1) After Chjristmas itself one can go a number of ways with this passage. One is to make an end of ht eyear recoutning of all the good things that happened to our world on the public stage. Get serious about this and look at a run through of the end of the year accounts if need be.
2) One could go the opposite way and speak of Christmas distress. It could be the letdown after the holiday, it could be a list of end of the year distress in the news.
3) I like v. 8 very much for its emphaisis on the presence of God with the people. No, not an angelic messenger or demigod, but the sheer presence of god radiating in everyday life saves us.
4) the final verse tells us much about god of Bethlehem and knocks down the stupid OT God is primitive and NT God is kind to be malarkey. The parental compasison of carrying them as in days of old is quite moving.As the year closes, surely many people need that sense of comfort,as they have a hard time facing another year or another new year's eve alone.
5) I need to work through the meaning of a people who will not deal falsely as to its extent and context, as well as sheer content. If it has an economic basis, this could be a good place ot speak of Christian ethics in light of all the outpouring of charity but pacuity of justice at this time of year.
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