1.3.3a 12.24.2025 Luke 2.1-20 An Only Sort of Silent Night

Start:

Entice: In addition to sound, and substance all our acts of communication have texture. This basically is a way of describing how it “feels” apart from  the words themselves. For example we might have a prickly conversation, or a deep discussion. Some people are described as cold fish, others are warm hearted. These terms are do not describe the content of what a person says nor what their actual words sound like. It is a matter of….felt impact. When we think of what we say and do on Christmas Eve in this place, at this hour, there is a distinct texture to what we say, how we sing, and the way we act. 

Engage: Words we typically associate with the appropriate texture for Christmas Eve services would be…

Silent.

Still.

Soft.

Star.

The songs are mellow.

The mood somber.

The outlook dark and subdued.

What is there about the Christmas story that would actually expect that sort of texture? Maybe we should rethink the lighting, the mood, even the silence of the night.

Animals make noise.

Recently born babies—cry.

Mothers in labor and immediately after, scream and moan.

Luke tells us that an army of angels sang a celebratory anthem. 

I would not suggest any of those specific noises for a new Christmas Eve sound track. We should remember that there is a gap between what we remember, what we treasure, how we worship, and what actually transpired. 

Expand: Some of our Caroles do take  note of this different texture We’ve sung two this evening— Joy to the World! and Hark! The Herald Angels Sing. which are best sung at a volume and tempo that are not silent, soft, or still. 

We don’t tend to sing those songs on Christmas Eve,  and if we do we sing them we try and change their feel, because they do not fit the texture we try and create on Christmas Eve at a candle-light communion service.  Perhaps, maybe, we should change that.

Why not shout with joy?

Why not make noise?

Excite: That first Christmas Night was likely noisy and joyful! As we pause here and prepare our hearts for the coming of our Savior perhaps we should be joyful and noisy as well!

Explore: So, let us sing and shout for joy, then pause for a moment in silence to remember the coming of Jesus.

Expand: First, let us think about those noisy events we should keep in mind at Christmas. 

Body of Sermon: Event’s like the

1 Chaos of the Journey

Luke 2:4–7 ESV

4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. 6 And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

1.1 Somebody else’s idea.

1.2 Somebody else’s circumstances. 

The next event is a

2 Chorus of Joy.

Luke 2:8–14 ESV

8 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. 10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

2.1 Frightful Glory.

2.2 Great Joy!

2.3 Angelic Anthem.

A final event is the

3 Challenge of Jesus.

Luke 2:15–18 ESV

15 When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. 17 And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. 18 And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them.

3.1 Come to Bethlehem and see.

3.2 Depart from Bethlehem to tell. 

Shut Down

Veiled in flesh, The Godhead see.

Hail! The incarnate Deity!

Joy, indeed to the world.

Chaos abounds. But joy is our response because of the choice we have—to answer the challenge of the incarnate God in the person of Jesus.

Now we will quiet down. Now we allow the texture of the moment to shift. From noisy celebration we pause to gather around the Table, partake in unified silence, and as we light a candle to  beat back the darkness we will sing about the silence that ended that night of Joyful celebration.

Let us now pray together.