John 1: 1-18 (NRSV)
The Gospel According to John
The Word Became Flesh
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was in the beginning with God. 3All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being 4in him was life,* and the life was the light of all people. 5The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. 8He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. 9The 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. 11He came to what was his own,* and his own people did not accept him. 12But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, 13who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.
And the Word 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. 15(John testified to him and cried out, ‘This was he of whom I said, “He who comes after me ranks ahead of me because he was before me.” ’) 16From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. 17The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son,* who is close to the Father’s heart,* who has made him known.
In her book: Welcome to the Church Year: An Introduction to the Seasons of the Episcopal Church, Deacon Vicki K. Black writes:
"For the church, Christmas is a time to celebrate the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem. We celebrate this birth not because Jesus was simply a 'good man" but because we believe Jesus was -- and is--both the human son of Mary and the divine Son of God. That makes Christmas a time to reflect on a mystery that the church calls the doctrine of the Incarnation. This important theological term comes from the Latin word carne, which means "flesh," and has to do with the divine taking on human flesh and coming among us in human form.
All religions throughout the ages have struggled with the fundamental question of the relationship between God and creation. Some believe in a God who is completely and utterly separate and distinct from humankind; others believe in a God who occasionally makes transitory, purely spiritual connections with certain individuals; still others believe in many gods who are present within all of creation, including human beings.
The early church struggled with this question, too. After centuries of heated debate the church formally defended the doctrine of the Incarnation at the Council of Chalcedon in 451. The church fathers tried to explain their conviction that Jesus was "at once complete in Godhead and complete in manhood, truly God and truly man" (BCP 864). What this meant was that Jesus was not just a man whom the Spirit of God visited on occasion (as with the Old Testament prophets), nor was he really God just pretending to be human. In either of those cases, the church fathers believed, it would not have been possible for Jesus to bring salvation to humankind. He must be both God and human to be our savior." (Page 29).
The concept of which Vicki Black writes is not one that can be understood by human beings, let alone explain. We are all human beings with very limited minds and varied experiences. No two human beings are made the same way, nor live their lives the same. God is beyond human limitations, yet in Christ God chooses to become like one of us. Yet as God is closest to us in Jesus, so Jesus is still very mysterious. God changes the powers of human history by bringing in a new understanding that there is no longer a dominant species and a submissive species. God becomes human through the conception of Jesus in the womb of the Virgin Mary by the power or God, the Mother, the Holy Spirit. Jesus is born in Bethlehem today. All human traditions are turned upside down, and a new era of the relationship with God and humankind is begun.
Luke 2: 1-20 (NRSV)
The Birth of Jesus
In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3All went to their own towns to be registered. 4Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. 5He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. 6While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. 7And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.The Shepherds and the Angels
In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: 11to you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is the Messiah,* the Lord. 12This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.’ 13And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host,* praising God and saying,14
‘Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace among those whom he favours!’*
When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.’ 16So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. 17When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; 18and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. 19But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. 20The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.
In here Christmas Message to the Episcopal Church, Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori writes:
The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light. —Isaiah 9:2
That's how the first lesson of Christmas Eve opens. It's familiar and comforting, as the familiar words go on to say that light has shined on those who live in deep darkness, that God has brought joy to people living under oppression, for a child has been borne to us. The name of that child is Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace — and God is bringing an endless peace through an heir to the throne of David (vv 3, 4, 6, 7).
This year we're going to hear a bit we haven't heard in Episcopal churches before, in that missing verse 5. It's pretty shocking, but it helps explain why the hunger for light is so intense, and the joy so great when it comes: "For all the boots of the tramping warriors and all the garments rolled in blood shall be burned as fuel for the fire." The coming of this prince of peace will mean the end of all signs of war and violence. An occupied people will finally live in peace, without anxiety about who or what will confront them the next time they go out their front doors.
People in many parts of this world still live with the echo of tramping boots and the memory of bloody clothing. Many Episcopalians are living with that anxiety right now, particularly in Haiti and Sudan. Americans know it through the ongoing anxiety after September 11 and in the wounded soldiers returning to their families and communities, grievously changed by their experience of war. Remember the terror of war when you hear those words about light on Christmas Eve. Remember the hunger for peace and light when you hear the shocking promise that a poor child born in a stable will lead us all into a world without war. Remember the power of light when you go out into the darkness after hearing those words — and pray that you and those around you may become instruments of peace.
Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors! —Luke 2:14
The Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori is presiding bishop and primate of the Episcopal Church.
Even as Jesus is born into the world to unite people in the mission of peace and good will towards all people, there remains in the Church and society those who still wish to be the cause of anything but peace and good will. Those who want to divide humankind according to race, religion, class, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity/expression. language, employment, challenge etc. Jesus comes into our human experience to experience the joys and sorrows of humankind itself. God comes to us in Christ to communicate God's unconditional and all-inclusive love for all humankind. God tells us that God is with us through all the messes, good times and bad times, illness, violence, discrimination, marginalization, oppression and death that everyone in humankind experiences. In God's perfect revelation, Jesus comes to invite all humankind to come to God and know God's mercy, forgiveness and generous grace. There is room for everyone in the manger where Jesus is born on this holy night. We are invited by the Angels to go with the Shepherds and see this event that has come to pass. It matters not who you are, what you believe, how you love others, whether you are poor or wealthy, gay or straight, female or male, of one gender or transgender. Whether you are sure about everything in what your future holds, of even if you wonder how you will make it through this holiday season into the New Year. Even if your life span will only last until another hour, minute, day, month or year. God in Christ welcomes us into God's presence in Christ.
As we are called to come and adore God in Christ, so we are are also empowered with a sense of mission to bring Christ's abiding peace to all who are broken, wounded, hurting, separated, marginalized and in darkness and death. The world will become no less violent today, just because we have been to visit with Jesus. There is still way too much war, oppression, sickness and death. We are called not to solve the problems, but to be that shining example of the Light of Jesus Christ born in Bethlehem today and always. As we remember that Jesus is born in Bethlehem today, Jesus also longs to be born again in us, in spite of our broken human experience. God desires to calm the storms of hate speech and violence if only we will dare to have a little faith in Jesus.
I cannot close this blog post without a reminder that many of our lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning and queer people, and others who are of minority status celebrate the Christmas Day/Season alone and in need of new family and friends. Many LGBTQ people are not able to go home and celebrate with their families today, because they are not accepted, or risk being proselytized by arch-conservative Catholics and other Christians. These are very stressful times for couples and individuals. Make a phone call today, write an email or invite and spend some time in prayer today for all who face the difficulties of social, political and religious oppression. Today is an awesome day, help make it awesome for those who live through it in tears, anger and sickness. God reached out to all of us in Christ, so we need to reach out to each other.
On behalf of Jason and myself, we wish every one a very Merry Christmas and Happy and healthy New Year in 2011.
O God, you make us glad by the yearly festival of the birth of your only Son Jesus Christ: Grant that we, who joyfully receive him as our Redeemer, may with sure confidence behold him when he comes to be our Judge; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
O God, you have 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 and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.
Almighty God, you have given your only-begotten Son to take our nature upon him, to be born this day of a pure virgin: Grant that we, who have been born again and made your children by adoption and grace, may daily be renewed by your Holy Spirit; through our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom with you and the same Spirit be honor and glory, now and forever. Amen. (Collects for Christmas Day, Book of Common Prayer, page 212-213).
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