Christmas comes

The days are past, the hours flying. Today, the feast of Adam and Eve in the Eastern Church, the Eve of the Incarnation in the West, is nearly gone. The feast of the Incarnation, Christmas, is upon us.

St. Paul in what I think of as the first account of the Gospel says, "If Christ be not raised, then your belief is vain." He is assuming the event we celebrate tomorrow. If Christ is merely God, then too, our faith is indeed vain. But, in fact, as John has it, the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. And so we do not waste our time.

Jesus said there are many pathways to Him, and through him to the Father. So, tonight, as "What Wondrous Love Is This" is sung as the Sanctus in great cathedrals and in quiet tiny Primitive Baptist churches, as "Oh Come All Ye Faithful" rings out around the world, as we hear "Ave Maria Stellas" in places great and small, we recall the reality of the Incarnation.

In a real sense, nothing else matters. This is true. This is real.

It is not as some 19th century hymn writers dreamed it, silent. It is human, difficult, noisy, painful, and terrifying to Mary and Joseph. Indeed it is terrifying to all of us -- Emmanuel, God is with us. That is fearful enough for any night, but on the day we commemorate, when Mary and Joseph faced the reality, it was more immediate and awe inspiring than it had ever been or would be.

And so, we remember and proclaim: Emmanuel, God with us.

Nothing else matters: this is true. So we pray, in many ways, with many understandings, for the great gift of self given to us and called from us. In the American shape note classic we wonder as we proclaim.

What wondrous love is this, O my soul, O my soul!
What wondrous love is this, O my soul!
What wondrous love is this that caused the Lord of bliss
to lay aside his crown for my soul, for my soul, to lay aside his crown for my soul.

To God and to the Lamb, I will sing, I will sing, to God and to the Lamb, I will sing.
To God and to the Lamb who is the great I AM,
while millions join the theme, I will sing, I will sing,
while millions join the theme, I will sing.

And when from death I'm free, I'll sing on, I'll sing on,
And when from death I'm free, I'll sing on.
And when from death I'm free I'll sing and joyful be,
and through eternity I'll sing on, I'll sing on,and through eternity I'll sing on.

http://www.oremus.org/hymnal/w/w247.html