Christmas Eve 2016 Lk. 2 Is. 9-Is. 9 birth that announced Emmanuel in a tough time-
-no room in the upper room/guest room-Upper room and communion all the readings point to messianic features-the expected one
Luke says that the angels greeted the shepherds in the fields. They are transformed from the military power of the host of heaven into an angelic chorus, similar to when we have the Air force Band play locally.I vividly recall one Christmas Eve when I went to a nursing home to work with this reading with a number of dementia patients there. I decided to sing some hymns with them. For the first verse, most of the dementia residents could sing a carol, even though they had long ago lost their ability to read.
Following Dickens Christmas stories often deal with a poor child and a special gift. --Knows the year by political leasders at a time when Roman Emperors collected titles, including divine ones.Christmas peace v. Roman peace Pax Romana or Americana--Shepherds as a sign of across the board inclusion humility embodied--Manger from Isaiah perhaps feeding trough-feed by a miracle-feeds us spiritually in Communion romantic or dirty animal section of the house; some say a cave-Original may have been made of stone or even clay (bricks?) ox eats around 30-40lbs of hay a day. Usually, animals were kept for the night inside the house, a version of a garage.
Jerome wrote his great Latin translation of the Bible in a cave near the traditional site of the Nativity.The church of the nativity was built by Constantine of course. Over the years it was felled by fire, by earthquake and disrepair. Silver star was stolen. Marble was looted. The Ottoman empire ceded control of the area to religious groups who continue to vie over its use and liturgy. Now of course it is in occupied territory by the Israelis, and the Palestinians have sought to help restore the church just recently,as the roof is leaking and some .We have our own silver star here. So the one born and laid in a feeding trough continues to a have a difficult nativity site. Three groups try to share it, and they have gotten into a rock throwing riot when arguing about dusting the light fixtures.One procession will follow another and some jostling occurs. ON the other hand, if there were a number of animals in the guest area of a house in Bethlehem,Ii bet there was some pushing about as well. May have been the site of a temple to Adonis. Helena had the church built on her pilgrimage where she selected sites for a number of churches. Door of humility to repel looters-I recently learned of the nativity Stone, allegedly from the cave in Bethlehem and is made into jewelry.Hidden from view of Rome and hidden, elusive God in this new mixture of presence in the baby jesus.as Luther said, here is the God whom we cna embrace without fear, God made small enough for us.
Background of one or two hymns Where children pure and happy/Pray to the blessed Child,
Where misery cries out to thee,Son of the undefiled;Where charity stands watching
And faith holds wide the door,The dark night wakes, the glory breaks,And Christmas comes once more. Brooks rode on horseback to Bethlehem on Christmas Eve 1865 and joined in christmas Eve services there. O Little town of Bethlehem for a sunday School program.the tune came in the middle of the night for Rednerr. .Manger lies within. The manger is in every church, not only as a symbol but a reality of holding the life of Jesus here.
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