Christmas Eve Reflection 2007 ---

(The song “Jesus Loves Me” is interwoven into this sermon. The lines of the song are sung by a child in the balcony of the church.)

Christmas brings out the child in all of us. We return to hear the familiar songs and the familiar story. Every year we bring our children and the child within us emerges yet again. Year after year, it's like a beacon – calling us, – to come and to witness yet again a wondrous event. And we remember...

Jesus Loves Me this I know

We remember the reason for the season. Perhaps Jesus the infant at Christmastime is more approachable than Jesus the Savior. It's understandable. The song says “let us adore Him” - and we can. We can come close to the manger and we can easily show our love to the baby born in Bethlehem. We can approach the idea that this baby – this Jesus – loves us back.

For the Bible Tells Me So.

So many people are telling that the Bible says this – or that - and it probably does. The point is, however, that the overarching message is the Christmas message: the message of Hope and Faith and Peace and Love. The stories in the Bible show over and over God reaching out to us.

Little ones to Him belong –

I always thought that the “little ones” were just the children. It wasn't until I took a long look that I realized: the 'little ones' are Jesus' followers. In the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, when Jesus says “little ones” he isn't talking about the children – he is talking about his disciples and those who followed him. 2000 years later the 'little ones' are not just our children: it's each of us: WE are the little ones.

They are weak but He is strong.

We are weak at times and life is difficult at times. The world demands that we act a certain way and Jesus recommends that we do the hard thing, the thing that the world does not understand: that we speak the truth in love, that we forgive those who sin against us, that we love our enemy, that we seek Peace in all things.

We can't do it alone – and sometimes we think we can't do it at all. When the Angel Gabriel appears to Mary, he says, “Nothing will be impossible with God.”

Yes, Jesus Loves Me

The world is judgmental and critical and violent –

Jesus is acceptance and love and peace.

Yes, Jesus Loves Me

The world would have you wanting more, being more, doing more –

Jesus says don't worry about the stuff,

don't be somebody or something you aren't,

don't do to others what you wouldn't want done to you.

Yes, Jesus Loves Me

The world says you aren't enough –

Jesus says that in Him you are perfect the way you are.

The Bible Tells Me So.

The Bible does say all of that –

and that's what we remember on Christmas Eve.

Let's remember together the reason for the season:

Jesus loves me this I know

For the Bible Tells Me So.

Little ones to Him belong –

They are weak but He is strong.

Yes, Jesus Loves Me

Yes, Jesus Loves Me

Yes, Jesus Loves Me

The Bible Tells Me So.