The Eve of Christmas – Year C (RCL) 2009
Isaiah 9: 2 – 7; Psalm 96; Titus 2: 11 – 14; Luke 2: 1 – 14
St. Stephen’s Episcopal Parish, Portland, OR
Thursday, December 24, 2009

BORN AMONG US – BORN WITHIN US

Let us pray: Silently and softly you are birthed among us on this most holy night. Emperors and Kings have ruled and died and yet your reign goes on toward eternity. Born to us this night as our savior and messiah, we are filled with the hope and promise of life renewed and peace proclaimed. In this ancient story we regain a sense of your miracle incarnate in the Holy One of Israel, the illegitimate son of a Jewish peasant girl; the anointed one of David’s line by way of a simple carpenter from Nazareth; Jesus our Christ. Fill us this night with the means of grace and the hope of Glory heralded by Angels and witnessed by peasants so long ago and only yesterday. Amen.

(SUNG) TREE CHRISTMAS O – TREE CHRISTMAS O
BRANCHES THY ARE LOVELY HOW
HERE SUMMER’S THE WHEN ONLY NOT
YEAR OF TIME COLDEST THE IN BUT
TREE CHRISTMAS O – TREE CHRISTMAS O
BRANCHES THY ARE LOVELY HOW

One of the most enduring signs of our connection to the festival we celebrate this night is the borrowed Germanic pagan tradition of bringing the evergreen tree into our homes, businesses and churches and decorating them with light and ornamentation. Some of us will scurry home tonight and prop up that tree in its stand, unravel strands of light with which to adorn its branches then carefully and meticulously place Popsicle stick kindergarten art projects or delicate crystal treasures gingerly dangling from the scented pine of its boughs. Others who might be of a more organized personality type have perhaps performed this ritual weeks ago influenced by the timing of our late November festival of Thanksgiving – but in either case this ritual is an important piece of our “tradition” around the celebration of Christmas. You might be surprised as I was to learn that the latest trend in Christmas tree chic turns the whole concept upside down. Indeed, all the rage among a small but growing number of devotee’s is hanging the Christmas tree upside down, suspended from the ceiling. Peter Applebaum, a freelance writer reported on the growing phenomenon in the November 27th, 2005 edition of the New York Times. In fact, it was the title for that article which stirred my rendition of O Tannenbaum sung in exact reverse order (not an easy feat I assure you). Why, you might ask would someone do such a thing? Aside from just being different for different sake – several advantages are touted for the upside down Christmas tree. First of all, marketer’s point out – it makes room for more and larger presents underneath it for those who are big spenders. If you are an urban dweller living in a small cramped apartment the ceiling mounted tree can take up much less valuable floor space. Then from a more stylistic point of view; you can put your more prized ornaments at eye level where they can be enjoyed and admired by more than toddlers and the household pets whose intention for them might be something other than gazing in admiration! One might be aware of the obvious disadvantages such as where do you put the star, and how on earth do you water a tree which is suspended from the ceiling? Then again, the “traditionalists” might argue, “why would anyone nail a tree to the ceiling, that’s just not Christmas”!

People simply do not like to have their sacred traditions tampered with. If we have ALWAYS sung silent night with candles lit just after communion then that is the way that we will ALWAYS do it. Family traditions especially around this time of year are sacrosanct and the wise new Pastor will be sure to learn what HAS to show up in every Christmas Eve liturgy. Part of the danger; however, of clinging to our traditions as if they were sacred is that we begin to blur the lines between the traditions of the season and the reason for the season. The birth of the King of the World in an animal shed was about turning the world upside down. Angels descend to earth and proclaim tidings of great joy not to Emperor’s and popes; but rather to sheepherders and innkeepers too wrapped up in the busyness of the season to prepare room for the newly arrived messiah. God could have chosen to enter our world in the majesty of the Great Temple at Jerusalem, but chose a birth at Bethlehem a small town about 6 miles south of the big city. The message, which this God incarnate born this night brings, would also be about turning the world upside down. The poor and marginalized would become the disciples and ministers; tax collectors and Samaritan women would be filled with God’s Spirit and hope in the messages of this radical rabbi; this son of an unwed teenager and a carpenter of King David’s line. God would carry out the plan of salvation beginning by taking on our life in the feeding trough and ending it on the wood of the tree; hardly what was expected by the prophets foretelling.

So into the middle of your Christmas Eve liturgy and traditions comes the moment of placing the Christ Child figure into the Crèche (invite someone in the community to do this now) This night as we welcome the newborn Christ child into our hearts by the symbol of our welcome of guests into the midst of our community. When we offer the Peace of God found in this birth that proclaimed Peace on Earth; we continue to live out the Christmas story anew – two thousand and nine years after it occurred in Bethlehem of Judea – and we weep for the walls that separate Palestinian from Jew in that ancient cradle of Christianity. At our Christmas liturgy we light the center candle of white, which symbolizes the “Light of Christ” in which we rejoiced at our Easter Vigil – think of it as the culmination of our Advent Wreath that also helps us to focus our minds and hearts on the return of the light to brighten the darkness of our world with the hope and promise of new birth.

(SUNG) FOR CHRIST IS BORN OF MARY AND GATHERED ALL ABOVE,
WHILE MORTALS SLEEP THE ANGELS KEEP THEIR WATCH OF
WONDERING LOVE. O MORNING STARS TOGETHER PROCLAIM
THE HOLY BIRTH, AND PRAISES SING TO GOD OUR KING AND
PEACE TO ALL ON EARTH.

Hear a story. Preparations were complete and the eve had arrived for the retelling of the Greatest Story Ever Told in Pageant by all of the members of St. Swithen’s by the Sea. The costumes of shepherds and angels were stitched by loving hands and the smallest of the Sunday school members were replete with tinsel covered halos placed above their adorable blonde heads. Everything was in perfect order and ready for the big service. The only questionable moment might come from Barry. Barry was the one who usually managed to botch things up and it had been decided to let him play the Innkeeper. All he would have to do is say two words, “no room”. Even Barry could do that. The time for the Pageant arrived – all of the children gathered at the front doors of the church. Joseph stepped forward and said, “My wife is pregnant, do you have a place where we could stay”? Barry said, “no room”. Joseph persisted, “but we have no place to go. My wife is about to have a baby.” Barry looked at Mary. His chin began to quiver. How could he turn them away? But his line was, “no room”, so he said it one more time – “no room”. With that, Joseph and Mary turned and started to walk away. Barry stood it as long as he could. Then he called after them, “Wait! Don’t Go! You can have my room”. With that I think the most powerful lesson of Christmas was given.

(SUNG) O HOLY CHILD OF BETHLEHEM, DESCEND TO US WE PRAY;
CAST OUT OUR SIN AND ENTER IN, BE BORN IN US TODAY.
WE HEAR THE CHRISTMAS ANGELS THE GREAT GLAD TIDINGS
TELL. O COME TO US ABIDE WITH US GREAT GOD EMANUEL!

Episcopal Priest and powerful preacher Barbara Brown Taylor in her book, Mixed Blessings imagines God addressing humanity with this impassioned plea:

“I am so crazy in love with you that I will come all the way to where you are to be flesh of your flesh; bone of your bone. I love you enough to become Word made flesh and will dwell among you. I will do it all, and all you have to do is believe me – that I love you the way you are; love you enough to become one of you, and I love you to death.”