Gracious and Merciful God, we have come to give thanks for the gift of the Christ child. Your love and graciousness to humankind shines on his tiny face as we kneel to adore him. It is hard to fathom that the baby, so delicate and vulnerable, will one day be the Lord of all the nations, the good shepherd who will lead us in right paths. Even if our steps falter along the way, he will stop to help us stand tall again. Jesus is our Emmanuel, your very presence with us, O God. Indeed as our savior, redeemer and Lord, he will give us the courage to press on to the goal following the commandment to love one another as the Christ loved us, no matter what others may say. In him dwells the promise of all things possible, and we are the guardians of his truth because he dwells within us. Our Loving Father in heaven, holy is your name. May your kingdom come, and your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today the food that we need, and forgive us our sin, as we forgive those who sin against us. Do not bring us to the time of trial, but deliver us from evil. For yours is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever, Amen.
BRINGING OUR GIFTS
As God has given us the gift of the Christ Child, so too we honor God by giving generously to help others. Our church’s mission is to work toward the healing of our broken world. We begin by shining Christ’s light in the darkness — a beacon of warmth and welcome. Your gift this evening goes to the support of our outreach and caring ministries. Let our generosity proclaim God’s profound message of goodwill, hope, peace, joy and love to all.
UNISON OFFERTORY PRAYER
Wondrous God, giver of the greatest gift of all; bless our offerings to your service. May they help to transform lives and brighten the hearts of those to whom we minister here in this community and around the world. All glory be to God this night and on earth peace to all. In the name of the Christ, we pray. Amen.
CHRISTMAS EVE HOMILY (Manuscript)
There are lots of remarkable and important babies born in scripture.
Abraham and Sarah’s son Isaac, was born when the couple were well past Medicare age, according to the story. Isaac was their miracle child God promised Sarah and Abraham.
Isaac grew up and married Rebekah who gave birth to twin sons Esau and Jacob. The brothers had a contentious relationship as siblings often do. Like the famous back and forth between the Smother’s brothers, Mom always liked Jacob best. Even with all of the inheritance nonsense between them, when Jacob the man had his famous wrestling match with the mysterious night-time stranger-- who turned out to be God-- he was renamed Israel, and that name was then bestowed upon an entire nation of people.
Jacob’s 12 sons became the heads of the 12 tribes of Israel. Joseph, the youngest son, and Dad’s favorite, attested to the day he received that “amazing technicolor dream-coat,” was sold into slavery by his brothers, ended up in Egypt, became an advisor to the Pharaoh, and later saved the nation of Israel, and his entire family from starvation.
Jochebed gave birth to Moses, and to save him from being slaughtered along with all the other Jewish boy babies, she set him adrift on the Nile River praying that someone would rescue him. Lucky for him, (or was it luck) the daughter of the Pharaoh saved him and raised him as a prince. Moses could have lived the life of an Egyptian Prince forever, but God, who apparently had a different plan in mind, made Moses the designated rescuer of his people. In the greatest escape in history, Moses lead Israelites away from their centuries of slavery in Egypt toward the promised land.
Hannah prayed for years that she and her husband Elkanah could have a child. In her prayers she promised that if God gave her that longed-for child she would give the child into God’s service. She gave birth to Samuel and, as promised, give him into the care of Eli to raise the boy as a Nazarite priest.
Samuel, the Priest, was then called by God to anoint the very first Kings of Israel. He anointed Saul the first king, and then David, the youngest son of Jethro, who became the greatest and most beloved King of Israel.
David and Bathsheba gave birth to Solomon, who grew up and was known as the wisest of Israel’s Kings and perhaps the last great King of Israel.
Biblical babies born in the pages of scripture, were all miracles of God in their own way.
Why, then, is the entire Advent season of the church the period of waiting, yet again, for the birth of a savior? What is it about the birth of Jesus that finds us anticipating, reveling, hungering year after year to celebrate his birthday? Is the church just gifted at marketing? What makes the birth of Jesus God’s greatest Coup de Coeur?
For many it is definitely the baby thing, but it is only when we truly take time to ponder the enduring gift of the Christ child, that we begin to comprehend the nature of God’s goodwill toward humankind. Maybe it’s the music. We are anxious to sing songs that tell the story of Jesus’ birth, but all too often when the season is over, we leave the newborn babe in the manger, until next Christmas. God’ asks that we fall to our knees beside the manger and embrace this holy child; that we follow him as he grows to manhood to that day when he will discover God’s will for him. It is through Jesus that God’s writes his story upon our hearts.
You have heard the terms coup d’etat which, translated from the French, “is a sudden and decisive action in politics, especially one resulting in a change of government illegally or by force.” A coup de gras refers to the “deathblow delivered to end the misery of a mortally wounded victim.”
Because so many of us melt when we look into the face of a new born baby, confronted by its absolute purity and innocence, we can begin to comprehend introducing the messiah as infant. And yet God’s story tells us that this baby when grown will give his life for ours. This revelation may bring tears to our eyes as we come to terms with what God has done and will do for us.
Christmas Eve is God’s Coup de Couer, God’s decisive triumphant win over the human heart. It is just the first win, for God’s hope is that we will then dare to continue on the triumphant path of discipleship. If you haven’t made worship a habit for years except on Christmas and perhaps Easter, let this Christmas Eve be a true and new beginning for you. May it be a new beginning for each one of us, “men and women, all persuasions, old and young, each a gift of God’s creation, each a love song to be sung.”
One Good Christmas is all we really need for God to start writing that wondrous story on our hearts. Let this be that Christmas. Amen.
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