SERMON 12/24/11 Christmas Eve

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Luke 2:(1-7)8-20
The Good news of the birth Jesusthe Christ seems to be competing with many other stories this time ofyear.  Primetime television schedules arefilled with all sorts of Christmas dramas many which are old timefavorites.  Christmas for some of uswould not be complete without a bowl of popcorn and a few hours in front of theTV watching for example, “It’s A Wonderful Life,”  “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” “Home Alone I,II, and III,” “Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol,” and some of those wonderfulFamily Channel Christmas specials.  Thesenow contemporary Christmas tales have a special place in our celebrations formany reasons and in some cases, because they connect us with holidays from our past. 
These stories have someinteresting themes such as that of an early 20^th century, depressionera family who are caught up in drama of financial woes and greed and yet, theysomehow overcome. Then we have the tale of a young boy name Charlie who can't seemto buy a decent Christmas tree and yet, through their quest he and his friends findthe true meaning of the holiday.  Thenthere is the tale of a pre-teen young man who crosses wits with two criminalminds because his parents left him on his own by mistake, not once, but threetimes and yet, he discovers that his family’s love is the best gift ofChristmas.  Finally we have the tale of a19^th century curmudgeon who receives visits from ghosts on ChristmasEve and yet, in one solitary night he experiences an epiphany that changes notonly him, but everyone with whom he comes in contact.
These stories all stand incontrast and yet are somehow connected to the authentic, original, and trueChristmas story.  This oldest narrativethough, seems to fall off our radar screens these days, except when we seem itre-enacted in a church play or perhaps we can watch it depicted on TurnerClassic Movies at noon on Christmas Day. “The Greatest Story Ever Told” doesn't seem to be the most popular storybeing told during the "holidays," but all the other stories can tracethe good news they seem to convey, the transformation of the lives of theircharacters, to Greatest Story of God in Christ in a manger.  The good news which comes from God beginswith the story of a young mother, her betrothed spouse and the centralcharacter which is the baby, born in an animal feed trough.  Poor and without financial means, theultimate source of our being, God mysteriously dwelt among us as a baby, as achild, and as a man.  This is theGreatest Story Ever Told.  It is morethan a fairy tale, it is more than a Hollywood blockbuster.  It is the mysterious narrative of our individualand communal experience of a life-changing, world-changing event.  An event that can be traced not only throughthe presence of strong historical evidence, but also through the life-changingimpact it has had on millions throughout the centuries.
We Westerners are very fortunatefolks when it comes to the availability of information.  At our fingertips there are facts, history, andcommentary that we are able to glean from Google, Wikipedia and now, even Facebook.  Because of technology, there seems to be nomystery left.  The depth and nuances ofour friendships is on our Facebook “walls and newsfeeds” and available for allto see.  With a quick search on Google,we can instantly learn how and where to buy the perfect Christmas tree or haveaccess to the best Christmas cookie recipe. In a flash, we can read about the history of angels, Caesar Augustus, orshepherds abiding in fields, because all you have to do is go to Wikipedia.  We can search the facts and figures, but inour quest for information we may miss the mystery within the details. 
Mystery is something we struggleto embrace these days, but the unexplained, the ambiguous seems to be allaround us.  Mystery is a natural part ofthe vast and unexplored cosmos, despite our assumption that our great societyhas completely lifted the veil on the previously unknown.  For example, we don't see the wind but weknow it's there, we know when someone loves us despite the lack of scientificdata to sustantiate the emotions.  Even today,scientists and physicists are dabbling with mystery as they explore newtheories about "dark energy," "black holes," the expandinguniverse, and now there is research being conducted on the possible existenceof parallel universes.  That sounds a bitlike a story line for a new Star Wars movie, but the mere mention of such newthoughts serves as evidence for us, that mystery still abounds.  Mystery gives us the freedom to look beyondthe facts, figures, and precision and to live into other possibilities.  God present with us as a babe in a manger isa mystery that is available for us, but it requires a step of faith.  Wrestling with this story requires us todabble a little in the real possibility that love is the ultimate source of alland that God’s love is beyond anything we can imagine.  The Good News theangels proclaimed on that fateful night over 2000 years ago, was that somehow,in some mysterious way, God the source of all, was no longer outside of timeand space, no longer, somewhere other than here.  God was and is now among us as one with us,not coming in power, but coming among us as a vulnerable baby.  The good news of this mystery is that we nolonger have anything to fear; for see—this story brings great joy for all thepeople (not just some).   "Glory toGod in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors!”    Godwho brought all into being, out of love and grace, came to be with us. That isgood news.  That is a story to betold.  That is the greatest story evertold.