WEBVTT
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(stately music)
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(elegant music)
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(solemn music)
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(regal music)
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I welcome you to this service of worship,
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the first Sunday after Christmas.
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On this day, we are faced with a tough text from the gospel.
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And as our custom, whenever we have a tough text to preach,
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we always invite in a guest preacher.
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And our guest preacher today
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is a lively interpreter of biblical faith,
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Dr. Walter Brueggemann from Columbia Theological Seminary
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in Decatur, Georgia.
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We welcome him back to our pulpit.
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He gave a wonderful series of lectures here at Duke
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last fall at the Divinity School Convocation,
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and we're glad to have Dr. Brueggemann
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here with us again today.
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Our lector is the Reverend Deborah Luther,
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a student at the Divinity School.
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She will be leading a group of Duke students this next week
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on a work team project to Johns Island, South Carolina,
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working on some of the hurricane damage there,
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and we welcome her as our lector today.
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And we have been led in worship already
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by the UNC Brass Ensemble.
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They are regulars here on the first Sunday of Christmas,
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and we're glad to have them with us.
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And now let us stand as we joyfully sing the hymn.
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("Angels We Have Heard on High")
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♪ Angels we have heard on high ♪
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♪ Sweetly singing o'er the plains ♪
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♪ And the mountains in reply ♪
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♪ Echoing their joyous strains ♪
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♪ Gloria ♪
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♪ In excelsis Deo ♪
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♪ Gloria ♪
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♪ In excelsis Deo ♪
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♪ Shepherds, why this jubilee ♪
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♪ Why your joyous strains prolong ♪
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♪ What the gladsome tidings be ♪
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♪ Which inspire your heav'nly song ♪
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♪ Gloria ♪
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♪ In excelsis Deo ♪
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♪ Gloria ♪
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♪ In excelsis Deo ♪
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♪ Come to Bethlehem and see ♪
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♪ Christ whose birth the angels sing ♪
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♪ Come adore on bended knee ♪
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♪ Christ the Lord, the newborn king ♪
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♪ Gloria ♪
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♪ In excelsis Deo ♪
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♪ Gloria ♪
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♪ In excelsis Deo ♪
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♪ See him in a manger laid ♪
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♪ Whom the choirs of angels praise ♪
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♪ Mary, Joseph, lend your aid ♪
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♪ While our hearts in love relays ♪
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♪ Gloria ♪
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♪ In excelsis Deo ♪
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♪ Gloria ♪
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♪ In excelsis Deo ♪
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Lord Jesus, by whose incarnation
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were united all things earthly with things heavenly,
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in this great season of joy,
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we rejoice at your presence among us,
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asking that during this time of worship,
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you would more closely unite our wills with your will
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so that we might come to praise you,
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not only with our lips in Christmas song,
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but with our lives in Christ-like service, Amen.
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You may be seated.
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Would you join me in the prayer for illumination?
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Open our hearts and minds, oh God,
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by the power of your Holy Spirit
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so that as the Word is read and proclaimed,
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we might hear with joy what you say to us this day, Amen.
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The first lesson comes from the book of Isaiah,
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the 63rd chapter.
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I will recount the steadfast love of the Lord,
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the praises of the Lord,
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according to all that the Lord has granted us,
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and the great goodness to the house of Israel
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which God has granted them according to God's mercy,
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according to the abundance of God's steadfast love.
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For God said, "Surely they are my people,
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"children who will not deal falsely."
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And God became their Savior.
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In all their affliction, God was afflicted,
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and the angel of God's presence saved them.
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In love and in pity, God redeemed them,
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lifted them up, and carried them all the days of old.
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Thus ends the reading of the first lesson.
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Let us stand for the Psalm.
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Let us read responsively Psalm 111,
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men reading the regular type
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and women reading the boldface type.
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Praise the Lord.
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I will give thanks to the Lord
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with my whole heart,
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in the company of the upright, in the congregation.
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Great are the works of the Lord,
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studied by all who have pleasure in them.
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Full of honor and majesty
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are the works of the Lord,
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whose righteousness endures forever.
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Who has caused his wonderful works to be remembered,
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the Lord is gracious and merciful.
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The Lord provides food for the faithful
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and is ever mindful of his covenant.
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The Lord has shown his people
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the power of his works
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by giving them the heritage of the nations.
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The works of the Lord's hands
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are faithful and just.
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The precepts of the Lord are trustworthy.
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They are established forever and ever,
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to be performed with faithfulness and uprightness.
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The Lord sent redemption to his people
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and has commanded his covenant forever.
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Holy and wondrous is God's name.
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The fear of the Lord
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is the beginning of wisdom.
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All those who practice it have a good understanding.
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The praise of the Lord endures forever.
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(solemn music)
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♪ O Lord, make speed to save me ♪
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♪ O Lord, make haste to help me ♪
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♪ Glory be to the Father and the Son ♪
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♪ And to the Holy Ghost ♪
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♪ As it was in the beginning ♪
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♪ Is now and ever shall be ♪
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You may be seated.
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The second lesson comes from the epistle to Hebrews,
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beginning in the second chapter.
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For it was fitting that the one
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for whom and by whom all things exist,
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in bringing many sons and daughters to glory,
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should make the pioneer of their salvation
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perfect through suffering.
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For the one who sanctifies and those who are sanctified
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have all one origin.
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That is why Jesus is not ashamed
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to call them brothers and sisters, saying,
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"I will proclaim your name to my brothers and sisters.
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"In the midst of the congregation, I will praise you."
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And again, "I will put my trust in God."
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And again, "Here am I and the children God has given me."
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Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood,
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Jesus likewise partook of the same nature,
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in order to destroy through death
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the one who has power of death, that is, the devil,
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and to deliver all those who through fear of death
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were subject to lifelong bondage.
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For surely it is not with angels that Jesus is concerned
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but with the descendants of Abraham.
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Therefore Jesus had to be made
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like human beings in every respect
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in order to become a merciful and faithful high priest
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in the service of God,
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to make expiation for the sins of the people.
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For because Jesus also has suffered and been tempted,
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Jesus is able to help those who are tempted.
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Thus ends the reading of the second lesson.
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(stately music)
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This gospel reading follows immediately
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after the visit of the wise men in Matthew two.
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It is rather like a cold bath after Christmas.
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Listen for the gospel.
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Now when they had departed, that is, the wise men,
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behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream
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and said, "Rise, take the child and his mother
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"and flee to Egypt and remain there till I tell you.
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"For Herod is about to search for the child
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"to destroy him."
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And he rose and took the child and his mother by night
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and departed to Egypt
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and remained there until the death of Herod.
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This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet,
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"Out of Egypt I have called my son."
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Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked
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by the wise men, was in a furious rage,
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and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem
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and in all that region who were under two years old,
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according to the time
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which he had ascertained from the wise men.
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Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah.
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"A voice was heard in Ramah,
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"wailing and loud lamentations,
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"Rachel weeping for her children.
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"She refused to be consoled because they were no more."
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But when Herod died, behold,
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an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt,
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saying, "Rise, take the child and his mother
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"and go to the land of Egypt,
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"for those who sought the child's life are dead."
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And he rose and took the child and his mother
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and went to the land of Israel.
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But when he heard that Archela'us
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reigned over Judea in the place of his father Herod,
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he was afraid to go there and being warned in a dream,
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he withdrew to the district of Galilee.
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And he went and dwelt in a city called Nazareth,
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that what was spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled,
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"He shall be called a Nazarene."
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Here ends the lesson.
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These words are true and they can be trusted.
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Grace to you and peace
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from the Messiah who has come and who will come, even Jesus.
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I am delighted to be with you on this off Sunday.
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I'm delighted that Dr. Willimon inviting me.
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It's been a long week since Christmas.
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It's a week filled with tension and exhaustion
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and lots of business.
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Oh, I don't mean your week.
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I mean the week that has passed
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for the characters in this Bethlehem story.
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Because they continue to be the same main characters
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in this second episode,
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and what I want you to notice is
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what a difference a week has made for them
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when you move from the story of the wise men
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to the next story of the flight into Egypt.
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It's worth noticing the change in their lives
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because it's the kind of change
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that has to happen in our lives
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the second week of Christmas.
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The cast of characters is well-known
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even though we coalesce the stories of Matthew and Luke.
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There are Mary and Joseph.
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They are silent and obedient
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and they are awed by what's happening.
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They don't ever say anything.
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There are the wise men.
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They've come in their bathrobes and now they've gone,
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warned in a dream.
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And there is Herod.
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He sounded like a good guy in the Christmas story.
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He said, "When you've found them,
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"bring me word that I may worship them."
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And if we had only that story, we would think he meant it.
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And there are the angels.
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They are the, first, the one announcer
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and then the sky is filled with a choir of singing voices,
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and the story overflows with wonder and amazement.
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And for a moment, the trains stop running
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and we stop running,
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and we suspend our critical judgment and we are bathed
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in a narrative of innocence at Christmas.
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It's wonderful.
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It is the innocence of God's holy intrusion.
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It is the innocent power of God's love.
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It is our desperate innocence of believing
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that the world really could start over again.
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We've been there.
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For children, and not just for children,
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Christmas ends too soon.
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And the wise men depart and the angels vanish
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and Herod goes back to the office.
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00:25:38.176 --> 00:25:43.038
And we return to our ordinary weariness,
261
00:25:44.310 --> 00:25:47.413
and very little has changed.
262
00:25:47.413 --> 00:25:52.076
And we are back to our tired lives.
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But on the first Sunday of Christmas,
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my word to you is don't go back yet.
265
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Don't give up on Christmas,
266
00:26:01.360 --> 00:26:06.360
but linger with these characters and watch them
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00:26:06.650 --> 00:26:11.650
one more time because in one week,
268
00:26:11.650 --> 00:26:14.771
a lot has changed.
269
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They also have departed innocence,
270
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and they've gone back to real life.
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Consider first Herod.
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He sounded like he was prepared to meet the new king,
273
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"that I also may worship,"
274
00:26:34.040 --> 00:26:39.040
but what a difference a week makes to Herod.
275
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We don't know why he changed.
276
00:26:40.650 --> 00:26:45.650
Perhaps his intelligence told him more about this new king.
277
00:26:46.790 --> 00:26:51.790
Perhaps he had just thought awhile and figured it out.
278
00:26:52.140 --> 00:26:53.700
Or more likely, he didn't mean
279
00:26:53.700 --> 00:26:57.550
what he said in the first place.
280
00:26:57.550 --> 00:27:00.270
But in one quick week,
281
00:27:00.270 --> 00:27:05.270
Herod is transformed into a frantic, ruthless killer,
282
00:27:05.810 --> 00:27:10.790
all for reasons of state.
283
00:27:10.790 --> 00:27:15.538
And Herod sounds like Pharaoh back in the book of Exodus.
284
00:27:15.538 --> 00:27:18.230
He's gonna search out the baby and he's gonna kill him
285
00:27:18.230 --> 00:27:21.880
because he's in a furious rage.
286
00:27:21.880 --> 00:27:24.350
And Herod is like all kinds of powerful people
287
00:27:24.350 --> 00:27:25.183
who get upset.
288
00:27:25.183 --> 00:27:27.800
He's prepared to fight, to fire on the crowd,
289
00:27:27.800 --> 00:27:32.798
and to kill civilians for reasons of state.
290
00:27:34.680 --> 00:27:39.241
What a difference a week makes to Herod.
291
00:27:39.241 --> 00:27:44.241
Because brutality has come back into the narrative.
292
00:27:44.794 --> 00:27:47.840
And what this story knows is that mild people
293
00:27:47.840 --> 00:27:51.110
can be transformed into passionate rage
294
00:27:51.110 --> 00:27:54.900
when their interest is jeopardized
295
00:27:54.900 --> 00:27:59.790
and when their status quo is put at risk.
296
00:28:00.810 --> 00:28:03.010
So in this story, one week later,
297
00:28:03.010 --> 00:28:08.010
we see the full play of evil.
298
00:28:08.150 --> 00:28:09.070
It's very interesting
299
00:28:09.070 --> 00:28:11.840
that in the church's selection of this lectionary text,
300
00:28:11.840 --> 00:28:13.950
it leaves out all the hard verses.
301
00:28:13.950 --> 00:28:18.950
It just skips over the brutality.
302
00:28:19.200 --> 00:28:22.538
But the Bible does not skip over the brutality.
303
00:28:22.538 --> 00:28:24.820
The Bible knows that if you want to celebrate Christmas,
304
00:28:24.820 --> 00:28:26.840
you will have to do it in the face
305
00:28:26.840 --> 00:28:31.680
of socioeconomic, political, military brutality.
306
00:28:33.774 --> 00:28:35.590
And the reason we all think about that is that
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00:28:35.590 --> 00:28:38.960
that brutality is not very far away from us
308
00:28:38.960 --> 00:28:42.810
because we also would like to do in innocence
309
00:28:42.810 --> 00:28:47.405
if it threatens our status quo.
310
00:28:50.880 --> 00:28:52.070
What a difference a week makes.
311
00:28:52.070 --> 00:28:56.665
Consider the baby.
312
00:28:56.665 --> 00:28:59.160
The baby Jesus is still passive.
313
00:28:59.160 --> 00:29:01.286
He doesn't act.
314
00:29:01.286 --> 00:29:06.282
He doesn't speak, but he is the driving force of the story.
315
00:29:08.490 --> 00:29:12.648
Everything happens because of the baby.
316
00:29:12.648 --> 00:29:13.600
You know how it is.
317
00:29:13.600 --> 00:29:17.120
At Christmas, the baby is honored and worshiped and saluted
318
00:29:17.120 --> 00:29:20.840
and adored and gold and frankincense and myrrh,
319
00:29:20.840 --> 00:29:24.120
and if you want to, you can add a few extra sheep and oxen
320
00:29:24.120 --> 00:29:28.161
to make it work.
321
00:29:28.161 --> 00:29:30.500
But a week later, everything has changed.
322
00:29:30.500 --> 00:29:35.400
The music in the Christmas story has become chilling.
323
00:29:38.380 --> 00:29:40.380
Because the power of Jesus
324
00:29:40.380 --> 00:29:42.970
has changed everything in the story,
325
00:29:42.970 --> 00:29:44.760
and two things stand out.
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00:29:44.760 --> 00:29:46.350
First of all,
327
00:29:46.350 --> 00:29:48.916
this Jesus has become
328
00:29:48.916 --> 00:29:53.916
a threat to Herod
329
00:29:54.690 --> 00:29:59.631
and to all the greed and injustice and brutality.
330
00:30:01.360 --> 00:30:05.530
One week old and Jesus threatens
331
00:30:05.530 --> 00:30:09.040
the way the world is organized.
332
00:30:09.040 --> 00:30:11.610
And as Jesus grows into adulthood,
333
00:30:11.610 --> 00:30:15.910
Jesus keep threatening the way the world is organized
334
00:30:16.880 --> 00:30:20.520
with his power for goodness and his dreams of freedom
335
00:30:20.520 --> 00:30:24.180
and his passion for justice
336
00:30:24.180 --> 00:30:27.555
and his miracles of healing.
337
00:30:27.555 --> 00:30:30.380
And we are told as we read on in the Jesus story
338
00:30:30.380 --> 00:30:31.840
is that everywhere he went,
339
00:30:31.840 --> 00:30:34.730
the blind see him, the lame walk, and lepers are cleansed,
340
00:30:34.730 --> 00:30:39.436
and the dead are raised and the poor rejoice.
341
00:30:40.400 --> 00:30:43.078
That's pretty upsetting.
342
00:30:43.078 --> 00:30:48.078
And Herod senses it coming.
343
00:30:48.410 --> 00:30:50.400
But the other thing you notice about Jesus
344
00:30:50.400 --> 00:30:52.790
is that he's so vulnerable.
345
00:30:52.790 --> 00:30:54.870
He just a little baby
346
00:30:54.870 --> 00:30:59.870
that has barely entered the world,
347
00:31:00.050 --> 00:31:03.152
and as he gets older, he continues to be resourceless
348
00:31:03.152 --> 00:31:07.646
and weaponless and defenseless.
349
00:31:09.370 --> 00:31:12.710
And his vulnerability finally
350
00:31:12.710 --> 00:31:16.013
culminates in a cross,
351
00:31:16.013 --> 00:31:18.330
where we see what his power is all about,
352
00:31:18.330 --> 00:31:21.781
perfect strength in weakness,
353
00:31:21.781 --> 00:31:23.820
perfect authority in gentleness,
354
00:31:23.820 --> 00:31:28.706
perfect sovereignty in graciousness.
355
00:31:31.095 --> 00:31:34.240
And in his vulnerability,
356
00:31:34.240 --> 00:31:39.230
Jesus drives the Herods of the world crazy.
357
00:31:43.020 --> 00:31:44.212
So one week later,
358
00:31:44.212 --> 00:31:49.120
what we got is this crazy man of power
359
00:31:50.640 --> 00:31:54.575
and this vulnerable little baby
360
00:31:54.575 --> 00:31:58.015
that threatens him.
361
00:31:58.015 --> 00:32:00.750
That's the issue that's joined in this story,
362
00:32:00.750 --> 00:32:04.270
and it's still joined for us
363
00:32:04.270 --> 00:32:09.073
with Herod unleashing brutalized power
364
00:32:10.170 --> 00:32:14.390
and the baby.
365
00:32:14.390 --> 00:32:15.390
And I want to tell you something.
366
00:32:15.390 --> 00:32:20.390
Between Herod's power and the baby
367
00:32:20.590 --> 00:32:25.582
is where you will have to live your life.
368
00:32:25.582 --> 00:32:30.271
Because the world is arranged in such an unequal way,
369
00:32:32.627 --> 00:32:34.620
and you'll have to put your money down
370
00:32:34.620 --> 00:32:39.358
and bet your life.
371
00:32:39.358 --> 00:32:41.250
You can bet on Herod's brutality
372
00:32:41.250 --> 00:32:46.180
or you can bet on Jesus' vulnerability.
373
00:32:49.210 --> 00:32:51.080
Herod spoke very loudly.
374
00:32:51.080 --> 00:32:52.350
He said, "Kill them all!"
375
00:32:52.350 --> 00:32:56.978
He thought if he spoke loudly, it would work.
376
00:32:58.320 --> 00:33:00.854
He is the voice of power
377
00:33:00.854 --> 00:33:05.820
and greed and fear and control.
378
00:33:05.820 --> 00:33:06.960
He doesn't trust anybody.
379
00:33:06.960 --> 00:33:11.275
He doesn't believe in transformation.
380
00:33:11.275 --> 00:33:16.160
And he is endlessly engaged in destroying himself.
381
00:33:19.820 --> 00:33:20.653
Do you know about that?
382
00:33:20.653 --> 00:33:23.200
Herod embodies what we all know,
383
00:33:23.200 --> 00:33:27.002
and that is the resistance
384
00:33:27.002 --> 00:33:31.953
to the newness of God's gospel.
385
00:33:33.440 --> 00:33:38.165
Or you can bet on the little baby.
386
00:33:40.570 --> 00:33:45.570
But there's one other character that I haven't mentioned.
387
00:33:46.330 --> 00:33:51.330
In the birth story of Luke, you know, the angels sing,
388
00:33:51.330 --> 00:33:52.930
and in our romantic innocence,
389
00:33:52.930 --> 00:33:57.930
we don't mind some angels on Christmas Eve.
390
00:33:57.960 --> 00:34:02.868
They come and announce a new king and a new management.
391
00:34:04.000 --> 00:34:07.903
And then they leave,
392
00:34:07.903 --> 00:34:12.768
and our world feels like it doesn't have any angels in it.
393
00:34:14.720 --> 00:34:16.900
But what a difference a week makes?
394
00:34:16.900 --> 00:34:18.150
What the angels did in that week
395
00:34:18.150 --> 00:34:21.900
is they walked over from Luke to Matthew.
396
00:34:21.900 --> 00:34:26.481
They said let's get in this story.
397
00:34:27.510 --> 00:34:30.670
Did you wonder what happened to the angels
398
00:34:30.670 --> 00:34:34.578
after Christmas Eve?
399
00:34:34.578 --> 00:34:36.680
Well, in that dangerous week,
400
00:34:36.680 --> 00:34:39.590
the angels have been changed as much as Herod
401
00:34:40.670 --> 00:34:41.740
and as much as the baby
402
00:34:41.740 --> 00:34:46.740
because these sweet messengers with wings
403
00:34:47.040 --> 00:34:52.040
have become active political characters.
404
00:34:52.290 --> 00:34:54.980
And when we meet the angel again in this story,
405
00:34:54.980 --> 00:34:59.698
the angel is powerful and assertive.
406
00:35:01.820 --> 00:35:06.790
The angel comes twice in this story.
407
00:35:06.790 --> 00:35:09.110
The narrative says first, "Behold!"
408
00:35:09.110 --> 00:35:12.730
That means look out!
409
00:35:12.730 --> 00:35:14.367
An angel of the Lord appeared and said,
410
00:35:14.367 --> 00:35:15.437
"Get out of here with the baby
411
00:35:15.437 --> 00:35:18.804
"or the king's gonna kill him."
412
00:35:18.804 --> 00:35:22.580
And then the angel led the baby and the parents
413
00:35:22.580 --> 00:35:27.511
to the safety of Egypt, out of reach of Herod.
414
00:35:28.910 --> 00:35:33.040
The angel acts to protect the baby
415
00:35:33.040 --> 00:35:37.678
from the rage of the empire.
416
00:35:39.486 --> 00:35:41.000
And then the second thing the narrative says
417
00:35:41.000 --> 00:35:46.000
is when Herod died, behold, that means look out.
418
00:35:46.280 --> 00:35:47.987
An angel appeared in the dream and said,
419
00:35:47.987 --> 00:35:52.987
"You can go back now, it's safe."
420
00:35:53.110 --> 00:35:57.160
And the angel leads another exodus
421
00:35:57.160 --> 00:36:01.993
out of Egypt to freedom,
422
00:36:01.993 --> 00:36:05.590
just as the angel long ago had led Moses
423
00:36:05.590 --> 00:36:08.716
out of slavery.
424
00:36:08.716 --> 00:36:12.190
The angel is a force
425
00:36:12.190 --> 00:36:14.920
to protect the blessed baby
426
00:36:14.920 --> 00:36:18.230
from the crazed king.
427
00:36:18.230 --> 00:36:21.280
The angel is the one who lets the baby
428
00:36:21.280 --> 00:36:23.840
come back to the land of promise.
429
00:36:23.840 --> 00:36:27.640
The angel is the wild card
430
00:36:27.640 --> 00:36:31.777
in the deck of God's history
431
00:36:31.777 --> 00:36:36.695
that makes all the other characters sit up and take notice.
432
00:36:38.810 --> 00:36:40.260
What I want you to see is that
433
00:36:40.260 --> 00:36:44.800
the tension between the king and the baby is changed
434
00:36:44.800 --> 00:36:49.732
because in the middle of it is an angel.
435
00:36:51.341 --> 00:36:55.935
Let me try it this way, that the angel is our narrative way
436
00:36:58.310 --> 00:37:02.903
of talking about the overplus
437
00:37:02.903 --> 00:37:07.290
of God's power and God's resolve and God's love
438
00:37:07.290 --> 00:37:10.993
that is at work in our common life.
439
00:37:10.993 --> 00:37:14.968
How you gonna talk about it?
440
00:37:14.968 --> 00:37:16.970
It upsets all our equilibriums.
441
00:37:16.970 --> 00:37:19.780
It overrides all our power arrangements.
442
00:37:19.780 --> 00:37:24.536
It makes all things possible.
443
00:37:27.900 --> 00:37:29.930
So the people that put this narrative together
444
00:37:29.930 --> 00:37:31.710
didn't start fresh.
445
00:37:31.710 --> 00:37:34.940
They went back to the book of Isaiah,
446
00:37:34.940 --> 00:37:37.960
and they went back to the Psalms.
447
00:37:37.960 --> 00:37:41.770
And what they found there was the language of our community
448
00:37:41.770 --> 00:37:46.770
who talk about angels as bodyguards
449
00:37:47.320 --> 00:37:50.220
who save people by their presence.
450
00:37:50.220 --> 00:37:52.630
Psalm 91 has an angel
451
00:37:52.630 --> 00:37:56.910
that lets you walk above snakes and scorpions
452
00:37:56.910 --> 00:38:01.875
as a rearguard and a foreguard, utterly safe.
453
00:38:06.100 --> 00:38:09.400
It is the Bible's way of saying to us
454
00:38:09.400 --> 00:38:13.110
that God's protective power
455
00:38:13.110 --> 00:38:17.140
that we can't domesticate
456
00:38:17.140 --> 00:38:20.768
keeps love viable,
457
00:38:20.768 --> 00:38:25.481
keeps faithfulness safe,
458
00:38:26.382 --> 00:38:30.830
guards those who obey and keeps those who devote their life
459
00:38:30.830 --> 00:38:35.500
to the purpose of God.
460
00:38:35.500 --> 00:38:37.680
You know, don't you, that if in this story,
461
00:38:37.680 --> 00:38:42.680
there was only Herod and Jesus,
462
00:38:42.950 --> 00:38:45.816
Herod would have won.
463
00:38:45.816 --> 00:38:47.470
And the baby would have been killed
464
00:38:47.470 --> 00:38:50.228
and we wouldn't be here this morning.
465
00:38:50.228 --> 00:38:54.819
Jesus' name would have been forgotten.
466
00:38:54.819 --> 00:38:59.776
That's predictable.
467
00:38:59.776 --> 00:39:00.920
What changes everything
468
00:39:00.920 --> 00:39:04.100
is that the angel of the Lord appeared
469
00:39:04.100 --> 00:39:09.100
in the center of the narrative.
470
00:39:09.120 --> 00:39:11.190
The angel came and the story is changed.
471
00:39:11.190 --> 00:39:16.190
Have you noticed how this same overplus
472
00:39:16.890 --> 00:39:19.220
of God's power and God's love
473
00:39:19.220 --> 00:39:24.220
keeps life open to newness where none seemed possible?
474
00:39:25.390 --> 00:39:30.358
Have you noticed the overplus of God's power
475
00:39:31.260 --> 00:39:36.260
in Czechoslovakia and in Romania and in Poland?
476
00:39:36.910 --> 00:39:40.180
Did you imagine that the innocent protesters
477
00:39:40.180 --> 00:39:42.490
would overthrow brutality
478
00:39:42.490 --> 00:39:46.526
by the, oh no, not by themselves,
479
00:39:46.526 --> 00:39:50.980
but by the overplus of God's power
480
00:39:50.980 --> 00:39:55.871
that finally will not let brutality kill the babies?
481
00:39:58.270 --> 00:40:03.270
Have you noticed the strange break points
482
00:40:03.640 --> 00:40:08.400
in the struggle for justice and peace and freedom
483
00:40:08.400 --> 00:40:13.078
against all the odds,
484
00:40:13.078 --> 00:40:15.780
where humanness keeps turning up
485
00:40:15.780 --> 00:40:20.630
when we thought it not possible?
486
00:40:20.630 --> 00:40:24.160
Have you noticed in your life and in the life around you
487
00:40:24.160 --> 00:40:28.000
that there are openings for humanness and newness
488
00:40:28.000 --> 00:40:31.817
and healing and wholeness
489
00:40:31.817 --> 00:40:35.896
against all odds?
490
00:40:35.896 --> 00:40:39.360
You may think it's surface religious poetry
491
00:40:39.360 --> 00:40:44.305
when we sang Angels We Have Heard on High.
492
00:40:45.360 --> 00:40:50.171
We are the people who read the world differently,
493
00:40:53.560 --> 00:40:57.555
and this is our way of talking about it.
494
00:40:57.555 --> 00:40:58.980
And the news one week later
495
00:40:58.980 --> 00:41:01.400
is that the overplus of God's power and God's love
496
00:41:01.400 --> 00:41:05.768
has not been driven out of the story.
497
00:41:05.768 --> 00:41:09.290
It is present and it is active and it is decisive,
498
00:41:09.290 --> 00:41:13.923
and that is good news.
499
00:41:17.080 --> 00:41:20.993
You see, the event at Christmas
500
00:41:20.993 --> 00:41:25.433
was not just a little romantic pageant
501
00:41:25.433 --> 00:41:30.236
that you can forget about and go home unscathed.
502
00:41:31.780 --> 00:41:34.060
The event of Christmas is an assertion
503
00:41:34.060 --> 00:41:38.906
about God's power in the world against the power of evil.
504
00:41:41.740 --> 00:41:45.740
And it is because of God's resilient power in the world
505
00:41:45.740 --> 00:41:49.090
that the baby is safe and the promise is under way
506
00:41:49.090 --> 00:41:54.050
and we are available for healing.
507
00:41:57.680 --> 00:42:00.350
When Will invited me and I looked at these lectionary texts,
508
00:42:00.350 --> 00:42:04.911
I thought, oh no, all the lectionary texts are about angels.
509
00:42:04.911 --> 00:42:07.110
And it's wonderful to come to a university campus
510
00:42:07.110 --> 00:42:10.683
and talk about angels.
511
00:42:10.683 --> 00:42:13.220
Because in a university campus, we are so sure
512
00:42:13.220 --> 00:42:17.710
and we see so well and we explain so clearly.
513
00:42:17.710 --> 00:42:22.140
Indeed, the university is a place where we gather
514
00:42:22.140 --> 00:42:25.220
in celebration of our awesome control
515
00:42:25.220 --> 00:42:28.330
and our capacity to have our life the way we want it.
516
00:42:28.330 --> 00:42:32.315
That's what we're all about.
517
00:42:32.315 --> 00:42:37.315
And it sounds maudlin and romantic and fantastic
518
00:42:37.980 --> 00:42:40.851
to speak about angels.
519
00:42:40.851 --> 00:42:45.072
That's why we're here.
520
00:42:45.072 --> 00:42:47.585
You don't believe, do you,
521
00:42:47.585 --> 00:42:52.463
that there is only cruel Herod and vulnerable Jesus?
522
00:42:54.150 --> 00:42:55.400
You don't believe, do you,
523
00:42:55.400 --> 00:43:00.113
that there are only brutalizing forces and innocent love?
524
00:43:02.290 --> 00:43:07.290
The story says there's a third force.
525
00:43:07.730 --> 00:43:12.730
An angel of the Lord appeared and said.
526
00:43:12.860 --> 00:43:17.860
The third character who had such a long week
527
00:43:18.400 --> 00:43:22.460
is the strong power of God's purpose
528
00:43:22.460 --> 00:43:24.260
that is on the loose in ways
529
00:43:24.260 --> 00:43:29.260
that we cannot predict or control or administer.
530
00:43:29.920 --> 00:43:32.270
But notice that by the end of this narrative,
531
00:43:32.270 --> 00:43:37.270
Herod is gone, vanished from history,
532
00:43:37.560 --> 00:43:42.266
and the baby has come home.
533
00:43:42.266 --> 00:43:44.160
The angel departs, probably going back
534
00:43:44.160 --> 00:43:48.538
to choir practice in heaven.
535
00:43:48.538 --> 00:43:52.948
But that angel is not to be trifled with,
536
00:43:52.948 --> 00:43:57.876
tough and hard and determined.
537
00:44:00.760 --> 00:44:05.760
We call this story the slaughter of the innocents,
538
00:44:08.060 --> 00:44:12.725
and the innocent go on being slaughtered
539
00:44:12.725 --> 00:44:15.600
when the army shoots among the civilians
540
00:44:15.600 --> 00:44:19.193
in Romania and in Panama.
541
00:44:19.193 --> 00:44:20.700
And the innocents are slaughtered
542
00:44:20.700 --> 00:44:22.890
in university classrooms,
543
00:44:22.890 --> 00:44:27.254
in families, and everywhere we are.
544
00:44:27.254 --> 00:44:32.254
And the Bible does not blink.
545
00:44:32.580 --> 00:44:36.645
But there is this.
546
00:44:36.645 --> 00:44:38.490
That God's powerful purpose is at work,
547
00:44:38.490 --> 00:44:43.490
not always visible, not always triumphant,
548
00:44:43.600 --> 00:44:48.378
but at work in the midst of Herod's insanity.
549
00:44:50.770 --> 00:44:55.738
So if you're like me, it's been a long, long week
550
00:44:55.738 --> 00:45:00.723
for these people in this story.
551
00:45:01.813 --> 00:45:06.788
What we celebrate is a new beginning beyond the craziness
552
00:45:08.540 --> 00:45:12.760
and beyond the destructiveness,
553
00:45:12.760 --> 00:45:17.673
a new beginning that happens because of God's overplus
554
00:45:19.000 --> 00:45:22.510
of power and love
555
00:45:22.510 --> 00:45:27.280
that is vulnerable but resilient.
556
00:45:27.280 --> 00:45:31.247
Take notice toward the new year
557
00:45:31.247 --> 00:45:35.580
that the angel has not been driven out
558
00:45:35.580 --> 00:45:38.675
of the story,
559
00:45:38.675 --> 00:45:41.488
and indeed will not.
560
00:45:41.488 --> 00:45:46.443
And that's for rejoicing, Amen.
561
00:45:49.433 --> 00:45:53.433
("Hark the Herald Angels Sing")
562
00:46:11.927 --> 00:46:16.927
♪ Hark the herald angels sing ♪
563
00:46:17.074 --> 00:46:22.074
♪ Glory to the newborn king ♪
564
00:46:22.340 --> 00:46:27.340
♪ Peace on earth and mercy mild ♪
565
00:46:27.563 --> 00:46:32.563
♪ God and sinners reconciled ♪
566
00:46:32.751 --> 00:46:37.751
♪ Joyful, all ye nations rise ♪
567
00:46:37.894 --> 00:46:42.894
♪ Join the triumph of the skies ♪
568
00:46:43.065 --> 00:46:48.065
♪ With angelic hosts proclaim ♪
569
00:46:48.243 --> 00:46:53.243
♪ Christ is born in Bethlehem ♪
570
00:46:53.408 --> 00:46:58.408
♪ Hark the herald angels sing ♪
571
00:46:58.693 --> 00:47:03.693
♪ Glory to the newborn King ♪
572
00:47:06.362 --> 00:47:11.362
♪ Christ, by highest heav'n adored ♪
573
00:47:11.616 --> 00:47:16.616
♪ Christ, the everlasting Lord ♪
574
00:47:17.217 --> 00:47:22.217
♪ Late in time, behold him come ♪
575
00:47:22.235 --> 00:47:27.235
♪ Offspring of a virgin's womb ♪
576
00:47:27.506 --> 00:47:32.506
♪ Veiled in flesh, the Godhead see ♪
577
00:47:32.584 --> 00:47:37.556
♪ Hail the incarnate deity ♪
578
00:47:37.556 --> 00:47:42.556
♪ Pleased with us in flesh to dwell ♪
579
00:47:42.757 --> 00:47:47.757
♪ Jesus, our Emmanuel ♪
580
00:47:48.074 --> 00:47:53.074
♪ Hark the herald angels sing ♪
581
00:47:53.390 --> 00:47:57.057
♪ Glory to the newborn king ♪
582
00:48:30.837 --> 00:48:35.837
♪ Hail the heav'nly prince of peace ♪
583
00:48:36.165 --> 00:48:41.165
♪ Hail the sun of righteousness ♪
584
00:48:41.611 --> 00:48:46.611
♪ Light and life to all he brings ♪
585
00:48:46.778 --> 00:48:51.778
♪ Ris'n with healing in his wings ♪
586
00:48:52.226 --> 00:48:57.226
♪ Mild he lays his glory by ♪
587
00:48:57.578 --> 00:49:02.578
♪ Born that man no more may die ♪
588
00:49:02.714 --> 00:49:07.714
♪ Born to raise the sons of earth ♪
589
00:49:08.042 --> 00:49:13.042
♪ Born to give them second birth ♪
590
00:49:13.500 --> 00:49:18.500
♪ Hark the herald angels sing ♪
591
00:49:18.864 --> 00:49:22.531
♪ Glory to the newborn king ♪
592
00:49:30.110 --> 00:49:31.932
The Lord be with you.
593
00:49:31.932 --> 00:49:33.230
And also with you.
594
00:49:33.230 --> 00:49:35.023
Let us pray, be seated.
595
00:49:46.780 --> 00:49:51.780
Gracious God, because we could not get ourselves together
596
00:49:51.850 --> 00:49:53.083
and come to you,
597
00:49:54.120 --> 00:49:56.163
you came to us,
598
00:49:57.220 --> 00:50:01.630
reaching out to us, stooping to us as a baby,
599
00:50:01.630 --> 00:50:04.893
one of us, with us.
600
00:50:06.620 --> 00:50:08.100
Lord of all heaven and earth,
601
00:50:08.100 --> 00:50:10.260
when you entered the world at Bethlehem
602
00:50:11.170 --> 00:50:16.170
and took upon us, upon yourself, our flesh,
603
00:50:17.440 --> 00:50:19.833
you thereby exalted us,
604
00:50:21.260 --> 00:50:23.493
taking on our human need,
605
00:50:24.640 --> 00:50:26.990
our care, our fear and hurt
606
00:50:28.140 --> 00:50:29.363
as if your own.
607
00:50:31.300 --> 00:50:34.960
Encouraged by the mystery of your incarnation,
608
00:50:34.960 --> 00:50:37.520
we are bold to pray
609
00:50:37.520 --> 00:50:39.193
for all human need.
610
00:50:42.730 --> 00:50:44.330
Oh, child who knew what it was
611
00:50:44.330 --> 00:50:48.100
to be hounded by an unjust, cruel tyrant,
612
00:50:48.100 --> 00:50:49.800
we pray for all those who suffer
613
00:50:49.800 --> 00:50:52.883
from political and governmental oppression,
614
00:50:54.470 --> 00:50:57.880
rejoicing when people rise up, throw off the chains
615
00:50:58.800 --> 00:51:01.160
of governmental and economic tyranny
616
00:51:02.070 --> 00:51:04.603
as a triumph of your will for all.
617
00:51:06.810 --> 00:51:10.340
We rejoice at poor families like Joseph's,
618
00:51:10.340 --> 00:51:13.643
dream even yet and give Herod the slip.
619
00:51:15.930 --> 00:51:17.850
Oh, Emmanuel who knows what it is like
620
00:51:19.940 --> 00:51:21.593
to be in a poor family,
621
00:51:22.620 --> 00:51:24.913
to have no place to call your own,
622
00:51:26.120 --> 00:51:29.420
no protection from the cruelty of the elements
623
00:51:29.420 --> 00:51:32.473
by the designs of calloused people in high places,
624
00:51:33.860 --> 00:51:36.370
we pray this day for all poor families
625
00:51:37.470 --> 00:51:40.700
who are ill-fed or ill-clothed, ill-housed
626
00:51:41.730 --> 00:51:44.623
often as a result of our callousness.
627
00:51:46.800 --> 00:51:50.223
We still have so little room for the poor.
628
00:51:52.760 --> 00:51:54.430
Oh, dayspring from on high
629
00:51:55.430 --> 00:51:58.773
who began this life as a refugee with his parents,
630
00:51:59.900 --> 00:52:03.140
we pray for all refugees and displaced persons
631
00:52:04.330 --> 00:52:08.193
in Afghanistan, El Salvador,
632
00:52:09.090 --> 00:52:11.700
the West Bank and Gaza,
633
00:52:11.700 --> 00:52:14.173
Mozambique and Vietnam.
634
00:52:15.700 --> 00:52:17.363
Herod rages even yet.
635
00:52:20.400 --> 00:52:22.640
Oh, prince of peace
636
00:52:22.640 --> 00:52:25.690
whose advent provoked not peace
637
00:52:25.690 --> 00:52:27.533
but a massacre of the innocents,
638
00:52:28.990 --> 00:52:31.400
we pray for all children who suffer
639
00:52:32.570 --> 00:52:35.043
because of adult incompetence,
640
00:52:36.200 --> 00:52:38.363
adult ambition or cruelty.
641
00:52:40.560 --> 00:52:43.463
Rachel weeps even yet for her children.
642
00:52:46.000 --> 00:52:47.393
Oh, child of Nazareth,
643
00:52:48.900 --> 00:52:52.380
after the Christmas angels and the star,
644
00:52:52.380 --> 00:52:54.973
the wonder of Bethlehem singing,
645
00:52:56.890 --> 00:53:01.890
now we return to a more accustomed world,
646
00:53:02.750 --> 00:53:04.563
a gray January world,
647
00:53:06.080 --> 00:53:07.420
a world where there is pain
648
00:53:07.420 --> 00:53:10.420
and injustice and family problems,
649
00:53:10.420 --> 00:53:14.870
political shenanigans, occupying armies,
650
00:53:14.870 --> 00:53:16.533
and an uncertain future.
651
00:53:18.530 --> 00:53:20.463
And yet by your grace,
652
00:53:22.010 --> 00:53:23.410
we return to this world
653
00:53:23.410 --> 00:53:25.993
by a different way than that which we came,
654
00:53:27.600 --> 00:53:31.713
entering a new year with the songs of angels on our lips,
655
00:53:33.290 --> 00:53:35.410
facing our accustomed problems
656
00:53:36.430 --> 00:53:38.113
with unaccustomed joy,
657
00:53:39.990 --> 00:53:42.563
knowing that wherever we are,
658
00:53:43.710 --> 00:53:47.263
you are with us, Amen.
659
00:53:52.530 --> 00:53:55.250
As is the custom in this chapel,
660
00:53:55.250 --> 00:53:57.610
all of the Sunday offering goes
661
00:53:57.610 --> 00:54:01.350
to alleviate suffering at home and abroad.
662
00:54:01.350 --> 00:54:04.583
Therefore, as forgiven and reconciled people,
663
00:54:05.450 --> 00:54:07.520
we invite you to give generously.
664
00:54:14.387 --> 00:54:16.970
(solemn music)
665
00:59:55.652 --> 00:59:58.319
(stately music)
666
01:00:28.135 --> 01:00:33.135
♪ Praise God from whom all blessings flow ♪
667
01:00:34.318 --> 01:00:39.318
♪ Praise him all creatures here below ♪
668
01:00:40.119 --> 01:00:43.291
♪ Hallelujah ♪
669
01:00:43.291 --> 01:00:47.618
♪ Hallelujah ♪
670
01:00:47.618 --> 01:00:52.618
♪ Praise him above, ye heavenly host ♪
671
01:00:53.515 --> 01:00:58.515
♪ Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost ♪
672
01:00:59.528 --> 01:01:02.443
♪ Hallelujah ♪
673
01:01:02.443 --> 01:01:05.428
♪ Hallelujah ♪
674
01:01:05.428 --> 01:01:08.520
♪ Hallelujah ♪
675
01:01:08.520 --> 01:01:11.772
♪ Hallelujah ♪
676
01:01:11.772 --> 01:01:14.189
♪ Hallelujah ♪
677
01:01:25.663 --> 01:01:30.663
Eternal God, we give thanks that by the birth of Jesus,
678
01:01:30.910 --> 01:01:33.460
you gave yourself to the world.
679
01:01:33.460 --> 01:01:36.870
Grant, we pray, that being born in our hearts,
680
01:01:36.870 --> 01:01:40.900
he may save us from our sins and restore within us
681
01:01:40.900 --> 01:01:44.360
the intended image and likeness of our creator,
682
01:01:44.360 --> 01:01:47.690
to whom be everlasting praise and glory,
683
01:01:47.690 --> 01:01:49.143
world without end.
684
01:01:50.420 --> 01:01:52.330
And so we pray
685
01:01:52.330 --> 01:01:55.370
as our Savior has taught us,
686
01:01:55.370 --> 01:01:58.630
our Father, who art in heaven.
687
01:01:58.630 --> 01:02:00.720
Hallowed be thy name.
688
01:02:00.720 --> 01:02:04.310
Thy kingdom come, thy will be done,
689
01:02:04.310 --> 01:02:05.953
on earth as it is in heaven.
690
01:02:06.930 --> 01:02:09.750
Give us this day our daily bread.
691
01:02:09.750 --> 01:02:12.230
And forgive us our trespasses,
692
01:02:12.230 --> 01:02:15.980
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
693
01:02:15.980 --> 01:02:18.610
And lead us not into temptation,
694
01:02:18.610 --> 01:02:20.073
but deliver us from evil.
695
01:02:20.950 --> 01:02:24.060
For thine is the kingdom, and the power,
696
01:02:24.060 --> 01:02:26.603
and the glory forever, Amen.
697
01:02:28.550 --> 01:02:31.970
And now may the grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ
698
01:02:31.970 --> 01:02:36.043
be with you and remain with you now and always, Amen.
699
01:02:39.536 --> 01:02:43.869
("Good Christian Friends, Rejoice")
700
01:03:14.751 --> 01:03:18.696
♪ Good Christian friends, rejoice ♪
701
01:03:18.696 --> 01:03:23.161
♪ With heart and soul and voice ♪
702
01:03:23.161 --> 01:03:27.331
♪ Give ye heed to what we say ♪
703
01:03:27.331 --> 01:03:32.331
♪ News, news, Jesus Christ is born today ♪
704
01:03:33.719 --> 01:03:37.742
♪ Ox and ass before him bow ♪
705
01:03:37.742 --> 01:03:42.236
♪ And he is in the manger now ♪
706
01:03:42.236 --> 01:03:46.835
♪ Christ is born today ♪
707
01:03:46.835 --> 01:03:51.835
♪ Christ is born today ♪
708
01:03:52.519 --> 01:03:56.573
♪ Good Christian friends, rejoice ♪
709
01:03:56.573 --> 01:04:00.918
♪ With heart and soul and voice ♪
710
01:04:00.918 --> 01:04:04.878
♪ Now ye hear of endless bliss ♪
711
01:04:04.878 --> 01:04:09.878
♪ News, news, Jesus Christ was born for this ♪
712
01:04:11.022 --> 01:04:14.690
♪ He hath opened heaven's door ♪
713
01:04:14.690 --> 01:04:19.065
♪ And ye are blest forevermore ♪
714
01:04:19.065 --> 01:04:23.267
♪ Christ was born for this ♪
715
01:04:23.267 --> 01:04:28.267
♪ Christ was born for this ♪
716
01:04:28.613 --> 01:04:32.871
♪ Good Christian friends, rejoice ♪
717
01:04:32.871 --> 01:04:37.042
♪ With heart and soul and voice ♪
718
01:04:37.042 --> 01:04:42.042
♪ Now ye need not fear the grave ♪
719
01:04:42.275 --> 01:04:47.275
♪ News, news, Jesus Christ was born to save ♪
720
01:04:49.165 --> 01:04:53.020
♪ Calls you one and calls you all ♪
721
01:04:53.020 --> 01:04:57.854
♪ To gain his everlasting hall ♪
722
01:04:57.854 --> 01:05:02.854
♪ Christ was born to save ♪
723
01:05:02.895 --> 01:05:06.395
♪ Christ was born to save ♪
724
01:05:18.154 --> 01:05:20.737
(lively music)
725
01:05:46.331 --> 01:05:49.081
(people chatter)