Christmas Eve, with Rev. Dr. Steven Koski.

Christmas Eve, with Rev. Dr. Steven Koski. Series: All In A Spacious Christianity, First Presbyterian Church of Bend, Oregon. Scripture: Luke 2.

We all need to hear the good news of great joy we celebrate in the birth of a child in the manger. There is a light that shines in the darkness a light the darkness cannot overcome. Join us this Christmas Eve. As we once again receive the gift of this light and find the hope and courage we need to bring that light into the darkest corners of our world.

Join us each Sunday, 10AM at bendfp.org, or 11AM KTVZ-CW Channel 612/12 in Bend.  Subscribe/Follow, and click the bell for alerts.

At First Presbyterian, you will meet people at many different places theologically and spiritually. And we love it that way. We want to be a place where our diversity brings us together and where conversation takes us all deeper in our understanding of God.

We call this kind of faith “Spacious Christianity.” We don’t ask anyone to sign creeds or statements of belief. The life of faith is about a way of being in the world and a faith that shows itself in love.

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Keywords:

sack, love, christmas eve, god, molly, christmas, gift, celebrate, jesus, christmas eve service, world, gave, heart, wastebasket, face, asked, first presbyterian church, contents, smiled, mary, presbyterian, church, online worship, bend, oregon

Featuring:

Rev. Dr. Steven Koski, Rev. Kally Elliott, Tyler McQuilkin, Becca Ellis, Brave of Heart, Guests

Transcript

0:41

Merry Christmas. Welcome to the Christmas Eve service at First Presbyterian Church. My name is Steven, the lead pastor here at First Presbyterian. And we are so grateful that you've joined us so that we can share in the beauty, the joy and the hope of Christmas together. We practice spacious Christianity here at First Presbyterian. You know, you'll meet people at many different places, theologically, spiritually, and we love it that way. We believe diversity is a strength questions and doubts are gifts. That leads us to deeper conversations. Everyone's story is sacred. And there's a place at the table for everyone, as we learn together, what it means to live the spacious and radical love of Jesus, so that all might have a chance to flourish in this world. So welcome. We are so glad that you've joined us for this Christmas Eve service. You know, there's a poet who said the Christmas spirit is the hope that tenaciously clings to your heart, announcing in the face of of any indoor slammed in your face. Any leaders like Herod the world can produce any dark nights of your soul, that With God, all things are still possible. Because onto us, even now, a child is born. It is my prayer that as we worship together this Christmas Eve, that a deep and enduring hope will tenaciously cling to your heart as we celebrate in the birth of Jesus, a light that shines in the darkness, and no amount of darkness can extinguish that light. And may that light burn bright within you. And may you be emboldened to carry that light into the darkest corners of our world? Welcome we'd like the Christ candle to celebrate Jesus's birthday may we make room in our hearts for the love that was born that first Christmas to be born again in our hearts this Christmas? Jesus, I think it's much easier to picture you in a stable, cozy in your swaddling clothes nestled in the hay are held lovingly and Mary's arms, Joseph looking fondly at your sleeping face. Yet This Christmas Eve that is not where we find you. You are buried in the rubble. Under the destruction of destroyed hospitals and apartment buildings. Your cry is muted by the wails of mothers who have lost their babies. The shouts of despair of terrified fathers and the whimpers of young siblings, clinging to anything that will keep them safe. It feels impossible to celebrate your birth tonight, a night when so many are mourning death. Emmanuel, God who promises to be with us, keep your promise be with those in Gaza and in Israel. Those who are crying out in pain and anguish as we gather with loved ones to celebrate your birth, help us to remember you the real you not the cleaned up shiny version of you in the warm, stable but you you who is love buried in the rubble, Emmanuel God, who shows up in the rubble of our life, their lives, all of our lives. And there is much Rubble, for there are many who are hungry and tired and lonely and afraid this Christmas Eve. So Jesus, you who are in the rubble, you who are God with us, May we also be love that shows up in the rubble of lives bringing healing and joy to this weary world. Amen. Caesar Augustus order the census to be taken throughout the empire. Everyone had to travel to their own hometown to be counted. Joseph went from Nazareth to Bethlehem, David city because he belonged in the house of David. He went with Mary, his fiancee who was pregnant while they were there. The time came for Mary to give birth, she gave birth to a son, her firstborn, She wrapped him in a blanket, and laid him in a manger because there were no room in the end. There were shepherds camping in the neighborhood, watching over their sheep. Suddenly God's angel stood among them and God's glory blazed around them. They were terrified. The angel said, Don't be afraid. I'm here to announce a great and joyful event that is meant for everybody. A savior has just been born in David's town, a Savior who is Messiah. This is what you are to look for. A baby wrapped in a blanket and lion manger, the angel was joined by huge choir of angels singing God's praises, glory to God and the heavenly heights, peace on earth and goodwill to all. Singing Silent Night is a tradition I look forward to every Christmas Eve. I also have a tradition every Christmas Eve to tell the story of Wally who played the innkeeper in the children's Christmas Pageant. While we had one line and he'd been practicing and practicing to deliver it with us a scowl on his face and and just the right tone when Mary and Joseph knocked on the door. While he was to say there is no room in the in the net of the pageant. While he was ready, Mary and Joseph knocked on the door and while he was ready to deliver his line, but he took one look at Mary and Joseph and Wally's heart was so available to love that he abandoned the script he had been given. And he said, There's no room. But you can stay in my room. Love took over and something beautiful happened. You know love does that. When love takes over old scripture abandoned, new stories are told surprise endings are possible. That's what Christmas Eve and celebrating the birth of this child is all about to make room in our hearts and allow love to take over. Because when love takes over surprise endings are possible and God knows this world of ours could use some new stories and surprise endings. What we celebrate on Christmas Eve is the gift of God's heart and the birth of this child. The angels announced it the shepherd celebrated it the wise men came seeking after it. This gift had been promised throughout the ages. And now it was happening yet, almost everyone that night so long ago in Bethlehem missed it. They were busy following their old familiar scripts, not expecting new stories or surprise endings. They were busy doing something else. What's most important is always at the mercy of what's least important. Christmas Eve invites us to make room to make room in our hearts. For the gift of that which is most important. Robert Fulghum tells a wonderful story I want to share to remind us not to miss this Christmas Eve. What's most important not to miss the real gift. Here it is. The cardboard boxes marked the good stuff. As I write I can see the box on the shelf in my office. I like being able to see it. The box contains odds and ends of a personal treasures. You know a thief looking into this box wouldn't see anything of value and would leave it be but if the house ever catches fire, that box goes with me what I run. And one of the keepsakes in the box is a small paper sack. Lunch size. At the top is sealed with duct tape staples, several paper clips, there's a Raigad rip on one side through which the contents can be seen. Now this particular lung SAC has been in my care for almost 14 years, but it really belongs to my daughter, Molly. Soon after Molly came of school age, she became an enthusiastic participant and in packing lunch for herself, her brothers and me and each sack got their fair share of sandwiches, apples, milk, and sometimes a note or a treat. Well, one morning when I was in my usual hurry, Molly handed me two sacks. As I was about to leave one regular lunch sack and the one I mentioned with the duct tape, staples and paperclips. Why two sacks? I asked. The other one is something else she said. Take it with you daddy. Being in my usual hurry, I I stuck both sacks into my briefcase. Kiss Molly on the forehead and rushed off. At midday while hurriedly scarfing down my lunch on my desk. I hastily tore open Molly's other sack she gave me and I shook out the contents to hair ribbons, three small stones, a plastic dinosaur, a pencil stub a tiny seashell to animal crackers. A marble us lipstick. A small doll to chocolate kisses and 13 pennies. Ice smiled. Oh charming and rising. To go off to all of the important business of the afternoon. I swept my desk clean into the wastebasket. Leftover lunch Molly sack all its contents. I mean there wasn't anything in there I needed. That evening Molly stood beside me while I was trying to read the newspaper. Where's my sack? She asked. What sack I muttered. Not really paying attention. You know the one I gave you this morning? Um, I I left it at my office. Why? I asked. I forgot to put this note in it. And Molly hands me the note and and says besides I want it back. Those are my best things in the sack daddy. The ones I really love. You've been kind of sad. So I thought you might like to play with them. But now I want them back. You didn't lose the sack did your daddy and tears puddle in her eyes? No, honey, I just forgot to bring it home. I lied. Bring it home tomorrow. Okay, daddy. Sure, honey, don't worry. As she hugged my neck with relief. I unfolded the note that they had not gotten into the sack that she just gave me. It read I love you daddy. I looked at the face of my child. She was right. What was in that sack was something else. Molly had given me her treasure her heart. All that a seven year old held dear love in a paper sack. And I had missed it. Not only missed it, but had thrown it in the wastebasket. Because I thought there wasn't anything in there. I needed. It wasn't the first time I felt my daddy permit was about to run out. It was a long trip back to the office. But there was nothing else to be done. So I went the pilgrimage of a penitent Dad, just ahead of the janitor. I picked up the wastebasket poured out all of the contents onto my desk. And I was sorting it all out when the janitor came in lose something. Yeah, my mind. Worse. My heart. That's probably in there already said, What does it look like? I'll help you find it. Now I couldn't feel any more of a fool than I already was so. So I told him. He didn't laugh. He smiled. I got kids too. So the brotherhood of fools searched the trash and found the jewels. He smiled at me. I smiled at him. You know you're never alone in these things. And after washing the mustard off the dinosaur, spraying the whole thing with breath freshener to kill the smell of onions. I carefully smoothed out the watered sack of brown paper into a semi functional sack. And I carefully put the treasures back inside. And I carried the whole thing home gingerly. Like an injured kitten. The next evening I returned it to Molly no questions asked. No explanation of this Act didn't look so good. But the stuff was all there. And that's all that counted. You know after dinner, I asked Molly to tell me about the stuff in the sack. And she took it out a piece at a time. And she placed the objects in a row on the dining room table took a long time to tell to tell the story. Because every single thing had a story. A memory of her mother or this was attached to dreams or an imaginary friend. And I hadn't remembered but I had given her the chocolate kisses. She was keeping them she said for when she really needed them. To my surprise Molly gave the sack back to me. Several days later. Same ready sack. Same stuff inside. I felt forgiven. Trusted, loved. Over several months the sack went with me from time to time. And in time Molly turned her attention to other things, found other treasures, lost interest in the game grew up. Me. I was left holding the bag. She gave it to me one morning and never asked for its return. So I have it still. Sometimes I think of all of the times in this in this suite life. When I must have missed the love. I was given a friend calls that standing knee deep in the river and dying of thirst. So the warm paper sack is there in the box. leftover from a time when a child said here this is the best I got. This is my heart. It's yours. I missed it the first time but it's in my box now. On this Christmas Eve we celebrate the mystery in the birth of this child that God has given us this treasure the gift of God's heart I know I've missed it more than a few Christmases along the way for one reason or another. Friends don't miss it. Don't miss it. Christmas doesn't need to look like like a matching pajama ad or horror scene from a Christmas movie. If you're going to make Christmas look like anything that's here make it look like love make room make room to receive God's great gift of love for you. Let love takeover because when love takes over old scripts are abandoned. New stories are told surprise endings are possible when love takes over and we're reminded what's most important we give to one another and to the world the gift that really matters the gift of our hearts may it be so light shines in the darkness and no amount of darkness can extinguish that light. You know a little bit of light can dispel a whole lot of darkness. May the light of God's love revealed in the birth of Jesus, burn bright within you. May you be inspired to share that light with others. Bringing as much love and goodness into the world as you can. In this moment as we sing Silent Night, make room in your heart. That love takeover that we might give to one another and to the world the gift that really matters. The gift of our hearts the gift of our love I extinguish this candle. In the words of Howard Thurman, the work of Christmas begins to shine light into the darkest corners to find the loss to care for the least, to heal the brokenhearted, to feed the hungry, to rebuild the nation's to bring peace, to make music in the heart. God is with you. Love is with you. This day, and always, Merry Christmas. As we celebrate the birthday of Jesus, Jesus gives us his own wish list for a birthday gift. And none of it comes from a store. Jesus said whatever we do for the least of our brothers and sisters, we do for him. When we offer gifts to those in need, it's offering those very gifts to Jesus food for the hungry, care for the sick drink for those who are thirsty, hospitality for strangers. compassion for those imprisoned in body or mind. First Presbyterian Church Abend exists to serve Jesus by serving those in need. Bringing love and compassion, hope and healing where and when it is needed the most. This Christmas many are struggling. I asked you to please give generously if you're able so that we can be generous in love. You can make a gift online at band F p.org. You can use the QR code on the screen or you can mail a check to the church through your generous gifts. We will let those in need know that they are not alone. That God is with them that they are loved. Thank you for joining us this Christmas Eve service. We hope you enjoyed it. And we hope you will join us again. Merry Christmas