Call to Worship
We come from a world of darkness
Into God’s great kingdom of light.
We come from a world of weariness
Into God’s encouragement and hope.
Praise God, who watches over the world;
Praise God, who brings glad tidings!

Unison Prayer
This Christmas, may there be
hope in every home, love in every life,
Joy in all creation and peace on earth. Amen.

Words of Assurance: Isaiah 9:2, RSV
The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light;
those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shined..

The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father,
who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil;
for thine is the kingdom,
and the power,
and the glory forever.
Amen.

Opening Song: Jesus Culture, “Behold (Glory to God)”

Scripture Reading: Luke 2:8-14, NIV
And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger. Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

Christmas Eve Message

A couple weeks ago we held our annual Christmas music festival in the middle of a mini-blizzard. We were down one band member, a few choir members and dozens of congregation members, but we made do with what we had, and it was glorious. With 44 attendees, the feeling was intimate and joyous, and we all had a story to tell about braving the elements to get there.

The friends I had been expecting were unable to make it, so my lunch plans changed. Instead of going out to eat, I looked at what I had in the freezer: a quart of hamburger soup and a cranberry pie. So I didn’t have the lunch I expected, but I made do with what I had, and it was good.

On the first Christmas Eve, Joseph and Mary were not having the night they expected, or even hoped for. They were on the road, Mary was about to give birth, and every inn was full. They had to make do with what they had: the roof of a manger, the warmth of animals, and each other.

And yet somehow this story, which did not look at all like it was going in the right direction, became one of the most beloved stories of all time, because Mary and Joseph had everything they needed, and soon they would have so much more.

When I was a boy, my parents asked me to make a list of the things I wanted for Christmas and to put them in order. To me, this seemed like a reasonable approach. But when Christmas arrived, I learned the opposite. I had thought that Santa, or my parents, or someone, would start from the top and work their way down, but this was not how it worked, so sometimes I’d get something from the bottom of the list and not from the top of the list, or even worse, something that wasn’t even on the list, like socks, which I already had, and I’d be disappointed or sad and ask questions like, “Why does Santa allow suffering?”

Most of us still have some sort of checklist. A white Christmas would be nice, but only if we’re not traveling. Peace on earth would be amazing, but it may be too much to expect. Having the family get along would be great. Nobody drinking too much, nobody bringing up politics, all the food coming out of the oven just right. Maybe a good football game and a second slice of pie.

But what if it doesn’t happen? What if Christmas is ruined? Or what if all the odds seem stacked against us: we’re in the hospital, we’re sick, someone couldn’t make it, one or more of our loved ones are gone, the roast burns, the guests argue, the presents break, and the children all start crying? It’s a Disaster Christmas!

Every year I ask our Bible study group which Christmas blessing they need the most: hope, joy, peace or love. In previous years, the answer has always been “peace.” This year they answered “hope.” Hope has seemed in short supply this year. Hope is not in the headlines. Despair is. By most accounts, it has been a hard year for the world. At times, nothing has seemed to make any sense, to which our young people responded, “6-7.”

But what if the world did make sense? What if there was a narrative that could explain everything we’ve been going through in our own lives, in our country and in the world? What if there was a source of hope that was not only real, but overflowing? What if there was a light that shone in the darkness, and had not been extinguished?

Isaiah writes, “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light.” This light appeared on Christmas Eve, as the shepherds were stunned by the brightness of the angels. The light was in the form of a star that the wise men followed to the manger. The light appeared at the Transfiguration, as Jesus was engulfed in radiance. The light blinded the soldiers at the tomb. God says, “Let there be light,” and there is light: not only physical light, but the light of spiritual illumination.

All too often it seems as if the darkness is winning. There’s just too much bad news, and it keeps getting worse. Christmas brings a different message: not only is the darkness not winning, it has never been winning. The light has been present since the beginning of time, shining constantly in the dark. This good news of great joy is given to the shepherds, and thirty years later to the disciples, and two thousand years later to us.

The same words that the angels say to the shepherds ~ “Don’t be afraid. Peace be with you” ~ are the words Jesus says to his disciples, the words Paul writes to the early church, and the words God is saying to us today. Yes, there’s no room in the inn, Mary’s about to have a baby, and baby, it’s cold outside. Yes, Jesus is on the cross, it looks like all is lost and all hope is gone. Yes, the world is a mess, there’s no room in anybody’s inn, nations are at war and the people are in despair.

But the light still shines.

The light still shines in Ukraine, where people are still making music, and not just any music, but dance music, insisting that life in the midst of evil can still be good. The light still shines in Gaza, where people are writing poetry, finding art in the midst of destruction. The light still shines in Huntington, where there’s something like a pair of inns: a cafe during the day and a hotel at night where the homeless may rest. The light still shines at the Gurwin Rehab Center, where clients heard the sound of Christmas carols this past Sunday and wheeled over to us to sing along.

Our senses can deceive us. Winter seems like the time with the least physical light, but the light is already returning; tomorrow there will be five more minutes of light than there were this past Sunday. But even this is an illusion; although we don’t always see the sun, the sun is always shining, and even though we don’t always see Christ, his light is just as bright now as ever.

So maybe our Christmas is missing a few pieces. Maybe it doesn’t go quite the way we intended. Maybe the only gifts we get are from the bottom of our lists. It’s okay. Don’t be anxious; don’t be afraid. God is with you. I bring you good news of great joy: this very night in Bethlehem, our Savior is born: the Messiah, Jesus Christ the Lord. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has never extinguished it, and it never will.

A Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night! Amen.

Closing Song: Phil Wickham, “Angels (Glory to God)”

Benediction
The world may still be dark,
but within us we carry the light of Christ.
May this light be our strength, our hope and our guide,
and may we shine this light in the darkness
so that others may find their way to Christ.
Merry Christmas to all,
and to all a good night!
Amen.