W. Arthur Kale - "Risk - Taking and Peace - Making" (December 24, 1967)
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| ♪ God and sinners reconciled ♪ | 0:04 | |
| ♪ Joyful, all ye nations rise ♪ | 0:09 | |
| ♪ Join the triumph of the skies ♪ | 0:14 | |
| ♪ With angelic hosts proclaim ♪ | 0:19 | |
| ♪ Christ is born in Bethlehem ♪ | 0:24 | |
| ♪ Hark, the herald angels sing ♪ | 0:29 | |
| ♪ Glory to the newborn King ♪ | 0:34 | |
| ♪ Christ by highest heaven adored ♪ | 0:41 | |
| ♪ Christ the everlasting Lord ♪ | 0:46 | |
| ♪ Late in time behold Him come ♪ | 0:52 | |
| ♪ Offspring of the virgin's womb ♪ | 0:57 | |
| ♪ Veiled in flesh the Godhead see ♪ | 1:02 | |
| ♪ Hail the incarnate Deity ♪ | 1:06 | |
| ♪ Pleased with men as men to dwell ♪ | 1:11 | |
| ♪ Jesus our Immanuel ♪ | 1:16 | |
| ♪ Hark, the herald angels sing ♪ | 1:21 | |
| ♪ Glory to the newborn King ♪ | 1:26 | |
| ♪ Hail the heaven-born Prince of Peace ♪ | 1:35 | |
| ♪ Hail the Son of Righteousness ♪ | 1:40 | |
| ♪ Light and life to all He brings ♪ | 1:46 | |
| ♪ Risen with healing in His wings ♪ | 1:51 | |
| ♪ Mild He lays His glory by ♪ | 1:56 | |
| ♪ Born that man no more may die ♪ | 2:01 | |
| ♪ Born to raise the sons of earth ♪ | 2:06 | |
| ♪ Born to give them second birth ♪ | 2:12 | |
| ♪ Hark, the herald angels sing ♪ | 2:17 | |
| ♪ Glory to the newborn King ♪ | 2:22 | |
| ♪ Amen ♪ | 2:30 | |
| - | Dearly beloved, we are come together | 2:47 |
| in the presence of Almighty God | 2:50 | |
| and of the whole company of heaven | 2:53 | |
| to make humble confessions of our sins unto Him, | 2:55 | |
| to set forth His most worthy praise, | 3:00 | |
| to hear His most worthy and holy word, | 3:03 | |
| to declare our faith in Him, | 3:07 | |
| to ask for ourselves and for all men | 3:09 | |
| those things which are necessary for the body and the soul, | 3:13 | |
| and to offer unto Him the service of our lives | 3:17 | |
| and to receive His blessing. | 3:21 | |
| Therefore, let us pray and confess unto God | 3:23 | |
| our sins and shortcomings. | 3:27 | |
| Let us offer unto God our prayer of confession. | 3:30 | |
| Almighty God, | 3:38 | |
| whose mercy brought Thee to earth | 3:41 | |
| and the coming of our Lord in this holy season, | 3:43 | |
| deepen and widen our vision | 3:47 | |
| of Thy presence among us, we ask. | 3:50 | |
| That Thou mayest not be turned away | 3:54 | |
| from our crowded, busy hearts, | 3:56 | |
| but welcomed with joy and and with thankfulness on this day. | 3:59 | |
| Oh God, our hearts as ever rejoice | 4:06 | |
| in the glad tidings of Christ | 4:08 | |
| who was born in Bethlehem to be the Savior | 4:11 | |
| of all the world. | 4:13 | |
| Yet with all our joy and the long centuries behind us | 4:16 | |
| of hearts made glad by His coming, | 4:22 | |
| when we are honest with ourselves, we know, oh Lord, | 4:25 | |
| that there is much in us that deafens our ears | 4:29 | |
| to the sound of angel anthems. | 4:32 | |
| Much that blinds us to the sight of guiding stars, | 4:36 | |
| amid the darkness. | 4:39 | |
| Much that crowds our hearts and minds | 4:42 | |
| leaving little room for the arrival | 4:45 | |
| of Thy gift of Christmas. | 4:47 | |
| We are as lonely as shepherds, oh God; | 4:51 | |
| as wayfaring as the kings, as busy as the innkeeper. | 4:54 | |
| Forgive us, oh God, our Father, and turn us again | 5:00 | |
| to the quietness of Thy peace at Christmas. | 5:05 | |
| Come, we pray Thee, as Christ came so long ago | 5:10 | |
| with healing and power and with peace. | 5:15 | |
| Thou shalt find us proud, oh God, | 5:21 | |
| for we have not yet learned what it means to be humble. | 5:25 | |
| Thou shalt find us guarded and defensive | 5:29 | |
| for we are weak within and full of fear. | 5:33 | |
| Thou shall find us irritable and not a little arrogant | 5:37 | |
| for we are comfortably guilty | 5:42 | |
| and we have not been willing to admit our frailty | 5:44 | |
| or our sins. | 5:47 | |
| While we dress and parade like little Herods | 5:50 | |
| and lordly Pilates, we know we have a deeper need | 5:54 | |
| of Thee and Thy mercy and Thy love. | 5:57 | |
| And so we asked Thy forgiveness | 6:02 | |
| and ask that Thou would come again into our lives, | 6:05 | |
| Thou meekest of all kings. | 6:10 | |
| Come, oh Lord, save us from ourselves, | 6:13 | |
| create new and holy hearts within us. | 6:17 | |
| In the name of Christ the child | 6:23 | |
| who is our Lord and our Savior. | 6:25 | |
| Amen. | 6:29 | |
| Hear these words of assurance of God's mercy | 6:33 | |
| and His everlasting love to those who truly | 6:37 | |
| and earnestly repent of their sins. | 6:40 | |
| And this was manifested the love of God toward us | 6:45 | |
| because that God sent His only begotten Son | 6:50 | |
| into the world that we might live through Him. | 6:52 | |
| For God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness | 6:57 | |
| has shined in our hearts to give the light | 7:01 | |
| of the knowledge of the glory of God | 7:05 | |
| in the face of Jesus Christ, who is our Lord. | 7:08 | |
| And so we may say with the psalmist, | 7:13 | |
| "Blessed be the Lord, God of Israel, | 7:15 | |
| "for He hath truly visited and redeemed His people." | 7:19 | |
| Amen. | 7:25 | |
| (light organ music) | 7:30 | |
| ♪ What Child is this who laid to rest ♪ | 8:21 | |
| ♪ On Mary's lap is sleeping ♪ | 8:29 | |
| ♪ Whom angels greet with anthems sweet ♪ | 8:36 | |
| ♪ While shepherds watch are keeping ♪ | 8:43 | |
| ♪ This, this is Christ the King ♪ | 8:52 | |
| ♪ Whom shepherds guard and angels sing ♪ | 8:58 | |
| ♪ Haste, haste to bring Him laud ♪ | 9:04 | |
| ♪ The Babe, the Son of Mary ♪ | 9:10 | |
| ♪ Why lies He in so mean estate ♪ | 9:26 | |
| ♪ Where ox and ass are feeding ♪ | 9:33 | |
| ♪ Good shepherd fear, for sinners here ♪ | 9:40 | |
| ♪ The silent Word is pleading ♪ | 9:48 | |
| ♪ Nails, spear shall pierce Him through ♪ | 9:56 | |
| ♪ The cross be borne for me, for you ♪ | 10:02 | |
| ♪ Hail, hail the Word made flesh ♪ | 10:09 | |
| ♪ The Babe, the Son of Mary ♪ | 10:15 | |
| ♪ So bring Him incense, gold and myrrh ♪ | 10:32 | |
| ♪ Come peasant, king to own Him ♪ | 10:39 | |
| ♪ The King of kings salvation brings ♪ | 10:45 | |
| ♪ Let loving hearts enthrone Him ♪ | 10:52 | |
| ♪ Raise, raise a song on high ♪ | 11:00 | |
| ♪ The virgin sings her lullaby ♪ | 11:06 | |
| ♪ Joy, joy for Christ is born ♪ | 11:13 | |
| ♪ The Babe, the Son of Mary ♪ | 11:19 | |
| - | The lesson from holy Scriptures for the day | 11:44 |
| is the story of the nativity of our Lord | 11:46 | |
| as it is recorded in the Gospel according to St. Luke. | 11:49 | |
| "In those days, a decree went out from Caesar Augustus | 11:55 | |
| "that all the world should be enrolled. | 11:59 | |
| "This was the first enrollment when Quirinius | 12:02 | |
| "was governor of Syria and all went to be enrolled | 12:05 | |
| "each to his own city. | 12:09 | |
| "And Joseph also went up from Galilee, | 12:12 | |
| "from the city of Nazareth to Judea, to the city of David | 12:14 | |
| "which is called Bethlehem because he was of the house | 12:19 | |
| "and of the lineage of David. | 12:23 | |
| "To be enrolled with Mary, his betrothed, | 12:25 | |
| "who was with child. | 12:29 | |
| "And while they were there, | 12:31 | |
| "the time came for her to be delivered. | 12:33 | |
| "And she gave birth to her firstborn son | 12:36 | |
| "and wrapped Him in swaddling clothes | 12:40 | |
| "and laid Him in a manger because there was no place | 12:42 | |
| "for them in the inn. | 12:45 | |
| "And in that region, there were shepherds out in the field, | 12:48 | |
| "keeping watch over their flock by night | 12:51 | |
| "and an angel of the Lord appeared to them | 12:55 | |
| "and the glory of the Lord shown round about them | 12:58 | |
| "and they were filled with fear. | 13:01 | |
| "And the angel said unto them, 'Be not afraid | 13:03 | |
| "for behold I bring you good news of a great joy | 13:07 | |
| "which will come to all people. | 13:11 | |
| "For to you is born this day in the city of David, | 13:13 | |
| "a Savior who is Christ the Lord. | 13:18 | |
| "And this will be a sign for you, | 13:22 | |
| "you will find a babe wrapped in swaddling clothes | 13:25 | |
| "and lying in a manger.' | 13:28 | |
| "And suddenly there was with the angel, | 13:31 | |
| "a multitude of the heavenly host, | 13:34 | |
| "praising God and saying, 'Glory to God in the highest | 13:37 | |
| "and on earth, peace among men with whom He is pleased.'" | 13:42 | |
| Here ends the reading of the lesson. | 13:48 | |
| (majestic organ music) | 13:52 | |
| ♪ Glory be to the Father ♪ | 14:03 | |
| ♪ And to the Son and to the Holy Ghost ♪ | 14:06 | |
| ♪ As it was in the beginning ♪ | 14:15 | |
| ♪ Is now and ever shall be ♪ | 14:19 | |
| ♪ World without end ♪ | 14:24 | |
| ♪ Amen ♪ | 14:28 | |
| ♪ Amen ♪ | 14:31 | |
| - | The Lord be with you. | 14:36 |
| - | And with thy spirit. | 14:38 |
| - | Let us pray. | 14:40 |
| Oh God, our Father, who has brought us again | 14:48 | |
| to the glad season when we commemorate the birth | 14:52 | |
| of Thy Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, | 14:55 | |
| we laud and magnify Thy glorious name | 14:59 | |
| for the countless blessings which His coming | 15:02 | |
| has brought unto us. | 15:05 | |
| For the light that continues to shine out of darkness, | 15:07 | |
| for the love that still comes down from the heavens | 15:11 | |
| to announce the possibility of peace on earth | 15:14 | |
| among men of good will, | 15:18 | |
| for the star of hope, the joy of the angels, | 15:20 | |
| and the awe of shepherds, we give Thee thanks, oh God. | 15:24 | |
| Grant us grace to welcome Thy incarnate Son with gladness | 15:29 | |
| and to make room for Him in our common days | 15:34 | |
| so that we may live at peace with one another | 15:38 | |
| and in goodwill with all Thy family | 15:41 | |
| through Jesus Christ, our Lord. | 15:44 | |
| Amen. | 15:47 | |
| Let us offer our intercessions and our petitions | 15:50 | |
| for the world and for ourselves. | 15:54 | |
| Let us pray. | 15:58 | |
| Oh God, in whose spirit our world hungers and thirsts, | 16:02 | |
| bless us with peace and righteousness the world over | 16:08 | |
| as a season of goodwill once again comes unto us. | 16:12 | |
| Let Thy spirit, we ask, rule among the nations, | 16:17 | |
| that concord and mutual service may be established, | 16:21 | |
| and the mind of Christ may bind people with people | 16:25 | |
| and race with race in true brotherhood. | 16:30 | |
| Support all those, oh Lord, at this season | 16:33 | |
| who think and plan to give happiness to others | 16:36 | |
| and give them the deepest happiness in the task | 16:41 | |
| that they do. | 16:43 | |
| Sustain all those who must bear added burdens | 16:45 | |
| to provide cheer for others. | 16:48 | |
| Help us all to be mindful of them | 16:51 | |
| and to add no unnecessary task to their portion. | 16:54 | |
| Bring the light of Thy spirit we ask, oh Lord, | 16:59 | |
| into every home, | 17:01 | |
| that affections may be rekindled and loyalties renewed | 17:03 | |
| in the gladness of the time. | 17:07 | |
| Send new life into Thy church, we ask, oh Lord, | 17:10 | |
| that there may be a new spirit of devotion to Christ | 17:14 | |
| and to His kingdom. | 17:17 | |
| Free us from all concerns for the things that matter little | 17:19 | |
| and keep us true to all the things that matter much, | 17:24 | |
| justice and mercy and faith. | 17:28 | |
| Most merciful God, our Father, abundantly bless those | 17:34 | |
| in whose hearts there is little room for joy | 17:38 | |
| because sorrow has come close to them. | 17:41 | |
| May the Christ who has been the share of their joys | 17:44 | |
| and their comrade in toil now come to them | 17:48 | |
| as the great Comforter. | 17:50 | |
| And in the knowledge of His sympathy and love, | 17:53 | |
| may they find the peace that knows no end. | 17:55 | |
| We would pray, oh Lord, for the happiness and wellbeing | 18:00 | |
| of all Thy children of every race and color, | 18:03 | |
| of every climb and coast. | 18:06 | |
| We beseech Thee, oh God, to bless those who are linked to us | 18:09 | |
| by the bonds of family and friendship. | 18:13 | |
| Enable us by the witness of Thy spirit | 18:17 | |
| to show that love will never lose its own. | 18:20 | |
| And Thou dost keep Thy children ever near to Thee, | 18:24 | |
| both in this world and in the world to come | 18:27 | |
| Lord, in this season of peace, we pray to Thee | 18:33 | |
| for peace on earth. | 18:37 | |
| We pray not because we have been men of goodwill, | 18:40 | |
| but because we have come at last in our bewilderment | 18:43 | |
| to long for Thee, that we might become men of goodwill. | 18:47 | |
| Today, we pray for little children, | 18:54 | |
| hungry and helpless and longing for life. | 18:56 | |
| We pray for those in every land who hide amid the ruins | 19:02 | |
| of their hopes and suffer from the cruelties of war. | 19:05 | |
| We bow our heads, oh Lord, in shame for any part | 19:10 | |
| that we have had in visiting Thy lovely world | 19:14 | |
| with ghastly terror and with tears of human pain. | 19:17 | |
| Grant us, we pray oh God, the calm that the peace | 19:23 | |
| of Christmas can bring, | 19:27 | |
| the calm that comes when Thou dost enter | 19:30 | |
| into the deeper recesses of our hearts and our souls. | 19:32 | |
| Grant us the faith that dares to risk its all on love. | 19:37 | |
| Grant us the will to make our own | 19:42 | |
| amidst the blackness of the night, | 19:45 | |
| the angel song of peace on earth. | 19:47 | |
| Strengthen the wise and the powerful in every land | 19:50 | |
| to the end that love may be transmuted | 19:54 | |
| into deeds decisive for the ends of peace. | 19:57 | |
| May we live close enough to Thee to know | 20:02 | |
| that only holy methods will produce Thy heavenly ends, | 20:05 | |
| that love alone survives defeat | 20:10 | |
| and ushers in the resurrection morn. | 20:13 | |
| We seek, oh Lord, the hope of Christmas, | 20:17 | |
| the hope that His coming brings to all mankind | 20:21 | |
| for the world is very dark. | 20:25 | |
| And as of old, when He first came, | 20:27 | |
| Herod the king had sought to slay Him, | 20:29 | |
| so the murderous passion of men lie and wait for Him still. | 20:33 | |
| Yet, He is our hope. | 20:38 | |
| We have seen His light | 20:41 | |
| and once seen, we can never forget it. | 20:44 | |
| He is our salvation. | 20:48 | |
| He is the firstborn among many brethren. | 20:50 | |
| We would believe in Him afresh today | 20:54 | |
| and follow Him with more loyal hearts, oh God. | 20:58 | |
| Thanks be to Thee for Thy gift of Christmas. | 21:02 | |
| For Jesus Christ, the babe of Bethlehem, | 21:06 | |
| Thou didst send unto us, full of grace and of truth. | 21:10 | |
| Now we make bold to pray the prayer that He, | 21:17 | |
| in His adult ministry taught us who would follow Him | 21:21 | |
| to pray together, that we should say, | 21:23 | |
| "Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. | 21:27 | |
| "Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done | 21:32 | |
| "on earth as it is in heaven. | 21:36 | |
| "Give us this day, our daily bread. | 21:38 | |
| "And forgive us our trespasses | 21:41 | |
| "as we forgive those who trespass against us. | 21:44 | |
| "And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. | 21:48 | |
| "For Thine is the kingdom and the power | 21:52 | |
| "and the glory forever, | 21:56 | |
| "amen." | 21:59 | |
| (light organ music) | 22:04 | |
| - | In the name of the Father and of the Son | 22:56 |
| and of the Holy Spirit, | 23:02 | |
| amen. | 23:05 | |
| A journey of less than 100 miles | 23:08 | |
| seems quite routine and short to the 20th century traveler. | 23:13 | |
| Yet here we are in the month of December 1967, | 23:19 | |
| many of us already have made our journeys | 23:25 | |
| and we are aware that others, our family and friends, | 23:28 | |
| are traveling across this land | 23:31 | |
| and perhaps the total number across other lands | 23:34 | |
| will go into the millions. | 23:37 | |
| Travelers today | 23:41 | |
| are turning their thoughts to another journey. | 23:44 | |
| One made by a man named Joseph and a young woman named Mary, | 23:48 | |
| who made a trip, the distance of which was approximately | 23:55 | |
| 93 miles. | 23:58 | |
| Traveling southward from their home village of Nazareth, | 24:02 | |
| they eventually arrived at a city, | 24:08 | |
| a small city called Bethlehem. | 24:10 | |
| Today, as we revive recollections of that original event, | 24:15 | |
| we are prone to include an abundance of sentiment | 24:21 | |
| as we sing in the language of Phillips Brooks' famous hymn | 24:26 | |
| and beloved hymn, "Oh Little Town of Bethlehem." | 24:31 | |
| Our mood seems to be to make it a kind of fairyland city | 24:37 | |
| with a romanticized mingling of shepherds and angelic choir, | 24:44 | |
| of stars and traveling Magi, | 24:51 | |
| of swaddling clothes and a manger, | 24:55 | |
| of camels and donkeys and gold and frankincense, and myrrh, | 25:00 | |
| of Mother of Pearl jewelry and olive wood souvenir camels, | 25:07 | |
| of candles and wreaths and bells and tinsel, | 25:14 | |
| and so our description might continue. | 25:19 | |
| Perhaps as we pause together on this particular Sunday | 25:24 | |
| called Christmas Eve Sunday, | 25:29 | |
| it might be in order to take another look at the journey | 25:32 | |
| which is associated so intimately with our Christian faith. | 25:35 | |
| As we begin, I make several affirmations | 25:43 | |
| asking that you keep these in mind | 25:49 | |
| as we review the journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem. | 25:51 | |
| First, the movement which was initiated | 25:59 | |
| by the nativity event in Bethlehem | 26:03 | |
| is, by its history and its nature, | 26:08 | |
| totally committed to the nurture of goodwill among men. | 26:14 | |
| Unless the number of persons having goodwill | 26:24 | |
| in the center of their living increases, | 26:27 | |
| the movement called Christianity is not true to its nature, | 26:31 | |
| nor is it faithful to its task. | 26:38 | |
| The second affirmation is the founder of the movement | 26:44 | |
| which began in Bethlehem | 26:49 | |
| risked the totality of His earthly mission | 26:51 | |
| for the cause of goodwill among men. | 26:56 | |
| To be known as His followers, Christian people, | 27:02 | |
| individually, or as an institution called the Church, | 27:08 | |
| must be prepared to risk the totality of their living | 27:13 | |
| in the cause of goodwill. | 27:19 | |
| And the third affirmation, the worship of Almighty God | 27:24 | |
| without goodwill in the heart becomes pretentious ceremony. | 27:29 | |
| The angelic chorus put it right, | 27:39 | |
| "Glory to God in the highest!" | 27:42 | |
| But the chorus did not end there, | 27:46 | |
| "And on earth, peace to men of goodwill." | 27:49 | |
| And the two aspects of worship must be kept in mind | 27:55 | |
| and in heart as Christians assemble, | 28:01 | |
| not only at the Christmas season, | 28:04 | |
| but on any occasion for the purpose of worship. | 28:06 | |
| Now with these affirmations in our minds, | 28:12 | |
| will you go with me, as it were, | 28:16 | |
| as companions on the journey taken by Joseph and Mary? | 28:18 | |
| Beginning in their home city in response to a decree | 28:24 | |
| that went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world | 28:28 | |
| should be enrolled for taxation. | 28:33 | |
| The story of that journey presents in pictorial form | 28:38 | |
| one of the major emphases or major themes | 28:45 | |
| of the whole Gospel according to Luke. | 28:50 | |
| In the midst of normal events, men find themselves | 28:54 | |
| in the presence of God. | 29:00 | |
| In the midst of governmental decrees, | 29:03 | |
| of census-taking, of taxation, | 29:08 | |
| of movement at the command of officialdom, | 29:13 | |
| men may also experience a confrontation with God. | 29:18 | |
| God is not to be found only through angelic songs | 29:25 | |
| or through sentimental celebrations of a romanticized event. | 29:29 | |
| God and men are related through journeys, | 29:35 | |
| journeys involving risks and expense and frustration | 29:39 | |
| and tedium and delay and excitement and joy. | 29:45 | |
| God and man are related through the normal experiences | 29:51 | |
| of pregnancy and childbirth, | 29:56 | |
| through unexpected changes of plans, | 29:59 | |
| through the dreams that abide in human hearts | 30:04 | |
| for a day of peace and for the security of peace. | 30:06 | |
| Perhaps in this connection, | 30:17 | |
| it might be well to remember that the length of the trip | 30:20 | |
| taken by Joseph and Mary | 30:24 | |
| was greater than the number of miles | 30:28 | |
| indicated as I began, approximately 93. | 30:32 | |
| Some of the scholars say that perhaps the journey | 30:38 | |
| might have been made in about four days | 30:41 | |
| traveling on foot or on the back of a beast. | 30:44 | |
| Others, in reflecting upon possibilities along the way, | 30:49 | |
| say it might have taken longer than that. | 30:53 | |
| It might be interesting to remember | 30:58 | |
| that there were enemies along the way. | 31:02 | |
| There were certain individuals aspiring to be recognized | 31:05 | |
| as the deliverer of a captive people, | 31:10 | |
| as the coming Messiah. | 31:16 | |
| One of the more famous of them lived in the Greek city | 31:19 | |
| near Nazareth called Sepphoris | 31:23 | |
| a man by the name of Judas of Galilee | 31:27 | |
| A reference to this particular man | 31:33 | |
| is found in the book of Acts, | 31:36 | |
| as the great teacher Gamaliel | 31:38 | |
| converses with certain questioners. | 31:42 | |
| This particular man, Judas of Nazareth, | 31:46 | |
| aspiring to be known as the Messiah, | 31:50 | |
| had conquered a city and perhaps was interested in others | 31:54 | |
| who might have similar aspirations. | 31:59 | |
| He might have protested or interfered | 32:02 | |
| had he known what the journey made by the man, Joseph, | 32:06 | |
| and the woman, Mary, really involved. | 32:11 | |
| Along the way, there were possible stops | 32:17 | |
| that these two could have made. | 32:20 | |
| Certainly, their travel southward might have brought them | 32:24 | |
| to the famous well of Jacob, | 32:29 | |
| situated in a valley from which they could drink pure water | 32:35 | |
| from the depths and recall the story of their elders | 32:41 | |
| and look upward in one direction to Mount Gerizim | 32:46 | |
| on which was located the famous temple | 32:52 | |
| where the worship of the Samaritans centered. | 32:56 | |
| Or perhaps the journey might have taken them | 33:03 | |
| to the upland city in Judah where Zacharias and Elizabeth | 33:06 | |
| and their baby were living. | 33:13 | |
| You may recall from your reading of the Scriptures | 33:17 | |
| that Mary had spent three months on an earlier trip | 33:21 | |
| and this particular journey with Joseph was, in a sense, | 33:24 | |
| retracing much of the journey made earlier. | 33:28 | |
| And it might have happened that they took time out | 33:32 | |
| to go to see the other family again | 33:35 | |
| and to catch something of the joy that had come to them | 33:41 | |
| through the birth of their son whose name was John. | 33:46 | |
| Certainly they passed through the great city of Jerusalem | 33:53 | |
| and might have stopped at the temple there | 33:57 | |
| to offer themselves and the appropriate worship. | 34:01 | |
| As they entered Bethlehem only a short distance south | 34:06 | |
| and perhaps a little southeast of Jerusalem, | 34:14 | |
| they perhaps saw on the distant horizon, | 34:19 | |
| the great palace of Herod, an immense cone-shaped structure | 34:23 | |
| visible from Bethlehem. | 34:30 | |
| And the sight of it perhaps reminded them | 34:34 | |
| of the authority placed there. | 34:39 | |
| And later events would recall what they had seen | 34:43 | |
| as they entered the city. | 34:48 | |
| In other words, through the whole journey | 34:52 | |
| there was not only hope and anticipation, | 34:54 | |
| but a considerable amount of risk. | 34:57 | |
| The story of the journey to Bethlehem by these two | 35:01 | |
| presents in pictorial form, | 35:06 | |
| not only the fact that men in the presence of normal life | 35:09 | |
| are also in the presence of God, | 35:13 | |
| but that the risks associated with the Christian mission | 35:16 | |
| and specifically the Christian mission of peacemaking | 35:23 | |
| are to be found at the very heart of the Christmas story. | 35:28 | |
| Christianity has ever been a mobile movement | 35:36 | |
| or a mobile faith, a faith of mobile people. | 35:43 | |
| Its roots are in Judaism, in Abraham's call, | 35:49 | |
| in the Exodus event, in the event of the exile | 35:54 | |
| and the return from the exile. | 35:58 | |
| Joseph and Mary were destined to make additional journeys. | 36:03 | |
| One tradition calling for them to go to Egypt | 36:09 | |
| and spend some years. | 36:13 | |
| And of course, eventually back to Nazareth | 36:16 | |
| from which they started. | 36:19 | |
| How long they were away, several have calculated | 36:23 | |
| to be several years. | 36:28 | |
| What happened to the carpenter business | 36:31 | |
| in the little shop in Nazareth during the extended absence, | 36:34 | |
| we do not know. | 36:38 | |
| In any case life was unsettled and this pictorial account | 36:40 | |
| of what happened to them suggests the mobility of the faith | 36:47 | |
| established by the Son born there in Bethlehem. | 36:53 | |
| Referring to that Son, may I remind you that He Himself | 37:01 | |
| was a traveler? | 37:05 | |
| Let us also remember that He commanded others to travel. | 37:08 | |
| Frequently He said to people, | 37:13 | |
| "Get up, get out from where you now are, | 37:14 | |
| "remove of yourself from the limitations | 37:18 | |
| "of your palette by a pool side | 37:21 | |
| "or from the limitations of affliction | 37:24 | |
| "and move out into newness of life." | 37:28 | |
| Following His example in teachings, | 37:32 | |
| Christians of all ages have, in person, | 37:36 | |
| who could not settle forever in one position | 37:42 | |
| or upon one policy and commit themselves finally | 37:46 | |
| to one particular operation. | 37:51 | |
| Christianity involves the risk of change, | 37:55 | |
| the risk of the confusion related to change, | 38:00 | |
| the risk of weariness and frustration | 38:08 | |
| associated with confusion and change. | 38:13 | |
| I'd like us to look for a few moments | 38:20 | |
| at the name of the city to which these travelers came. | 38:23 | |
| We pronounce it Bethlehem, | 38:30 | |
| it really means house of bread. | 38:35 | |
| It has a good location | 38:43 | |
| on a hillside or on a considerable elevation | 38:47 | |
| near a fertile valley of open fields. | 38:52 | |
| And the produce from the field could be brought easily here. | 38:57 | |
| And this could be a source of nutrition and nourishment | 39:03 | |
| and of strength for the people, the house of bread. | 39:09 | |
| This again reminds us of the significance of bread | 39:17 | |
| as a Christian symbol. | 39:21 | |
| We prayed this morning as we do regularly | 39:25 | |
| when we gather here or in other places | 39:29 | |
| for Christian worship, "Give us this day our daily bread." | 39:33 | |
| We frequently quote our Lord saying, | 39:40 | |
| "I am the bread of life." | 39:43 | |
| And when on those holy occasions we gather | 39:48 | |
| to celebrate the holy communion, | 39:51 | |
| we quote our Lord's comment saying, "Take, eat," | 39:54 | |
| and remember that as He spoke those words, | 40:02 | |
| He was breaking bread. | 40:04 | |
| "Take, eat, this is My body given for you." | 40:07 | |
| One of the risks of coming to the house of bread | 40:16 | |
| is that one continues to be hungry. | 40:21 | |
| And it could be that across the planet earth today, | 40:28 | |
| though the celebration of the holiday season is elaborate, | 40:31 | |
| there are hungry people seeking bread but not finding it | 40:38 | |
| where Christians gather | 40:46 | |
| or where the Christian story is told. | 40:49 | |
| Or another way to put it would be the temptation and risk | 40:53 | |
| of Christmas for many of us is | 40:58 | |
| that we come to the celebration in the house of bread | 41:00 | |
| without much appetite for bread. | 41:05 | |
| Our appetite being chiefly interested in the pageantry | 41:10 | |
| and the artificiality and the frothiness and shallowness | 41:15 | |
| of celebration. | 41:23 | |
| Perhaps you read in the Saturday Review for October 14 past | 41:27 | |
| an article by Anne Shamat, the title of which was, | 41:34 | |
| "On Being a Sheikh's Wife." | 41:40 | |
| Anne Shamat is an American woman | 41:46 | |
| married to a Bedouin sheikh. | 41:50 | |
| And the article describes some of the scenes of her life | 41:53 | |
| in Saudi Arabia soon after her marriage | 41:57 | |
| to an Arabian engineer | 42:02 | |
| trained in the United States and Europe. | 42:04 | |
| I quote just these brief statements | 42:08 | |
| of her very interesting account. | 42:12 | |
| "My husband," she wrote, "is one of many Arabs | 42:16 | |
| "who have studied engineering and technology | 42:19 | |
| "in the United States and Europe. | 42:22 | |
| "He lived for many years in America as a student, | 42:24 | |
| "but he has never forgotten his other culture. | 42:30 | |
| "If a piece of bread falls to the floor, | 42:36 | |
| "he snatches it, presses it to his forehead, and eats it." | 42:43 | |
| To an Arab, bread is the symbol of life. | 42:51 | |
| To a Christian, | 42:59 | |
| bread may symbolize even a deeper meaning | 43:03 | |
| as it reminds men of the mission of God | 43:12 | |
| to the planet called earth and to men in sin and sorrow | 43:18 | |
| and variety of need. | 43:23 | |
| God's visit here, centering in a little city | 43:26 | |
| called the house of bread. | 43:34 | |
| The risk of this particular Christmas is | 43:37 | |
| that we have lost our appetite for bread | 43:40 | |
| and also for being real men or true men of goodwill. | 43:46 | |
| Men of goodwill are peacemakers. | 43:56 | |
| Our Lord once said, "Blessed are the peacemakers," | 44:00 | |
| and He added, "they shall be called sons of God." | 44:03 | |
| But we argue, "Are peacemakers not also visionary | 44:09 | |
| "and impractical? | 44:17 | |
| "Their hope for peace is misleading, | 44:19 | |
| "it's only a kind of tantalizing dream | 44:23 | |
| "that nobody thinks will ever come true." | 44:27 | |
| Looking at their operation, the peacemakers of our day | 44:33 | |
| seem inept and their actions often ill timed. | 44:39 | |
| Their labor lacks glamor and excitement | 44:44 | |
| and the adventure and risk often, | 44:49 | |
| and the kind of adventure and risk | 44:52 | |
| often associated with warfare. | 44:54 | |
| Yet across the planet earth today, | 44:58 | |
| men's hearts cry for more peacemakers. | 45:04 | |
| There is a paradox of wretchedness and blessedness | 45:11 | |
| among peacemakers. | 45:17 | |
| Peacemakers are wretched because the abolition of war | 45:20 | |
| does seem to be something of a dream. | 45:23 | |
| Wretched also because the number of men of goodwill | 45:27 | |
| does not increase noticeably as we look around. | 45:32 | |
| But let us remember that peacemakers also find blessedness | 45:41 | |
| in knowing that they are working for mankind | 45:47 | |
| and working to save mankind from self destruction. | 45:51 | |
| Disillusioned as they are, peacemakers are never free | 45:57 | |
| to quit. | 46:05 | |
| Theirs is the blessedness of persistence, | 46:07 | |
| the blessedness of fellowship, | 46:11 | |
| the blessedness of yoke-fellowship | 46:15 | |
| with one who was born in Bethlehem | 46:19 | |
| and who is known today as the Prince of Peace. | 46:25 | |
| Let us pray. | 46:34 | |
| Oh Thou who art the God of the child of Bethlehem | 46:39 | |
| and the God and Father of all who in His name | 46:45 | |
| work for goodwill and peace, | 46:49 | |
| enable us in this season to become aware | 46:52 | |
| of the risks of peacemaking, | 46:56 | |
| but also to commit ourselves afresh to the task | 46:59 | |
| of peacemaking. | 47:04 | |
| Through Jesus Christ our Lord, we pray, | 47:07 | |
| amen. | 47:14 | |
| (light organ music) | 47:18 | |
| ♪ And there were in the same country ♪ | 49:23 | |
| ♪ Shepherds abiding in the field ♪ | 49:30 | |
| ♪ Keeping watch over their flocks by night ♪ | 49:45 | |
| ♪ And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them ♪ | 50:01 | |
| ♪ And the glory of the Lord shone round about them ♪ | 50:09 | |
| ♪ And they were sore afraid ♪ | 50:17 | |
| ♪ And the angel said unto them ♪ | 50:36 | |
| ♪ Fear not, for behold, I bring you good tidings ♪ | 50:49 | |
| ♪ Of great joy ♪ | 50:57 | |
| ♪ And suddenly there was with the angel ♪ | 51:04 | |
| ♪ A multitude of the heavenly host ♪ | 51:10 | |
| ♪ Praising God and saying ♪ | 51:16 | |
| ♪ Glory to God in the highest ♪ | 51:24 | |
| ♪ Glory to God in the highest ♪ | 51:31 | |
| ♪ And peace on earth ♪ | 51:37 | |
| ♪ Peace, goodwill, goodwill toward men ♪ | 51:42 | |
| ♪ Glory to God in the highest ♪ | 51:57 | |
| ♪ And peace on earth ♪ | 52:03 | |
| ♪ Peace, goodwill, goodwill toward men ♪ | 52:08 | |
| (majestic organ music) | 52:24 | |
| ♪ Praise God from whom all blessings flow ♪ | 53:03 | |
| ♪ Praise Him all peoples here below ♪ | 53:11 | |
| ♪ Praise Him above the heavenly host ♪ | 53:19 | |
| ♪ Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost ♪ | 53:27 | |
| ♪ Amen ♪ | 53:38 | |
| - | Oh Lord, we turn our faces like the wise men of old | 53:47 |
| toward the star of Bethlehem. | 53:51 | |
| And with willing hearts, we offer both ourselves | 53:54 | |
| and our gifts to the manger child who is our King. | 53:57 | |
| When at last, oh Lord, in the midst of this world's night, | 54:02 | |
| the Christ is born again, | 54:06 | |
| give us wisdom to kneel and joy to serve | 54:09 | |
| and courage to share the Good News which Thou has given us | 54:14 | |
| to all the world. | 54:19 | |
| In the name of Christ our Lord, amen. | 54:21 | |
| (uplifting organ music) | 54:28 | |
| ♪ There's a song in the air ♪ | 55:04 | |
| ♪ There's a star in the sky ♪ | 55:08 | |
| ♪ There's a mother's deep prayer and a baby's low cry ♪ | 55:13 | |
| ♪ And the star rains its fire while the beautiful sing ♪ | 55:22 | |
| ♪ For the manger of Bethlehem cradles a King ♪ | 55:30 | |
| ♪ There's a tumult of joy o'er the wonderful birth ♪ | 55:42 | |
| ♪ For the virgin's sweet boy is the Lord of the earth ♪ | 55:51 | |
| ♪ Ay, the star rains its fire while the beautiful sing ♪ | 56:00 | |
| ♪ For the manger of Bethlehem cradles a King ♪ | 56:08 | |
| ♪ In the light of that star lie the ages impearled ♪ | 56:20 | |
| ♪ And that song from afar has swept over the world ♪ | 56:29 | |
| ♪ Every hearth is aflame and the beautiful sing ♪ | 56:38 | |
| ♪ In the homes of the nations that Jesus is King ♪ | 56:46 | |
| ♪ We rejoice in the light and we echo the song ♪ | 56:58 | |
| ♪ That comes down through the night ♪ | 57:07 | |
| ♪ From the heavenly throng ♪ | 57:12 | |
| ♪ Ay, we shout to the lovely evangel they bring, ♪ | 57:16 | |
| ♪ And we greet in His cradle our Savior and King ♪ | 57:24 | |
| ♪ Amen ♪ | 57:36 | |
| - | Depart now to serve the Lord in peace and in joy | 57:45 |
| and may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ | 57:50 | |
| and the love of God our Father | 57:53 | |
| and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all, amen. | 57:56 | |
| (bell rings) | 58:03 | |
| (bright organ music) | 58:15 |
