Sermon by The Very Rev Chris Yaw, 12/24/2023, Christmas Eve, 10pm
Centering Prayer
Lord Jesus Christ,
Son of God,
May your will be done,
through me.
Let me tell you about my friend Joyce –
She is one of the most gifted woodworkers I know –
She looks at a piece of wood and can immediately see things I could never see.
The problem was that she was born into a world of academics!
Her parents were high up in administration at a prestigious college –
And her siblings all excelled at school – and every one of them has a PhD.
And no matter how hard her parents worked to interest Joyce in scholastics – from buying her books, getting her tutors, to sending her off to various debating camps where she had to study even more – Joyce hated it.
What she loved was working with her hands.
And finally, when she turned 10 her parents picked up on it and sent her to a Saturday group that met at a local woodworkers.
She talks about sitting in a circle that very first Saturday as the students went around the room introducing themselves and telling why they were there. Joyce was awestruck at the company she had found.
And when it came Joyce’s turn, she began to cry. Everybody wondered what was wrong.
Then Joyce unpacked her story about how, ever since she could remember, she had a love and admiration for wooden objects and always wanted to be in a woodworker’s shop – she said,
“I’m not crying because I’m sad – “I’m crying because of you all – my fellow
“This is the first time ever, I feel known, accepted, and loved."
Which isn't just Joyce's story -
But on this Holy Night -
On this Christmas night -
When heaven and earth meet -
As the savior's arrival two-thousand years ago marks -
We too entertain the notion that we are known, accepted, and loved.
This is great news, indeed, worth telling on a mountain - because we are a world in distress -
The surgeon general says our nation faces an epidemic of loneliness and isolation-
Over the last 15 years, the number of teens who say they have persistent feelings of 'sadness and hopelessness' has shot up from 26%-44% .
36% of American adults say they feel lonely 'frequently' or 'most of the time.' And an amazing 54% of Americans report that no one else on the face of the planet 'Gets' them.
That's a lot of us - who need Christmas -
Because, what happens at Christmas?
Somebody 'gets' you.
Somebody knows you, accepts you, and loves you.
------------------------
Earlier this week I'm driving with the 5 year old -
He announces that he's gotten his older brother a Christmas gift!
He says, "I know James' favorite color is red, so I got him a red cap and red gloves.'
I said, 'O, and did you tell this to mom?'
'Nope.'
'Who did you tell it to?'
'Santa.'
'Oh. Did you write a letter?'
'No'
'Did you tell your teacher?'
'No.'
'Then how does Santa know?'
'I told him in my head - because Santa knows!'
Good think Santa knows!
And now Dad does too - so I can run out to Target and tell the elves!
The essence of the Incarnation - as Jesus' birth is called -
Is this sense that now God KNOWS what it's like to go through life like you and I do.
He knows laughter,
He knows pain,
He knows love,
He knows suffering.
And if no one else in the world 'gets' you - Jesus does - because Jesus has been here.
And Jesus comes to a world that is filled with people who want to be known.
As someone who used to get paid to ask questions, I have found that people, in general, don't want to be silent about themselves, they want to tell you everything.
People like to talk about themselves, their opinions, their feelings - people are longing to be asked questions about themselves. More people want to get into deep conversations than you think.
A 2012 Harvard study found that people took more pleasure from sharing information about themselves than they did than from receiving money.
This is what Jesus does - he knows us!
In Jesus you are known, accepted and loved.
---------
My friend Frank took a job in High School at McDonald's.
While he was still training, a guy walked in and ordered a Big Mac and chocolate shake.
My friend watched him go sit down in a booth.
After the man had eaten half of his Big Mac, drank most of his shake -
He jammed the Big Mac into the shake and walked up to the counter.
He asked for the manager and said, 'There's a Big Mac in my shake.'
The manager immediately got the man a new burger and shake.
My friend was aghast!
'Why did you do that?'
'Because our policy is to accept any food return.'
Now before you all make for a mad rush to McDonald's tonight - let's consider the notion that God accepts us no matter what shape we're in.
One of the biggest impediments you and I face in our spiritual journeys is not from an erroneous understanding of a wrathful, judgmental God - but from a near impossible, uphill battle against the voices in our heads that tell us how unworthy we are.
Christmas isn't just for the holy, sanctified, frozen chosen - But for the dirty, outcast shepherds, and unimportant peasants somewhere in the backwaters of the Roman Empire.
Did you notice our reading from the book of Titus tonight -
"For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all..."
Not some, not a few - but to all of us.
If you're like so many of us - you came to Christmas feeling unworthy, unholy, and totally undeserving of this gift of light into our dark worlds. But Christmas is all about gifts - so brace yourselves:
You are known, you are accepted, you are loved.
--------
For the first time in a long time us football fans are having a great Christmas -
Michigan is doing great - hope they can finally win against an SEC team...
And the Lions!
Too many of us are waiting for the other shoe to drop - but so far it's been a great ride!
And I won't ask Santa how many of the gifts under your tree have Wolverine and Lions sweatshirts, jackets, hats and t-shirts just so we can make sure to take full advantage of our well-earned bragging rights!
You've undoubtedly got someone in some other city who's in competition with you over who's the best!
Indeed, ours is a highly competitive world!
We go head-to-head at work
At play-
In what we acquire-
In where we travel-
In what we post on Instagram
Since so much of our world is a competition,
We can come to believe that this is also true in religion - God - that God loves people based on how good they are, how charitable, kind, and thoughtful they are.
But tonight, the love of God speaks very profoundly about our human desire to compete -
For, in the glorious plan of God's love - there is no such thing as competition.
No one is any better than another -
For God loves the first and the last - the successful and the failure - the winner and the loser.
Maybe you've come tonight and you're feeling far from God because of what you've done or what you've not done -
Most of us tend to think, to one degree or another, God loves some people more than others -
But the magic of Christmas is a big cancellation on that: You are loved for who you are and not what you've done -
In this manger -
You are known, accepted, and unconditionally loved - no exceptions!
------------
Two Englishmen are on a huge cruise ship -
It hits an iceberg and sinks.
The two strangers both swim to opposite sides of a small island.
And they go about making lives for themselves.
Then, after 7 years, a passing freighter comes near, is signaled, and stops at the island.
After picking up both men,
The Captain discovers they don't know each other!
They've lived on opposite sides of a very small island, yet they had never once communicated!
"Why?" asks the captain, "Haven't you ever, once, met?!?"
In unison they say, "We've never been properly introduced!"
Too many people are sitting alone, waiting for an introduction.
They're scared, they're lonely, and they're waiting.
For you.
This is what the Christmas Action Step is all about.
Thanks to the love of God, we leave here changed for the better -
More aware of the light of God shed forth -
More inspired to respond to that light: God's profound gesture to know, accept, and love us.
George Bernard Shaw famously said that the worst sin we can commit against another person is not to hate them - But to treat them with indifference, to act as if they do not exist.
In that manger, God says that every one of us do exist -
And our marching orders are to go tell the world, one by one, person by person, that this includes them!
The highest form of love there is: to truly, actively, ambitiously work to know others -
This is our call and our homework:
Friends, go from here:
Visit the sick,
Tend to the lonely,
Pay attention to the barista, the busboy, and the bar keep:
Make time for the troubled, the forgotten, and the lowly.
This is what Jesus does -
The best adoration is imitation - so come, let us adore him.
Amen.