Tonight, as we rejoice in our Christmas Eve lessons and beloved carols, we can chuckle at these Children’s versions that didn’t make it into our order of service. See if you can match the blunder with the original tune: 1. We three kings of porridge and tar. 2 Sleep in heavenly peas. 3. Noel, Noel, Barney's the King of Israel. 4. Come, froggy faithful. 4. While Shepherds washed their socks at night. It’s good to have a laugh – because tonight of all nights – should be a night of good cheer.
You see for the past month we have travelled the landscape of our hearts to prepare for this night. From prophets to angels, shepherds to stars, we have been waiting for this night, making our hearts ready. During this time, some of us have faced illness. Some of us have struggled to juggle family obligations, work – and to strike a balance between gift giving, charity, dinners and decorating. Yet here we are. Ready or not. Tired or excited. Sad or glad. Anxious or at peace. Or maybe a little bit of it all. We are here. We may wish we had just one more day to prepare. There is never enough time, and yet the time is always right. We are here. That is all that matters.
It is said that nights like tonight, nights like Christmas Eve, are especially “thin times” – times where our earthly world and the world of eternity overlap and are open to one another in deep and loving ways. Some believe that those who have gone before us are present in ways of the spirit and bless our worship and gatherings with joy. In some countries, graves are decorated and lit with candles. Furthermore, it’s an evening of countless legends and miracles: my favorite is a tale that on Christmas Eve, at the stroke of midnight, all the animals gain the power to speak and they praise their creator. We remember how soldiers in WWI laid down their weapons and celebrated a truce – only Christmas Eve could inspire that. As we have been singing and engaging the scriptures, what special stories or Christmas memories come to your mind? What memories get stirred up? What makes Christmas Eve special to you?
For example, I love the fact that peoples of different cultures gather and eat specially prepared food—Italians prepare a dish of seven different types of fish. In Sweden there is a tradition called ‘dipping in the kettle' to remember what their ancestors had to face during times when food was limited. Twelve courses are served in the traditional Ukrainian Christmas Eve supper, one dedicated to each of the 12 apostles. Because of clever marketing, Kentucky Fried Chicken is the meal du jour in Japan on Christmas. For Hungarians, the Christmas Eve meal can’t be served until a twinkling star is seen in the sky. Many here at Our Saviour have visions of pepperpot, oxtail, garlic pork or curry goat or chicken in the works along with the candy canes and black cake.
Among my German American relatives, the first person to hide the pickle ornament on a Christmas tree has good luck over the holidays. According to Irish legend, the Gates of Heaven open at midnight on Christmas Eve. That is why when my aunt died on Christmas Day, it was as if she hit the lottery for my Irish Catholic family. Some of us are waiting for Christmas Eve worship to finish before digging into a glorious feast. Others of us do Christmas breakfast or a sumptuous Christmas dinner, some of us also have plans for Boxing Day well under way. So again, let’s ask ourselves, what are our families’ special traditions or foods for this most wonderful time of the year? What’s cooking in the oven even as we speak?
So many traditions, so many legends and stories -celebrations and myths. Too numerous to count. we’ve lifted up just a few. All these legends, feasts and traditions are meant to draw us into one story – The Story of Jesus’ birth – A story which in turn pulls us together as a family of faith– a family that transcends place and time. As we see from our Christmas story - from this small family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph in Bethlehem, comes a family that include all peoples, all angels, the stars and heavenly bodies. Christmas Eve reminds us we are not alone. We belong to this bigger family. In the birth of Jesus, we catch a glimpse of paradise, a world restored. For one night, the spiritual forces align and taps into the longing of our hearts –– to step out of our ordinary time into an extraordinary time – uniting us to all the cosmos and creation – to every legend and tradition and song we sing. It’s important to remember, for some of us, some memories that surface are bittersweet or even painful. And it’s important to acknowledge them as well. The Christmas story we hear tonight also contains plenty of hardship. So, if there are tears let them flow. If there is sadness, let it be shown. Christmas has room for all our human experience.
But ready or not, tonight we affirm that we are kinfolk to stars and shepherds, angels and animals – to magi -- to all peoples and cultures, whether you eat duck, pork, chicken, goat, KFC, turkey, ham, tofu or carp. We pause tonight, our life perhaps unfinished, imperfect, but here, gathered as a community - as family– nothing matters but that we are brought together by love of God and each other. Ready or not. We are part of the family of Jesus Christ.
It has been said if our greatest need had been information, God would have sent us an educator. If our greatest need had been technology, God would have sent us a scientist. If our greatest need had been money, God would have sent us a banker. If our greatest need had been pleasure, God would have sent us an entertainer. Our greatest need, however, is for love and family. So, God sent us his most precious son, a Savior, who is our divine brother, Christ the Lord.
Whatever our traditions tonight, many and diverse that they are, they all point to love and connection. They root us in the sacred text and songs we share together tonight. Christmas Eve opens the space that right now we feel the love and connection of all our kin of all ages, of all places -- on this thin night of nights -- and may that yearning in our hearts for love, forgiveness and connection can be shared by all. We are here, together. So, this Christmas Eve may that divine light never dim, the songs never fade, and God’s love fill us for all time. May we pass on this gift of love to all brothers and sisters we meet. Enjoy the feast. Share the memories. Remember always our traditions and legends remind us of this night – when Love was born for us, ready or not. Amen.