Where do we start?

I will start with Advent IV which is Sunday at 10:00 am and then Christmas Eve. The Gospels for these two services are right next to each other so I would like to preach a sermon on Sunday morning that leads to the sermon I am preaching on Christmas eve. My husband suggested that I just write one long sermon and say "to be continued" on Christmas Eve!

Here is the scripture for Advent IV. It is Luke 1:39-45.

In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, 40where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 41When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit 42and exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. 43And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? 44For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy. 45And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.”

What leaps out at me (no pun intended) is the last verse. Blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord." How blessed are we when we believe. Those moments where we have a sense that God is in charge and working out something in the world. And then there is Elizabeth who is so overjoyed to see Mary. She "recognizes" her as the mother of God. More on this later.

Christmas Eve of course is the story of the birth of Jesus. The Gospel is Luke 2:1-14.

In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3All went to their own towns to be registered. 4Joseph 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. 5He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. 6While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. 7And 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.

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

I have already decided on a theme for my Christmas Eve sermon. Sandy Steffens brought me some of her writings about Christmas. I was touched by a poem she wrote called "A Christmas Gift". There is a line in the poem that says "The home or a church becomes the stable place. The stable place is where Christ is. Jesus is in the stable and where Jesus is becomes stable. I am leaning toward preaching about the peace that come from being stable or in the stable with the infant Jesus.

If you have any favorite stories for Christmas day, let me know.