|
|
When
possible the Sermon from the Family Service will be reproduced here for
people to reflect on.
If
you would like to print out the
sermon please click here for
a
printer friendly page.
If
you would like to read John's sermon from 9th
November please follow the link.
_____________________________________________________________________________
|
|
Sermon
for Christmas Thursday 25th December 2008
preacher: John Routh
The Word
|
 |
|
It is a fact that things do not generally register with us when they
are presented in some theoretical, abstract form. Rather, they
register with us when we experience them in a personal encounter.
There’s a child somewhere today who has had a
nightmare. She’s frightened, in need of comfort. She won’t
find that comfort in a child care manual written by Penelope
Leach. She’ll find comfort in the hug of her parents as they
soothe and calm her, and rock her gently to sleep.
There’s a man somewhere today who is ill, in
pain. He too is frightened, in need of healing. He won’t
find that healing in a medical text book. He’ll find it in the
attention of a doctor or a nurse, as they bring medication and a
healing touch.
There’s a woman somewhere today who is cold and
hungry. She is frightened, in need of food and shelter. She
won’t find it in the latest cookery book from Delia Smith, or the
latest issue of Ideal Homes. She’ll find it in the care of a
shelter for the homeless and the volunteers who work there.
There’s a man somewhere today who is lonely.
He is frightened, in need of company. He may get some comfort
from a radio or a television set, but really what he needs is a friend.
The thing which is of greatest importance to people is contact with
other people. Whatever it is we need is best brought to us
through direct contact with another human being. That goes for
comfort, for healing, for shelter, and for companionship.
It also goes for truth. Philosophies,
theologies, ideas - they’re all theoretical attempts to explore
truth. They are there to debate, argue over, play mental games
with. But they don’t demand anything else of us. Only the
truth presented to us through another human being demands our response.
Like everything else, truth registers best with us
not when we are given a theoretical explanation, but when we experience
it through another human being. And that’s why, in the words of
John’s gospel, ‘the Word became flesh and lived among us’.
I want us, all of us, to ask ourselves why we’re here today.
There’s a busy day ahead. There’s a big meal to prepare; there
will be presents to open, booze to drink. Maybe you’re visiting
family, or they’re visiting you.
December the 25th will be an exciting day, a full
day, for many a busy day. You’d think we’d all want a good
night’s sleep first. So what are we doing here, knowing we’ll not
be home until one in the morning? Why are we all here, when we
could be snuggled up on a sofa by a fire watching TV, or tucked up in a
warm bed? Why are we here, in a church, a fairly chilly church?
You may think you’re here because it’s your
job. Well that covers a few of us. We’ve got no choice,
really, it’s our turn on the rota! You may think you’re here
because you’re a regular churchgoer, and you don’t want to miss one of
the biggest moments of the church year.
You may think you’re here because although you’re
not a churchgoer you always come to the Christmas service - it’s become
a tradition for you. You may even think you’re here because
someone else has dragged you along.
I’ll tell you why you’re really here. You’re
here because at some level you have experienced the truth. You
haven’t found that truth in the pages of a book, or the abstract
teachings of the church. You’ve probably not even found that
truth embedded in one of my sermons, brilliant as they may be!
You’ve found the truth through encounter with
individual human beings. Maybe they call themselves Christians,
maybe they don’t. But you’ve
encountered the truth through other human beings.
You’ll encounter truth in any number of human
beings, in all human beings. Ultimately though, you will find
truth through one very specific encounter; an encounter with the truth
expressed by the Word made flesh. Because as John wrote: ‘The
Word became flesh and lived among us’.
Why are we here today? Not because of a story about a baby being
born in a stable in the middle of the cows and oxen and the
sheep. Not because of a story about angels and virgins and
donkeys and shepherds and wise men and wicked kings.
To say we’re here for the nativity story is like
saying that what is best about Christmas presents is the wrapping
paper. What we really want is what’s inside that paper. So
too, what we really want is what is inside the nativity story.
The nativity is the packaging for the truth, not the truth itself.
We’re really here to celebrate God finding a way to
connect with us. To recognise that the Word became flesh to speak
to us in a language we would really understand. God understands
that the most effective way to speak to human beings is through the
life of a human being.
We’re really here to celebrate that God isn’t out
there far off in space not caring two hoots for what goes on down
here. God is committed to being with us. God is present
amongst us, with us, here and now - wherever here is, whenever now is.
God has been present in his creation from the
beginning, always seeking ways to reveal himself to us. God was
uniquely present in Jesus Christ, finding a way to really reveal his
nature in a way that made us sit up and listen. God is still
present with us now. It may not feel like it sometimes, but God
is with us here and now.
John wrote: ‘The Word became flesh and lived among us’.
We’re here because the Word lives among us still.
John Routh
25th December 2008
|
|
|
