Wednesday 12/21/22 – Blue Christmas/Longest Night Service - Sidney UMC
Sermon Title: “What Now?”
Old Testament Scripture: Psalm 80:1-7
New Testament Scripture: Hebrews 10:32-39
Gospel Lesson: John 16:31-33
Welcome again to this our annual Blue Christmas or Longest Night
Service. For those that have never been to one of these services before, let me
give you a description of what this service is. This description is taken from www.umcdiscipleship.org,
and it says:
“Blue?
Yes, blue as in the blues. As in "I am feeling blue." Not everyone is
up and cheery for the Christmas holiday. Dealing with the death of a loved one,
facing life after divorce or separation, coping with the loss of a job, living
with cancer or some other dis-ease that puts a question mark over the future,
and a number of other human situations make parties and joviality painful for
many people in our congregations and communities. There is a growing
attentiveness to the needs of people who are blue at Christmas. Increasing
numbers of churches are creating sacred space for people living through dark
times. Such services are reflective, accepting where we really are, and holding
out healing and hope”. “Some churches hold a service of worship on the longest
night of the year, which falls on or about December 21st, the Winter Solstice.
There is an interesting convergence for this day as it is also the traditional
feast day for Saint Thomas the Apostle. This linkage invites making some
connections between Thomas's struggle to believe the tale of Jesus'
resurrection, the long nights just before Christmas, and the struggle with
darkness and grief faced by those living with loss” (https://www.umcdiscipleship.org/resources/blue-christmaslongest-night-worship-with-those-who-mourn).
This service is also held on the first day of winter, or
the Winter Solstice. What is the winter solstice? Here is one explanation that
I found:
“The winter solstice (or hibernal solstice), also known as midwinter, is an astronomical phenomenon marking the day with the shortest period of daylight and the longest night of the year” (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winter_solstice).
This day, December 21st, 2022 is the longest
night of the year. This Blue Christmas/Longest Night service was created
therefore, so that on this long, dark, and cold night, we can shine the light and
the warmth of Christ everywhere.
For
those that were in church this past Sunday, or for those who watched our
service online, you might remember that we spoke in part about fear versus
hope. I talked about how the Sidney and the Tri-Town area that my wife Melissa
and I moved to five years ago, is very different than what we were told that Sidney
and the Tri-Town were one like. I talked about how we are all dealing with
inflation, high gas, and high fuel prices. Our beloved Great American grocery
store was recently closed, and so on and so forth.
The
good news? Well, we no longer have our COVID-19 restrictions, but our hospitals
are now swarmed with the flu, RSV, and yes, some COVID. It might be hard right
now for some of us to see the “silver lining” through all the struggles in our
communities and our lives. So, I ask us all, including myself, on this the
longest night of the year, “What Now?”.
Many
of us have been through a lot in the last few years. Some have lost loved ones,
some have lost jobs or income, some have had relationships fail or become
strained. Some have become sick, etc. It is easy to say then that there is a
lot of bad and or sad things that we can say maybe have occurred in and around
us in the past few years. Maybe, just maybe, as I said this past Sunday, we
might have had times of fear and anxiety. I know that I have, thinking and
praying about the future of Sidney and Tri-Town Area.
As
a Christian though, and as a pastor, I am a child of resurrection. Christians
are called to be boldly optimistic because we serve a boldly loving savior. So
maybe you all, like me, have had moments these past few years of fear and
anxiety? The best arrows we have in our spiritual quivers though, are love and
hope. Fear can be strong, but hope is stronger. I have hope in the future of
Sidney, the Tri-Town Area, and this world, because I have hope in Jesus Christ.
On
this the longest night of the whole year, we come to shine the light of Christ,
and to say boldly that darkness will not win. In fact, as the gospel of John
1:5 says:
5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overtake it (Jn. 1:5, NRSV).
Am
I simply saying then, that Jesus came to earth, taught us a radical new way of living,
loved us, died for us, and rose again, so therefore, we have hope? Yes and no.
We can have great hope in what Christ has done for us, for our salvation, and
our eternity with him, but beyond that there is how we live. There is how we
love, and there is a choice between light and darkness. If our communities our
on fire, do we throw gas on the fire, or do we try to put the fire out? Fear,
anxiety, and despair can hit us at times, but faith, joy, peace, love, and hope
are what drives us forward. Many of us have, and maybe continue to live through
various challenges, but if Jesus is still the light of the world. May we shine
his light. Not only should we shine his light individually, but also together.
The only thing that can defeat darkness is light. On this night, I choose light
and hope. What do you choose? “What Now?”
In
looking at our scripture reading from Psalm 80:1-7 for tonight, we hear that the
people of Israel are crying out to God to restore them and to give them new hope
(Ps. 80:1-7, NRSV). How many of us have every cried out to God for restoration
and hope? I know that I have, especially in these past few years. Yet, Jesus
says he is the light of the world. May we allow his light, life, and love to
fill us tonight, and may we share it with others, so that light will overcome
the darkness, even on the longest night. Following Jesus is not just believing
in Jesus, it also living and loving like Jesus.
In
our reading once again from the Apostle Paul’s Epistle or letter to the Hebrews
for tonight, Paul writes in 10:32-39
“But recall those earlier days when, after you had
been enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings, sometimes
being publicly exposed to abuse and persecution, and sometimes being partners
with those so treated. For you had compassion for those who were in prison, and
you cheerfully accepted the plundering of your possessions, knowing that you
yourselves possessed something better and more lasting. Do not, therefore, abandon
that confidence of yours; it brings a great reward. For you need endurance, so that
when you have done the will
of God, you may receive what was promised. For yet “in a very little while, the
one who is coming will come and will not delay; but my righteous one will live
by faith. My soul takes no pleasure in anyone who shrinks back.” But we are not
among those who shrink back and so are lost, but among those who have faith and
so are saved”
(Heb. 10:32-39, NRSV).
The
Apostle Paul reminds us that many people have suffered, and that many people have
suffered for their faith in Christ. Whatever we are suffering or have suffered,
God is with us. Jesus is with us, and He will be with us for eternity, if we
place our trust in him. May we also be with each other. Imagine if we came
together and loved and had hope like Jesus? Imagine how things could be, amidst
everything we might be feeling and or experiencing tonight.
In
our short gospel lesson from John 16:31-33 for tonight, Jesus reminds us of
suffering and persecution. Jesus once again tells us in this gospel lesson:
“Jesus answered them,
“Do you now believe? The hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be
scattered, each one to his home, and you will leave me alone. Yet I am not
alone because the Father is with me. I have said this to you, so that in me you
may have peace. In the world you face persecution. But take courage; I have
conquered the world!” (Jn. 16:31-33, NRSV).
The promise of Jesus Christ is that he
will always be with us. Yet Jesus does not promise us that we will not suffer, that
we will not have hardships, or that we will not have struggles. How I wish that
this were true, and some lose faith because they cannot reconcile the suffering
and the pain of this world to a loving God. Even though we do not always have all
the answers, Jesus calls us to be a light to others and to the world.
So, if you are hurting tonight, if you
have wounds and scars that may or may not be visible to the naked eye, “What
Now?” I don’t know about you, but I have love and hope, not fear and anxiety.
Through Christ and his live, love, and light, I have hope. This is also the hope
that we can live out together. God did not create us to be isolated, rather we
can gather in places like here tonight and seek love and hope together. We
are stronger together, and love, light, and life flow through us all more when
we are together.
As Christians, as children of resurrection, when we go forth from here, may we
have more love, may we shine more light, and may have more hope. Jesus is the light of
the world, and even on the darkest night of the year, the light of Christ wins. May the
light of Christ shine in you boldly, for the world needs it now more than ever. Happy
Blue Christmas, and may we shine our light on this the Longest Night of the year!
Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment