Christmas Day Christmas Day 25 December 2017 The Mission and Discipleship Council would like to thank Karen K Campbell, Minister of Edinburgh Marchmont St Giles, for her thoughts on 25 December. As Christmas is a time when we gather in many different ways, the material below provides exegesis that may be useful in shaping different styles of worship. More sermon-based material is available in the attached pdf from our 2014 archive. Please note that the views expressed in these materials are those of the individual writer and not necessarily the official view of the Church of Scotland, which can be laid down only by the General Assembly. Introduction Christmas Day is celebrated throughout the Church, although not observed by everyone. It is the morning after the night before, and we are greeted with the reality of the Incarnation, now lived out on earth. The lessons for the day talk of the Incarnation and its prophecy. This morning may be one where many visitors come, who have not attended any Watchnight Services, and so the joy of the birth should continue to be celebrated and the promise which the Christ Child brings for everyone should be remembered. The birth of Christ is recorded in only two Gospels; St Luke and St Matthew with different emphases on the Incarnation for those to whom they wrote. Our tradition is that we read St Luke on Christmas Eve/Day and leave St Matthew for Epiphany, with the entrance of the magi and the exchange of gifts, although as we know, there is often a conflation of the two narratives into one as a single event, which was not the case. Christmas celebrates Incarnation and Emmanuel (God with us) and there is always good news and evangelical opportunities for every person who passes through our doors, who may not attend on a regular basis, to share with them all that God has promised through Jesus. Isaiah 9:2-7 This is the classic text to be read on either Christmas Eve in the evening or on Christmas morning. The prophet proclaims the glory of God and is the text Handel used in The Messiah. It describes Ahaz, the King of Judah, facing attacks from Syria and Israel and considering whether he might seek the support of the Assyrians. This might resolve this tense situation, but it would also mean that the land of Judah would be entering into a
partnership with what many would have regarded as a terrorist state. Isaiah assures Ahaz that faith should lead him to trust in God and not get into bed with the Assyrians. Therefore, the foretelling of a significant birth is made. The claims of Isaiah 9 are not only claims for there and then, but for here and now. Titus 2:11-14 According to William Barclay this passage asserts the moral power of the Incarnation. Titus is unknown but it is stated he knew St Paul, who claims to have written the letter. Titus travelled with Paul to Crete after Paul s first imprisonment. Titus was to lead and establish the Church on the island. Paul instructed Titus to make the Incarnation real for the people in Crete by careful attention to theological truth and in proper living. They, like many before them and after them, had their attention drawn from the true and living God by false prophets, which distracted from the best way to live. Luke 2:1-14 (15-20) The census allows Mary and Joseph to be in Bethlehem for the birth of the Messiah, which was where the prophets traditionally foretold He was to be born. There is no historical evidence for a census at that particular time, but there is evidence that other censuses had occurred in Roman times. This passage sets the background of Jesus being born under Roman authority and at a particular time. This passage tells of the experience of the shepherds, who out in the fields experience an angelic choir telling them to go up to Bethlehem and visit the Messiah. These men were regarded in Jewish society us unreliable and would not be deemed suitable witnesses in a court of law. From the beginning of the gospel St Luke overturns the natural order of things. The Messiah is neither presented as the conquering hero in worldly terms, nor as someone who is heralded in the courts of the powerful. The Christ is to be witnessed and celebrated by the least, the last and the lost. However, in the presence of the angels, the heavenly realm proclaims the Incarnation of the One who will change and overturn everything for the better from the position of weakness in the body of the vulnerable child. Psalm 96 Psalm 96 calls to us to celebrate God in all aspects of life. It was probably written by King David when the Ark of the Covenant was brought into Jerusalem for the first time. It includes the call to share the praise of God with all the nations and not just among themselves. It is a call to worship, to witness and to wait for God to fulfil all things. It is a call to the Christian life and to celebrate God s presence on this day of days.
Sermon ideas Sermon-based material is available in the attached pdf from our 2014 archive. Time with children Suggestions for a children s address is available in the attached pdf from our 2014 archive. Prayers The dawn breaks The animals awake The child in the manger stirs And into this pastoral scene, we gather Not only to remember what was Nor to try to satisfy our childish memories But to praise God For the Incarnation And to celebrate Emmanuel God is with us For unto us a child is born Unto us a Son is given And the government shall be upon His shoulder And His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor The mighty God, The everlasting Father The Prince of Peace The angels have flown The shepherds tend their sheep once more The child nestles in the hay The mother rests from her labours The father soaks in the mystery As the dawn breaks And a new day and reality beckons We gather around the manger To worship Emmanuel God with us
Prayer Child in the manger You embody the miracle of birth And Your incarnation Assures us once more Of a future of hope for the world Emmanuel With your arrival Possibilities are born The weak and the weary Kings and angels arrive to celebrate To be part of something Far bigger than ourselves Prince of Peace Be reborn in our lives That in the midst of the busyness And all the trappings of this time of year We may take the opportunity to welcome You And to be still and know that You are God Amen Intercessions On this morning As the animals begin to waken in the stable We think of those who are awakening To new life and new possibilities. May they know Your tender care As they nurse this fragile new hope That is born in their lives As the shepherds return to their fields We think of those who care for others For those who tend animals and crops And for those who steward Your creation. May they know Your care Whether in a hospital ward, in a farmyard or field On a mountaintop or deep valley As Mary and Joseph travelled as refugees We pray for all displaced people Who worry for the future And whose families fear for their safety. May they know Your peace In the midst of their circumstances and challenges
As Jesus Christ, the child in the manger Was cherished and recognised as extraordinary We pray for all children And for the part we play in their upbringing Either as parents or grandparents Or as members of the community around them. May we all know Your presence with us Wonderful Councillor, Prince of Peace Amen Musical suggestions Musical suggestions are available in the attached pdf from our 2014 archive.