January 5, 2020 - The Second Sunday of Christmas

Lectionary Readings

In the name of the Word made flesh, Jesus Christ. Amen.

            Have you ever been at a party or social event where you didn’t know anyone? Now, some of you are extroverts and are thinking, “What’s the problem with that?” But maybe it isn’t a party, maybe it’s a hostile meeting at work and everyone in the room is an adversary. Perhaps it’s an airport terminal on a late-night layover. Or maybe you’re in a hospital waiting room, full of anxiety. If you can imagine any of these situations, you know that what makes these tense, uncomfortable, and lonely situations better is having an old friend show up out of nowhere to be with you.

December 30, 2018 - Christmas 1C

Collect, Old Tesament, and Psalm; Epistle and Gospel

In the name of God ☩ Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.

            Don’t you just hate it when you lose something? You can’t remember where you put your keys or an important document. It’s even worse when you can’t find someone you love. Several weeks ago, one of our dogs got out of the yard and was missing for a few hours. It was scary. I drove around the neighborhood calling his name to no avail. But then he showed up at our front door a few hours later. And he didn’t know he was lost, he just thought he was having an adventure. And that’s the thing about being lost, it all depends on your perspective. Often people who are lost don’t think they are lost. But when you can’t find them, the sense of panic can be overwhelming.

December 25, 2018 - Christmas Day

Lectionary Readings

In the name of the One who is, and was, and is to come. Amen.

            Merry Christmas! The Christmas morning Eucharist is one of the holiest there is and the Christmas morning sermon is one that I always enjoy preparing. For one, I know that you all want to be here. No one gets dragged to the Christmas morning Eucharist, they get dragged to Midnight Mass. There is something special about gathering in the Lord’s name to celebrate the Eucharist on this the most foundational of days in our faith when we celebrate the glory and grandeur of the Incarnation. And the Gospel text that we have this morning from John is one of the richest in all of Scripture and theology. It’s always a treat to sit down with commentaries for a few hours and dig into these iconic verses. So indeed, it is a joy to be here with you all this morning.

December 24, 2018 - Christmas Eve

Lectionary Readings

Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors ☩ in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.

            What a joy it is to be here with you on this holy night. There is something special about this night. Something beckons us out of our warm homes and pajamas and calls us through the darkened streets to make our way to gather with friends and strangers to recall the birth of Jesus. Maybe it’s a deep sense of faith that brings you here, perhaps it’s nostalgia, or it could be something in your soul that tells you that you might find here tonight that thing you’ve been searching for. Whatever it is, there is no denying the power of this night which fills us with wonder and stirs us to sing praises to God.

December 31, 2017 - Christmas 1

Lectionary Readings

In the name of God ☩ Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.

            If the season leading up to December 25^th is “the most wonderful time of the year” then the time between Christmas Day and New Year’s Day is the most confusing time of the year. You all, of course, know that Christmas doesn’t actually begin until December 25 and lasts until January 5; but if you look around the world, it doesn’t seem like much Christmas is left. You can find trees that used to have ornaments adorning them discarded on the curb. You won’t find any Christmas sales or Christmas music on the radio – they’ve already got your money, so Christmas is no longer useful to the capitalistic machine; they’re already gearing up to sell you chocolate for Valentine’s Day or a mattress on President’s Day. Those who insist that we keep Christ in Christmas have moved on to the next culture war and are already feigning outrage about something else. The gifts, which for too many are the highlight of Christmas, have been given, and perhaps even already exchanged at the store. The parties are over and decorations have become passé. So what is left for us to do with Christmas as we bide our time until we get overly excited about getting to use a new wall calendar?

December 25, 2017 - Christmas Day

Lectionary Readings

In the name of God ☩ Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.

            Merry Christmas! What a joy it is to be with you all on this splendid morning on which we celebrate the Incarnation of the Lord. Sacred time calls for sacred rituals and it just wouldn’t be Christmas for some of us without coming to this beautiful church, singing hymns of praise on cause of our Messiah’s birth, hearing John’s rich nativity poem, and partaking of the Holy Eucharist. As much as I enjoy the Christmas traditions of home and family, of breakfasts and presents, it just wouldn’t be Christmas without taking the time to remember what this day is all about and worshiping accordingly. So it is my joy and honor to be spending this sacred day with each of you.

December 24, 2017 - Christmas Eve

Lectionary Readings

In the name of God ☩ Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.

            What a joy it is to see each of you on this holy night. There’s something about the Midnight Mass that is magical, perhaps because it taps into the majesty of that first Christmas when the angel announced the good news of great joy that the Messiah has come. This good news calls us out of our usual evening routines to this sacred place. One of the things that I find so interesting about the Midnight Mass is that I have no idea who about half of you are. Each Christmas Eve, I’ve noticed that we are blessed with people who don’t ordinarily come to St. Luke’s. Perhaps it’s that Christmas is the only day that makes any religious sense to you. Perhaps you’re here visiting family or friends. Maybe you’re not even sure how much you believe, but you have fond memories of attending Midnight Mass from when you were growing up, and you’ve come for the nostalgia. Whatever brings you here tonight, it is our joy to have you here. So in the name of Christ, welcome to each of you. Let us all journey in heart and mind to Bethlehem to adore the newborn King.

December 25, 2016 - Christmas Day

Lectionary Readings

In the name of God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.

            Merry Christmas! It is a joy to be with you this most holy of mornings. As it often is, the Gospel text for Christmas morning, which this year also happens to be the Lord’s Day, is the prologue from the Gospel according to John. This is one of the best-known passages in all of Scripture and it really captures what we might call the most important claim of our faith – that the Word became flesh. Sure, the Cross was important, and so was the Resurrection, as was Jesus’ teaching, but none of that happens if the Word doesn’t become flesh first. So this morning, before us is the cornerstone of our Christian faith and life.

December 24, 2016 - Christmas Eve

Lectionary Readings

In the name of God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.

            Merry Christmas! On this most holy of nights we come together, way past bedtime for some of us, to sing songs, hear lessons, and partake in a holy meal. These hymns, lessons, and meal all point toward something rather odd though. We’ve grown so accustomed to the Christmas story that we forget how absolutely absurd it all is.

January 3, 2016 - Christmas 2C

Lectionary Readings

In the name of God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.

            “Oh God! Where is God?” That’s probably not what Mary and Joseph said when they realized that their twelve year old son was missing, but this interesting story from Luke poses that question to us – Where is God? This story is found only in Luke, and everyone can find something that they relate to. Parents know that gut wrenching horror of worrying about your child, and then the joy of knowing they are okay. Children appreciate seeing a child hold his own against the expert adults. And teenagers love to have an image of Jesus that is all about resisting authority. But more than resonating with our life experiences, this story of a twelve year old Jesus has something to say about what it means to follow him.

December 27, 2015 - Christmas 1C

Lectionary Readings

In the name of God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.

            “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.” During Christmastide, we celebrate the Incarnation, the coming of God to us in Jesus. Matthew and Luke give us nativity stories with Mary, Joseph, wise men, angels, and shepherds, but John gives us a cosmic nativity scene. And in doing so, the gospeller John connects Jesus to Moses and to John the Baptist. Our reading notes that Jesus “came to his own people.” Though there is a very transcendental nature to Jesus that is not confined by time or space, Jesus also lived in a very finite context. He was born in modern-day Palestine, spoke Aramaic, and grew up learning about the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Jesus was Jewish, and that fact not only influences our interpretation of him in Scripture, but also has important implications for us today.

December 25, 2015 - Christmas Day

Lectionary Readings

In the name of God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.

            A very Merry Christmas to each and every one of you. It is a joy and privilege to spend Christmas morning with you all. Though you can probably still smell the incense in here that was used at last night’s service, there is a noticeable difference between our celebration of Christmas this morning and last night’s liturgy. There is also a rather significant variance between the two gospel texts that we read. Last night, we heard the story, as told by Luke, of Mary and Joseph going to Bethlehem for a census and Jesus being born in a manger; and we heard of angels announcing the birth to shepherds in a field. The image last night was of an infant who had nowhere to lay his head.

December 24, 2015 - Christmas Eve

Lectionary Readings

Merciful God, illumine this night with your celestial brightness as we gather in joy to sing your praises for your love made manifest in the Holy Child, Jesus. Amen.

            A very Merry Christmas to each and every one of you. It is so wonderful to have you here. If you are at St. Luke’s regularly, it is a blessing to celebrate with you this most holy night. If you are returning home from college or living in another city, but grew up at St. Luke’s, it is a treat to have you back with us. If you haven’t been to St. Luke’s since Easter, it is great to see you again. If you don’t have a church that you would call your “spiritual home,” we are glad to have you with us this evening and hope to see you again. If you were dragged here by a family member, I’ll try to keep the sermon short, but nevertheless, we welcome you. If you’re not sure why you are here, we are thankful that God brought us together. Whoever you are and wherever you are in your faith journey – welcome and Merry Christmas.

December 28, 2014 - Christmas 1B

Lectionary Readings

Be with us, O Lord, for if you are with us, nothing else matters; and if you are not with us, nothing else matters. Amen.

            A happy fourth day of Christmas to you all, your four calling birds are on the way. Those of us in the liturgical churches are counter-cultural. Radio stations have stopped playing Christmas songs, many decorations have come down, and come tomorrow, it’s back to business as usual. But not in here. The decorations remain and we sing songs of the Savior’s birth. It’s a question of how you celebrate Christmas. And I don’t mean what you did on December 25. Christmas is the season in which we celebrate that the Lord is come, that earth has received her King. So how do you celebrate that transformational event? Is Christmas something that you delicately handle, wrap in tissue paper, and store in the attic for 11 months out of the year? Or is Christmas something else?

December 25, 2014 - Christmas Day

Lectionary Readings

In the name of God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.

            A very Merry Christmas to all of you. It is a joy to spend Christmas morning with you, singing songs of our Messiah’s birth and gathering around the altar to share a Christmas meal in which Christ is present. This morning, I’d like to briefly consider the idea of revelation, as both our readings from Hebrews and John seem to focus on that element of Christmas. Scholars often speak of Christmas in terms of the Incarnation- when God Almighty took on flesh and blood and came to earth in the fullness of God’s being.

December 24, 2014 - Christmas Eve

Lectionary Readings

May Almighty God, who sent his Son to take our nature upon him, bless you in this holy season, scatter the darkness of sin, and brighten your heart with the light of his holiness. Amen.

     My first word to you this most holy night is “welcome.” There is something special about Christmas Eve. By the time we are usually crawling into bed, the magic of this night beckons us to put on our Sunday best and come to sing glad hymns of the Messiah’s birth. And I am so incredibly thankful that each of you are here this evening. Welcome to all of you.

December 14, 2014 - Advent 3B

Lectionary Readings

O come, O come Emmanuel. Amen.

            It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas. The Square has been decorated since Halloween, shopping centers are jam-packed, and Christmas music fills the air. But being proper Episcopalians, we all know that we are in the middle of Advent. The word “advent” comes from a Latin word which means “coming.” It seems though that the world has skipped ahead of the coming and is already celebrating the arrival. Advent is a season of preparing ourselves for the birth of Jesus. It is a season to slow down and reflect. These four weeks leading up to Christmas are envisioned as a time to prepare to receive Jesus into our hearts and homes. John the Baptist speaks of preparing for Jesus by repenting- so we often focus on self-examination in Advent. I don’t know about you all, but I’m too busy to be slowing down. There are year-end financials that need attention, extra sermons to be written, and, of course, that we’re doing all of those things at home to make sure that Ellie has fond family memories of the season.

December 29, 2013 - Christmas 1A

Lectionary Readings

In the name of God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.

            Merry Christmas! Christmastide is the celebration of the Incarnation. The day when we remember and celebrate that God, who created all that is, who is the source of all that is, was born of a woman on earth. Our reading from John is the definitive Biblical passage that addresses this concept. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God.” Its beautiful poetic stanzas inspire a sense of awe and majesty. But this first chapter of John is also one of the densest in the Bible. What does it mean that the Word became flesh? What does it mean that the Word is God?

December 24, 2013 - Christmas Eve - John 1:1-14

In the name of God- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.

            Merry Christmas! I pray that this night has been full of joy with family and friends. And I pray that as we turn our focus towards Jesus, that your joy might be made even fuller. You, of course, noticed that I did not read the gospel reading that was printed in your bulletin. The Rector, Michael, is working to get over a bad fever. I had planned to preach on this gospel reading from John this coming Sunday, so it made more sense to go with that text. And it really is a wonderful reading, but not one we’re accustomed to hearing on Christmas Eve; though it is one of the approved options. Can you imagine what the Christmas pageant would look like if we used John as our manuscript? If you can, let me know, because I haven’t been able to figure that one out.

Santa vs Jesus

Hopefully that title got your attention. Now that it's December, you can find articles galore about the "war on Christmas" and many will argue that we need to "keep Christ in Christmas." Often what they are referring to is the use of the phrase "Happy Holidays," which they say denies the real "reason for the season."

Christmas has been corrupted and watered down, just as Christianity has. Just as there is now a brand of American Christianity, we have a corresponding American Christmas. Both are a bit more selfish and secular, taking elements from the Prosperity Gospel and capitalism.

The commercialization of Christmas isn't really something I lose sleep over. While I don't really think it's appropriate to take a religious holiday and try to turn it into a cash cow, it only works because we fall for it. If it's the job of companies to make a profit, there really isn't anything wrong with selling us stuff. Plus, spending creates tax revenue, which provides money for programs for many citizens in need. And having an active economy is generally a good thing. Some people practice secular Christmas, doing all the decorating and shopping while holding no beliefs about God or Jesus. That's not really a threat to Christmas either.

The real "war on Christmas" is happening from within. It is happening by those same people who want to put "Christ back in Christmas." Some have called it- "the sentimentalization of Christmas." We say that Christmas is about family, hope, joy, peace, and giving. But the problem is that is a lie. Christmas is the Feast of the Incarnation.

Christmas is not a season for giving, it is a season for receiving; namely for receiving Jesus into our world and lives. This is what Emmanuel (Hebrew for "God with us") is all about. It's not that we made a manger for God and said, "hey, come down and join us." No, it's that God disrupted us (and mostly Mary) by coming. God did not come for us to give a glimpse into what it's like to be a human. But rather, we receive through the Incarnation. We received a closer glimpse of God, teachings, and Resurrection, all because of the events of Christmas.

The "war on Christmas" has nothing to do with the use of the phrase "Happy Holidays," but instead the false premise that Christmas is a season of giving. Christmas is a season of receiving. Receiving God's presence in our lives. Receiving God's grace and God's dream.

How we respond to what we receive makes all the difference. And it makes a difference what story we tell. Do we focus on the (fictional and created by marketing strategists) modern-day Santa Claus who is all about giving gifts to good children (suggesting that you can earn things such a love or grace)? Do we tell the story of industry and consumerism in the narrative of the North Pole workshop? Do we tell the story elves on shelves who decide whether or not we are "worthy" of a gift? The story of joy being equated with presents piled high? The story of a family gathering where all the children are consumed with screens instead of spending time with family? A story about spending money and rushing around frantically to get it all done? 

Or do we focus on another story? We could instead focus on the story of Jesus' birth, which I think is a good enough story on it's own, no need to supplement it with reindeer or wish lists. Instead of focusing on wanting what we don't have (and don't often really need), we could focus on what we have received already. And then we can respond in a very incarnational way, by showing that love of God to those who truly need it- the poor, the captive, the homeless. We can even respond by telling this story of God's love by giving in the same way that God showed us love. God came by giving of the self- what if our gifts were relational? Instead of just buying stuff, what if we made our gifts, or gave the gift of time and memories? What if we told the story of Jesus on Christmas instead of the story of Santa?

The war on Christmas is that we've sentimentalized it, turned it into something it's not. It's no different that what has happened to Christianity in general in America. Christianity isn't about personal salvation, going to heaven when you die, or getting your blessings through faithful living- but many American Christians hold that belief. In the same way, Christmas is not about love, or joy, or peace, or any of those other sentimentalized ideas, nor is it about giving. Instead, Christmas is about Jesus, and it's about receiving him. It's easy to get that mixed up in our world of mixed messages and advertising, and, at least in my opinion, that's the real war on Christmas.