Christmas Eve, 2021 - Zoom service - Advent Lutheran Church, Calgary
The Word made flesh, the light in the darkness.
These two things come to us in Jesus of Nazareth, they are what we cling to this evening. These two opposites––material flesh and immaterial light brought together in one individual—have been a source of comfort in this past year and a source of hope in the year to come.
But tonight is not the night for a lecture on Christology, and how in Jesus, the human nature and the divine nature come together in fullness, without compromise, or mixing, or any of those other things. (As much as I love to lecture on that…)
Tonight is the night we yearn to *experience* hope, to *experience* the Incarnation of our God’s light. Tonight is the night we want to *feel* that Christ is with us, not just *know* it, as we sit at home, at our kitchen tables, or on our couches, as we sit alone or with wiggly children off-screen. Tonight is the night we turn to God desperate for companionship, especially as we sit in disappointment that here is one more Christmas where we cannot be with one another.
And so, in this time, I invite you into something a bit different than listening to me preach. I invite you, in this moment, to experience Christ, rather than just hear *about* him.
Let us begin by looking around us. Look around you, at the room you are in. At *your* room and *your* home. Look at, or think about, the kitchen table where you last ate, where food from the earth nourished your body, where you received your daily bread today. And remember that Jesus ate. He got hungry, his mouth watered when he smelled something appealing, he enjoyed a good meal. And now I invite you to take a moment––a real moment, and think of how, as you sit at that table, he sits with you, your companion at all your meals. Your table is blessed, made holy––at every meal––by the presence of Christ, who gives you your daily bread. [wait]
Look at, or think about, where you sit when you want to relax, or when people come over to visit (in that time when people did…). Think about, or enjoy if you are already sitting there, how nice it is to take the weight off your feet, to breathe and let all your cares out for a moment. And remember that Jesus needed to relax, too. He got overwhelmed by the needs of the world, he enjoyed being with his disciples just hanging out, he liked to sit and just take the weight off his feet. And now I invite you to take a moment and think of how, as you sit and relax, Jesus sits with you, your companion as you watch TV, or read a book, or talk on the phone or by video with your loved ones. Your comfy sitting place is blessed, made holy––at every moment––by the presence of Christ, who is with you through the Holy Spirit. [wait]
Christ is here. And by “here” I mean with you, in your “here.” In your home right now, wherever your “here” is, and miraculously simultaneously in every single “here” around the world and throughout time. And because Christ is in every here and in every home, and in every darkness, we are not alone and we are not separated from one another. Just as Christ is with each of you, you are each with one another, through Christ. Each person on this zoom screen is here with you, through Christ. In the homes of your loved ones that you are not able to visit this year, Christ *is* and so you are together in Him. This is the glory of God, whose light shines in each of our dark moments and in shining, brings us together with one another so that nobody is truly separated.
But I know that this is hard to *feel,* and so I invite you to one more experience. If you are with someone else, I invite you to hold hands. And children, you too, and even you teenagers. AND, if you are alone, or if you don’t want to hold hands with someone else (which is perfectly fine), I invite you to put your hands together, and rest them in your lap, if you like. Now close your eyes, and feel that other hand, even if it’s your own. Feel its warmth. Feel its pressure. Just feel it resting against your other hand. (And children, this is not a squeezing contest…) And remember that Jesus had hands. I know, that sounds kind of silly, but Jesus was God become *flesh*. Jesus held hands. Jesus’ hands were held. He hugged those he loved and yearned for hugs, just as we do. And I invite you now, if you want, to wrap your arms around yourself, or you can just keep holding your own hand, if that sounds a bit silly. Now take a moment and think that as you are holding your hand, or wrapping your arms around yourself, that Jesus is with you. Jesus is holding your hand, Jesus is hugging you. You––your body––is blessed, made holy, by the presence of Christ with you, who became flesh and dwells among us. [wait]
*This* is what we celebrate at Christmas. That God became incarnate, became flesh, so that we might never be separated from God, in spirit or in body. You, your body, is not separated from God. You are not alone. Christ fills your home, and your very body. Christ is *here,* in you, and in every other person you see on your screen, gathering us all together in one. This is the meaning of Emmanuel––God-with-us, this is the meaning of the baby in the manger who is also God, this is the light in our darkness, this is why the angels sang (and I think still sing), “Glory to God in the highest heaven,” and this is why we say, Thanks be to God. Amen.
