A time for us to come to God

December 24, 2017 Christmas Eve Luke 2:1-20 Luke 2:1-20Common English Bible (CEB) Jesus’ birth 2 In those days Caesar Augustus declared that everyone throughout the empire should be enrolled in the tax lists. 2 This first enrollment occurred when Quirinius governed Syria. 3 Everyone went to their own cities to be enrolled. 4 Since Joseph belonged to David’s house and family line, he went up from the city of Nazareth in Galilee to David’s city, called Bethlehem, in Judea. 5 He went to be enrolled together with Mary, who was promised to him in marriage and who was pregnant. 6 While they were there, the time came for Mary to have her baby. 7 She gave birth to her firstborn child, a son, wrapped him snugly, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the guestroom. Announcement to shepherds 8 Nearby shepherds were living in the fields, guarding their sheep at night. 9 The Lord’s angel stood before them, the Lord’s glory shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 The angel said, “Don’t be afraid! Look! I bring good news to you—wonderful, joyous news for all people. 11 Your savior is born today in David’s city. He is Christ the Lord. 12 This is a sign for you: you will find a newborn baby wrapped snugly and lying in a manger.” 13 Suddenly a great assembly of the heavenly forces was with the angel praising God. They said, 14 “Glory to God in heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors.” 15 When the angels returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go right now to Bethlehem and see what’s happened. Let’s confirm what the Lord has revealed to us.” 16 They went quickly and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in the manger. 17 When they saw this, they reported what they had been told about this child.18 Everyone who heard it was amazed at what the shepherds told them.19 Mary committed these things to memory and considered them carefully. 20 The shepherds returned home, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. Everything happened just as they had been told. Common English Bible (CEB) Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible This is holiest night of the year. It is a perfect night, for me it is a little bit too perfect. For those of you who were praying for a white Christmas, it looks like you have gotten your wish. That was not my prayer. But nevertheless, Christmas Eve is the night where the world comes to a standstill. It is the night when we get to put aside the problems of every day life. It is the night when we declare that enough is enough – we are ready for Christmas, it is the one night when we see the world as it should be – everyone loving one another, everyone at peace, everyone focused on the manger, the baby Jesus, and what his coming means for the world. We could be tempted to be like the mother, who wrote santa with her grown up Christmas list…. Christmas Eve means different things, depending on your age. For our children it is the most exciting evening of the year as you await the arrival of Santa. For parents it might mean something more. One unknown mother sent her own requests to Santa: Dear Santa, I’ve been a good mom all year. I’ve fed, cleaned, and cuddled my two children on demand, visited the doctor’s office more than my doctor, sold sixty-two cases of candy bars to raise money to plant a shade tree on the school playground and figured out how to attach nine patches onto my daughter’s girl scout sash with staples and a glue gun. I was hoping you could spread my list out over several Christmases, since I had to write this letter with my son’s red crayon, on the back of a receipt in the laundry room between cycles, and who knows when I’ll find any more free time in the next 18 years. Here are my Christmas wishes: I’d like a pair of legs (in any color, except purple, which I already have) that don’t ache after a day of chasing kids . . . and arms that don’t flap in the breeze, but are strong enough to carry a screaming toddler out of the candy aisle in the grocery store. I’d also like a waist, since I lost mine somewhere in the seventh month of my last pregnancy. If you’re hauling big ticket items this year I’d like a car with fingerprint resistant windows and a radio that only plays big-people music; a television that doesn’t broadcast any programs containing talking animals; and a refrigerator with a secret compartment behind the crisper where I can hide to talk on the phone. On the practical side, I could use a talking daughter doll that says, “Yes, Mommy” to boost my parental confidence, along with one potty-trained toddler, two kids who don’t fight, and three pairs of jeans that will zip all the way up without the use of power tools. I could also use a recording of Tibetan monks chanting, “Don’t eat in the living room” and “Take your hands off your brother,” because my voice seems to be just out of my children’s hearing range and can only be heard by the dog. And please don’t forget the Play-doh Travel Pack, the hottest stocking stuffer this year for mothers of preschoolers. It comes in three fluorescent colors and is guaranteed to crumble on any carpet, making the in-laws’ house seem just like mine. If it’s too late to find any of these products, I’d settle for enough time to brush my teeth and comb my hair in the same morning, or the luxury of eating food warmer than room temperature without it being served in a Styrofoam container. If you don’t mind I could also use a few Christmas miracles to brighten the holiday season. Would it be too much trouble to declare ketchup a vegetable? It would clear my conscience immensely. It would be helpful if you could coerce my children to help around the house without demanding payment as if they were the bosses of an organized crime family; or if my toddler didn’t look so cute sneaking downstairs in his pajamas to eat contraband ice cream at midnight. Well, Santa, the buzzer on the dryer is ringing and my son saw my feet under the laundry room door. I think he wants his crayon back. Have a safe trip and remember to leave your wet boots by the chimney and come in and dry off by the fire so you don’t catch cold. Help yourself to cookies on the table, but don’t eat too many or leave crumbs on the carpet. Yours Always, Mom P.S. One more thing: You can cancel all my requests if you can keep my children young . . . (1) Ah, that would be nice . . . to keep our children forever young, forever joyfully anticipating the arrival of Santa, forever believing that the world is a place completely filled with beauty, and love and joy and peace. But they must grow up and learn about life in the real world. The real world sees Christmas merely as a time to turn a profit on a year’s commerce. So, yes, in a sense we would like to keep them forever young. We too have that same prayer, about this night, about baby Jesus. We want to keep him in the manger forever, we want this night to last forever. When the truth is, Baby Jesus will have to grow up pretty fast. Jesus grows up. In order to keep the peace, the joy, the love the hope of this night going – Jesus will have to grow up to become a man to address some pretty tough issues going on in our world. And Just as Jesus grows. Our faith will have to grow also. Some of you came this evening sincerely searching for God. Others of you came for the singing of the carols, to be with your family in a safe and loving place. Or maybe you came simply to keep the warm glow of the Christmas season alive just a little longer. I pray that whatever your reason for being here, something might happen this night that will cause you to hear the voice of an angel saying, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” And then suddenly I hope you will hear in the quietness a great company of the heavenly host . . . with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” And I hope you will leave this place a changed person. That is my prayer for you this night. The video that I showed had one important message for all of us. God came as a baby in a manger to be with is- and this evening is our chance for us to be with God. To not stay stuck in this night, but to let it grow and to let it flow. To pass this night on to others, to help them know that God’s love is big enough to handle any issue. The story of Mary, and Joseph, and baby jesus, and the shepherds, the animals, the angels is a timeless story. It is our proof that God is listening and hears our cries and answers our prayers. God came into the world as a baby to grow into a savior because God knew and God knows the problems of the world. Jesus is here to fulfill a promise to solve our problems. Mary heard that promise first, and in spite of all of the problems she was willing to be a mother, to take care of Jesus, because she believed that if God made a promise, then God will provide what we need. And whenever God provides – God has a purpose. – to being us through our problems to a place of peace. Jesus is the promise, the provision, and the purpose of our faith, and of who we are. Jesus gives the world hope, peace, love and joy. This night wont last forever, but as long as we have hope, peace, love and joy – the true purpose of this night will last forever. Amen