First Sunday After Christmas: Oh, That Word Again?

Today's Scripture Readings

Isaiah 61:10-62:3 (NRSV)

I will greatly rejoice in the LORD,

my whole being shall exult in my God;

for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation,

he has covered me with the robe of righteousness,

as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland,

and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

For as the earth brings forth its shoots,

and as a garden causes what is sown in it to spring up,

so the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise

to spring up before all the nations.

For Zion's sake I will not keep silent,

and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest,

until her vindication shines out like the dawn,

and her salvation like a burning torch.

The nations shall see your vindication,

and all the kings your glory;

and you shall be called by a new name

that the mouth of the LORD will give.

You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the LORD,

and a royal diadem in the hand of your God.

Psalm 147 (BCP., p.804)


Galatians 3:23-25 (NRSV)

Now before faith came, we were imprisoned and guarded under the law until faith would be revealed. Therefore the law was our disciplinarian until Christ came, so that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer subject to a disciplinarian.

But when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, in order to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as children. And because you are children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, "Abba! Father!" So you are no longer a slave but a child, and if a child then also an heir, through God.

John 1:1-18 (NRSV)

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. The 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. He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, who 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. (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.'") From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father's heart, who has made him known.

Blog Reflection

Yes, it is that Word again.  It is the same Word we heard and read about on that amazing Christmas Eve, Day and since.  Jesus Christ, the Incarnate Word came among us as God's perfect revelation of Self.  As Christians, we make no excuse or apology for believing in what seems so absurd to the rest of the world.  We do not just believe in a God who is far removed from us.  We believe that we live in relationship with God who is very close to us in God's Son. The Christmas mystery is about how God broke through time, space, matter and what seemed so impossible; and became a human being.

If we Christians owe the world an apology and/or a better representation of Jesus, the Word; we should begin and become constant in seeking to deepen our relationship to Christ through our relationships with one another.  It is our responsibility to The Word to be better stewards of the earth and it's resources.  Our response to the wonderful Grace of God in The Word should be to build and maintain an inclusive Church and society.  One combined existence of the Church and our communities can give a better witness to The Word by doing more to protect our vulnerable children from senseless gun violence.   If we want other religions to respect the Christian Religion, then we must become agents of healing and reconciliation between the different religions of the world.  Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists and many others have something to contribute to the diversity of beliefs.  Christianity makes an important contribution to the good that is in many other religions, so long as we do not use the privilege we have as Christians to disregard the dignity of others.

The Word who is Jesus, wants to make an impact through us with the marginalized and stigmatized.  To accomplish what God wants from us, we must avail ourselves to the Holy Spirit's grace to confront our interior dispositions towards others who are different from ourselves.  We must work to end racism in the Church and the rest of the world, so that each person can find their path to a God who is present among us all in the Word made Flesh.

It is no secret that what I am writing about here, and what I have been writing about in this blog for nearly six years is hard stuff.  It challenges us in ways that not only shake others up, but ourselves too.

The wonder and mystery of the Incarnation is that God came to shake us up not in some all powerful and war like being; but in an innocent and helpless Child born just as each one of us was.  Jesus had His relationship with God His Father up to the point of the Garden of Gethsemane.  At that point, not even Jesus' relationship to God was as so important for him, that out of love for us; He gave up even that to be our Redeemer.  He was God who served us as one like us, with all of God's unconditional and all-inclusive love as His only concern.

If we want to know how to love others as God loves us, the example of the love of Christ is our best teacher.

Amen.


Prayers

Almighty God, you have poured upon us the new light of
your incarnate Word: Grant that this light, enkindled in our
hearts, may shine forth in our lives; through Jesus Christ our
Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy
Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. (Collect for the First Sunday after Christmas.  The Book of Common Prayer., p.213).

O God, you made us in your own image and redeemed us
through Jesus your Son: Look with compassion on the whole
human family; take away the arrogance and hatred which
infect our hearts; break down the walls that separate us;
unite us in bonds of love; and work through our struggle and
confusion to accomplish your purposes on earth; that, in
your good time, all nations and races may serve you in
harmony around your heavenly throne; through Jesus Christ
our Lord. Amen. (Prayer for the Human Family.  The Book of Common Prayer., p.815).