On Becoming Christian

Sermon Christmas Eve 2010

Isaiah 9:2-7
Titus 2:11-14
Luke 2:1-20

Preached at St. John’s

Tonight we, with Christians all over the world come together to hear again the old, old story; which is as fresh and new as the first time it was told. Into a world filled with uncertainty, hardship, want, injustice, and aloneness, our Heavenly Father sent his only Begotten Son to show every man and woman and boy and girl the depths of his love for us. As it is written, “God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Tonight, we assemble in this holy place, so full of the sounds and symbols and smells of our faith, to believe and to rejoice that Jesus of Nazareth, born in a stable in Bethlehem some two millenia ago, is in reality the long awaited one who has saved his people from their sins.
It is still a world filled with darkness in so many ways. Our brothers and sisters in the Sudan face almost certain war after the plebescite scheduled for the first of the year. Our young men and women face danger half a world away and there seems to be no end in sight. Unemployment hovers at over 9%. But the fact remains that Jesus was born in Bethlehem. Things did not change overnight in the Roman or the Jewish world when Jesus was born. But on that night there was enkindled a hope of that which was coming into the world. The shepherds understood that much, and they came to adore him. The Bible tells us that his mother remembered the details of that night and hid them in her heart. Not many days later the wise men welcomed him as the object of their quest, and thus fulfilled the prophesy that kings would come to his rising.
That God would break into human history demonstrates for all time that he who made the heavens and the earth has an interest in us, in you and in me. The great things of our lives and the small details that charm us most are all of interest to him. Because you see, he is our Heavenly Father, and he cares and yearns for us as we do for our own children. On this night, he offers us his love, and invites us to believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God.
Whatever burden you may carry this night, know that God has proved his love for you, and bring that burden to this his holy altar. The procedure is simple. After this homily, we will have the opportunity to stand and declare our belief that Jesus is the Christ. The Scriptures tell us that to confess and believe that Jesus is who the Bible says he is, and that he has accomplished what the Bible says he accomplished, appropriates for us the mercies of God’s grace. Then we will kneel and bring him all of our needs in the prayers of the people. As we remember the needs of our community, church, and world, envision in your mind and heart your own needs. Perhaps a loved one is in harm’s way, or you face some serious physical problem that consumes you. Perhaps finances have been tight, and the pressure of it all is eating at you. Perhaps one you love does not return your feelings of affection and trust. Tell God about your need, in specific detail, and ask for his strength, wisdom, and comfort. And boldly and in faith, ask him to meet your needs. After the prayers, we will pray to God the general confession, which acknowledges to God our own failures and acknowledges our need of him. Imagine in your hearts eye those things which you have thought or said or done, or left undone, which have harmed others, hardened your own heart, and disappointed your loving Heavenly Father. Tell him from the bottom of your heart that you are sorry. He will accept and forgive you. And then come forward to the holy Sacrament of the Body and Blood of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. If you have been baptized, receive this gift of Gods enabling grace gladly, and know that as the bread and the wine touches your lips, God gives you a direct infusion of his saving and healing grace. It is as if a syringe of his mercy has been dispensed to you at that moment. If you have not been baptized in the Name of the Holy and Blessed Trinity, come forward in faith, and cross your arms over your chest. We will pray that God will extend the grace of this life-giving sacrament to you this day, and then see me after the service, and we will arrange for you to learn more about the Faith, and to be baptized at an appropriate time.
Tonight, on this festival of the birth of our Lord, God the Father offers us that same love that he offered to all the people of the world so many years ago in Bethlehem. He waits for us this night to bring him all of our needs through these simple acts of faith that I have outlined. Come to the manger this night, and find that peace and love which pass all understanding. In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.