Welcoming the baby who welcomes us – a Christmas Message

We await the beauty of Silent Night and candles held by people we love, while angelic hosts sing around us.  December 24th has become a very important date in the life of Christians.  We come to worship and welcome the baby of love again and again.  

We welcome Christ, the one we envision sleeping soundly in a stable or feeding trough.  We think of the humble beginnings of the person Jesus who also holds within his life divinity.  

Christians often forget that Jesus was born into a Jewish home.  His mother and father were faithful.  They received messages from God.  They were in tune with the Spirit of God, before it was unleashed by Christ on the whole world.  

The pattern of Christmas and advent is to wait, celebrate, wait some more, celebrate more, and eventually be sent out with the message of God— peace and good will to ALL!   As we listen to the scriptural stories again, this year, we are also hearing contemporary stories of hospitality.  

It is a wonderful gift to hear from people in our community and those who have experience in hospitality about what it takes to welcome. Anticipating needs of our guests, hoping to make a difference in a day or a celebration. God invites us to consider how to share our time, our treasures, our rooms and what we have as we make room for Jesus again this Christmas season. It is a delight to see the congregation’s children bringing in their toys to go to a new home.

Making room for Jesus is a process.  We are invited to re-evaluate what is most important; we make sacrifices to open our hearts to love.  

Sometimes the inn keeper gets little or no mention.  Sometimes the inn keeper gets a bad reputation for not housing the holy family in better accommodations.  What we are learning is that all Jesus asks, is that we share what we have.  

Jesus is both a historical figure, but also after two thousand years, somewhat of a legend.  His life is remembered because he was both fully human and fully loving.  

We see the patterns of God as we focus on Hope, Peace, Joy and Love.  

Finally, we are ready to invite in the blessings that come with seeing not only who Jesus is, but also what this holy infant invites in us.  Babies invite love, care, tenderness, gentleness and songs. We are asked to make room for all these things in our lives.  We are asked to see the treasure in each person we encounter.  May we be open to the message of Christmas.  Let us listen for the angels singing.  Let us travel homeward.  We will find that the door is wide open.  There is always room. 



……………….Grace and Peace, Pastor Emily Hagen, Serving God with the people of 
Lyons Community Church & First UMC Lafayette 

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