241211 - ALR Remarks @ ALRC Christmas Party – FINAL

Table 13, 11:30 am - 2:30 pm

· At Staff Devotions yesterday, I gave a brief report on Autumn and my trip to London last week for the CFC annual Christmas Gala, held this year at Hampton Court Palace.

· We sat next to HRH Prince Michael, Royal Patron and host for the evening. Talked at great length about the Lord, he asked me probing questions about what Evangelicals in America believed (in contrast to the more formal faith of The Church of England, to which he was accustomed).

· Yesterday, I read an article in Jim Dennison’s “Daily Brief,” headlined:

“The reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral –

A monument that transcends religion”

‌Highlighted President-elect Donald Trump joining America’s First Lady Jill Biden, Britain’s Prince William, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and French President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday to formally reopen the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris.

The five-year restoration has been beset with controversies, but the cathedral is ready to resume its status as a symbol of “the spirit of Paris,” the site of notable coronations (including that of Emperor Napoleon), and “a monument to the highest aspirations of artistic achievement that transcends religion and time.”

The last description caught my attention: Doesn’t it seem paradoxical for a church building to “transcend” religion?

And yet, this disconnect between places of worship and acts of worship is happening with great cathedrals all across Europe. I have attended services in England where the choir outnumbered the congregation and visited beautiful historic churches in Germany and Switzerland where only a handful worship on Sunday. Many European churches are being repurposed into hotels, rock-climbing businesses, dance halls, and even Muslim mosques.

· Part of the Evening Program at Hampton Court Palace, where King Henry VIII lived with his six wives, many of whom met with tragic ending, included the originating cast of “Six,” the West End/now Broadway production that tells a revisionist story from the wives POV.

· Consider lines excerpted from the song, “Ex-Wives,” From “SIX”:

Divorced

Beheaded

Died

Divorced

Beheaded

Survived

And tonight, we are “Live.”

Listen up, let me tell you a story

A story that you think you've heard before

We know you know our names and our fame and our faces

Know all about the glories and the disgraces

I'm done, 'cause all this time I've been just one word in a stupid rhyme

So I picked up a pen and a microphone

History's about to get overthrown…

Everybody knows that we used to be six wives

Raising up the roof 'til we hit the ceiling

Get ready for the truth that we'll be revealing

Everybody knows that we used to be six wives

But now we're ex-wives

All you ever hear and read about

Is our ex and the way it ended

You're gonna find out how we got unfriended

Tonight we gonna do ourselves justice

'Cause we're taking you to court

· Or the Lyrics from the finale, “I Don’t Need your Love”:

Oh, I love you, boy I wish that I could stay with you And keep the life I made with you And even though this feels so right I'm holding back the tears tonight

It's true I'll never be over you 'Cause I have built a future in my mind with you

And now the hope is gone There's nothing left for me to do You know it isn't true But I must say to you

That I don't need your love, no, no

Never had a choice If Henry says "It's you", then it's you No matter how I feel It's what I have to do

But if, somehow, I had that choice No holding back, I'd raise my voice

I'd say "Henry, yeah it's true I'll never belong to you 'Cause I am not your toy, to enjoy 'til there's something new Ha, darling, get a clue There's nothing you can do

But the thing is I can't say that Not to the king So this is goodbye There's so much more

Why can't I tell that story? 'Cause in history, I'm fixed as one of six And without him, I disappear - we all disappear.

But now it's us alone We're taking back the microphone I'm gonna raise my voice They always said we need your love But it's time for us to rise above It's not what went down in history But tonight, I'm singing this for me Henry, yeah, I'm through, too many times it's been told And I have had enough (I've had enough) love stories to get old And you might think it's tough, but I've got to let your love run cold We're taking back control (We're taking back control) You need to know I don't need your love (Hey), no, no (Ha-ha-ha-ha)

· Contrast that with the lyrics to “O Holy Night”

O holy night, the stars are brightly shining,

It is the night of the dear Savior’s birth;

Long lay the world in sin and error pining,

'Till he appeared and the soul felt its worth.

A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices,

For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn;

NOTE: Many are feeling that in the wake of the recent election that seemingly ushered in a new dawn for our nation in which faith can again flourish.

Chorus Fall on your knees, Oh hear the angel voices! O night divine! O night when Christ was born. O night, O holy night, O night divine.

Truly He taught us to love one another;

His law is Love and His gospel is Peace;

Chains shall he break, for the slave is our brother,

And in his name all oppression shall cease,

Sweet hymns of joy in grateful Chorus raise we;

Let all within us praise his Holy name!

· SCRIPTURE REFERENCE

The “soul felt its worth” line is rather ambiguous. But we do know that God loved us enough to sacrifice His only Son (Jn 3:16)—a testament to our worth.

o John 3:16

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

Jesus also taught us how the Lord values righteous

o (Mt 6:26)‌‌

“Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they?

· Illustrations

o As I heard the lyrics of 'O Holy Night,' I pondered its profound message of grace and forgiveness in the context of the tumultuous history and story of Henry VIII and his six wives that Autumn and I experienced last week.

o The King’s quest for love and legitimacy led him to six marriages, all filled with heartache and political strife. Each woman was a pawn in his quest for power yet exemplified resilience. Every relationship, driven by desire and desperation, was marked more by struggle and personal sacrifice, than by love – and ultimately by betrayal and loss. Each wife's story highlights the need for forgiveness in a broken world.

o King Henry’s relentless pursuit for a male heir led to the execution of Anne Boleyn. Indeed, all of his wives faced constant scrutiny and danger and the consequences of his actions, as he sought external solutions to his marriage problems.

o Yet true power lies in humility and forgiveness, and in the face of betrayal, we are called to forgive as Christ forgives us. No matter how deep our wounds or big our past mistakes, true forgiveness leads to reconciliation and healing. And as the Jesus forgives us, we too must practice forgiveness in our lives.

o In the Christmas hymn 'O Holy Night,' the world rejoices at the arrival of the Savior. Similarly today we celebrate the miraculous gift of Jesus, who embodies forgiveness. He offers redemption and hope that transcends our failures – and peace that can reign in our hearts as we embrace the His grace and extend it to others. Much like the struggles of Henry's queens, our greatest burdens can lead us to seek hope and grace, reminding us that the Savior was born not just for joy, but for salvation.

Love Beyond Measure

Application:The message can encourage Christians when they face rejection or doubt their value, they can find strength in knowing they are cherished and sought after by God. ‌We are invited to participate in this love and share it with others, showing that our actions can reflect divine love in a tangible way.

Big Idea:God's sacrificial love compels us to respond actively, leading us to not only receive His grace but also to extend it to a world in need, illustrating that true love transforms lives and relationships, as He has done for us.

We need to not only accept this love but to mirror it by taking loving action in their own lives, actively reaching out to others and breaking down barriers just as God has done for us.

Unconditional Love: The Heart of the Gospel - ‌

love transcends judgment and extends grace to all, challenging humanity's understanding of love based on conditions or merit.

What happened at the first Christmas can happen again this Christmas. When we truly, intimately, passionately love our Lord, we must love our neighbor. And no matter how secularized our culture and how empty our cathedrals, hearts hungry for such love will respond.

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