Musings for Christmas

Sunday, December 25, 2011
Nativity of Our Lord (II), Christmas Day

Midweek Musings

Reflection by Ann Patterson

INTRODUCTION
On this Christmas morning the people of God gather to celebrate the birth of the Word made flesh, Christ our Lord. Luke recounts the familiar story of shepherds and angels; John’s gospel tells of the Word that dwells among us, full of grace and truth. The meaning of Christmas is made clear: the light shines in the darkness. It is in the liturgy that we encounter the Word made flesh—in the people of God gathered together as the body of Christ, and in the meal around the holy table. We go forth to be bearers of light as we proclaim this good news to all the ends of the earth.

PRAYER OF THE DAY (ELW)

All-powerful and unseen God, the coming of your light into our world has brightened weary hearts with peace. Call us out of darkness, and empower us to proclaim the birth of your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

FIRST READING

Isaiah 62:6–12

The prophet invites the people to give God no rest until God reestablishes Jerusalem. In turn, they will receive names full of promise: Holy People, the Redeemed of the Lord, a City Not Forsaken.

⁶Upon your walls, O Jerusalem,
I have posted sentinels;
all day and all night
they shall never be silent.
You who remind the LORD,
take no rest,
⁷and give him no rest
until he establishes Jerusalem
and makes it renowned throughout the earth.
⁸The LORD has sworn by his right hand
and by his mighty arm:
I will not again give your grain
to be food for your enemies,
and foreigners shall not drink the wine
for which you have labored;
⁹but those who garner it shall eat it
and praise the LORD,
and those who gather it shall drink it
in my holy courts.
¹⁰Go through, go through the gates,
prepare the way for the people;
build up, build up the highway,
clear it of stones,
lift up an ensign over the peoples.
¹¹The LORD has proclaimed
to the end of the earth:
Say to daughter Zion,
"See, your salvation comes;
his reward is with him,
and his recompense before him."
¹²They shall be called, "The Holy People,
The Redeemed of the LORD";
and you shall be called, "Sought Out,
A City Not Forsaken."

PSALM (ELW)

Psalm 97

Light dawns for the righteous, and joy for the honest of heart. (Ps. 97:11)

¹The LORD reigns; let the ^| earth rejoice;

let the multitude of the ^| isles be glad.

²Clouds and darkness sur- ^| round the LORD,

righteousness and justice are the foundations ^| of God's throne.

³Fire goes be- ^| fore the LORD,

burning up enemies on ^| every side.

⁴Lightnings light ^| up the world;

the earth ^| sees and trembles.

⁵The mountains ^| melt like wax

before the Lord of ^| all the earth.

⁶The heavens declare your righteous- ^| ness, O LORD,

and all the peoples ^| see your glory. R

⁷Confounded be all who worship carved images and delight ^| in false gods!

Bow down before the LORD, ^| all you gods.

⁸Zion hears and is glad, and the cities of Ju- ^| dah rejoice,

because of your judg- ^| ments, O LORD.

⁹For you are the LORD, most high over ^| all the earth;

you are exalted far a- ^| bove all gods.

¹⁰You who love the ^| LORD, hate evil!

God guards the lives of the saints and rescues them

from the hand ^| of the wicked. R

¹¹Light dawns ^| for the righteous,

and joy for the hon- ^| est of heart.

¹²Rejoice in the ^| LORD, you righteous,

and give thanks to God's ^| holy name. R

SECOND READING

Titus 3:4–7

God saves us not because of what we do. Rather, God is a God of mercy and salvation who graciously cleanses us in baptism and renews our lives through the Holy Spirit.

⁴But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, ⁵he saved us, not because of any works of righteousness that we had done, but according to his mercy, through the water of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit. ⁶This Spirit he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, ⁷so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

GOSPEL

Luke 2:[1–7] 8–20

The world’s deep night is shattered by the light of God’s new day. The glory of God is revealed to poor shepherds, who share the good news with others.

In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. ²This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. ³All went to their own towns to be registered. ⁴Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. ⁵He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. ⁶While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. ⁷And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
⁸In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. ⁹Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. ¹⁰But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for see — I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: ¹¹to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. ¹²This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger."¹³And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying,
¹⁴"Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace among those whom he favors!"
¹⁵When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us." ¹⁶So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. ¹⁷When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; ¹⁸and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. ¹⁹But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. ²⁰The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

Reflection

This weekend Christmas will be here. The day for which we’ve been waiting and preparing is only hours away. On that first Christmas, God became a child and gave us our beginning, a starting point for the Kingdom. On that miraculous night, a savior was born, a savior who would rescue and re-create the whole world.

Christmas is in many ways the beginning, yet it is also an event which through us shines in the present. If Christ is incarnate for us today, our Lord must daily come among us bringing renewal and reconciliation. Our worship and devotions must have the power to change our hearts so that we are witnesses to God’s love.

According to Isaiah, the Kingdom is also about the future. Isaiah admonishes us to take no rest, and give God no rest until Jerusalem is established. We take comfort in knowing that Jesus will one day return to complete his rule. In that regard, God desires our persistent prayers and sincere efforts to remake the world and bring about God’s sovereign rule. There can be no rest until God’s Kingdom is “on earth as it is in heaven.”

. . . the Kingdom of God is in the midst of you (Luke 17:20-21)

QUOTE

What is Christmas? It is tenderness for the past, courage for the present, hope for the future. Agnes M Pharo

Let us Pray

Let us be thankful for a Kingdom which cannot be shaken and pray

that the homeless find shelter

that the work of our hands reflects the meaning of the Gospel

that Christ be reborn in our hearts