{"id":5799,"date":"2010-12-09T09:44:44","date_gmt":"2010-12-09T15:44:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/praytellblog.com\/?p=5799"},"modified":"2011-08-03T14:02:58","modified_gmt":"2011-08-03T19:02:58","slug":"preaching_the_incarnation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/praytellblog.com\/index.php\/2010\/12\/09\/preaching_the_incarnation\/","title":{"rendered":"Preaching the Incarnation: John 1 on Christmas Day"},"content":{"rendered":"

Our own Rita Ferrone recently asked:<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Is it really so difficult to preach on John? Maybe Cody or some other PrayTell Chrysostom will post a model homily for Christmas day to help the homilists who struggle with this text. (I\u2019m presuming the lectionary for the Episcopal Church has the same reading as the RC for Christmas day. Is this correct?)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Yes, Rita, same readings more or less. . . I’m sure that the RCL has opened up a few more options to us, but on Christmas Day my preference is to preach on John 1. (And since I’m the only single priest in a parish whose clergy are otherwise married, guess who gets to take the morning mass while everyone else stays home and opens presents with the kids?) Actually I love it passionately: an intimate congregation, no pressure to sell the “Christmas story” to once-a-year guests (who all come for the big music at midnight), and time to dwell with the theology of the Incarnation.<\/em><\/p>\n

So in spite of Rita’s flattery — me, a Chrysostom? — here’s my homily from the liturgy of Christmas Day last year. It was preached extempore, and transcribed some weeks after the event; and looking it over again, I seem to owe a tip of the biretta to Karl Rahner.<\/em><\/p>\n

CHRISTMAS, MASS OF THE DAY
\nAND SUNDAY I IN CHRISTMASTIDE<\/p>\n

Alleluia! Christ is born. + Glorify him. Alleluia!<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the beginning. . . .\u201d
\nHow wonderfully does today\u2019s Gospel lesson take us back \u2014
\nall the way back, back to \u201cin the beginning.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the beginning,
\nwhen God created the heavens and the earth. . . .”<\/p>\n

“In the beginning
\nwas the Word. . . .
\n. . . and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. . . .”<\/p>\n

“. . . and God said. . . \u201c<\/p>\n

God spoke,
\nand in that speaking,
\nin that wording,
\nby that Word,
\nby that all-creative Word,<\/p>\n

the universe,
\nthe cosmos,
\nthe world was made:<\/p>\n

\u201cAll things came into being through him,
\nand without him not one thing came into being.\u201d<\/p>\n

God\u2019s Word \u2014
\npresent to God, one with God \u2014
\nis a creative Word,
\na fashioning Word,
\na life-giving Word.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet there be!\u201d \u2014 and there is!
\nAnd what is, is good. . . \u201cvery good,\u201d as we are told.<\/p>\n

God\u2019s first Word, God\u2019s creative Word,
\nis a good Word, an affirming Word.<\/p>\n

And when at length God\u2019s Word speaks \u201cus,\u201d
\nGod creates a \u201cHearer of the Word,\u201d
\nand not a hearer only,
\nbut \u201cin the divine image God created them\u201d:
\nbeings, creatures, persons who could speak,
\ninterlocutors, conversationalists,
\ndialogue partners, speakers of words.<\/p>\n

But what is our first word to God?<\/p>\n

When God tells us that we are good, \u201cvery good\u201d indeed,
\nwhat do we do, but counter-speak \u2014 or contradict \u2014 God.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou are good,\u201d God says to us.
\n\u201cWanna bet?\u201d we say to God.<\/p>\n

Hearers of God\u2019s good, creative word,
\nour response is lies, deceit, and death.<\/p>\n

We speak
\npride,
\ngreed,
\ninjustice,
\nhatred,
\nexclusion,
\nmarginalization,
\nabuse,
\nviolence.<\/p>\n

We try to speak louder,
\nto out-speak God.
\nWe cry, we shout, we rage:
\nbut God will not enter our shouting-match;
\nGod will not be outspoken,
\nnor ultimately contradicted.<\/p>\n

God\u2019s Word named us \u201cgood,\u201d
\nand God\u2019s Word is fixed in the heavens,
\nGod\u2019s Word endures forever.
\nGod\u2019s Word is a \u201clamp for our feet, a light for our path,\u201d
\nand that \u201clight shines in the darkness,
\nand the darkness did not overcome it.\u201d<\/p>\n

So in the fullness of time,
\nthat Word of God,
\npresent to God in the beginning,
\none in being with God \u2014<\/p>\n

the Word who was God,
\nspoke flesh and blood, sinew and bone:
\n\u201cthe Word became flesh and lived among us.\u201d<\/p>\n

John\u2019s Gospel makes no mention of Luke\u2019s Bethlehem,
\ntells no story of overcrowded inns,
\nsings no song of angels and shepherds.
\nIt presents us with a fact,
\nstraightforward and simple,
\n\u201cthe Word became flesh,\u201d
\nGod became human.<\/p>\n

John does not mince words,
\nand we need that if we are to fathom Bethlehem;
\nBut we need Luke, too, if we are to understand John.
\nFor \u201cWord becomes flesh,\u201d God becomes human,
\nnot in some palace, not at the heights of earthly wealth and power,
\nnot in any of the places we might expect such an event,
\nbut at the very point of our human vulnerability.<\/p>\n

A barely-wed mother, and an angel-crazed stepfather,
\nthe unsanitary muck of a stable,
\nand a baby who hungers and thirsts
\nand wets and soils his swaddling clothes.
\nAnd angels announce the tidings of this birth to sheep-keepers,
\namong the poorest of the poor, unclean under the Law,
\nsociety\u2019s outcasts \u2014 the lowly of the earth.<\/p>\n

Behold, Bethlehem!
\nHere in poverty, in insecurity, in vulnerability,
\nhere, here, here the Word becomes flesh:
\nhere is your God.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe came to what was his own,\u201d
\na story teller, a tale spinner,
\nthe Word of God, come to speak a message.<\/p>\n

In vulnerability born, so vulnerable he lived,
\nto tell our story over, from \u201cin the beginning,\u201d
\nwithout contradiction,
\ntold to those who could and would hear it aright:
\nthose who live on the margins,
\nthose who dwell \u201cin the shadow of death,\u201d
\nthe poor and outcast of earth\u2019s children. . .<\/p>\n

. . . the ones \u201cwho have hears to hear.\u201d<\/p>\n

And so the Word spoke:<\/p>\n

\u201cBlessed are the poor. . . .\u201d
\n\u201cBlessed are the meek. . . .\u201d
\n\u201cBlessed are hose who hunger and thirst. . . .\u201d
\nand \u201cBlessed are the peacemakers. . . .\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHear, O Israel! You shall love the Lord your God \u2014
\nand love your neighbor, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWho is your neighbor?\u201d
\n(Most likely your mortal enemy.)<\/p>\n

To the sinner, he spoke \u201cforgiveness,\u201d
\nand to the injured, he spoke \u201cforgive.\u201d
\nTo the broken, he spoke \u201chealing,\u201d
\nand to the warring he spoke \u201cpeace.\u201d
\nTo those excluded by the strictures of the law,
\nthe Word spoke \u201cclean\u201d\u2014
\n\u201creconciliation\u201d and \u201cinclusion,\u201d
\n\u201ccommunity\u201d and \u201chome.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTo the poor he proclaimed the good news of salvation;
\nto prisoners, freedom; to the sorrowful, joy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLet your light shine,\u201d he said,
\nand \u201cLazarus, come out.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI am the resurrection. . .
\nthe Way, the Truth, the Life.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI give you a new Commandment:
\nLove one another.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mercy
\npeace
\nreconciliation
\nforgiveness
\njustice
\ninclusion
\nlove.<\/p>\n

Love one another.<\/p>\n

\u201cYet the world did not know him. . .
\nand his own people did not accept him.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Word spoke Truth to Power,
\nand power contradicted him. . .
\nwith words that hurt \u2014
\nexclusion; marginalization; injustice; abuse \u2014
\nand words meant to kill \u2014
\nterror; violence. . . crucify!<\/p>\n

Like the Word speaking in the vulnerability of Bethlehem,
\nthe creative Word of God spoke from the vulnerability of the cross.
\nThe Word became flesh to speak to human need,
\nto human brokenness,
\nto every point of weakness, and danger, and threat,
\nto tell again our story, speaking it anew
\nfrom cradle to grave.<\/p>\n

And so his final words, his parting words,<\/p>\n

\u201cFather, forgive them. . . \u201c
\n\u201cToday you will be with me in paradise. . . .\u201d
\n\u201cBehold, your Son. . . Behold, your mother. . . .\u201d
\n\u201cInto Your hands I commend my spirit. . . .\u201d
\n\u201cIt is finished. . . . \u201c<\/p>\n

And the Word-become-flesh,
\nthe vulnerable Word,
\nbecame the Word-become-silence.<\/p>\n

But God will not be outspoken,
\nnor ultimately contradicted.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe light shines in the darkness,
\nand the darkness did not overcome it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFor as the rain and the snow come down from heaven,
\nand do not return to it without watering the earth
\nand making it bud and flourish,
\nso is my Word
\nthat goes out from my mouth:
\nIt will not return to me empty,
\nbut will accomplish what I desire
\nand achieve the purpose for which I sent it.\u201d<\/p>\n

As in the beginning,
\nwhen God\u2019s Word spoke heaven and earth,
\nand all that dwell therein,
\nGod\u2019s Word sounded forth anew,
\na final Word, a definitive Word.<\/p>\n

\u201cLife,\u201d he spoke,
\nand it was so.
\n\u201cResurrection,\u201d
\nand it came to be.<\/p>\n

And it was good.<\/p>\n

These words of the Word echo through time and eternity,
\nand like that first naming \u2014 \u201cgood\u201d \u2014 they will not be retracted,
\ncannot ever be taken back.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Word became flesh and lived among us,\u201d
\nand \u201cto all who received him,
\nwho believed in his name,
\nhe gave power to become children of God.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Risen Word speaks a new creation,
\nthe Risen Word makes us \u201cwords-within-the-Word.\u201d
\n\u201cBe Hearers of the Word,\u201d he tells us,
\n\u201cbut not hearers only.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGo,\u201d he says;
\n\u201cGo,\u201d his new word spoken to us.
\n\u201cGo, speak truth in the places of power,
\ngo, speak love in the places of hate,
\nspeak healing in the places of brokenness,
\nspeak inclusion on the margins of society, world, even church.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd the Word became flesh and lived among us,
\nand we have seen his glory. . .\u201d
\n. . . and lived to tell about it. . .
\n. . . and will never be the same again. . .<\/p>\n

And so, his Word becomes our word:<\/p>\n

Mercy
\nPeace
\nReconciliation
\nForgiveness
\nTruth
\nJustice
\nCompassion
\nInclusion
\nHope
\nLove
\nHome<\/p>\n

Good!<\/p>\n

Amen.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Rita Ferrone: “Maybe Cody or some other PrayTell Chrysostom will post a model homily for Christmas day to help the homilists who struggle with this text.”<\/p>\n

Mmmm. . . OK.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":23,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false},"categories":[1321,84,91],"tags":[562,589,586],"class_list":["post-5799","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-homilies","category-lectionary-liturgy-of-word","category-liturgical-year","tag-christmas","tag-john-1","tag-sermon"],"yoast_head":"\nPreaching the Incarnation: John 1 on Christmas Day - Home<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/praytellblog.com\/index.php\/2010\/12\/09\/preaching_the_incarnation\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Preaching the Incarnation: John 1 on Christmas Day - Home\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Rita Ferrone: "Maybe Cody or some other PrayTell Chrysostom will post a model homily for Christmas day to help the homilists who struggle with this text." 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