December 24, 2009
9:00 PM
Grace Church
Rev. Robert E. Hensley

Isaiah 9:2-7; Psalm 96; Titus 2:11-14; Luke 2:1-20

Let us pray.

“Come, my Light, and illumine my darkness.

Come, my Life, and revive me from death.

Come, my Physician, and heal my wounds.

Come, Flame of divine love, and burn up the thorns of my sins, kindling

      My heart with the flame of thy love.

Come, my King, sit upon the throne of my heart and reign there.

For thou alone art my King and my Lord.  Amen.”

(Prayer of St. Dimitrii of Rostov, 17th Century)

      The Gospel Story that we have just heard is probably one of the most read and most beloved of any passage in scripture.  It brings to mind not only our earliest memories of Church, with Christmas Carols and pageants, but it reminds me vividly of the pageant that was put on by the children in the Sunday school my last Christmas at St. Margaret’s in Washington, DC.  This story is as old as our memories, but it was made new for me in that particular re-telling, thanks to the collective creative genius of all of those involved.  Cardboard hotels, video projections dripping with subtext that I suspect were but a foretaste of Christmas pageants yet to come.  In that particular version the pageant there were, as in most pageants, a whole lot of shepherds and some very unique and unusual angels…some complete with sunglasses and feather boas.    The reason being that there were so many angels that the costume department ran out of wings, but this new Angelic wardrobe which would give Carson Kressley and the Fab Five some tough competition, was wonderfully appropriate for St M’s. 

      One of the comforts to those who direct Christmas pageants is the fact that while there may be a finite number of shepherds, the heavenly host is vast and infinite, and there is always room for more!  While we are limited to one Mary, one Joseph and three wise men, or as in that particular telling, three wise women, there are virtually no limits on the number of angels. So, the child who is new, or shy, or rowdy, will always have a place in the dramatization of this story. And just as it was with the original event, everything is pretty ordinary until the angels arrive.  Just like the hip, cool angels are just another manifestation of a new and vibrant generation seeking to make the old stories relevant for their time; the angels that appeared to the shepherds in that particular pageant were something new and completely different.

      And everything was changed…changed for all time.

      Since those shepherds that were keeping watch in the fields that first Christmas night didn’t have sunglasses, they are terrified at first by all of the light, all of that glory and the presence of the heralding Angel. The first thing out of the Angel's mouth was simply, "Don't be afraid."  It was not an announcement of the plan of Salvation History or a reading of The Ten Commandments. There were no complicated statements of doctrine or learned exposition of the Holy Trinity. There was no brilliant recitation of the Apostolic Succession, or an apology for the validity of Anglican Orders. The annual budget was not presented. In fact it did not resemble a church meeting much at all. The message was simple and straightforward: "Don't be afraid." I have some very good news for you: "You can be filled with joy; everyone can." "There is a new born baby." "The baby is the Savior." "The baby is the Anointed one of God." "The baby is the Lord." "And, what’s more, you can find that baby." "You can touch, you can see, you can even hold that baby!"

            Then the entire Angel Choir, the ones with wings, the ones with sunglasses and the ones with the feather boas simply cannot hold back any more and they started to sing. “Glory to God in the Highest!  And peace to all people on earth!”

      When the angels were through singing the Shepherds went and checked it out.  And you know what?  It was exactly the way the Angel said it was. Then the Shepherds started singing, too.

      My friends, that story still means now exactly what it meant when it originally happened. The message and the meaning are still the same.   And for all people of faith, for all of us who believe, we are still singing. 

      And the Angel herald is still telling us that simple beautiful message: ”Don't be afraid.” Whatever it is in your life that causes you fear, whether it be family problems or illness, the threat of war or terrorism real or imagined, the message is that you do not ever have to be afraid again!  We never have to be afraid because we can still see, we can still touch, and we can still hold the Savior.   We can still sing praises to God.

      In the same way that there is always room in the Angel Choir for one more child, even if that child eats way too much chocolate and acts up at the dress rehearsal, there is always room for one more soul in the embrace of God's love, even if that soul messes up royally in that long dress rehearsal for eternity in heaven that we call life.

      This is a wonderful story…and it is some very, very good news.  Let the hope that is in you overcome your fears. We really do have a Savior, and that Savior is Jesus, Emmanuel, God with us, born this night in a back alley in Bethlehem.   

      “Glory to God in the Highest Heaven!  And Peace, Shalom, Salaam alaikum to All People on Earth!”  Amen.