Dec 24, 2023 |
Christmas Sermon
| The Rev. Jeanne LeinbachChristmas Sermon
Our National Parks are magnificent. Two of my favorites are
Arches and Bryce Canyon, both in Utah. The stone formations in Arches National
Park are 65 million years in the making. The longest arch has an opening of 300
feet; the tallest arch has an opening of over 100 feet. As you hike up to these
immense stone formations, the views through the arches are stunning. Once you
arrive and walk through the arch, you feel somehow absorbed into the limitless
sky. Bryce Canyon is a whole different geological wonder. The elevation is over
8,000 feet. The stone formations in this park remind me of sandcastles. When I
was young, we often went to the beach for vacation. My sisters and I would go
down to the water’s edge, fill our pails with water and then scoop in some
sand. Perhaps you recall doing the same. You reach into the bucket, pull out a glob
of wet sand, and then let it drip-down onto the dry sand, building up a cone
shape. That’s where my mind goes with these spectacular stone structures in
Bryce Canyon. They are sandcastles in blazing color: orangey-red spires soaring
into the sky.
Many of us feel a connection to the divine in nature. The most powerful experience I have had, beyond the beauty of Arches and Bryce Canyon, was in the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. The moment I walked up to the rim of the Canyon overlooking the waterfalls, I was overwhelmed by the expansive beauty. At that moment, there were no words, only awe for the existence and wonder of our Creator; a moment when we are keenly aware that the world is just so much bigger than our individual selves. The majesty of the Divine in nature is powerful. The intimacy of the Divine in our heartache is lifesaving. Jesus is our Savior.
Madeline L’Engle, the beloved author, writes in her poem First Coming :
Jesus was born into an oppressive society. King Herod the Great was in power, appointed by Rome to rule Judea, Samaria and Galilee as a police state. He was a murderer: ruthless and vindictive. In addition, he imposed burdensome taxes on the people, largely boosting the wealth of the rulers. Herod’s brutality was a shroud over Jerusalem at the time of Jesus’ birth. Jesus entered-into our brokenness.
Some of our most intimate experiences with the Divine are in difficult times. I know this is true for me. Certainly, I experienced some uncertainty and anxiety as I made a turn from a consulting career to parish ministry. Before I even realized I was discerning a change, I had a prescient dream directing me down this new path. In the dream, I was in a storm and trapped in a town where all the streets were flooded; there was no way out. Yet, I had this sense of urgency that I needed to find a way out as soon as possible. For three days, I frantically searched, but all the streets were impassable. Then, on the third day, seemingly suddenly, I found a way out, one clear road that would take me out of town, though all the other streets were still flooded. This one way out was now so obvious – I couldn’t believe that I hadn’t seen it before. Dreams are an avenue of inspiration from God. Once I made the “aha” connection, Jesus’ presence during this career transition was comforting.
Jesus is with us through uncertainty and anxiety, and Jesus is with us through loss. I cried through the months leading up to my divorce and through the months following, and Jesus’ compassion gave me the courage to look to a new day. Jesus is with us through grief. One year ago, I lost a dear friend to cancer. My last visit with her one week before her death was both beautiful and heart-rending. That night, I woke up at 3:30 in the morning and I was filled with God’s presence and somehow, my friend was there with us. I experienced perfect Love, perfect Peace. Jesus was born into an oppressive society, into heartache. He came into our brokenness and lived fully in his humanness. He gets us; he lived our emotions. He continues to enter-into our brokenness, with empathy for the human condition. What is your sadness? With compassion and unceasing love, Jesus enters-into our heartache. He journeys with us through the healing process; he comforts and gives us the courage to see a new day.
On the night of Jesus’ birth, an angel of the Lord appeared to the shepherds in the fields keeping watch over their flock. “The angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people.’” Good news…of great joy…our Savior has come. Jesus shepherds us through all of life, helping us to endure and thrive. So, we give thanks, by loving as we are loved. Through our healing, we are able to care for and enrich the lives of others. Creation is inherently revealing God through the grandeur of nature and the intimacy of relationships. We are forever companioned, forever loved…with God’s grace, forever loving. And, so, we come before the Christ child, in wonder of the Divine Love, and we sing out, “Joy to the world! The Lord is come.” In her poem First Coming, Madeleine L’Engle concludes:
Many of us feel a connection to the divine in nature. The most powerful experience I have had, beyond the beauty of Arches and Bryce Canyon, was in the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. The moment I walked up to the rim of the Canyon overlooking the waterfalls, I was overwhelmed by the expansive beauty. At that moment, there were no words, only awe for the existence and wonder of our Creator; a moment when we are keenly aware that the world is just so much bigger than our individual selves. The majesty of the Divine in nature is powerful. The intimacy of the Divine in our heartache is lifesaving. Jesus is our Savior.
Madeline L’Engle, the beloved author, writes in her poem First Coming :
“He did not wait till the world was ready, till men and nations were at peace.
He came when the Heavens were unsteady, and prisoners cried out for release.
He did not wait for the perfect time. He came when the need was deep and great.
He dined with sinners in all their grime, turned water into wine.
He did not wait till hearts were pure. In joy he came to a tarnished world of sin and doubt.
To a world like ours, of anguished shame he came, and his Light would not go out.”
Jesus was born into an oppressive society. King Herod the Great was in power, appointed by Rome to rule Judea, Samaria and Galilee as a police state. He was a murderer: ruthless and vindictive. In addition, he imposed burdensome taxes on the people, largely boosting the wealth of the rulers. Herod’s brutality was a shroud over Jerusalem at the time of Jesus’ birth. Jesus entered-into our brokenness.
Some of our most intimate experiences with the Divine are in difficult times. I know this is true for me. Certainly, I experienced some uncertainty and anxiety as I made a turn from a consulting career to parish ministry. Before I even realized I was discerning a change, I had a prescient dream directing me down this new path. In the dream, I was in a storm and trapped in a town where all the streets were flooded; there was no way out. Yet, I had this sense of urgency that I needed to find a way out as soon as possible. For three days, I frantically searched, but all the streets were impassable. Then, on the third day, seemingly suddenly, I found a way out, one clear road that would take me out of town, though all the other streets were still flooded. This one way out was now so obvious – I couldn’t believe that I hadn’t seen it before. Dreams are an avenue of inspiration from God. Once I made the “aha” connection, Jesus’ presence during this career transition was comforting.
Jesus is with us through uncertainty and anxiety, and Jesus is with us through loss. I cried through the months leading up to my divorce and through the months following, and Jesus’ compassion gave me the courage to look to a new day. Jesus is with us through grief. One year ago, I lost a dear friend to cancer. My last visit with her one week before her death was both beautiful and heart-rending. That night, I woke up at 3:30 in the morning and I was filled with God’s presence and somehow, my friend was there with us. I experienced perfect Love, perfect Peace. Jesus was born into an oppressive society, into heartache. He came into our brokenness and lived fully in his humanness. He gets us; he lived our emotions. He continues to enter-into our brokenness, with empathy for the human condition. What is your sadness? With compassion and unceasing love, Jesus enters-into our heartache. He journeys with us through the healing process; he comforts and gives us the courage to see a new day.
On the night of Jesus’ birth, an angel of the Lord appeared to the shepherds in the fields keeping watch over their flock. “The angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people.’” Good news…of great joy…our Savior has come. Jesus shepherds us through all of life, helping us to endure and thrive. So, we give thanks, by loving as we are loved. Through our healing, we are able to care for and enrich the lives of others. Creation is inherently revealing God through the grandeur of nature and the intimacy of relationships. We are forever companioned, forever loved…with God’s grace, forever loving. And, so, we come before the Christ child, in wonder of the Divine Love, and we sing out, “Joy to the world! The Lord is come.” In her poem First Coming, Madeleine L’Engle concludes:
“We cannot wait till the world is sane to raise our songs with joyful voice,
For to share our grief, to touch our pain, He came with Love: Rejoice! Rejoice!”