Christmas Dawn 2009, Morning Star

Christmas II

Luke 2: 1-20

Now is proclaimed the [middle of the Gospel[s], according to Luke in the second chapter.

Now it came to pass in those days that a proclamation went out from Caesar Augustus that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone set out to be enrolled, each to the town of his ancestors.

So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David which is called Bethlehem, because he belonged to the house and lineage of David. He went to be enrolled with Mary his betrothed. And Mary was with child. And it came to pass that while they were there, the time was fulfilled for her to be delivered. And she bore her son, her first-born. And she wrapped him in linen and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks in the night. And an angel of the Lord came upon them [appeared before them] and the light of the revelation of God shone about them. And great fear came upon them [they felt the fear of fears].

But the angel said to them,

“Do not be afraid; for I announce to you a great joy, which shall be for all men on earth: today is born unto you the Bringer of Healing, in the city of David,

Christ the Lord.

And this shall be a sign for you: you will find a little child wrapped in linen, lying in a manger.”

And suddenly around the angel was the fullness of the heavenly angelic hosts: their song of praise sounded forth to the highest:

God’s Spirit reveals itself in the heights

And brings peace to men of earth

In whose hearts good will dwells!

And as the angels withdrew from them into the heavens, the shepherds said to one another:

“Let us go to Bethlehem to see the fulfillment of the Word that has happened here, which the Lord let be proclaimed.”

And they came hastening, and found both Mary and Joseph, and the babe lying in the manger. And when they had seen, they made known the Word that was spoken to them concerning this child. [or, When they saw that, they understood what had been told them concerning this child.] And all who heard it were astonished about what the shepherds said.

But Mary treasured [preserved] all these words, pondering them [turning them over] in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God to everyone for everything they had heard and seen, which was just as it had been announced to them. 

Christmas II, Dawn

December 25, 2009

Luke 2, 1-20

In night’s darkness we struggle to see. We wrestle perhaps with fears, in fitful sleep. But at last the dawn arrives. We feel an opening, surrounded by the light of a tender hope.

The dawn breaks in the East afar

I welcome Thee, my morning star

Give us thy light, I ever pray

Or we shall still in darkness stay. ….

Our hope quells our uneasiness, and brings us a measure of peace.

The birth of the Christ Child arrives like a new dawn for humanity. The inner soul darkness and fear give way to the peacefulness of hope, as we regard the tiny child. For He is the reassurance and promise of God’s love.

God’s Word, our morning star Thou art;

We cannot live from Thee apart.

Drive out the power of darkness bold,

That love in us shall ne’er grow cold. [1]

And therein lies the promise of peace on earth—that we take this Child into our hearts; that we learn to live connected with Him; that we radiate His love out into the world. Our hope of peace on earth rests on one single foundation: that His love, working in and through us, not be allowed to grow cold.

www.thechristiancommunity.org

---

[1] “The Dawn Breaks”, author unknown.

Christmas Dawn, 2010, The Weight is Love

Christmas II

Luke 2: 1-20

(The middle of the four Gospels)

Now it came to pass in those days that a proclamation went out from Caesar Augustus that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone set out to be enrolled, each to the town of his ancestors.

So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David which is called Bethlehem, because he belonged to the house and lineage of David. He went to be enrolled with Mary his betrothed. And Mary was with child. And it came to pass that while they were there, the time was fulfilled for her to be delivered. And she bore her son, her first-born. And she wrapped him in linen and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks in the night. And an angel of the Lord came upon them [appeared before them] and the light of the revelation of God shone about them. And great fear came upon them [they felt the fear of fears].

But the angel said to them,

“Do not be afraid; for I announce to you a great joy, which shall be for all men on earth: today is born unto you the Bringer of Healing, in the city of David,

Christ the Lord.

And this shall be a sign for you: you will find a little child wrapped in linen, lying in a manger.”

And suddenly around the angel was the fullness of the heavenly angelic hosts: their song of praise sounded forth to the highest:

God’s Spirit reveals itself in the heights

And brings peace to men of earth

In whose hearts good will dwells!

And as the angels withdrew from them into the heavens, the shepherds said to one another:

“Let us go to Bethlehem to see the fulfillment of the Word that has happened here, which the Lord let be proclaimed.”

And they came hastening, and found both Mary and Joseph, and the babe lying in the manger. And when they had seen, they made known the Word that was spoken to them concerning this child. [or, When they saw that, they understood what had been told them concerning this child.] And all who heard it were astonished about what the shepherds said.

But Mary treasured [preserved] all these words, pondering them [turning them over] in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God to everyone for everything they had heard and seen, which was just as it had been announced to them. 

Christmas II Dawn

December 25, 2010

Luke 2: 1-20

The mother gazes down at her little one. She cradles his weight in her arms. The child reaches up, its hand touches her mouth. She kisses the little fingers and speaks to him of her love: with all my heart, she says, I promise you that I will nourish and protect you. They are surrounded by a tender warmth and light.

Such is the experience of every mother and her newborn.

Today another child is being born. This child is love incarnate, born eternally, born to us. We bear his weight. He touches our lips; He warms us from within with His love, gives us strength and encouragement for action.

Arild Rosenkrantz

Today He is born within us, love incarnate. We promise, like Mary, to nourish and protect this love within. Like Mary we treasure Him in our hearts. We ponder there the angelic words accompanying his arrival: God’s Spirit of Love reveals itself in the heights, and brings peace to those on earth in whom good will dwells.

As the poet suggests:

The weight of the world

is love.

Under the burden

of solitude,

under the burden

of dissatisfaction

the weight,

the weight we carry

is love.[1]

www.thechristiancommunity.org

---

[1] Alan Ginsberg, “Song”, (Collected Poems 1947-1980)

Christmas Dawn 2011, In the Middle

Christmas II

Luke 2: 1-20

(The middle of the four Gospels) 

Now it came to pass in those days that a proclamation went out from Caesar Augustus that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone set out to be enrolled, each to the town of his ancestors.

So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David which is called Bethlehem, because he belonged to the house and lineage of David. He went to be enrolled with Mary his betrothed. And Mary was with child. And it came to pass that while they were there, the time was fulfilled for her to be delivered. And she bore her son, her first-born. And she wrapped him in linen and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks in the night. And an angel of the Lord came upon them [appeared before them] and the light of the revelation of God shone about them. And great fear came upon them [they felt the fear of fears].

But the angel said to them,

“Do not be afraid; for I announce to you a great joy, which shall be for all men on earth: today is born unto you the Bringer of Healing, in the city of David,

Christ the Lord.

And this shall be a sign for you: you will find a little child wrapped in linen, lying in a manger.”

And suddenly around the angel was the fullness of the heavenly angelic hosts: their song of praise sounded forth to the highest:

God’s Spirit reveals itself in the heights

And brings peace to men of earth

In whose hearts good will dwells!

And as the angels withdrew from them into the heavens, the shepherds said to one another:

“Let us go to Bethlehem to see the fulfillment of the Word that has happened here, which the Lord let be proclaimed.”

And they came hastening, and found both Mary and Joseph, and the babe lying in the manger. And when they had seen, they made known the Word that was spoken to them concerning this child. [or, When they saw that, they understood what had been told them concerning this child.] And all who heard it were astonished about what the shepherds said.

But Mary treasured [preserved] all these words, pondering them [turning them over] in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God to everyone for everything they had heard and seen, which was just as it had been announced to them. 

Christmas II, Dawn

December 25, 2011

Luke 2:1-20

We are in the middle; in the midst of a great event, a great day. And at the middle is a beginning.

An angel comes to announce the joyous dawning of a new age of mankind—an age of healing. And it begins with a tiny child, from whose eyes there pours all of God’s love for humankind. We are assured that we will find the child when we seek him.

We are in the middle. Human beings are the centerpiece of God’s creation, ratified by the fact that He sent His Son to become one of us. We are in the middle—and at the beginning. The new day has dawned. Human hearts are the dwelling place for His peace. He warms and strengthens the goodness of human will. Human speech is the bearer of His comfort, His healing and His love. And so we say with the poet:

Thou whose face gives grace

As the sun's doth heat,

Let thy sunbright face

Lighten time and space

Here beneath thy feet.

Bid our peace increase,

Thou that madest morn;

Bid oppressions cease;

Bid the night be peace;

Bid the day be born.[1]

---

[1] From “Christmas Antiphones” by Algernon Charles Swinburne

Picture: Sunrise over Lake

Christmas Dawn 2012, New World Image

Christmas II

Luke 2: 1-20

(The middle of the Gospels, according to Luke in the second chapter.)

Now it came to pass in those days that a proclamation went out from Caesar Augustus that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone set out to be enrolled, each to the town of his ancestors.

So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David which is called Bethlehem, because he belonged to the house and lineage of David. He went to be enrolled with Mary his betrothed. And Mary was with child. And it came to pass that while they were there, the time was fulfilled for her to be delivered. And she bore her son, her first-born. And she wrapped him in linen and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks in the night. And an angel of the Lord came upon them [appeared before them] and the light of the revelation of God shone about them. And great fear came upon them [they felt the fear of fears].

But the angel said to them,

“Do not be afraid; for I announce to you a great joy, which shall be for all men on earth: today is born unto you the Bringer of Healing, in the city of David,

Christ the Lord.

And this shall be a sign for you: you will find a little child wrapped in linen, lying in a manger.”

And suddenly around the angel was the fullness of the heavenly angelic hosts: their song of praise sounded forth to the highest:

God’s Spirit reveals itself in the heights

And brings peace to men of earth

In whose hearts good will dwells!

And as the angels withdrew from them into the heavens, the shepherds said to one another:

“Let us go to Bethlehem to see the fulfillment of the Word that has happened here, which the Lord let be proclaimed.”

And they came hastening, and found both Mary and Joseph, and the babe lying in the manger. And when they had seen, they made known the Word that was spoken to them concerning this child. [or, When they saw that, they understood what had been told them concerning this child.] And all who heard it were astonished about what the shepherds said.

But Mary treasured [preserved] all these words, pondering them [turning them over] in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God to everyone for everything they had heard and seen, which was just as it had been announced to them. 

Christmas II, Dawn

December 5, 2012

Luke 2: 1-20

An old legend describes the first gift to the Christ Child very early Christmas morning. Mary and Joseph and the Child are settling, in the quiet light. The door opens to the figure of an ancient woman. She is dressed all in gray, with a hood covering her face. Mary is concerned. Slowly, with each step an eternity, the woman approaches. As she comes to the crib, the Child awakens, and Mary notices that the eyes of both are the same. The old one bends down over the Child, and her hand brings forth something from under her gray mantle; she hands it to the Child—His first gift.

The old figure straightens, as if freed from a great weight. Her face shines wonderfully young. Her head rises nearly to the rafters. She moves away, and disappears into the night.

Eve, for it was she, had come to bring the Child, as His first gift, the red apple of the first sin, the calamity of all mankind. And now the apple shines golden in the Child’s little hand, the image of a new world that was born with Him. 

www.thechristiancommunity.org

Christmas Midnight 2007, Threads of Destinies

Christmas I, Midnight

Matthew 1: 1-25

[Now is proclaimed the beginning of the whole Gospel, according to Matthew in the first chapter.]

This is the book of the new creation, which has happened through Jesus Christ [or, the generation of Jesus Christ], a son of David, who is a son of Abraham.

 Abraham was the father of Isaac,

   Isaac the father of Jacob,

   Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers,

 Judah the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar,

   Perez the father of Hezron,

   Hezron the father of Ram,

  Ram the father of Amminadab,

   Amminadab the father of Nahshon,

   Nahshon the father of Salmon,

  Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab,

Ruth and Boaz, Koch

   Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth,

   Obed the father of Jesse,

  and Jesse the father of King David.

   David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah’s wife,

  Solomon the father of Rehoboam,

   Rehoboam the father of Abijah,

   Abijah the father of Asa,

  Asa the father of Jehoshaphat,

   Jehoshaphat the father of Jehoram,

   Jehoram the father of Uzziah,

  Uzziah the father of Jotham,

   Jotham the father of Ahaz,

   Ahaz the father of Hezekiah,

  Hezekiah the father of Manasseh,

   Manasseh the father of Amon,

   Amon the father of Josiah,

  and Josiah the father of Jeconiah[c] and his brothers at the time of the exile to Babylon.

  After the exile to Babylon:

   Jeconiah was the father of Shealtiel,

   Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel,

  Zerubbabel the father of Abihud,

   Abihud the father of Eliakim,

   Eliakim the father of Azor,

  Azor the father of Zadok,

   Zadok the father of Akim,

   Akim the father of Elihud,

  Elihud the father of Eleazar,

   Eleazar the father of Matthan,

   Matthan the father of Jacob,

  and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, and Mary was the mother of Jesus who is called the Messiah.

From Abraham to David are fourteen generations, from David to the deportation to Babylon are fourteen generations, and from the exile in Babylon to Christ are fourteen generations.

The birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way: Mary, his mother, was betrothed to Joseph. But before they were aware of having come together, she conceived a child by the power of the Holy Spirit. Joseph however, her husband, who was an upright man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, was considering whether he should quietly set her free [or, decided to consider all this a mystery.] As he was pondering this, behold the angel of the Lord appeared before him in a dream and said to him:

 “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because that which is to be born of her is conceived out of the power of the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall give him the name Jesus, that is, the Bringer of Healing, for he it will be who will heal his own of their error and guilt. “

All this took place so that the word of the Lord, spoken by the mouth of the prophet, might be fulfilled:

“A virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and they will call his name Immanuel, that is, God in our midst.”

           

Now when Joseph rose from his sleep he did as the angel of the Lord directed him, and he took Mary to himself as his wife, and he knew her not until she bore her son, and he gave him the name Jesus.  

Christmas I, Midnight

December 24-5, 2007

Matthew 1:1-25 [the beginning of all the Gospels]

The beauty of a Persian carpet is created by many hundreds of threads of different colors. At the beginning, these different threads appear to be separate; but eventually they will be woven together according to the plan of the weaver.

We hear tonight of a new creation. After forty-two generations, all is

Tree of Jesse

ready—the new divine human being is being conceived. The threads of all destinies are coming together. And this surpasseth human understanding. It is as though Joseph sees all the threads, but cannot see the pattern or purpose. Or perhaps knows God’s purpose, but cannot see how the threads are supposed to weave together.  And so Joseph offers his human thinking to the divine realm. And he aligns his will with the angel’s words: “Carry on together,” says the angel. “Do not separate. The Spirit of God is at work in this. Join us in this tremendous work of beauty. Your cooperation is vital to the plan.”

Every year Christ draws near to humanity. He seeks to renew His conception again in humankind. Within each of us there is a virginal element, a Mary-soul, able to conceive the Son of God in the depth of the heart. And in each of us there is also a rational element, a Joseph-soul who wonders what to do with all this. “Let her be fruitful,” the angel says to all of us. “Don’t pull away. Let the Holy Spirit enter you, so that you may conceive and know the Bringer of Healing in our midst, the Light of the World.”

Here, at midnight, our own complex souls can know and conceive the Light of the World; we too can speak the poetic words:

Late in winter

My heart is still a rose in bloom.
At night I need no candle or lamp,

For my soul has forever awakened

To there being just the reality

Of Light

And the wonderful Lawlessness of God.[1]

www.thechristiancommunity.org

---

[1] Hafiz, The Wonderful Lawlessness, in Tonight the Subject is Love, Daniel Ladinsky, p. 41.

Christmas Midnight 2008, Light Seed

Christmas I, Midnight

Matthew 1: 1-25

[Now is proclaimed the beginning of the whole Gospel, according to Matthew in the first chapter.]

This is the book of the new creation, which has happened through Jesus Christ [or, the generation of Jesus Christ], a son of David, who is a son of Abraham.

 Abraham was the father of Isaac,

   Isaac the father of Jacob,

Jacob's Ladder, Blake

   Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers,

 Judah the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar,

   Perez the father of Hezron,

   Hezron the father of Ram,

  Ram the father of Amminadab,

   Amminadab the father of Nahshon,

   Nahshon the father of Salmon,

  Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab,

   Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth,

   Obed the father of Jesse,

  and Jesse the father of King David.

   David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah’s wife,

  Solomon the father of Rehoboam,

   Rehoboam the father of Abijah,

   Abijah the father of Asa,

  Asa the father of Jehoshaphat,

   Jehoshaphat the father of Jehoram,

   Jehoram the father of Uzziah,

  Uzziah the father of Jotham,

   Jotham the father of Ahaz,

   Ahaz the father of Hezekiah,

  Hezekiah the father of Manasseh,

   Manasseh the father of Amon,

   Amon the father of Josiah,

  and Josiah the father of Jeconiah[c] and his brothers at the time of the exile to Babylon.

  After the exile to Babylon:

   Jeconiah was the father of Shealtiel,

   Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel,

  Zerubbabel the father of Abihud,

   Abihud the father of Eliakim,

   Eliakim the father of Azor,

  Azor the father of Zadok,

   Zadok the father of Akim,

   Akim the father of Elihud,

  Elihud the father of Eleazar,

   Eleazar the father of Matthan,

   Matthan the father of Jacob,

  and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, and Mary was the mother of Jesus who is called the Messiah.

From Abraham to David are fourteen generations, from David to the deportation to Babylon are fourteen generations, and from the exile in Babylon to Christ are fourteen generations.

The birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way: Mary, his mother, was betrothed to Joseph. But before they were aware of having come together, she conceived a child by the power of the Holy Spirit. Joseph however, her husband, who was an upright man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, was considering whether he should quietly set her free [or, decided to consider all this a mystery.] As he was pondering this, behold the angel of the Lord appeared before him in a dream and said to him:

 “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because that which is to be born of her is conceived out of the power of the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall give him the name Jesus, that is, the Bringer of Healing, for he it will be who will heal his own of their error and guilt. “

All this took place so that the word of the Lord, spoken by the mouth of the prophet, might be fulfilled:

“A virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and they will call his name Immanuel, that is, God in our midst.”

           

Now when Joseph rose from his sleep he did as the angel of the Lord directed him, and he took Mary to himself as his wife, and he knew her not until she bore her son, and he gave him the name Jesus.

Christmas I, Midnight

Matthew 1:1, and 17-25

December 25, 2008

Last summer, the plants began flowering in the long days of summer. The seeds, warmed in the chalice of the blossom, were raised to the light of the sun. And now those seeds dwell in the darkness of earth. Meanwhile the longest night has arrived. And yet, nevertheless, the sunlight is victorious over the dark. The sun is already sending its living light to quicken the seeds. Had we the proper eyes, we would see the first glimmerings of the spark of life around them.

Our souls too had their origins in sun-bright realms. We too have descended into the chaos of dark earth night.

Tonight, in the darkness of longest night, our souls awaken to the victory of light over the darkness. In deep earth night we feel the quickening. New life is streaming into the earth, and into our souls; for the Sun-God is descending from heights of heaven to depths of earth, bringing us the light of hope.

Tonight the Christ-Light is once again born in the realm of earth.

J. Schmid

He is…

the fountain of all lights, and sends

them flowing without fail, especially

the Light we cannot name, nor grasp,

forever racing far beyond our wits,

so that, with strong desire, we

might struggle all the more to touch

what extends so far beyond us.[1]

He brings the promise that our darkness will be overcome; he brings to light a new life.

It is by sharing the Life that Is

that every soul is quickened.[2]

He brings us His Light, so that human souls will fill themselves with the radiance of His good will; that human souls will radiate the light and warmth of His peace into the dark turbulence of our time. 

www.thechristiancommunity.org 

---

[1] St. Gregory of Nazianzos, “Spiritual Being”, in Love’s Immensity, Mystics on the Endless Life, by Scott Cairns, p. 38.

[2] St. Irenaeus, (125 – 210), “The Human Person”, in Love’s Immensity, Mystics on the Endless Life, by Scott Cairns, p. 6.

  

Christmas Midnight 2009, Spirit Light

Christmas I, Midnight

Matthew 1: 1-25

[Now is proclaimed the beginning of the whole Gospel, according to Matthew in the first chapter.]

This is the book of the new creation, which has happened through Jesus Christ [or, the generation of Jesus Christ], a son of David, who is a son of Abraham.

 Abraham was the father of Isaac,

   Isaac the father of Jacob,

   Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers,

 Judah the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar,

   Perez the father of Hezron,

   Hezron the father of Ram,

  Ram the father of Amminadab,

   Amminadab the father of Nahshon,

   Nahshon the father of Salmon,

  Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab,

   Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth,

   Obed the father of Jesse,

  and Jesse the father of King David.

   David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah’s wife,

  Solomon the father of Rehoboam,

   Rehoboam the father of Abijah,

   Abijah the father of Asa,

  Asa the father of Jehoshaphat,

   Jehoshaphat the father of Jehoram,

   Jehoram the father of Uzziah,

  Uzziah the father of Jotham,

   Jotham the father of Ahaz,

   Ahaz the father of Hezekiah,

  Hezekiah the father of Manasseh,

   Manasseh the father of Amon,

   Amon the father of Josiah,

  and Josiah the father of Jeconiah[c] and his brothers at the time of the exile to Babylon.

  After the exile to Babylon:

   Jeconiah was the father of Shealtiel,

Meta Schiller, via Arie Boogert

   Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel,

  Zerubbabel the father of Abihud,

   Abihud the father of Eliakim,

   Eliakim the father of Azor,

  Azor the father of Zadok,

   Zadok the father of Akim,

   Akim the father of Elihud,

  Elihud the father of Eleazar,

   Eleazar the father of Matthan,

   Matthan the father of Jacob,

  and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, and Mary was the mother of Jesus who is called the Messiah.

From Abraham to David are fourteen generations, from David to the deportation to Babylon are fourteen generations, and from the exile in Babylon to Christ are fourteen generations.

The birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way: Mary, his mother, was betrothed to Joseph. But before they were aware of having come together, she conceived a child by the power of the Holy Spirit. Joseph however, her husband, who was an upright man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, was considering whether he should quietly set her free [or, decided to consider all this a mystery.] As he was pondering this, behold the angel of

the Lord appeared before him in a dream and said to him:

 “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because that which is to be born of her is conceived out of the power of the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall give him the name Jesus, that is, the Bringer of Healing, for he it will be who will heal his own of their error and guilt. “

All this took place so that the word of the Lord, spoken by the mouth of the prophet, might be fulfilled:

“A virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and they will call his name Immanuel, that is, God in our midst.”

           

Now when Joseph rose from his sleep he did as the angel of the Lord directed him, and he took Mary to himself as his wife, and he knew her not until she bore her son, and he gave him the name Jesus.

Christmas I, Midnight

December 25, 2009

Matthew 1: 1 and 17 -25

Blake

In the beginning, before the earth had form, God said, ‘Let there be light.’ Genesis 1:3. Light was God’s first creation. On the fourth day, He creates the lights in the firmament of the heavens, the greater light, the sun to rule the day, the lesser light for the night, and the stars. 1 Genesis 18  Gazing at sun, moon and stars with openness of soul, we can sense the immensity of God, see the radiance of His glory in their shining faces. On the 6^th day. God calls to His angels, calls to the light beings of sun, moon and stars, and says, ‘Let us make the human being in our image, after our likeness.’  Genesis 1: 26. The cosmic Human Being, a great, radiant, living being formed of rainbow starlight, emerges from the bosom of God. He is a being woven of light.

This great cosmic image is then given earthly form in Adam and Eve. But gradually, the cosmic radiance in human beings begins to dim. The earth and all upon it falls into increasing chaos and destruction. God beholds how tarnished and tattered, how nearly unrecognizable the image of the Human Being has become in the hands of earthly human beings. And He knows that humankind needs a new, a fresh copy of His divine blueprint.

So over long generations He prepares another couple, for a new creation. And out of His bosom He sends them a pure spirit. And with him He sends a never-before-used version of the great cosmic Human Being. He imprints this image into the spirit’s heart. And He sends it to be born to the couple as a tiny child. The child is born in the darkness of midnight, in a cave. But nothing can disguise the gentle intensity of the gathered sunlight, the moonlight, the starlight that shines from His eyes.

The cosmic light of the origins of the human being shines from his eyes in promise. The Glory of God in the heights has come down to earth. It has entered into a human being. Through Christ, all of mankind has received a light-seed, a seed to plant and grow in our hearts. We have been given a promise, which is ours to fulfill. For:

When nights are darkest

The earth enshrines

The seeds of summer’s birth

The spirit of man

Is a light that shines

Deep in the darkness of earth.[1]

www.thechristiancommunity.org

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[1] P. S. Moffat