Christmas

Christmas Day sermon

December 26, 2009

Gospel: John 1:1-14 Dearly beloved: This bright morning, “The Ancient of Days has become an infant” [Chrysostom].  The Holy One leaps down from His royal throne to lie helpless in a feeding trough.  This bright morning, He who could not be touched has come among us, to be touched, not as a baby is touched, [...]

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The Savior will help me when all have forsaken me

December 26, 2009

Another gem from Luther, this time from his 1530 sermon on the Afternoon of Christmas Day, on the comfort of the Christ Child in the face of death and despair: In my sin, my death, I must take leave of all created things. No, sun, moon, stars, all creatures, physicians, emperors, kings, wise men and [...]

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Luther on the Deity of Christ

December 25, 2009

From AE 22 (commentary on John 1): We must take close note of the evangelist’s words. Earlier he said (John 1:3): “All things were made through the Word.” However, he does not stop there but repeats the selfsame words with intent and premeditation: “The Light was in the world, and the world was made through [...]

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Approaching Midnight

December 24, 2009

Some day I hope to have a Midnight Mass for Christmas. How beautiful would it be to sing the wonderful antiphon in the church at the appointed hour? When all was still and it was midnight, Your almighty Word, O Lord, descended from the royal throne. O come, let us adore Him!

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Christmas Eve: Three Meditations on the Hymn, "O Savior of Our Fallen Race"

December 24, 2009

O Savior of our fallen race, O Brightness of the Father’s face, O Son who shared the Father’s might Before the world knew day or night, O Jesus, very Light of Light, Our constant star in sin’s deep night: Now hear the prayers Your people pray Throughout the world this holy day. “He knows if [...]

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Have yourself a Bob Dylan Christmas

December 24, 2009

I heard this on NPR’s “All Songs Considered” – it’s one of those songs that is deliciously awful. Behold, I give you “Must Be Santa”: [youtube]qVs6X9yIM_k[/youtube]

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O Savior of Our Fallen Race

December 24, 2009

O Savior of our fallen race, O Brightness of the Father’s face, O Son who shared the Father’s might Before the world knew day or night, O Jesus, very Light of Light, Our constant star in sin’s deep night: Now hear the prayers Your people pray Throughout the world this holy day. Remember, Lord of [...]

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Holy Innocents, Martyrs

December 29, 2008

Note: In an ordinary year, I would have likely observed the First Sunday after Christmas on the day this sermon was preached, 12/28/08. However, I will be away from Immanuel next Sunday and over the Epiphany holiday, consequently we are transferring Epiphany to the preceding Sunday, thus missing the readings for Christmas II, which also [...]

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Merry Christmas!

December 24, 2008

I pray that you all have a wonderful, joyous celebration of our Lord’s birth. Here are some thoughts on the meaning of Christmas from C.F.W. Walther: What happened [in Bethlehem] did not apply solely to the residents of Bethlehem, but to all whose nature the Son of God assumed, everyone who is called human and [...]

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Quirinius conundrum [updated]

December 23, 2008

Sometimes living 10 miles from church really stinks. It would be nice to skateboard over there and check out Just’s Luke commentary, see what Fr. Brown has to say, and look at the CPH lectionary book. I think that the Luke 2 gospel for Christmas Eve gives Luke 2.2 as saying something like, “This registration [...]

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