Christmas Eve 2023

Welcome

One of our favorite Christmas stories from the last century is the great Christmas Day Truce of WWI. It was Christmas Eve during the Great War, the war that would shape the rest of the 20th century. It was the worst war humanity had ever experienced, thanks to advancements in technology like tanks, airplanes and toxic gasses.

Then on Christmas Day, something miraculous happened - the German and British soldiers threw down their weapons and called for a truce. They came into the no-man’s land between the trenches and exchanged gifts. A game of football broke out.

Alas, all good things must end, and that included the Christmas Day Truce. As the story goes, once the officers discovered what was happening, they put a stop to it, punishing the men who started it.

That feels like a great story, doesn’t it? It embodies so much of what we love about Christmas - peace on earth, the possibility of the end of violence.

The only problem is: it’s not true.

The Christmas Day truce was organized by officers as a sort of publicity stunt - probably to bolster public opinion for such a horrible war.

What’s more, it didn’t actually accomplish anything - on Dec 26, both the British and German troops picked their rifles back up and started shooting at each other again.

Can I confess that I know that sort of Christmas truce all to well? Whether it’s faking it with family just to get through the holiday, or the mad dash to enjoy as much of a break as we can before the New Year grind kicks up or the financial crush of the season, it’s easy to feel like the peace and celebration of the season is little more than chance to catch our breath before going back to thrashing in the deep end.

That, as soon as the gifts are open, it’ll be time for the ceasefire to end.

But friends, the good news of Christmas is better than a temporary ceasefire. It’s better than a chance to catch our breath.

The good news of Christmas is that God’s light shines in the darkness, that God has come to live among us, and God’s presence changes our world. Christmas is radical. Christmas is revolutionary.

We’re going to celebrate tonight what it looks like to participate in a revolutionary Christmas.

Let’s begin by lighting the Christ candle, celebrating Jesus’ arrival among us. Joshua Simmons is leading us this evening:

Candle lighting

Message

It’s easy to forget how revolutionary Christmas is. After all, our Christmas celebrations tend to be small, intimate affairs focused not on the world around us but on those with whom we’re closest.

And yet we know most of us can’t truly shut out the pain of the world. How many of us have family tensions and pains that keep us

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The people who walk in darkness will see a great light. For those who live in a land of deep darkness, a light will shine. You will enlarge the nation of Israel, and its people will rejoice.

They will rejoice before you as people rejoice at the harvest and like warriors dividing the plunder.

For you will break the yoke of their slavery and lift the heavy burden from their shoulders.

You will break the oppressor’s rod, just as you did when you destroyed the army of Midian.

The boots of the warrior and the uniforms bloodstained by war will all be burned. They will be fuel for the fire.

For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

His government and its peace will never end. He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David for all eternity.

The passionate commitment of the LORD of Heaven’s Armies will make this happen! — Isaiah 9:2-7

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The Christmas Story

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At that time the Roman emperor, Augustus, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire. (This was the first census taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria.) All returned to their own ancestral towns to register for this census. And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee. He took with him Mary, to whom he was engaged, who was now expecting a child.

And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. She gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them.

That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.”

Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying, “Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”

When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger.

After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished, but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often. The shepherds went back to their flocks, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. It was just as the angel had told them. — Luke 2:1-20

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Communion + Examen

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Assignment + Blessing

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