Christmas Eve:
A Christmas Reversal
Text: Luke 2:1-20
A warm welcome to all to worship tonight
where we listen and sing of God’s wonderful light.
We gather together on this night most holy,
to retell the story of an infant lowly
who in a very special moment in time,
God our Creator into a manger did climb.
Some of you are likely a little bit puzzled,
and wondering if this minister should probably be muzzled.
Yet I assure you, honestly, that I am quite sane,
it’s just a sermon in rhyme once again.
A tradition from my childhood, from me to you,
a gift of the season, and I hope that it’s true,
to give new insight to the same old story,
and maybe, just maybe, a glimpse of God’s glory.
Let’s focus tonight on those out in the fields,
and how to them and us the good news revealed.
Think of the shepherds out there in the night,
tending their flocks and hoping they might
make it ‘til morning with no lion nor beast,
to snatch a ewe or a lamb for their own little feast.
Ever vigilant in the night’s gathering gloom,
the shepherds kept watch against any doom.
It was the routine, like any other shift,
but tonight would be different: their attention would drift.
They noticed something was up for the air was so still,
even their sheep were quiet, just eating their fill.
Normally when something like this would occur
they’d narrow their eyes, to spot a lurker,
for often the sheep would get frightened and hunker down
if ever there was a nasty predator around.
But the weird part: they seemed content and just grazed,
the shepherds had never seen them so docile, and were rather amazed.
Yet they too could feel something different in the air,
like the whole world were holding its breath, or saying a prayer.
Creation itself was still, it felt a bit scary,
the shepherds focused their gaze, and were increasingly wary,
because something was coming, but they didn’t know what,
they just knew it would be soon, they could feel it in their gut.
And yet just as one tightened his grip on his crook,
there was suddenly a great light, and they struggled to look.
They had been prepared for a wolf, a lion, or a bear,
but not something like this, shining from the air.
Now put yourself in these people’s sandals,
and how they might feel, or how they might handle,
something so overwhelming so completely unexpected,
the sheer terror of having been selected.
You see, in Hebrew culture, God’s presence was so strong,
that anyone who saw the face of God would not live for long.
It’s not that the shepherds did not know who this was,
they knew all too well, and were terrified because
no one can see the face of God survive.
So they decided the best thing was a quick dive.
Yet from behind the rock, they looked around,
the sheep themselves were not making a sound.
They were still lazily walking about munching on grass,
rather than panicking and running en masse.
“Do not be afraid,” the voice came from above,
And it had that distinct ring of mercy and love,
“I bring you good news, good news indeed,
for hope has come for all to see.
“In the city of David, that one down over there,
has come a Divine gift, so precious and rare.
To you, this night, has been born one who redeems,
a child you will find who is far more than he seems.
He is the one who is truly the saviour of the world,
the Messiah, the Christ, in whom God’s plan is unfurled.”
Yet at this point the shepherds felt some distress,
thinking this angel had the wrong address.
“Say… shouldn’t you go a little further down the road,
“Jerusalem is where you’ll find the king’s abode!”
they said, “We’re just a group of humble sheep minders,
you may want to take that as just a reminder.”
But the light and the voice continued, undaunted,
and those few next words the shepherds they haunted,
“This will be the sign for you, and it may seem no stranger,
that you will find the child wrapped in cloth, and lying in a manger.”
No sooner than they had heard this, then joined an angelic choir,
whose voices soared far and went higher and higher,
“Glory to God in the highest, to whom we now praise,
and on earth, peace, goodwill among people for all days.”
Then the angels left them, the shepherds stood there amazed,
it took them a moment to snap out of their daze.
The reply they had given the angel went ignored,
shouldn’t somebody important have heard these great chords?
“Why us?” They asked, “why not the king in the city?
Why would God choose us, the poor and the gritty?”
Yet one of them got up a bit of nerve and said, “hey,
“even if it was a mistake, let’s go make our way,
to see this miracle child of whom these angels sing,
let’s go to Bethlehem now, and see this newborn king.”
So they did, and went down to find a humble stall,
a manger filled with hay, with child, mother, and all.
Then their confusion about the angel’s joyous song,
became clear to them, and that they were wrong.
The angel’s message was certainly not misplaced,
and for them it was truly a lesson in grace.
You see, the message at Christmas, is about God’s gift to us,
It’s not something that we buy, or how much we fuss;
and yet always in the lead up we find ourselves harried,
amidst guests, shopping and parties, we’re easily buried.
Remember the lesson that the shepherds did learn,
it means even more today, and for that we yearn…
Christmas is God becoming human, the lost being found,
And yet we try so hard to make it the other way round.
In all of our efforts to pull off the big extravaganza,
we miss the song of the angels down to the last stanza.
They sang “Glory to God!” of that we all know,
but they also said peace on earth, for us here below!
Their song was to those that others thought lowly,
but this was the whole point, and it’s why it is so holy.
As it is not to the great halls of politics and power
that the Christ child comes in this dark hour.
It is to the least of these, the smallest, the weak,
that God gives a gift that is truly unique:
the experience of being human, that God truly knows,
what it’s like to be burdened with all of life’s woes.
Because of that we learn, and I am sure that this flatters,
to God almighty every single one of us matters!
This is the great reversal that we celebrate this night,
a revelation that shines with new light,
that in God there is no difference between rich or poor,
and that in God’s love, nobody is ever obscure.
That was the lesson of the shepherds that we need to learn,
that the grace of God is not something that we earn.
It’s all there! We’re important to God,
and Christ showed that in a way most odd.
By joining us in a way that all of us could see,
God came into our lives as a little baby.
And so Merry Christmas to all on this night,
my hope is that we may all see Christ’s light.
And I wish you God’s blessings, to all once again,
With the Christ Child, and Holy Spirit, I now say Amen.
A warm welcome to all to worship tonight
where we listen and sing of God’s wonderful light.
We gather together on this night most holy,
to retell the story of an infant lowly
who in a very special moment in time,
God our Creator into a manger did climb.
Some of you are likely a little bit puzzled,
and wondering if this minister should probably be muzzled.
Yet I assure you, honestly, that I am quite sane,
it’s just a sermon in rhyme once again.
A tradition from my childhood, from me to you,
a gift of the season, and I hope that it’s true,
to give new insight to the same old story,
and maybe, just maybe, a glimpse of God’s glory.
Let’s focus tonight on those out in the fields,
and how to them and us the good news revealed.
Think of the shepherds out there in the night,
tending their flocks and hoping they might
make it ‘til morning with no lion nor beast,
to snatch a ewe or a lamb for their own little feast.
Ever vigilant in the night’s gathering gloom,
the shepherds kept watch against any doom.
It was the routine, like any other shift,
but tonight would be different: their attention would drift.
They noticed something was up for the air was so still,
even their sheep were quiet, just eating their fill.
Normally when something like this would occur
they’d narrow their eyes, to spot a lurker,
for often the sheep would get frightened and hunker down
if ever there was a nasty predator around.
But the weird part: they seemed content and just grazed,
the shepherds had never seen them so docile, and were rather amazed.
Yet they too could feel something different in the air,
like the whole world were holding its breath, or saying a prayer.
Creation itself was still, it felt a bit scary,
the shepherds focused their gaze, and were increasingly wary,
because something was coming, but they didn’t know what,
they just knew it would be soon, they could feel it in their gut.
And yet just as one tightened his grip on his crook,
there was suddenly a great light, and they struggled to look.
They had been prepared for a wolf, a lion, or a bear,
but not something like this, shining from the air.
Now put yourself in these people’s sandals,
and how they might feel, or how they might handle,
something so overwhelming so completely unexpected,
the sheer terror of having been selected.
You see, in Hebrew culture, God’s presence was so strong,
that anyone who saw the face of God would not live for long.
It’s not that the shepherds did not know who this was,
they knew all too well, and were terrified because
no one can see the face of God survive.
So they decided the best thing was a quick dive.
Yet from behind the rock, they looked around,
the sheep themselves were not making a sound.
They were still lazily walking about munching on grass,
rather than panicking and running en masse.
“Do not be afraid,” the voice came from above,
And it had that distinct ring of mercy and love,
“I bring you good news, good news indeed,
for hope has come for all to see.
“In the city of David, that one down over there,
has come a Divine gift, so precious and rare.
To you, this night, has been born one who redeems,
a child you will find who is far more than he seems.
He is the one who is truly the saviour of the world,
the Messiah, the Christ, in whom God’s plan is unfurled.”
Yet at this point the shepherds felt some distress,
thinking this angel had the wrong address.
“Say… shouldn’t you go a little further down the road,
“Jerusalem is where you’ll find the king’s abode!”
they said, “We’re just a group of humble sheep minders,
you may want to take that as just a reminder.”
But the light and the voice continued, undaunted,
and those few next words the shepherds they haunted,
“This will be the sign for you, and it may seem no stranger,
that you will find the child wrapped in cloth, and lying in a manger.”
No sooner than they had heard this, then joined an angelic choir,
whose voices soared far and went higher and higher,
“Glory to God in the highest, to whom we now praise,
and on earth, peace, goodwill among people for all days.”
Then the angels left them, the shepherds stood there amazed,
it took them a moment to snap out of their daze.
The reply they had given the angel went ignored,
shouldn’t somebody important have heard these great chords?
“Why us?” They asked, “why not the king in the city?
Why would God choose us, the poor and the gritty?”
Yet one of them got up a bit of nerve and said, “hey,
“even if it was a mistake, let’s go make our way,
to see this miracle child of whom these angels sing,
let’s go to Bethlehem now, and see this newborn king.”
So they did, and went down to find a humble stall,
a manger filled with hay, with child, mother, and all.
Then their confusion about the angel’s joyous song,
became clear to them, and that they were wrong.
The angel’s message was certainly not misplaced,
and for them it was truly a lesson in grace.
You see, the message at Christmas, is about God’s gift to us,
It’s not something that we buy, or how much we fuss;
and yet always in the lead up we find ourselves harried,
amidst guests, shopping and parties, we’re easily buried.
Remember the lesson that the shepherds did learn,
it means even more today, and for that we yearn…
Christmas is God becoming human, the lost being found,
And yet we try so hard to make it the other way round.
In all of our efforts to pull off the big extravaganza,
we miss the song of the angels down to the last stanza.
They sang “Glory to God!” of that we all know,
but they also said peace on earth, for us here below!
Their song was to those that others thought lowly,
but this was the whole point, and it’s why it is so holy.
As it is not to the great halls of politics and power
that the Christ child comes in this dark hour.
It is to the least of these, the smallest, the weak,
that God gives a gift that is truly unique:
the experience of being human, that God truly knows,
what it’s like to be burdened with all of life’s woes.
Because of that we learn, and I am sure that this flatters,
to God almighty every single one of us matters!
This is the great reversal that we celebrate this night,
a revelation that shines with new light,
that in God there is no difference between rich or poor,
and that in God’s love, nobody is ever obscure.
That was the lesson of the shepherds that we need to learn,
that the grace of God is not something that we earn.
It’s all there! We’re important to God,
and Christ showed that in a way most odd.
By joining us in a way that all of us could see,
God came into our lives as a little baby.
And so Merry Christmas to all on this night,
my hope is that we may all see Christ’s light.
And I wish you God’s blessings, to all once again,
With the Christ Child, and Holy Spirit, I now say Amen.
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