Please read Luke 2:1-7
“When Christmas morn is dawning, I wish that I
could be
There by the manger cradle, God’s son, newborn, to see.
There by
the manger cradle, God’s Son, newborn, to see.”
Christmas Eve. Does
Christmas Eve mean relief that the season is drawing to an end? As I write this,
a local radio station has already been playing Christmas music for two weeks.
Christmas displays are out before Halloween! True, Christians stole secular
traditions such as winter solstice lighting of trees, but we have allowed the
secular world to steal the truth of Advent anticipation from us. Let me
rephrase that: it’s one thing for the secular world to do what it does; it is
not so fine that we allow the meaning of our faith to be steamrollered by the
secular and commercial world. Christmas Eve becomes the “last minute” for
attending to secular desires and holiday preparations instead of searching for
the manger cradle, “God’s Son, newborn, to see.”
“How kind of you, our
Savior, for us to come to earth.
O may we not by sinning, despise your lowly
birth.
O may we not by sinning, despise your lowly birth.”
Through
the birth of the human child Jesus, we receive the revelation of God to us. In
a prayer, Professor Laurence Hull Stookey petitions: “Grant that, being born in
our hearts, he may save us from all our sins, and restore within us the image
and likeness of our Creator.” Jesus Christ, born into this world, is the gift
of our salvation from sin and death. What does it say about us to receive the
gift of salvation if we then willfully displease to God? “O may we not by
sinning despise your lowly birth.”
On this Christmas Eve, let your mind
and heart feel the emotion of God’s tender love for this world. Focus away from
secular concerns toward the love radiating from a cow’s feed bin. Heaven knows,
this hurting, struggling world needs God’s love! In the experiences of our
lives, WE need God’s love! More importantly, don’t we have some tender love to
share?
Let this be our prayer:
“We need you, O Lord Jesus, to be
our dearest friend.
Your love will guard and guide us and keep us to life’s
end.
Your love will guard and guide us and keep us to life’s
end.”
The poetry is attributed to Elisabeth Ehrenborg-Posse, translated
by Joel Lundeen. It is set to a German folk tune in our United Methodist hymnal
and reflects the reading from Luke. May God’s full blessings be yours this
Christmas Eve. See you this evening, Christmas Eve at Johnson Memorial! Merry
Christmas! Love, Jack Lipphardt
Rev. Jack Lipphardt
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