sermon notes January 5

Luther famously said that God became small for us at christmas for us to be able to get over our fear. He is right, but the Incarnation goes much further

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We read John 1 at Christmas Eve, but it is such a signal piece of Scripture that I am pleased that we have some time to hear it again. We are placed in the intersection of Greek and Hebrew culture,  to try to come to grips with the meaning of the season. John 1 is a sophisticated prologue to the gospel, but it is also such an important meditation on the incarnation.Instead of speaking of  a supernatural birth, John talks about a supernatural interface between the divine so called word, idea, logic, vision for us  and Jesus Christ. John takes Greek ideas and sees God’s idea be given birth in  Jesus Christ. Our scriptures  are already translated, but also we constantly are translating the ancient world to our current condition. some of that seems to reflect stable human nature  Always  the bible has its historical background, and what we bring to our reading, but it also creates a reality all of 9its own in its pages. One of the saddest lines of Scripture is here, he came unto his own and his own received him not. It would be a hint toward this of coming home for Christmas and being kicked out of the house upon arrival.So God’s own vision for humanity was and is rejected by  some as well as accepted, often by  the most surprising of people. So, here we see that a clear revelation of the plan of God for humanity is in Jesus Christ, but also the clearest view for us of the divine plan is in Jesus  Christ, full of grace and truth is quite lovely, no?

Its image of light moves directly to epiphany, light shining around, a manifestation or a demonstration in english. We move toward the end of the Christmas season with a move out into the wide world as magi from the mysterious East visit Jesus, only partially understanding what they were encountering. Revelation does not have to be a blinding damascus road experience, but it can be partial, and we can grow into it. Maybe this year we can pledge not only dollars to the budget, and thank you for that, but to pledge to reflect and work on some piece of revelation and let it grow within us,to let it shine within us. the early church embellished the Magi story a bit. The gifts of gold led to Psalm 72 and the areas mentioned there is how we have assigned ethnicity to the Magi.  I sometimes wonder if they are then replicas for the three sons of Noah who were the biblical progenitors of Asians, Africans, and Europeans.

One can be in the light but still not be enlightened, not illuminated. the Magi are in the presence of Christ but are clueless as to waht they see. they bring christmas presents but we assign their meaning, not them.The story of the Magi is a classic example at how we come to read a story 8in the light of Scripture itself.

How shall 2014 manifest itself?MI pray for the radiance of god to permeate our being and our lives.  Let’s take some images from Jeremiah’s lectionary reading this morning. It speaks of life as a watered garden: cared for , fussed over, well-tended.