Sermon for Christmas Eve
God’s Dream for You
By The Rev. Eric Christopher Shafer -
“I’m dreaming of a White Christmas, just like the ones I used to know….”
It is Christmas Eve, a time when many of us, most of us, have dreams. Bing Crosby dreamed of a “White Christmas,” with the world brightened by a fresh snowfall. Karen Carpenter sang “I can dream and in my dreams I’m Christmasing with you.” And soldiers in war-torn parts of the world tonight may find new meaning in the World War II song, “I’ll be home for Christmas, if only in my dreams.”
What are you dreaming about this Christmas Eve? Some may be dreaming about the presents you want Santa to bring to you. Some of you may be dreaming about the new electronic gift that you want grandma to give to you. Some of you may be dreaming that 2020 will be a better year financially for you than 2019 was.
Many are dreaming tonight about Christmases past, and people we miss.
Some may be dreaming of finding a doctor who will give you the healing you desire. Some may be dreaming that your children will thrive, that your family will reconcile, that God will feel closer. Some may even be dreaming that you will look thinner and maybe win the lottery in 2020!
I suspect that Mary and Joseph on that first Christmas Eve more than 2,000 years ago, I suspect that Mary and Joseph had dreams, too. And I bet their dreams were a lot like yours and mine. Their dreams probably focused on their married life and their family life.
St. Luke tells that that they were engaged. And, according to the Jewish marriage customs at that time, once a couple was officially engaged, they were, in effect, already legally married.
Jewish marriage customs at the time of Mary and Joseph had a couple announcing their engagement but usually waiting up to a year before living together as husband and wife. So, when Luke tells us in tonight’s text that Joseph and Mary were engaged, they were probably not yet living together.
Thus, Mary and Joseph were probably dreaming about what their life together would be like as husband and wife, about their new child born this night, about creating a home together once they returned to Nazareth. They certainly had dreams for their new child – teaching him the Jewish faith, raising him to be a good person, watching him mature.
Mary and Joseph certainly had hopes about their future and what their life together would be.
Yes, we all have dreams this Christmas Eve.
And, since it is Christmas Eve, I wondered what dreams God has for us.
When God dreams for our world, what do those dreams look like?
Well, I believe that Jesus has already told us God’s dreams for us and our world. In God’s dream people, you and me:
- We forgive 70 times 7;
- We love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us;
- We understand that whenever we feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and care for the poor, whenever we do these things, we are doing them for Christ;
In God’s dreams:
- We pray constantly;
- We do not kill or steal;
- We try not to serve the god of money;
- We have patience and compassion at the core of our hearts;
- We are faithful to our promises, faithful to each other, faithful to God;
Those are some of God’s dreams for us.
God is with us, in Christ. And, God has a dream for us, in Christ. All we need to do is let God dream for us, trusting that God’s dreams are always bigger and bring greater blessings than any we might come up with ourselves for us.
We are all dreaming about lots of things this Christmas Eve. Some of our dreams may never come true. Some of our dreams may turn out badly.
God has a new dream for you and me – forgiveness, love, compassion, patience.
All wrapped up in that wonderful word of this season, one you have heard me mention several times this season – Emmanuel.
So, let that be our prayer: Emmanuel, God is with us. Emmanuel, God is with you and with me. No matter what. Emmanuel.
Amen.
(From a sermon by the Rev. Michael Renninger and the “A Sermon for Every Sunday” series).
The Rev. Eric Christopher Shafer
Senior Pastor - Mt. Olive Lutheran Church
Santa Monica, California
December 24, 2019
