This sermon was delivered on Christmas Eve, December 24, 2021 at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Marietta, PA. The following scripture lessons were used:
– Isaiah 9:2-7
– Psalm 96
– Titus 2:11-14
– Luke 2:1-20

While Shepherds Watched their Flocks by Night

On this night, over two thousand years ago, a group of humble shepherds stood in terror. An unnatural glow had rent the quiet darkness of their silent night, as the Glory of the Lord surrounded them in their midnight vigil. Before them stood God’s messenger, an angel of the Lord — a winged creature of indeterminate gender, full of heavenly radiance, and with an awesome presence. It’s no wonder that a “mighty dread had seized their troubled mind[s].”

“Do not be afraid,” said the angel, in vain. “I am bringing you good news.”

Something big was happening that night. And God needed those shepherds to serve as witnesses. But shepherds have a job to do — looking after the sheep. God needed to do something really big and impressive to shake the shepherds out of the routine of their everyday life, and bring them to Bethlehem to see this thing that had come to pass — a babe, lying in a manger.

So God sent an angel to give a divine sound-and-light show, to make sure the shepherds heard the message. And it worked so well, that not only did those shepherds do their part; still, 2000 years later, we follow in the footsteps of those shepherds, to see this thing that has come to pass — a babe, lying in a manger. Amid the hustle-and-bustle of holiday shopping, baking cookies, decorating trees; and in spite of high gas prices, a raging pandemic, and the unavoidable stress that December brings — whether on Zoom or in person, we obey that cry: “O Come, all ye faithful!”

O Come, all ye Faithful!

And so, every year, we faithfully gather together to celebrate this festival of Christmas. What makes Christmas really unique in the constellation of holidays and celebrations is this: Christmas is the only religious holiday that requires both secular and religious experiences to make the celebration complete. This holiday has to connect with both our human wants and our heavenly needs.

We need Mariah Carey singing All I want for Christmas is You, and the King’s College choir singing Once in Royal David’s City.

We need the bump-and-jostle of shoppers at the mall and grocery store, and we need the gentle hand that passes out the gifts from under the Christmas tree.

We need to make those indulgent “just for me” purchases, and we need to give to the poor and needy.

We need the boisterous Christmas dinner with our families, and we need the solemn joy of our church family.

We need the taste of those sugary Christmas cookies, and we need the bread and wine of Christmas communion.

We need the hectic rush of last-minute shopping and Christmas travel, and we need the quiet stillness of Silent Night.

Silent Night

In the weeks leading up to Christmas, we ratchet up the intensity of our worldly human lives: more travel, more shopping, more rushing around, more stress. It is almost as if we are turning up the volume of our humanity, just so that we will notice that silence on December 24th when we hit pause, dim the lights, light the candles, and sing Silent Night. We want to live in the worldly chaos before we sleep in heavenly peace.

And that is just fine with me. In fact, I think that’s the way it’s supposed to be. Because the true meaning of Christmas is this: God loved us all so much, that God was willing to enter into all of the messiness and chaos of human life, just to be closer to us. And so, God gave us the gift of Jesus: that Wonderful Counselor, that Mighty God, that Everlasting Father, that Prince of Peace — in the form of a real and vulnerable human baby boy. As our patron John so eloquently put it, the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.

On this night, Jesus entered into a human life that was profoundly impacted by all of the usual human problems: chaos, disruption, division, sickness, violence, and death. His life began in a manger because his family was busy dealing with government red tape; he spent his years of ministry among people who criticized him for not having the right kind of beliefs; he wandered from place to place, encountering the sick and suffering wherever he went. And he died at the hands of a merciless and indifferent state, executed based on a false accusation, and abandoned by his friends at the last. God went through all of that, just to be closer to us. And in Jesus’ resurrection, God opened wide the gates of heaven so that all of us could enter in.

And it all began on this dark night, in a manger, with shepherds gathering ’round to see. And as Jesus began his chaotic human life, God granted him one silent night, one holy night; a night of calm, and night spent wrapped in bands of cloth and held in his dear mother’s arms, and Joseph at her side. One night to sleep in heavenly peace.

And, through the grace of God, we too can be a part of that silent and holy night. So we set aside all of the chaos and trouble of our lives — even if just for one hour — and kneel in silence before the manger, in the radiance of our glorious newborn king.

Hark, the Herald Angels Sing

If we got nothing more out of Christmas than one night of heavenly peace, it would still be a tremendous blessing. But in fact, Christmas brings us so much more. On this holy night, God destroyed the barrier that separates humanity and divinity. That first Christmas marked the beginning of a new era of peace on earth, an age where mercy tempers justice, a time when we sinners are reconciled to our God.

God is in the process of transforming the world and transforming all of us. That work of transformation took on new life on that first Christmas, in the form of a tiny human child, lying in a manger. On that night, the angels gathered above the baby Jesus and sang their song: “Glory to God in the highest, and on Earth, peace and good will.” The birth of Jesus gave a new hope to this weary world, and the angels just could not keep quiet about it. And neither could the shepherds, who left that night glorifying and praising God for all that they had seen.

And we can’t keep quiet about it, either. So we continue to live our busy and chaotic human lives; but we make room for those silent and holy nights whenever we can. We continue to live in a world that is plagued by brokenness and sin; but we hold fast to the hope that was born into the world on this night. We keep on trying, in spite of our failures; knowing that God has lifted up our humble lives by coming down to live among us.

On that first Christmas, those shepherds needed the terrifying appearance of an angel before they could see God’s grace at work in this world. These days, we don’t often have angels to remind us of God’s presence in our lives. But we do have this annual celebration of Christmas, and all of the reminders that go along with it: the candles, the Christmas songs, the food, the gatherings. We should enjoy all of those good gifts, and we should also remember the reason why we are celebrating with good things — that God’s love for us is so strong that God sent Jesus to live among us.

For the gift of God’s presence, for the gifts of peace and calm, and for the gift of hope, let us join with the angels in their song: “Glory to the newborn king!”