seem odd that on the day of the birth of the visible light, we're going to celebrate what happens at the end of his life.

But my hope is that as a community we'll be nourished so that when we find ourselves hangry, or even just hungry, we have the energy inside us, to see the energy outside us, and to find delight as God does in this world, to bear it up, to carry it, and to change it.

We can do more together.

Merry Christmas.

Please join me as we pray our faith in the words of the Nicene Creed.

We believe in one God.

Father and Almighty, ever and ever.

We believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord Son of God, Father.

The eye of God, true God, and true God, the name, one reading of the Father, three, throughout the salvation, and what is God, the sufferers, under the spirit, Jesus, you will come in touch with God.

You believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord here, with Father and Son, the Christians of God, we believe in the holy heaven outside the church.

We are not in the act of us with the previous sin.

We will live for the character today, and life of the world of God.

Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and his name shall be called the Prince of Peace.

The socially distanced peace of the Lord be always with you.

In just a few moments, you'll be invited to receive nourishment from the Lord's table either as a blessing or as bread.

And the way we'll do that is I'll start in this row right here and invite you to come to the aisle closest to your right.

Come down front socially distanced, receive a blessing or bread, and come back around front in a circle to your seat.

And again, all are invited to receive nourishment from the Lord's table.

Continue to walk in love as Christ first loved us and gave himself for us, an offering and sacrifice to God.

Still still still one can hear the falling song sleep, sleep, sleep, sleep.

Of your own have we given.

This is the table not of the church.

Of Jesus Christ.

It is made ready for those who love him and those who want to love him more, so come.

You who have much faith and you who have little.

You who have been here often and you who have not been for a long time or ever before.

You who have tried to follow and you who have failed, come.

Not because the church invites you, it is Christ, and he invites you to meet him here.

The Lord be with you.

Lift up your hearts.

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

It is truly right to glorify your Father and give you thanks.

For you alone are God, living and true, dwelling in light and accessible from before time and forever.

Fountain of life and source of all goodness.

You made all things and filled them with your blessing.

You created them to rejoice in the splendor of your radiance.

Countless throngs of angels stand before you to serve you night and day, and beholding the glory of your presence, they offer you unceasing praise.

Joining with them and giving voice to every creature into heaven, we acclaim you and glorify your name as we say, Holy, Holy, Holy Lord, God of power and might, heaven and earth are full of your glory.

Hosanna in the highest.

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, Hosanna in the highest.

We acclaim you, holy Lord, glorious in power.

Your mighty works reveal your wisdom and love.

You formed us in your own image, giving the whole world into our care, so that in obedience to you, our Creator, we might shepherd and serve all your creatures.

When our disobedience took us far from you, you did not abandon us to the power of death.

In your mercy you came to our help, so that in seeking you we might find you.

Again and again you called us into covenant with you, and through the prophets you taught us to hope for salvation.

Father, you love the world so much that in the fullness of time you sent your only Son to be our Savior, incarnate by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, he lived as one of us, yet without sin.

To the poor he proclaimed the good news of salvation, to prisoners freedom, to the sorrowful joy.

To fulfill your purposes, he gave himself up to death, and rising from the grave destroyed death and made the whole creation new.

And that we might live no longer for ourselves or for the one who died and rose for us, God sent the Holy Spirit, God's own first gift for those who believe to complete Jesus' work in the world and bring to fulfillment the sanctification of all.

When the hour for him had come to be glorified by you, his Heavenly Father, having loved his own who were in the world, Jesus loved them to the end.

Supper with them he took bread.

And when he given thanks to you, he broke it and gave it to his disciples and said, Take, eat.

This is my body which is given for you.

Do this for the remembrance of me.

After supper, Jesus took the cup of wine.

And when he given thanks, he gave it to them and said, Drink this, all of you.

This is my blood of the new covenant, which is shed for you and for all, for the forgiveness of sins.

Whenever you drink it, do this for the remembrance of me.

Father, we now celebrate this memorial of our redemption, recalling Christ's death and his ascent among the dead, proclaiming his resurrection and ascension to your right hand, awaiting his coming in glory, and offering to you from the gifts you've given us, this bread and this cup, we praise you and we bless you.

We praise you, we bless you, we give thanks to you, and we pray to you, Lord our God.

Lord, we pray that in your goodness and mercy, your Holy Spirit may descend upon us and upon these gifts, sanctifying them and showing them to be holy gifts for your holy people, the bread of life and the cup of salvation, the body and blood of your Son Jesus Christ.

Grant that all who share of this bread and cup may become one body and one spirit, a living sacrifice in Christ to the praise of your name.

Remember, Lord, your one holy Catholic and Apostolic Church, redeemed by the love of your Christ.

Reveal its unity, guard its faith, preserve it in peace.

Remember Michael, our presiding bishop, Andy, Jeff, Hector, and Kay, our bishops, the priests in our community, Mike, Jim, Craig, Bill, and Lillian, and all who minister in your church.

Remember all of your people, those who seek your truth, especially Chris, Jerry, Sean, Jerome, Susie, Joe, Nancy, and those the congregation wishes to name at this time silently or aloud.

Remember all who have died in the peace of Christ, and those whose faith is known to you alone.

Bring them into the place of eternal joy and light.

Grant that we might find our inheritance with all the saints who have found favor with you in ages past.

We praise you in union with them and give you glory through your Son Jesus Christ our Lord.

Through Christ and with Christ and in Christ.

All honor and glory are yours, Almighty God and Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, forever and ever.

Amen.

And now, as your Savior Christ has taught us, we are bold to pray.

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against them, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever.

Amen.

Christ our Passover has become incarnate for us.

Therefore, let us keep the feast.

These are the gifts of God for you, the family of God.

Feed on them in your hearts by faith and with thanksgiving.

Send us now into the world in peace, and grant us strength and courage to love and serve you with gladness and singleness of heart through Christ our Lord.

Amen.

May God who sent the angels to proclaim the good news of the Savior's birth, fill you with joy, and make you heralds of God's good news.

And the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit be with you this day and remain with you always.

Amen.

Sleeping Sleeping Silent Stream from the Sing of Louis thus saved.