Delivered at First Presbyterian Church of Glens Falls

Luke 2:1–20 (NRSV)

^2.1 In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. ² This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. ³ All went to their own towns to be registered. ⁴ Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. ⁵ He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. ⁶ While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. ⁷ And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger because there was no place for them in the inn.

⁸ In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. ⁹ Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. ¹⁰ But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: ¹¹ to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. ¹² This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.”   ¹³ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying,

¹⁴ “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors!”

¹⁵ When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.” ¹⁶ So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. ¹⁷ When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; ¹⁸ and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. ¹⁹ But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. ²⁰ The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

            During my morning prayers yesterday, I began to contemplate why the Nativity and the Incarnation are so important to me. It’s a pertinent question to ask because the season has been co-opted by a culture whose cathedrals are the malls and the real point of Christmas is often silenced by the news of the latest sale. It forced me to dig in and really think about the Nativity and the Incarnation. It demanded that I hit the pause button and really reflect upon the child born in the manger; why does all this Christmas stuff matter anyhow?

            My mind went immediately to an old voicemail I listened to on Friday left by my late wife, Kelly. I was reactivating my Google Voice account and discovered messages that went as far back as 2015! I clicked on one from Kelly from 2016 and heard her voice utter words I have heard thousands of times, “Hey Wris!”

            Hey, Wris.

            Oh, that voice. Tears flowed over me as I listened to her and that sweet voice. Oh, how I miss her, so.

            The Nativity and Incarnation mean so much to me as I am reminded of the Great I Am in the baby Jesus has experienced the depth of pathos I was feeling at that moment. He felt the depth of the pain of incredible loss I was feeling for my wife. He is feeling the depth of pain Rachel has weeping for all the innocent Palestinians who have died and are enduring the two months of urban warfare with 2,000-pound bombs leveling the little swath of home called Gaza. Jesus feels the depth of despair those immigrants amassed on our southern border as they escape political persecution just as Mary and Joseph did when Herod ordered the massacre of the infants two years old or younger in surrounding the area near Bethlehem after the three Magi told him they came to honor a newborn king in Bethlehem.   

            This year, I have been feeling the weight of leading both earnest and diffident followers of this child for thirty-five years now. The cost to my personal family has been great but the toll on me physically, emotionally, and spiritually has caused my spirit to become increasingly arthritic. In other words, the joints that effortlessly buoyed me along in my pastoral duties and responsibilities are now worn, bone-to-bone, and though they still work, they ache, hurt, and get catchy. Sometimes they buckle for no apparent reason.

            Within those moments of buckling up, breaking down, and collapsing for no obvious reason is why the Nativity and the Incarnation are so powerful for me. When my physical, emotional, or spiritual weight forces me to collapse, I know that I know that I know that little child in the manger grown into a man who transcends all time, space, and matter gently catches me, holds me up, walks with me, helping me come to a place of rest. It’s because of this simple fact that I can do what I do for one more year and that one day, I’ll be able to spend Christmas with my Kelly once again.

            Beloved, this is why the Nativity and the Incarnation are so important to me. It’s why knowing the stories, even by rote, still has power and deep meaning for me. My Christmas gift to you is the invitation to ponder that question for yourself: What does the birth of Jesus, the celebration of God lives with and among us, mean to you? I really want you to slow down, hit the pause button, and think about it. Let the Christ candle’s light illumine the depths of your heart to reveal the Christmas gift.

            In the Name of the One who is, was, and is yet to come, Immanuel, so be it. Merry Christmas, sweet friends. Let us pray.

© December 24, 2023, by Patrick H. Wrisley. Sermon manuscripts are available for the edification of members and friends of First Presbyterian Church of Glens Falls, 8 West Notre Dame Street, Glens Falls, NY 12801, and may not be reproduced or repurposed without permission from the author. All rights reserved.