Christmas past
present and future.
A sermon for Christmas Eve Holy Communion.
He was born in an obscure village, the son of a peasant
woman.
He grew up in another village, where he worked in a
carpenter's shop until he was thirty. Then for three years he became a
wandering preacher.
He never wrote a book. He never held an office. He never had
a family or owned a house. He didn't go to college. He never visited a big
city. He never travelled two hundred miles from the place where he was born. He
did none of those things one usually associates with greatness.
He had no credentials but himself.
He was only thirty-three when the tide of public opinion
turned against him. His friends ran away. He was turned over to his enemies and
went through a mockery of a trial. He was executed by the state. While he was
dying, his executioners gambled for his clothing, the only property he had on
earth. When he was dead he was laid in a borrowed grave through the pity of a
friend.
Twenty centuries have come and gone, and today he is the
central figure of the human race. All the armies that ever marched, all the
navies that ever sailed, all the parliaments that ever sat, all the kings that
ever reigned, put together, have not affected the life of humanity as much as
that One Solitary Life.
This evening we come together to celebrate the birth of
Jesus of Nathereth, The Christ, The Son of God. We do so remembering that this
one solitary life brings together all things earthly and heavenly.
That things changed for good the night the angels sang the
first Christmas carol.
I wonder for you what does this annual remembrance mean?
Charles Dickens in his book A Christmas Carol --- brought
together 3 aspects of life … to get Ebenezer Scrooge to look back, to look at
his present life and reflect on the future. By doing so life changed for him so
incredibly
Is it a time to look
back ? – a time to remember the past year or years … a time to think about happy times as family,
a time of fondly remembering those things which you have enjoyed.
Christmas has always been for Christians a time of good news
and great joy for all the people. However we must admit that at times the joy
is sometimes marred with pain as we remember loved one who are no longer with
us. As we deal with issues in families and with friends.
As years go on … the importance of remembering and looking
back, of learning from our experiences is so vitally important. But we need to
remember that the Birth of the child in the manger has changed things … has
opened up for us a way to understand life and death, purpose of living and hope
beyond the grave.
As we look back - Have we grasped the amazing message of
Christmas … that in the Child whose birth we celebrate … it is possible to
understand amazing truths of the triumph of Light in the darkness, hope over
despair and life over death
Is it a time for you
to look around now? - A time to
enjoy the moment … tomorrow/ or today … a time filled with expectation, of
loving those who gather at the table, a time when all will be well with your
world?, a time of celebration, a time of relaxing and feasting.
And rightly so … In the gospels there is an amazing picture
of the Kingdom of God as a feast, of enjoying life … life in all its
fullness. Christmas is a time to
remember … Immanuel God with us.
I wonder as you look around … where do you see God with you?
… do you see God with you in your work … in your home … in your friends
…wherever you may be. As we pack into this church this evening we do so as
family of God in this little corner of Ireland … Not simply to remember an
historical event … as historians remember, or to re-enact a battle as actors do
… but we are here to worship the Living God, to receive strength and to commit
ourselves to following through.
Christmas is a time when we gaze in wonder of the events of
that first Christmas in Bethlehem … far from us both in time, geography and
culture but it is a event which still challenges the powerful and the weak.
As you look around
you this evening … who is Christ to you?
Is Christmas a time
to look to the future? – In the angels message to the shepherds … the
message is for all the people … we are included in this message … the question
is what are we going to do with this message?
Are we content with simply seeing Christmas a nice tradition
or are we prepared for the adventure of following this Christ Child … of taking
his radical and life changing message and allowing this message to transform
our thinking, our speaking, our doing not just for one or two days but for the
rest of our life.
In the Dicken’s book Scrooge is given a bleak picture of
what his life & those around about him could be like in the future if
things did not change.
But he was given a chance to change … and change he most
certainly did.
The good news of Christmas, the good news of Christians is
that Change is possible … yes we cannot change the past, we can decide how we
are going to react in the present and we certainly can change our future.
In his Christmas message the new Church of Ireland
Archbishop said “In this Christmas season, we are each
challenged to connect or reconnect with our family, friends and others who are
without friends, but also to connect or re–connect our lives with a faith that
tells us we are each loved in Jesus Christ, and that calls us to carry Christ’s
love into the dark and lonely places of this world, near or far”.
This Christmas… it is my hope and prayer for all here that
we enjoy this Christmas time but also that we allow Christ to change our hopes
and mind, that we are able to change what needs to be changed in our lives …
and live our lives for him.
Let us pray
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