O Come All Ye Faithful

Joyful and triumphant

O come ye, O come ye

To Bethlehem.

Come and behold him

Born the king of angels.

O come let us adore him,

Christ the Lord!

A Message by Pastor Marta Fioriti (Luke 2:1-20)

Our story this evening comes from the second chapter of Luke. This is a story that we all know so well and most of us in one way or another have heard over and over again.

Emperor Augustus insisted that every single person be counted. In order for this to happen, families were deported back to their hometowns. With Mary very pregnant, Joseph packed their belongings and they began the journey to Bethlehem.

We know the story of their journey. We see the story depicted in art work and nativity scenes and children’s books. Some of us follow the story through Advent. It’s a beloved story.

It was also a hard story- something of a nightmare, perhaps a little surreal. It was cold and dark and they could not find a place to stay. Joseph finally spotted an old stable, kept warm by the animals and hay and makeshift shelter and this is where Mary gave birth to her first born son, swaddled him and lay him in the manger.

Meanwhile, the little stable is surrounded by countryside, graced by flocks of sheep and weary shepherds keeping watch. An angel comes to these provisional communities saying a baby has been born. This is good news, do not be afraid, we must celebrate even in difficult circumstances. Go to them. Praise God, celebrate, help where needed.

The shepherds made their way to the stable in Bethlehem. When they arrived they took care of the family. They told Mary and Joseph about the angels and the good news of Jesus’ birth and that he is a sign of new life, new hope, new love and new joy. The story was amazing. Mary’s heart was warmed as she pondered the words of the shepherds. The shepherds returned to the fields full of joy and praised God.

I am willing to bet those shepherds made their way back to that stable over the first days and weeks of Jesus’ birth to bring bread and cheese and maybe buckets of water from the streams.

This moment in history was a mass deportation that impacted every single person. Take a minute to think about that. The empire was sending people back to their hometowns. Some of them might have had the resources to make this a comfortable transition- but many did not. And, Mary and Joseph certainly did not.

And, yet those Shepherds were full of hope. They celebrated and delighted in the good news of Jesus’ birth. And, it was just and was right to take care of this new family and so, the shepherds did just that. They filled the night with light.

I have to say- I wonder how the shepherds held on to that kind of joy? How were they not weary of the time? Where did they find the energy to care for a young family- and one so desperate? How did their hope persist?

Hope is like that….it can be a bit of a pest. It scratches at our ankles and nibbles through our bread box and sometimes chews holes in our sweaters. Hope does not call it quits very easily. Hope makes room in the floorboards and garage corners and under the stove. Hope is the young child begging for something new every day- she just does not give up. We call that hope. Hope comes pregnant. Full to the brim with meaning and significance.

I can imagine those shepherds being stuck in those fields for weeks without interaction and finally hear the squalls of a new born baby and then the angel appears and says to them, “you have got a job, there is work to be done.” And, like pesty hope, the new born babies' cries did not stop and neither did the work of the shepherd.

One of the things I have been doing these last few weeks is listening to books on Audible. It’s been a bit of an escape. I listened to one book by Austin Channing Brown called I am Still Here. She is a Black professor who has something to say about hope in the midst of racial ineqaulity rooted in slavery and continued in systemic racism. She speaks a word of hope amidst the relentless covid-19 and the weary lives we have lived for the past ten months.

She said hope is knowing that we may never see the realization of our dreams, and yet still showing up. Hope comes, with believing in the possibility of change. And, when hope is not realized--because sometimes it is not--it gives way to a sadness that heals, to anger that inspires, to a wisdom that empowers us to get to work, join the march and tell our story.

On this Christmas eve ( like no other we have had) this church and the church universal will continue to hope in an uprising of collective voices dreaming of heaven on earth. Hark the Herald Angels sing.

Together we will hope in a world that beckons the shepherds to spread the good news and care for the vulnerable. We will be those shepherds. We will hope in a world that inspires parents to believe and not only believe- but have unbridled faith in the angels. We will be those parents and those angels--not hoping for what was --but what is and what can be.

We will hope in a world that can unfold God’s kingdom with the collective imagination and wisdom to empower us to do the work of Jesus. We will do this by telling our stories. We will hope in rest for the weary, comfort for the sick and love for the oppressed. My friends, we will be the shepherds that had the unimaginable hope to pull their flocks off those pastures and make way to care and provide community for a newborn baby.

It will take all of us, our collective creativity, imagination, and desire to close divides. We will fill the night with light and not let go of hope.

“Glory to God in the highest heaven,

and on earth peace among those whom God favors!”

Raise your voice! Do not be afraid.

Amen.

Joy to the world

The Lord is come!

Let earth receive her king!

Let every heart prepare him room,

And heaven and nature sing,

And heaven and nature sing!

If you are moved, light one candle as a symbol of God’s presence and the peace and light of Christ or you may light your advent wreath candles or five candles to represent the Advent journey towards Christmas. Candle 1: hope, Candle 2: love, Candle 3: joy, Candle 4: peace and Candle 5: Christ candle.

Silent Night, Holy Night

All is calm, all is bright

Round yon virgin, Mother and Child.

Holy infant so tender and mild.

Sleep in heavenly peace,

Sleep in heavenly peace.