First Sunday after Christmas Dec 29 2024 Grace Episcopal Church
Isaiah 61:10-62:3, Galatians 3:23-25; 4:4-7, John 1:1-18, Psalm 147 or 147:13-21
John begins at the beginning; in the beginning was the Word. And so John, very intentionally,
places us at the beginning, Calling to mind the first words of the first book of the Holy Scripture that John had on his heart, From Genesis, in the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth. And so John very intentionally introduces us to one of the themes that for him shapes all of faith, the light that has come into the world.
I know sometimes the translation in The Message seems odd, but in this case I really like it, in John 1 we hear, “The Word was first, the Word present to God, God present to the Word. The Word was God, in readiness for God from day one. Everything was created through him; nothing—not one thing!—came into being without him. What came into existence was Life, and the Life was Light to live by. The Life-Light blazed out of the darkness; the darkness couldn’t put it out.”
And as we know, John’s beginning parallels the very first words of our sacred story in Genesis 1. Again, from the Message we hear “God spoke: “Light!” And light appeared. God saw that light was good and separated light from dark. God named the light Day, God named the dark Night.
It was evening, it was morning—Day One.”
John begins at the beginning; in the beginning was the Word. And so John, very intentionally,
places us at the beginning, Calling to mind the first words of the first book of the Holy Scripture that John had on his heart, From Genesis, in the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth. And so John very intentionally introduces us to one of the themes that for him shapes all of faith, the light that has come into the world.
I know sometimes the translation in The Message seems odd, but in this case I really like it, in John 1 we hear, “The Word was first, the Word present to God, God present to the Word. The Word was God, in readiness for God from day one. Everything was created through him; nothing—not one thing!—came into being without him. What came into existence was Life, and the Life was Light to live by. The Life-Light blazed out of the darkness; the darkness couldn’t put it out.”
And as we know, John’s beginning parallels the very first words of our sacred story in Genesis 1. Again, from the Message we hear “God spoke: “Light!” And light appeared. God saw that light was good and separated light from dark. God named the light Day, God named the dark Night.
It was evening, it was morning—Day One.”
So it isn’t just seasonal, though at this time of the year we are very conscious of the lack of light,
for John light and dark, life and death are the same thing. The light bursts into the world, God with us, it is wondrous.
for John light and dark, life and death are the same thing. The light bursts into the world, God with us, it is wondrous.
I wonder how you imagine this wondrous thing that God does? Creation, incarnation, resurrection. I think many of you know that I have been a swimmer my whole life. So I imagine swimming, maybe you can too. Maybe snorkeling or even SCUBA diving in a beautiful, sun filled ocean. You dive. You dive deep. You dive to the depths of the ocean. It is cold, and dark, and beautiful. You see fish and plants you’ve never seen before, but always through the darkness of that ocean water. You see only what is in front of your face. Your breath is shallow, not deep and complete. Not only are there beautiful fish, but there are fish that look like monsters. You return to the surface. You very slowly return to the sun and warmth and light, because you must having dived so deep. At your return to the surface you see more clearly, breathe more deeply.
And you may see the world a little differently, in ways you may not have imagined feeling the warmth of the sunshine all over your body. I think this is what incarnation is like, this is what resurrection is like, this is what new life is like. God dives down deep into our dimly lit lives,
Like in the depths of the ocean. And Jesus swims around us and enlightens our underwater vision so we can see and care for all of the teeming creation. And Jesus picks us up off the bottom of the ocean and carries us into that sunshine, into that new life that we inhabit.
Incarnation and resurrection, birthed out of the waters of creation, the waters of baptism, the waters of new life. Bathed in the light that dispels the darkness. For John, there is always hope
that the smallest source of light might create the possibility of love and belief and connection.
And for John, darkness represents the lack of relationship and connection. God speaks the Word into this world, Jesus dives into our lives for light, for love, for relationship, for connection.
John calls us to turn around and face the Light, to fall on our knees and be forgiven. And today John calls us to be partners with him in pointing the way to the Light.
We are yet in the season of incarnation, God in the flesh meeting us in the flesh. God came to be with us in the flesh not to relieve us of the mess and the muck of this life, but in the flesh God stands by our side, takes our hand, sometimes even carries us, and loves us. And that kind of love changes us, we can't help but be changed. God in the flesh reminds us in our flesh that we don't need to be perfect because we are perfectly loved. We don't need to consume and acquire to possess worth; we are enough just the way we are created. God in the flesh reminds us in our flesh that we don't need to gain attention to earn God's love, God has already loved us into ourselves.
Incarnation is a mystery, and yet it is not so hard. Incarnation, God in the flesh, is about love in a very real sense, it is about God’s commitment to you and to me to walk this journey with us, and it is about our commitment to love. Christmas is not about the presents; it is about God’s presence with us, and your presence with those whose path you cross. Incarnation is about showing up, and showing forth the light that shines in darkness, and the love that wins. Love is born into human flesh.
And you may see the world a little differently, in ways you may not have imagined feeling the warmth of the sunshine all over your body. I think this is what incarnation is like, this is what resurrection is like, this is what new life is like. God dives down deep into our dimly lit lives,
Like in the depths of the ocean. And Jesus swims around us and enlightens our underwater vision so we can see and care for all of the teeming creation. And Jesus picks us up off the bottom of the ocean and carries us into that sunshine, into that new life that we inhabit.
Incarnation and resurrection, birthed out of the waters of creation, the waters of baptism, the waters of new life. Bathed in the light that dispels the darkness. For John, there is always hope
that the smallest source of light might create the possibility of love and belief and connection.
And for John, darkness represents the lack of relationship and connection. God speaks the Word into this world, Jesus dives into our lives for light, for love, for relationship, for connection.
John calls us to turn around and face the Light, to fall on our knees and be forgiven. And today John calls us to be partners with him in pointing the way to the Light.
We are yet in the season of incarnation, God in the flesh meeting us in the flesh. God came to be with us in the flesh not to relieve us of the mess and the muck of this life, but in the flesh God stands by our side, takes our hand, sometimes even carries us, and loves us. And that kind of love changes us, we can't help but be changed. God in the flesh reminds us in our flesh that we don't need to be perfect because we are perfectly loved. We don't need to consume and acquire to possess worth; we are enough just the way we are created. God in the flesh reminds us in our flesh that we don't need to gain attention to earn God's love, God has already loved us into ourselves.
Incarnation is a mystery, and yet it is not so hard. Incarnation, God in the flesh, is about love in a very real sense, it is about God’s commitment to you and to me to walk this journey with us, and it is about our commitment to love. Christmas is not about the presents; it is about God’s presence with us, and your presence with those whose path you cross. Incarnation is about showing up, and showing forth the light that shines in darkness, and the love that wins. Love is born into human flesh.
I leave you with a poem today.
Because Madeleine L’engle can always say it better than me.
Because Madeleine L’engle can always say it better than me.
God did not wait till the world was ready,
till men and nations were at peace.
God came when the Heavens were unsteady,
and prisoners cried out for release.
God did not wait for the perfect time.
God came when the need was deep and great.
Jesus dined with sinners in all their grime,
turned water into wine.
He did not wait till hearts were pure.
In joy Jesus 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 came to a world which did not mesh,
to heal its tangles, shield its scorn.
In the mystery of the Word made Flesh
the Maker of the stars was born.
We cannot wait till the world is sane
to raise our songs with joyful voice,
for to share our grief, to touch our pain,
God came with Love: Rejoice! Rejoice!
till men and nations were at peace.
God came when the Heavens were unsteady,
and prisoners cried out for release.
God did not wait for the perfect time.
God came when the need was deep and great.
Jesus dined with sinners in all their grime,
turned water into wine.
He did not wait till hearts were pure.
In joy Jesus 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 came to a world which did not mesh,
to heal its tangles, shield its scorn.
In the mystery of the Word made Flesh
the Maker of the stars was born.
We cannot wait till the world is sane
to raise our songs with joyful voice,
for to share our grief, to touch our pain,
God came with Love: Rejoice! Rejoice!
Madeleine L’Engle, First Coming, from A Cry Like a Bell
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