"In the beginning..." Sermon for 2nd Sunday of Christmas 2021

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Sermon for Sunday 3 January 2021

Lutheran Church of the Redeemer, Jerusalem

The Rev. Carrie Ballenger

2nd Sunday of Christmas

John 1:1-18

 

May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable unto you O Lord, my rock and my redeemer. Amen.


Hello, 2021. I’m so very glad to meet you!

It’s been a little while since I was so eager to shut the door on one year and welcome a new one.

Maybe the last time was New Year’s Day 2004. 2003 had been a year that started with the sudden death of my father-in-law in January, and things only went downhill from there. Those 12 months included two miscarriages, a risky move across the country from Minnesota to Texas in a moving truck paid for (literally) with pocket change, the end of my sibling’s marriage, a health crisis and cancer scare for our not-yet-3 year-old, and then my beloved grandmother fell terribly ill while visiting us at Thanksgiving.

Oh, I was so very glad to say goodbye to that awful year.

And yet…just like this year, I also remember feeling a strange mix of emotions when the new year 2004 rolled around. Although the move to a new state many miles away had been difficult, my family had been welcomed warmly by neighbors and colleagues and new friends. Although losing pregnancies was terrible, I received wonderful loving care from midwives and friends.

In the midst of our 3 year old’s health crisis, our new church community in Texas stepped up and was right there with us during the scariest parts—praying with us, sitting with us in the hospital, and rejoicing when the results were better than expected. And while my grandmother recovered somewhat, and was able to return home, 2003 was the last year when I knew her as fully herself—warm, faithful, funny, and a wonderful cook.

I heard someone recently say they were so very happy to see the ass end of 2020. I heartily agree. As my uncle said the other day: Don’t let the door hit you where the good Lord split you, 2020.

And still…as much as has been lost this past year, I am mindful of how much good there was. Memories were made. Babies were born. Love blossomed and grew. Friendships have been strengthened and renewed, even online. New talents have been discovered. Above all, vaccines have been developed and are being distributed! Thanks be to God.

Every year holds exactly 525,600 minutes. Some good, some bad. Some we wish would last forever! And some we can’t wait to forget. As we say in Arabic: Heik ildanya. This is life.

As we welcome the year 2021, I think of the many books I read this year. Some I would recommend, and some I wish I hadn’t spent money or time on. I would say 2020 is in the “zero stars, would not recommend” category. I mean, the plot was terrible! I’m very happy to close the covers on it and put it back on the shelf.

But you know what? I’m not giving up on reading. In fact, I’m eager to dive into the story of 2021. We don’t know the plot yet. We don’t know how the characters will develop. But we do know one thing: We know how it begins.

For as we heard in today’s Gospel reading from John:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being 4in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.

Dear friends, in the beginning is the Word.

In the beginning is light, and love.

In the beginning is God.

In the beginning is always God.

Each year begins in love—the love of God for this whole messed up world.

Each year begins in creativity—God’s creative power which is the foundation of our very being.

Each year begins with light—the light of Christ, the Prince of Peace, our friend and our brother, who has come to establish justice and set the captives free.

The truth is, we never know what tomorrow will bring. Last year at this time, could any of us have predicted the extraordinary events of 2020? But as the old Gospel song says: We know who holds tomorrow. We know who holds us! That someone is the God of love, of light, of mercy, and of grace.

On Christmas Day, the 9 year old twins of a friend came by for a visit. They are not very familiar with the Christmas story, so they were fascinated by the many nativities I have displayed around the house. One of them, Sarai, said “Carrie—why do you have so many babies? Here’s a baby and here’s a baby and here’s another baby…” I told her that although they all look different, all of them are actually the same baby, and on Christmas, we celebrate the birthday of this baby, whose name is Jesus! I was about to continue the story, but Sarai just looked at me strangely and then went to admire the Christmas tree. For her, the beginning was enough.

But this little interaction got me thinking: of course Christmas is about the baby Jesus. But it’s about much more than that. The story doesn’t end there. Christmas is just the beginning.

When we look at our nativity scenes, with Mary and Joseph and the baby Jesus, the camels and wise men and angels, we don’t only see the beginning of the story. As followers of Jesus, when we see the baby in the manger, we see the whole story. We know that this baby will become a teacher and a healer. We know that this baby will be persecuted, arrested, and beaten for his radical message of love and mercy. And we know that this baby will one day be crucified, buried and on the third day raised from the dead.

When we sing “Silent Night, Holy Night, all is calm, all is bright” we’re also  singing in our hearts “Were you there when they crucified my Lord” and at the same time, “Jesus Christ is risen today”. We know that through this baby, born in Bethlehem, crucified and risen in Jerusalem, the world has received grace upon grace upon grace upon grace. The beginning is beautiful…but so is the end, and so are all the days in between.

On January 2, 1942, the American folk singer Woody Guthrie wrote down a list of 33 things he called “New Year Rulins”—what we might call resolutions. He resolves to eat good, to write a song a day, to read lots of good books, to love mama, papa, and Pete, among other things. But my favorite is number 19, which says “Keep hoping machine running.” As we open the pages of 2021, not knowing what comes next, I pray we can all keep our hoping machines running—for the sake of our children, for the sake of our neighbors, for the sake of the world.

Thanks be to God, we don’t need to do it all on our own. It’s not all up to us to keep our hoping machines in good order! As we are reminded today, the love of God in Christ Jesus is the beginning and the end of every year, it is the beginning and the end of every story, and it is the fuel that will keep our hoping machines running in 2021, no matter what tomorrow holds.

May the peace of God which passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

 

Almighty God,

who sent the Holy Spirit to Mary,

proclaimed joy through the angels,

sent the shepherds with good news,

and led the magi by a star,

bless you this day through the Word made flesh.

Amen.


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