Merry Christmas!
I know I haven't posted in some time, and I'm missing a few sermon postings, so I figured I would post this Christmas day sermon.I hope you all had a blessed and joyous Christmas!
Christmas Day- Luke 2:1-20 ‘Glory where there is no room’
Glorious God, Bless the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts, that they may be acceptable in your sight, O Lord. Amen.
Growing up there was always a point when I got really excited about Christmas, and knew that it was going to be that time soon. Usually this began with a series of Christmas themed movies that they featured on TV. One of my favorites has always been, ‘A Charlie Brown Christmas’.
Now, I was always enthralled by the silly antics of Snoopy, but there is also much more in this story. In particular one scene has always caught my attention and warmed my heart with it’s message.
As Charlie Brown is attempting to direct the Christmas play, he struggles to discover what the true meaning of Christmas is. Linus, the youngest acting member of the Peanuts gang steps forward and offers to tell Charlie Brown, “what Christmas is all about.”
He continues with this quote as a light streams down just illuminating him on the stage. “And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were so afraid. And the angel said unto them, ‘Fear not, for behold, I bring unto you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the City of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.’ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men."
Linus then picks up his blanket and walks back to Charlie Brown. All the Peanuts gang has been changed by those words, and touched by what Christmas really means. They realize that making fun of Charlie Brown’s little tree was not in the spirit of kindness, and instead shower it with love, making it a beautiful tree shining in the darkness.
As we listen to and read the Gospel of Luke on Christmas each year, whether this be the eighty-seventh time or the very first time, there is always something new and joyful for us to discover in the text.
We are given the story of a faithful and courageous young woman, who accepts the Lord’s plan even though it may interrupt her own. The story of a young man, who despite all the traditions and whispers, trusts his fiancé and the Holy Spirit, and takes this pregnant women to be his wife. Uncovering challenges in the way, she gives birth to the Son of God in a manger.
A dirty, stinky, animal filled, unsanitary manger. There are no luxuries for this birth or this family, no this birth is exceptional in every single way.
As Luke writes the story of the birth of Christ, he just glances past the mention of this fact. Simply stating, “because there was no place for them at the inn.” However, this small mention is huge in our understanding of the birth of Christ. For he could have come no other way then with unexpected and humble beginnings.
Often we find ourselves closing off our hearts to those surrounding us, either because we have been hurt in the past, or we just don’t think we have the time. We look at them and say, “there is no place at this inn.”
We find ourselves closing off to opportunities to give to others less fortunate then ourselves, because in this time of financial need, we want to save all that we can for those little extras that we don’t necessarily need, but that society tells us gives us a status. We find ourselves in the midst of a housing crisis, that literally turns people out of houses because they cannot pay their mortgage. Turning families, children, the elderly, and hard-working people out into the street because of foreclosures.
For some, ‘no place at the inn’ is an all too familiar phrase and feeling. Whether it be rejection of a place to live, or rejection because of our lives are a bit different then those that surround us, and we are reminded through Luke’s message of the birth of Christ, that Christ also was surrounded by these same problems. He was born into a time of discord, he was born for a people who would deny him, persecute him, and kill him.
But….
It had to happen that way, because the world needed to be shaken up, morals needed to change, just as ours still do today. We are reminded that things such as how many gifts are under our tree are inconsequential, what matters is that small child born in the most unlikely place, a place which was unclean, full of animals, surrounded by not kings but shepherds and angels, not royalty but animals, not pain but peace. Bathed in the light of a star, this gift was given to each and every one of us. Christ was born for you, and you, and me, and all of us.
In ‘A Charlie brown Christmas’ Charlie Brown trying to understand the meaning of Christmas goes out to purchase a tree. He was told to buy a tree that looks flashy, and that’s modern. As he walks through the tree lot with Linus, he finds himself surrounded by big chrome and metal trees, which look sparkly and draw attention. As they walk, Charlie Brown stumbles upon a tiny little tree, one that is losing needles, is hunched over, and looks like the runt of the litter. He reaches down and proclaims to Linus that this is the tree. Linus having eyed the little tree, looks up and reminds Charlie Brown that the rest of the cast wanted something big and modern. Charlie Brown simply states, “But this one needs me.”
Christ does that same thing for each and every one of us. As the Gospel of Luke states, to YOU is born this day a Savior.” Christ is born to each of us, because we are in need of him. Although people have not realized this, people have denied him room at the inn, Jesus is born because we need him.
God loved us so much that Jesus was born into a world of sin and pain, to relieve us from our transgressions, and to bring us great joy. We are blessed by the miraculous and unexpected birth of the Christ child
In A Charlie Brown Christmas, Linus has one more line, which is a favorite of mine. As the rest of the Peanuts gang is pondering what to do with the small weak tree that Charlie Brown had bought, Linus walks over to it and wraps his blanket around it. The tree stands a bit taller and prouder then it was. The cast sees this, and suddenly there is a flurry of motion around the tree, when they step back, it is a beautiful tree, covered in lights and ornaments, shining brightly. Gathering around they begin to sing songs as Charlie Brown returns to see his sad tree now tall and bright. He questions how this happened, and Linus replies. “all it needed was a little love.”
That love is what Christ brings, to each and every one of us, he transforms us into people who can shine in the darkness.
Christ touches each of us with that Christmas joy, he takes us as little pathetic Christmas trees, wraps us up in his loving embrace, shows us love and compassion, forgives all our sins, gives us the gift of eternal life, and changes us into a beautiful light giving tree for all the world to see.
As we share in the joy of the Christmas message, let us share it with others, bringing them joy, but also bringing them a ‘little love.’ Amen.
posted by Dana @ 8:20 AM
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