Good Shepherd Lutheran Church(elca)
Following Christ, Growing in Faith, Sharing God's Love
<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]> <![endif]--><!--[if !mso]> <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <![endif]--> Christmas Eve Sermon 5:30 and 10:30 pm December 24, 2009 I love the songs of Christmas. There’s so many that are fun to sing. And they tell us the story— --the good news of God’s love— --again and again. Last Sunday, at the 9:30 service, the Sunday School led us in singing carols. They had so much enthusiasm when they sang “Go, Tell It on the Mountain”. They were ready to go and tell. And they sang one of my favorites, “Angels We Have Heard on High”. Which is one of those songs where I have a hard time remembering the verses— --which are in English. But I can always remember the chorus— --which is in Latin. We’re going to sing it later? Do you remember it? (Sing) “Glo-----ria, in excelsis deo.” I don’t always know if I’m pronouncing it correctly. But I like to sing it. The children liked it, too. I had a front row seat. And I watched them— --some of them with mouths wide open. Some of them singing “glo-o-o-o-o (with mouths closed on each syllable). Our 2 and 3-year-olds, singing in Latin. Do you know what they were singing? Do you know why we sing: “Gloria in Excelsis Deo”? Do you know what it means? Well, when you translate it, it means: “Glory to God in the highest…” And we’ve heard that already tonight. Who sang it first? The heavenly host. The angels of heaven. And why were they singing? Because there was good news. And what was that good news? “Do not be afraid”, the angel said, for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord.” We have good news. Jesus is born. God with us. Jesus is born. The Savior. The Messiah. Our Lord. And it’s such good news that when the angels heard it, the couldn’t help but sing. Sing it with me. They sang: GLO-O-O-ORIA IN EXCELSIS DEO. Jesus is born. Good news. Great news. Glorious news. And who is that good news for? For all the people. And that means you. And that means me. And that means everyone. Sometimes it’s hard to believe that the good news is “FOR ME”. I mean, I’m just an ordinary person— --we think. Why would Jesus be born for me? When the angels sang Gloria, who was listening? Shepherds. And when the shepherds heard the good news, what did they do? They went to Bethlehem and found Mary and Joseph and the baby Jesus. And then what did the shepherds do? They went home. Have you ever thought about that? They returned—it says. They went home. I suppose the sheep appreciated that. They returned. They went back to their daily life. Back to their sheep, their job, their families. Ordinary, everyday stuff. And yet, as they went back, I doubt if they were ever the same. Because there was a baby, who came—for them. For them. And that baby came not only for them, but also for you. And knowing that, from the outside, your life probably looks about the same. You go to work or school, or your work around the house— --just like you always do. To the casual observer, everything may look just the same. And sometimes even we forget. But even though it looks the same, it’s never again the same— --because a baby came—FOR YOU. Hear that good news tonight. Jesus is born for you. Jesus is born for you. But not just for you. For all the people. All the people. Bob and Mary Lou were spending their first Christmas as a blended family, with two 13-year-old boys who were now brothers. It could have been a Christmas where everything was focused on getting, each one focused on me, but something changed all that. Don’t know who first suggested it, but they had an idea. The landlords where they lived were really pretty grumpy. Not easy people to get along with. When you came and went from your apartment— --you hoped you wouldn’t see them. They were German immigrants— --now in their 80’s. Didn’t speak much English. Didn’t really trust people all that much. And it came out in their gruff nature. But the idea. Bob and Mary Lou and the two boys decided that, instead of avoiding the landlords this Christmas, they would do something special for them. After all, Jesus came for all people. Not just nice people. Not just the people we like. All people. They found an instrumental version of “Silent Night,” and Bob recorded it— --so it would play over and over. His son, Bobby, asked his German teacher for words to the song. Mary Lou’s son, Brian, made copies— --with phonetic pronunciations. Mary Lou made cookies— --to offer along with the song. Christmas Eve was blustery and bitter. They crept down the stairs to the dark hallway outside their landlords’ door. “Quick, Bobby, get the music ready. Brian, ring the bell.” Bob whispered. “Who’s there?” The man’s voice grumbled from behind the closed door. The door swung open, and the 4 voices joined in song, singing: “Stille nacht, Heilege nacht.” And as they sang, the man’s hard and suspicious face softened. “Frieda! “Frieda” Come quick. They’re singing to us.” They finished the verse— --the only one they knew in German. And as the song played again, they sang a verse in English, then the verse in German again. And then the landlords started to sing— --more German verses. And they sang and sang together. And then they shared cookies. And, in that cold, dark hallway, the good news of a baby, a baby who came for all people, warmed them with the gift of love. Whenever Bob and Mary Lou and the boys share Christmas memories, they talk about that night. And remember how sharing the good news of the baby Jesus filled their lives with meaning, and reminded them that the baby had come for each of them, and for all people. May the songs of Christmas help you hear the story again and again. The story of a baby, who came for you— --yes, you— --and for all people. In Jesus’ name, Amen
Christmas Eve Sermon
5:30 and 10:30 pm
December 24, 2009
I love the songs of Christmas.
There’s so many that are fun to sing.
And they tell us the story—
--the good news of God’s love—
--again and again.
Last Sunday,
at the 9:30 service,
the Sunday School led us in singing carols.
They had so much enthusiasm
when they sang “Go, Tell It on the Mountain”.
They were ready to go and tell.
And they sang one of my favorites,
“Angels We Have Heard on High”.
Which is one of those songs
where I have a hard time remembering the verses—
--which are in English.
But I can always remember the chorus—
--which is in Latin.
We’re going to sing it later?
Do you remember it?
(Sing)
“Glo-----ria, in excelsis deo.”
I don’t always know if I’m pronouncing it correctly.
But I like to sing it.
The children liked it, too.
I had a front row seat.
And I watched them—
--some of them with mouths wide open.
Some of them singing “glo-o-o-o-o (with mouths closed on each syllable).
Our 2 and 3-year-olds,
singing in Latin.
Do you know what they were singing?
Do you know why we sing:
“Gloria in Excelsis Deo”?
Do you know what it means?
Well, when you translate it,
it means:
“Glory to God in the highest…”
And we’ve heard that already tonight.
Who sang it first?
The heavenly host.
The angels of heaven.
And why were they singing?
Because there was good news.
And what was that good news?
“Do not be afraid”, the angel said,
for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people:
to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior,
who is the Messiah, the Lord.”
We have good news.
Jesus is born.
God with us.
The Savior.
The Messiah.
Our Lord.
And it’s such good news
that when the angels heard it,
the couldn’t help but sing.
Sing it with me.
They sang:
GLO-O-O-ORIA IN EXCELSIS DEO.
Good news.
Great news.
Glorious news.
And who is that good news for?
For all the people.
And that means you.
And that means me.
And that means everyone.
Sometimes it’s hard to believe
that the good news is “FOR ME”.
I mean,
I’m just an ordinary person—
--we think.
Why would Jesus be born for me?
When the angels sang Gloria,
who was listening?
Shepherds.
And when the shepherds heard the good news,
what did they do?
They went to Bethlehem and found Mary and Joseph
and the baby Jesus.
And then what did the shepherds do?
They went home.
Have you ever thought about that?
They returned—it says.
I suppose the sheep appreciated that.
They returned.
They went back to their daily life.
Back to their sheep,
their job,
their families.
Ordinary,
everyday stuff.
And yet,
as they went back,
I doubt if they were ever the same.
Because there was a baby,
who came—for them.
For them.
And that baby came not only for them,
but also for you.
And knowing that,
from the outside,
your life probably looks about the same.
You go to work or school,
or your work around the house—
--just like you always do.
To the casual observer,
everything may look just the same.
And sometimes even we forget.
But even though it looks the same,
it’s never again the same—
--because a baby came—FOR YOU.
Hear that good news tonight.
Jesus is born for you.
But not just for you.
All the people.
Bob and Mary Lou
were spending their first Christmas as a blended family,
with two 13-year-old boys who were now brothers.
It could have been a Christmas
where everything was focused on getting,
each one focused on me,
but something changed all that.
Don’t know who first suggested it,
but they had an idea.
The landlords where they lived
were really pretty grumpy.
Not easy people to get along with.
When you came and went from your apartment—
--you hoped you wouldn’t see them.
They were German immigrants—
--now in their 80’s.
Didn’t speak much English.
Didn’t really trust people all that much.
And it came out in their gruff nature.
But the idea.
Bob and Mary Lou and the two boys
decided that,
instead of avoiding the landlords this Christmas,
they would do something special for them.
After all,
Jesus came for all people.
Not just nice people.
Not just the people we like.
All people.
They found an instrumental version of “Silent Night,”
and Bob recorded it—
--so it would play over and over.
His son, Bobby,
asked his German teacher for words to the song.
Mary Lou’s son, Brian,
made copies—
--with phonetic pronunciations.
Mary Lou made cookies—
--to offer along with the song.
Christmas Eve was blustery and bitter.
They crept down the stairs to the dark hallway
outside their landlords’ door.
“Quick, Bobby,
get the music ready.
Brian, ring the bell.”
Bob whispered.
“Who’s there?”
The man’s voice grumbled
from behind the closed door.
The door swung open,
and the 4 voices joined in song,
singing:
“Stille nacht,
Heilege nacht.”
And as they sang,
the man’s hard and suspicious face softened.
“Frieda!
“Frieda”
Come quick.
They’re singing to us.”
They finished the verse—
--the only one they knew in German.
And as the song played again,
they sang a verse in English,
then the verse in German again.
And then the landlords started to sing—
--more German verses.
And they sang and sang together.
And then they shared cookies.
And, in that cold, dark hallway,
the good news of a baby,
a baby who came for all people,
warmed them with the gift of love.
Whenever Bob and Mary Lou and the boys
share Christmas memories,
they talk about that night.
And remember how sharing the good news
of the baby Jesus
filled their lives with meaning,
and reminded them
that the baby had come for each of them,
and for all people.
May the songs of Christmas
help you hear the story again and again.
The story of a baby,
who came for you—
--yes, you—
--and for all people.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen
