Our Light Has Come

Rev. Harriette Cross First United Methodist Church of Wilmington December 24, 2022 Christmas Eve Luke 2:1-20 Year A Prelude Welcome (We start with a single candle to light the darkness) Advent Hymn Lighting of the Advent and Christ Candle Tonight in order to dispel the cold and darkness outside, we light a single candle – this candle makes all of the difference in the world. And now we light the candles of hope, joy, peace and love. As we gather in the light, all of us here have been affected by loss. All of us have empty seats around the table. All of us are missing those people in our lives who taught us the traditions of Christmas, all of us are trying to carry on in spite of the loss of treasured memories. So as we begin this service – I want to light these candles- to represent those who we hold our heart and it wouldn’t be Christmas without them. Let us begin our worship now…. Call to Worship (inspired by Psalm 96) Leader: Welcome to this wondrous night, as we await the Coming One! People: We’ve come to worship the Lord, and welcome the Christ child. Leader: Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice…(pause) And listen! People: The fields rejoice! The trees of the forest sing for joy! Leader: The Lord is coming to judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with full truth! People: Let’s lift our voices as we praise God. (choir or cong. song like “People, Look East”, CH #142 or #136, “Christians All, Your Lord is Coming”) Hymn Angels We Have Heard on High UMH 238 Prayer Mighty God, After weeks of active waiting, the time is NOW! Thank you for the gift you give in the coming of your beloved one. We’re full of joy, and eager to praise you. Help us let go of the bustle and busy-ness of packages and performances, so we might focus on the wonder and joy of Christ’s coming. Open our eyes and our hearts to welcome “God-with-us” once more. AMEN” Chancel Choir Scripture Luke 2:1-20 Praise Ringers Christmas Message Our Light Has Come All that we celebrate tonight – everything that we do starts with just one light. Since the sun set about 30 minutes ago, if we didn’t have light we would be sitting in the darkness and it would be pretty hard to do anything. But the most important light for us is the light of Christ. Jesus is the light of the world. We all know that light is pretty important for our faith and our life. Pastor Don Jones points out three every important functions of light. Light helps us to see what is hidden in the dark, it helps us to measure time, and it lights up a pathway for us to see. The carpet and furniture in my house looks really good until you turn the light on. The light will show the spots in the carpet and it will show the dust and flaws in my furniture and will, in general, show me where I need to clean. A prominent pastor in the Valley shared his past one day in Bible study. He referred to the passage in John 3:19-21. Before he came to Jesus as Lord he would visit bars in the area to drink his troubles away. One bar in particular was his favorite because it was cool, dark, and generally very quiet. Along with the alcohol he could get a cheese burger. It was cooked on a griddle that gave it a special flavoring. The grease combined with a thick slice of cheese on a butter bun made it a fantastic lunch. After he came to Christ he would frequent the same bar and get that burger, but instead of alcohol he would get a coke. He would visit with some of the people he knew a share with them his new found relationship in Christ. One Saturday he decided to take his wife to get one of the famous hamburgers. When they arrived he noticed that the normally darkened windows were cleaned of the dark shading. They walked in and discovered the inside well lit. He asked the owner and the owner explained they were doing some remodeling. He also asked if he and his wife would like two cheese burgers and two cokes. Pastor said yes and went to his usual table. As they sat and visited he began to notice the condition of the bar. He could now see the dirt and grime on the floor. He also noticed that the tables were not particularly clean. In the light he could see the cook’s area and noticed that the grill had not been cleaned of anything for what looked like months. He saw dead cock roaches on the floor. The place literally was disgusting in the light. In the darkness he had noticed nothing but the light revealed all of the filth in the place. When the burgers arrived he was no longer hungry and as he lifted the glass to his lips he noticed that the bottom had not been cleaned. It had what looked like a crusted milk ring at the bottom. Needless to say he politely paid his bill, said goodbye. He left never to return. Had anything changed from all those years before? Not really, but the light revealed a filthy, sticky, cock roach infested, disgusting place. The light revealed all of the filth. The light found in Jesus came into the world so we might see our filth. Light is also used as a standard of measure. Light travels at 186,000 miles per second. A light year is the distance light travels in a year. It is use on sci-fi movies but also used in astronomy to measure the immense distances of the universe. From what I understand light is a very accurate unit of measure. It takes light from the sun 8 minutes to travel to earth – it’s travel is so predictable, that we not only do we depend on it, we set our clocks by it. Anyone who has traveled at night, knows that light is very effective at lighting a path for us. Without it we would not be able to see where we are going whether we are traveling by car or by foot. Jesus, does that same for each of us. The light of Jesus helps us to see things about ourselves and others the need to be fixed. The light of Christ gives us a sense of direction , and the light of Jesus will light our path to a good life. Tonight we will see light from many different sources – the Christmas lights on the tree, the lights overhead, the light of the candles – all of them have different power sources. But have you noticed that the effects of darkness are the same. There is darkness outside, there is darkness in our hearts, there is darkness in the hatred and violence in the world. Darkness has a tendency to rob us of our energy, our purpose, our ability to move around and do things. That is why our single candle is so important. The Light in the Manger Never Goes Out On The Protestant Hour sometime back, the Rev. Harry H. Pritchett, Jr., told about the worst nativity pageant he could ever remember. It was at the church where he grew up. The youth group was staging a manger scene. Pritchett was chosen to play Joseph and his future wife, Allison, was chosen to play Mary. They did their parts with seriousness and commitment, looking as pious as possible. And then it came time for the shepherds to enter. The choir was singing “While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks by Night,” and some of their fellow young people dressed in flannel bathrobes and toweled head gear proceeded to the altar steps. Young Pritchett and Allison both managed to gaze solemnly at the straw which contained a naked light bulb. But then one of the shepherds broke the sacred spell. With his back to the congregation, he said in a very loud whisper for all the cast to hear, “Well, Joe, when you gonna pass out cigars?” The spell of that occasion was not simply broken by his remark, it exploded. The Mary and Joseph cover was completely destroyed as it became impossible to hold back the bursts of laughter. The chief angel, standing on a chair behind them was the worst. She shook so hard that she fell off her chair and simply rolled over on the floor, holding her stomach. The strains of “Silent Night” and “Oh Little Town of Bethlehem” were hardly sufficient to cover the uncontrolled snorts of the main characters. Their much upset but good sported youth advisor said, “The only thing that didn’t go to pieces was the light bulb in the manger, it never went out.” Harry Pritchett thought to himself later, that’s a nice image- the light in the manger never goes out regardless of any mess we may make of things. King Duncan, Collected Sermons, www.Sermons.com When we look at the nativity story – there is so much for us to see. We see the hope of his mother that the world would improve for every one, we see the determination of his parents to provide a safe space, we see how cruel the world can be as they could only find a stable to stay in, we see ordinary witness of the shepherd who stopped their jobs to witness this event. The angels saw the glory of the moment. The light of the world had come to make the world a better place. It all starts with one single light – but tonight in this Christmas moment it has the potential to spread to so many people. There was a story in the news a few years ago about a lady in Hanover Park who was concerned because she had to scale back her decorations. She has won all types of awards for her light decorations. But now she was limited because her condo association said that there was a limit to the number of cords that could be plugged in public places. The story caught my attention because I wondered how her cords would be plugged up in a public place. Were the cords across the sidewalk because she had plugged them in the nieghbors outlets? Or did she run them across the street to use someone elses outlet. How could the cords be a problem? But you know that is the fascinating thing about Christmas lights, they are pretty, they light of the night, they can truly light the way for Christ to come to that house – but they are useless without the cords. They have no ability to shine on their own – they have to be plugged into some power source. Without the cords – Christmas can be pretty dark. For Christmas, we are the lights and Jesus Christ is the power source. I think that this Christmas, we need to run our extension cords across as many public byways as possible. We want people to trip on us. When they see the light of Christ in us, maybe they will realize that they live in darkness – and they need to get plugged in too. The world needs Christmas – but the world needs Christians to celebrate Christmas. Not just inside here – but in the world where everyone can see us. It starts with a single light – That single light is Jesus. But when we are all connected to the power source – people all over the world and in space can see the light of God. Jesus is the light of the world – but we are his Christmas lights – in the coming days let us stay connected to our power source, be kind, and spread the light! Amen Prayer of Hope, Peace, Love, Joy God of bright and shining stars, we come this evening with the reminiscences of the story in our hearts. All around us are symbols and reminders of the miraculous Birth. The candles shed their glowing light helping us to remember the many ways in which you have brightened our lives and offered light to our journey In this world in which your holy land is in such turmoil, shed your light anew, that your healing Love may bring Peace and Hope to people in conflict. Be a presence to those who refuse to believe in you; who see your word through the church as a tradition, but see very little impact in their daily lives. Let the Light of Jesus Christ penetrate that darkness of alienation and bring Hope and Peace to all your people. May the light of the stars which sparkled in those dark skies, again illuminate our lives, guiding, healing, leading us to you. As we gather in this time and place, hearing the story of the birth, remind us again that you are born continually in our lives. In gratitude we offer our praise and our love to you. AMEN. (United Methodist Ministry Matters, Nancy Townley) Lord’s Prayer UMH 894 Special Music Moment for Stewardship (don’t print) Luke tells, in oh-so-familiar words- the story of the shepherds on the day Jesus was born. Long ago, Bing Crosby sang “Do You Hear What I Hear?”, including the verse: Said the shepherd boy to the mighty king, “Do you know what I know? in your palace warm, mighty king. Do you know what I know? A Child, a child, shivers in the cold Let us bring him silver and gold, Let us bring him silver and gold.” Tonight’s the night we remember the shepherds going to see the newborn child. And it’s the night for us to share our silver and gold. Our offering tonight will go bring about God’s plan for our community. It will provide a beacon of light for others around us. Your gifts support this mission. With joy, let us bring our offering. Offertory Doxology Prayer of Thanksgiving Holy God, thank you for the gift of this Child, born to set us free. Thank you for this opportunity to remember the Child as we share our silver and gold. Please receive these gifts, and help each of us rejoice in knowing they will be used to fulfill your mission. AMEN Invitation to Communion (do not print the words) In the wonder of this night, surrounded by deep darkness, we open our hearts to God’s love, in the words of a prayer: Living God, you dwell in clouds and thick darkness. We lift our eyes to the night sky and sense depth and fullness beyond our grasp. You freed your children from Egyptian bondage under the security of nightfall. When you were born, the star came in the night heavens. A black man carried your cross. You made your pure sacrifice of love in the midday darkness. Rain falls from black clouds. Babies grow in uterine shadows. Prophets speak in ebony voices. Treasures of darkness! Help us receive them … and help us receive these gifts of bread and cup as riches from you. AMEN (taken from CH#332) All are invited to breathe in the wonder and take in the taste of these emblems, remembering Jesus. Holy Communion UMH 9 Praying After Communion Passing the Light Silent Night UMH 239 Benediction “Joy to the world, the Lord is come! Let earth receive her king!” Proclaim the good news of Christ’s birth to all the world. May the grace, hope, peace and love of God the Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer be with us all, now and forever. Amen. (Presbyterian Outlook, Terri McDowell Ott) Children’s Sermon As the children gather ask them if they know the Christmas story. If they do, ask them what their favorite part of the story is. If you have a tight schedule you might want to skip this, but it is a chance to hear where they are with the story and it might change how you do the next part! Well, I have a story about the Christmas story. I think that most of us know the Christmas story, but did you ever think about how that story got to us? I was thinking about that because I was listening to a song called “Do You Hear What I Hear?” The song starts with the wind whispering to a lamb, the lamb tells the shepherd, the shepherd tells the king and the king tells everyone! The message is that Christ is born! As I was listening to the song I started thinking about the story of Jesus, and I realized that the song is probably not that far off. OK, OK, in the actual story there isn’t a talking sheep, but think about the story that we hear at Christmas. Mary and Joseph know what’s going on because an angel told them – that’s kind of like the wind whispering to you. The angels also told the shepherds who came to see. Later on there were thee wise men, or maybe kings who heard about Jesus somehow and came following the light of a star! So there is just this handful of people who know what is really happening in that little stable in Bethlehem, and they all manage to keep it quiet for a long time. We don’t really hear much about Jesus as a child, but then Jesus’ story gets really interesting! More people hear about Jesus as a teacher and healer, they tell their friends and neighbors, who tell their friends and neighbors. The word of God spreads far and wide, churches spring up in the far corners of the world, books are written, songs are written, there are paintings and sculptures made, plays are performed, people are feed, baptized, blessed with God’s Word all over the word and throughout the centuries of time. And it all started with an angel telling people to “Come and see.” So, this Christmas, I encourage you to invite some one to come and see. It doesn’t have to be today, or tomorrow, or even this month. But be like those angels and shepherds, the friends and neighbors – invite someone to “come and see!” Emmanuel, God with us, thank you for coming to us. Additional illustrations The Reflection of the Light Frederick Buechner tells in one of his sermons about some useful advice he once received from a young ship's officer aboard a British freighter. It was night; the ship was in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, and the officer had been peering into the darkness, looking for the lights of the other ships. He told Buechner that the way to see lights on the horizon is not to look straight at the horizon, but to look just above the horizon. You can see the lights better, he told Buechner, when you do not try to look at them directly. "Since then," writes Buechner, "I have learned that it is also the way to see other things." Just so, Luke moves our gaze from the light on the horizon to the places just above, below, and off to one side. We are told of the light which filled the world that night, but we do not really see it. We see instead the reflection of that light on the faces and in the hearts of those who were present. Thomas G. Long, Something Is About to Happen, CSS Publishing Company, Inc. First, light reveals what was hidden in the dark. We would have never found our way in the dark had it not been for that ever so small light. Amazing, in the midst of all that darkness that one lamp in the window of the house led the way. The light Jesus does the same for us today. Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 14:6 Through Jesus Christ, the light of the world, we have a path to follow. He is our Light. Like Tom in the bar, let the Light, Jesus, show you the way. If you have not accepted\or followed Jesus as Lord of your life and would like to tonight, follow me in this simple prayer