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Mark Wheeler
Isaiah 9:2-7, Luke 2:1-7
Christmas Eve, 12/24/2021
“Becoming the Inn!”
Lidgerwood Presbyterian Church
1 Opening Music – “Mary, Did You Know?” … Ashley & Jake Davis (on Zoom)
2
Welcome everyone! It is so good to be gathered at the Inn – the House of the Holy – and to Become this Inn of hospitality-and-welcome which offers salvation through the One whose birth we celebrate tonight! This welcome goes to everyone in the House – special thanks to Michelina for leading our songs on the piano tonight – and it also goes to every one worshiping with us from home! Together we ARE the House of the Holy!
All through the season of Advent as we prepared for Christmas, we’ve been exploring how we as a church can “make more room in the inn,” becoming more hospitable to the needs of our community.
On this Christmas Eve, we declare that The Inn is open for the business of compassion with room enough for all! The long-awaited Messiah has been born and on Him the light shines. We have only to open the doors of our lives and say “welcome.” Our Advent journey has led us to this moment when the light shining through the closed doors of life becomes an open door to new possibilities, new relationships.
What a poignant moment for us this year as the light – the hope, peace, joy and love – multiplies from one illuminated heart to another.
.
MP3 – Hope Waits Verse 5
3
Advent Song of Advent-Fulfilled
Love comes to us at Christmas
Love comes to heal our souls
Love brings an invitation
That our hearts might be made whole
As we gather at the stable
in the darkness, glad and grateful
For the sacred in our midst,
For wonder and delight
Christ is born in us this night.
Lighting the Advent Candle of Chrstmas . . . . . . Lary & Sandy O’Neal
Lary: Tonight we offer the Lights of Hope, Peace, Joy and Love to illumine the Door of Welcome.
Sandy: And we add the brightest light of all – the Light of the Newborn Jesus. It shines bright like the star that rose over Bethlehem.
Lary: May this light also shine in our hearts, in our lives and in our church.
Sandy: May this light awaken us to possibilities and lead us to greater hospitality. There IS room in this Inn, a House for the Holy.
MP3 – Hope Waits Verse 5
3 Lary lights the Advent Candles and the Christ Candle
The Light of Christ be with you – And also with you.
On this evening of music and song, let’s listen as Sherry Park sings our Song of Hope #160 – O Holy Night – and then let’s join her after the first verse.
5-7
8
Listen to the Prophet Isaiah, chapter 9:2-7…. – Johnny Sides
2 The people walking in darkness have seen a great light;
a light has dawned on those living in the land of darkness.
3 You have enlarged the nation and increased its joy.
The people have rejoiced before you as they rejoice at harvest time and as they rejoice when dividing spoils.
9 4 For you have shattered their oppressive yoke and the rod on their shoulders, the staff of their oppressor, just as you did on the day of Midian.
5 For every trampling boot of battle and the bloodied garments of war will be burned as fuel for the fire.
10 6 For a child will be born for us,
a son will be given to us,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
He will be named
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.
11 7 The dominion will be vast,
and its prosperity will never end.
He will reign on the throne of David and over his kingdom,
to establish and sustain it with justice and righteousness from now on and forever.
The zeal of the Lord of Armies will accomplish this.
Let’s listen as Donna & Ken Stone lead our Song of Peace #171 – Hark! the Herald Angels Sing – please join them as you feel led.
12-14
Tonight, from the New Testament Gospel According to Luke we read “The Story”… Pastor Kathy Sandusky
Listen to God’s Word from Luke 2:1-7 —-
15
2 In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that the whole empire should be registered. 2 This first registration took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. 3 So everyone went to be registered, each to his own town.
16
4 Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family line of David, 5 to be registered along with Mary, who was engaged to him and was pregnant. 6 While they were there, the time came for her to give birth.
17
7 Then she gave birth to her firstborn son, and she wrapped him tightly in cloth and laid him in a feeding trough, because there was no guest room available for them.
Again Ken & Donna Stone lead our Song of Joy #146 – Joy to the World – please stand and join them as you are ready.
18-20
21 Listening for God’s Voice Today – Becoming the Inn that Welcomes
Don’t you just love that passage that Johnny read from Isaiah?! That’s one of those classic Christmas Eve prophecies that we naturally burst out in song – right? Handel’s Messiah!
This is a passage of regime change where the powers of one generation are passed onto the next. And every time that happens, there is a possibility, an opening for God‘s grace to break through on the stage of human history. And Isaiah is saying that this is the opportunity for us as we pass leadership to another generation – that millennials or Gen Xes or Gen Ys can lead us if we listen. But that’s a very vulnerable thing to confess and a very anti-establishment thing to confess. As church, as families, we spend so much of our time trying to form the next generation so that they will be like us.
The glorious possibility is that God could do something new. And in a world as broken as ours is, the chance that God can start over and be miraculous. We do not need to simply repeat our hard-learned lessons, the kind of thing that we thought were immovable, the mightiness of God harkens back in my mind to the events of Exodus where huge bodies of water can be split by the arm of God, and the impossible can happen so that people can be set free. The Prince of Peace that we could actually be a prince who would bring peace to us and others who would choose something besides war
And this image reminds me of Jesus‘ statement about those of us who try to hide the light. I mean, we can put a bushel basket over a candle and try to hide it and keep it to ourselves. But one of two things is going to happen: either the candle is going to extinguish and go out, or the basket’s going to catch on fire. And in 2021, guess which is the most likely outcome!
And when we are in a land of darkness, we need the light. So much for trying to do to keep that dimly burning candle still alive. Don’t let the wind get to it. Don’t let the Spirit blow through it. Protect that light on our altars in our closed buildings.
This New Testament story gives us this wonderful counterpoint, because that passage starts out with no light at all. No vision, just the boring words of a government official and the power of bureaucracy trying to snuff out light and life, and Luke in the next two chapters is going to give us a lot more information about how empires and bureaucracy tries to stuff out new life.
Here in Luke 2, Quirinius is trying to manage immigration, trying to take a census, trying to get everything counted – that is exactly the backdrop where God brings new life in unexpected places.
When we feel like there is no way out – no escape from the drama and trauma of life – no light shining in our dark corner of the world – this is where Christ is born! This is where God enters our lives. This is where Hope finds life, where Peace catches hold, where Joy catches aflame, where Love is rooted and branches out!
This Christmas – discover God’s amazing grace, and in the coming days, weeks, months, find someone near you who needs this light as well.
The Inn where the Holy Family was staying, the Inn that welcomes Mary and Joseph, and the Inn that we might become where “God with us” enters into our lives and where God now dwells, and where we, in the image of God, welcome others into God’s presence with us.
22 Preparing Our Hearts in Prayer,
MP3 – Make My Heart a Stable – Advent 4
Make of my heart a stable, a house for the holy, a warm and sturdy place for Christ to live and grow.
In this moment we open the doors of our hearts to honesty before God
about what we’ve done and left undone that created less hope in a hurting world.
Let us breathe out this regret… [pause to breathe out]
and breathe in the life-giving, forgiving Spirit of God… [pause to breathe in]
and out again with the Peace of Christ… [another breath out].
23 Make of my life a stable, a house for the holy, a warm and sturdy place for Christ to live and grow.
In this moment we open the doors of our lives to the call of the Holy Spirit,
inviting us to become more than we can ask or imagine.
Let us breathe out our fear… [pause to breathe out]
and breathe in the courage of the Spirit of God… [pause to breathe in]
and out again, with the Joy of Christ… [another breath out].
24 Make of our church a stable, a house for the holy, a warm and sturdy place for Christ to live and grow.
In this moment we open the doors of this church,
filling it with the compassion of Christ for all those who are struggling.
[call out a name or a situation …]
25
We remember and pray for…
… those who are celebrating God’s presence, newly discovered or long-held in faith;
may love abound!
… those who are suffering economic hardship, and insecurity in basic needs;
may abundance be shared.
… those who are suffering emotionally, finding it difficult to cope;
may paths open and hope return.
… those who are suffering illness or injury;
may healing abound.
…. those who are suffering loneliness and isolation;
may companionship and solace arrive.
… those who are suffering discrimination, fear and violence;
may they know respect, respite, and safety.
May the Compassion of Christ be born in us,
reside within us,
move outward from us,
to meet the needs of the world,
making a House for the Holy that is each and every child of God.
We pray this in the name of Jesus, who teaches us to pray:
[Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name – Your Kingdom come, Your will be done … on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And lead us away from temptation. And deliver us from evil. For Yours in the Kingdom and the Power and the Glory forever. Amen]
Let’s listen as Lilly Haeger leads our Song of Love #150 – What Child Is This? – please join her as you feel led.
26-28
29
Communion – on the 3rd day after the darkest day, Christ enters our lives, dwells among us, and so we come to His Table and celebrate His death and resurrection even as we celebrate His incarnation and birth.
After Jesus was born, the visitors began to show up to his birthplace, spurred by the message of the angels. But what we know is that in the presence of Jesus there are no visitors, we are all family with a place reserved for each one of us… [and so as we gather around this Table – all who claim Chhrist as Lord and Savior are invited in]. And so, let us hear about those who gathered and join them in the presence of Jesus:
(Luke 2: 8-20) Nearby shepherds were living in the fields, guarding their sheep at night. The Lord’s angel stood before them, the Lord’s glory shone around them, and they were terrified. The angel said, “Don’t be afraid! Look! I bring good news to you—wonderful, joyous news for all people. Your savior is born today in David’s city. He is Christ the Lord. This is a sign for you: you will find a newborn baby wrapped snugly and lying in a manger.” Suddenly a great assembly of the heavenly forces was with the angel praising God. They said, “Glory to God in heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors.”
When the angels returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go right now to Bethlehem and see what’s happened. Let’s confirm what the Lord has revealed to us.” They went quickly and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in the manger.
Michelina softly plays Away in a Manger (#149)
When they saw this, they reported what they had been told about this child. Everyone who heard it was amazed at what the shepherds told them. Mary committed these things to memory and considered them carefully. The shepherds returned home, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. Everything happened just as they had been told.
[Pastor Kathy]
We gather tonight at the Manger of Grace.
And it is right, and a good and joyful thing, on this special night and always and everywhere, to give thanks to God, creator of heaven and earth. God, who breathed into us the same breath as the infant Jesus, God, who crafted our every fiber just as He did His own Son, God, who formed us in His own image – that same newborn image of the One Who Walked Among Us, Thanks and praise be to God!
God’s intention was for every created thing to have a place, to have vitality, to have sustenance in this world. Join in His purpose, offering hospitality and healing to the suffering world.
Join me is prayer as we approach His Table: Holy are You, and blessed is Your Son Jesus Christ. In the midst of a time of despair, oppression, division, and fear, Your gestation in the house of a holy womb – through an unlikely midwife of salvation power – brought Jesus, the Christ, into this world.
Into The Inn of simplicity came a life dedicated and anointed by the Holy Spirit to preach good news to the poor, to proclaim release to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, and to announce that the time had come when You would save Your people. A common birth for common people, You made a new covenant with us to be midwives, by water and the Spirit, birthing more hope, more peace, more joy, more love in this world, making more room in this house, at this table, for all. …
In another house, on another night – the night in which Jesus gave Himself up for us – He took bread, gave thanks and broke the bread, gave it to His disciples, and said: “Take, eat; this is my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”
When the supper was over, He took the cup, gave thanks and gave it to His disciples, and said: “Drink from this, all of you; this is my blood of the new covenant, poured out for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins.
Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.”
And so, in remembrance of God’s mighty acts in Jesus Christ, we offer ourselves as a holy and living sacrifice, in union with Christ’s offering for us.
Lighting the Christ Candle – and becoming the Light of Christ in our world – becoming the Inn that Houses the Holy –. Friends, this is the moment we’ve been waiting for. This is the moment we missed so much last year. Yes, we found ways to “pass the light” from one to another across the distance, knowing that nothing could extinguish the light of God, knowing that Christ was with us and will always be with us. But oh, how good it is to be in this Holy House together. And for those who are watching online, we feel you, we know you are there, we are so glad that you join us in this moment with a candle lit at your own holy house. The Holy Spirit makes it possible for us to be connected, as we found out last year. Light you candle – hold it high and see its light.
And let us sing this beloved song, Silent Night, that has been present through two centuries of ups and downs, steadfast in its message that the light still shines.
Expedition Song – Silent Night #164
30-33
34 Merry, Blessed Christmas to you – one and all!
Resources:
McFee, Marcia; “The Inn”; Worship design Studio; 2021. (Interviews with Jon Berquist and Grace Imathiu.)
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