Christmas Eve
Dec 24, 2021
Fr. Phil Eberhart
Hurry,
hurry, hurry… shop till you drop. Is it just me? I feel like Christmas snuck up on me a
little bit this year. And here we
are. Christmas eve!!
It takes
work to keep from being sucked into the vortex, that seems to start earlier and
earlier each year, depending on how desperate the economy and the retailers are
to get their bite of the Christmas pie!
But on
this night, hopefully, in some way, all that drops away. We had it dark and candlelit at the beginning
so that you would have that sense of “wonder” that comes with these services
and celebrations. We’ll go back to it
with full candlelight after communion tonight as we all light our candles and
sing “Silent Night – Stille Nacht.”
WONDER
It’s kind
of a child’s special habitation, isn’t it?
Our granddaughter is here tonight and we get to spend about a day a week
with her. The more she grows the more
she wants to grow. The more she
experiences of life, the more she wants to experience. I’m finding it difficult to keep up.
Wonder…
There is
a lot here to wonder at tonight. Not
just the beauty of the evening, the music, the candlelight and the trees, the
presents when you get home or in the morning.
All this is window dressing, like these candles in the windows. Like the lights on the trees, it’s all a
twinkle, signifying something that is the real object of “wonder.” W O N D E R !!
Wonder
that this night even exists at all! It
is a testimony of the unfailing love of God that we can celebrate this
night! John the Baptist referred to
Jesus as “The Lamb of God” - we’re going to sing that little song - The “little
lamb” that Mary had, John said, was “slain
from the foundation of the world.” I
heard a song this past few weeks that said “The Cross is the reason for Christmas!” Jesus was a gift of unimaginable love and
sacrifice by His Father, to us – to all humankind – to the whole world that God
SO LOVED.
WONDER AT
GOD’S LOVE…
Why 2000
+ years later do we remember this night that was… Silent … Holy …
Awesome …
History changing. World shaking … yet,
almost invisible! With the whole host of
heaven in attendance and here come 3 -4 shepherds and later, three wise men,
with gifts from the east, guided by a star.
This is
one crazy story!
WONDER AT
GOD’S WAYS…
He tells
us that His ways are higher than our ways.
That His thoughts are higher than ours.
God sees the end from the beginning.
Nothing is ever out of his view, past, present or future. It’s for that reason that we can trust in Him
and in His goodness in planning for each one of us here. There are no accidents!
WONDER AT
HOW BIG GOD IS …
You can
trust Him. In fact He invites that
trust, over every little particular in your life, from parking spots to having
kids; from cocoons and butterflys to
governments and world peace! God has it
all in view, nothing escapes… ever.
The smallest
decisions you have to make and the life-altering, once-in-a-lifetime defining
moments are all in His Hands.
WONDER AT
TRUSTING HIM…
Jesus the
baby is God Almighty. The Creator of the
Universe in swaddling clothes and lying in a feeding trough in a barn. I grew up on a farm, so I know what that
means. This was a gritty picture. One that combined all the lowness of the
lowly, with all the glory that heaven and earth could muster – angels, wise men
or foreign dignitaries attending – right next to shepherds, and peasant s, a
carpenter attended by kings!
WONDER AT
WORSHIPING …
All the
best that has come in human history has come as the issue of this night!
Cathedrals, Science, mathematics, technology, medicine,
hospitals, missionaries, education, schools, colleges, music – Handel’s
Messiah!!...
The list can
go on and on… almost everything we take
for granted in our world, especially here in the USA, has risen out of this
NIGHT! I’m not kidding.
Isaiah
said it nearly 3000 years ago in his prophetic words:
For
unto us a Child is born,
Unto us a Son is given;
And the government will be upon His shoulder.
And His name will be called
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7 Of the
increase of His government and peace
There will be no
end,
Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom,
To order it and establish it with judgment and justice
From that time forward, even forever.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.
WONDER
AT HOW GOD LOVES YOU AND ME…
AT
HOW HE HAS FILLED OUR LIVES WITH GOOD THINGS…
AT
HOW HE IS IN CONTROL OF THE THINGS THAT CONCERN US…
WONDER…
AT
THE LOWLY BABE IN A MANGER…
THE
GOD OF THE UNIVERSE – OF ALL CREATION…
A
HUMAN BABY – 9 MONTHS IN MARY’S WOMB,
EVEN
RECOGNIZED AS THE “LORD” THERE BY JOHN AND ELIZABETH!
WONDER…
EVERY
GOOD AND PERFECT GIFT COMES DOWN FROM THE FATHER OF LIGHT.
AND
HE TOOK ON OUR FLESH AND MADE HIS TABERNACLE AMONG US.
WONDER…
LET US PRAY:
Almighty
God, Father of all mercies,
we your unworthy servants give you humble thanks for all your goodness and
loving-kindness to us and to all whom you have made.
We bless you for our creation, preservation, and all the blessings of this
life; but above all for your immeasurable love in the redemption of the world
by our Lord Jesus Christ; for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory.
And, we pray, give us such an awareness of your mercies, that with truly
thankful hearts we may show forth your praise, not only with our lips, but in
our lives, by giving up our selves to your service, and by walking before you
in holiness and righteousness all our days; Through Jesus Christ our Lord, to
whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory throughout all ages.
Amen.
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