Creekside Church Sermon of December 24, 1997 Christmas Eve Sermon "The Word Became Flesh"	Rev. David Bibbee
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It was a cold, blustery, snowy Christmas Eve. A woman leaves the house despite comments from her husband that it is crazy to go to church in such weather. But she wasn't about to let the snow keep her home. It was Christmas Eve, after all. If ever there was a cause for worship, this was it. Slowly, carefully, alone she drove. She always went alone to church. Her husband used to go, but quit years ago. He gave up on the goodness of God when life dealt him a series of hard blows. "It doesn't matter one way or another," he said. So alone at home he stayed, his only company the ticking of the clock, the crackling of the fire, and random thoughts as he sat and looked out the picture window at the snow swirling over the eaves.

Then he was startled by the sound of something hitting the window. A flock of sparrows was trying to escape the snow and strong winds and find shelter, but were prevented by the invisible barrier of glass. He went outside to shoo the birds away, but they only scattered a little and remained by the window. He then felt his spirit shifting from being annoyed to having pity on the poor creatures. He tried to guide them to the other side of the house and protection from the wind, but they were only frightened by his efforts. Each attempt failed, and he thought to himself how strange it must look for him to be going to all this trouble on such a harsh night for a flock of sparrows.

"Maybe," he thought, "I can make a trail of breadcrumbs to the open door of the barn." But this scheme failed as well. Every attempt at help, the birds perceived only as a threat. How could he help them to safety? He was then struck by a thought. The only way he could communicate his true concern was if he could become a bird himself. Then they would know his intent. And at that very moment he heard the distant peal of church bells heralding Christmas Eve, and the message of the very effort he was venturing, but on a human scale. He caught himself caring, and the Presence penetrated his defenses with the awareness of the lengths God went in holding out a hand to humanity.

At Christmas the world was given a Savior...a human being in whom the fullness of God, the Bible says, was "pleased" to dwell. It is important to stop and remember that the word of God which said, "Let there be light,"; the word that formed the earth and flung the stars across the spangled skies; the word that came to Moses on tablets of stone and became law to give direction to God's children; the word heard through the pleading prophets so these children would in obedience return to the relationship for which they were made, this mighty word was not enough to reveal God's true intent. Shouting, threatening, cajoling, and bribing would not work. It would take something more. So God made his word what it had never been.

The Word became flesh and dwelled among us. For too long we were afraid of and fled from the one who had our well-being at heart. Therefore at a specific time, at a specific place, to a specific woman, a baby named Jesus was born for a specific purpose...to reveal the very heart of God which we could not grasp in any other way. An ancient church father said, "What Christ did not assume, he could not redeem." "It takes one to know one," we used to taunt each other as kids, and it is true. It takes one to know one. It takes an up close, personal God to bring us close...A God with a face. So the Word became flesh and blood and moved into our neighborhood.

God is not removed from us in some other dimension. Jesus didn't pop into the world for a little visit on his way to eternity on some celestial throne. The beautiful carols we sing tonight impress this mystery upon us. "Veiled in flesh the Godhead see, hail th' Incarnate deity. Pleased with us in flesh to dwell, Jesus, our Emmanuel..."

Did you hear that? "Pleased with us in flesh to dwell"...God was pleased at the prospect of drawing us out, drawing us close, drawing us in. So intent was God to be with us in Jesus that he entered the fuss and the fray of life and experienced pleasure and pain, loneliness, rejection, suffering and death. He did not attempt to get out of it. It was His mission to be with us when we, like little birds fly in frenzied circles of fear; with us when we feel alone, with us through the dark nights, the stressful changes and troubling diagnoses, assuring us that he came not just at the first Christmas, but this Christmas.

The Word became flesh and dwelled among us. God shed his blinding glory that would harm us if we came near. He descended by degree into a world dark and small in comparison to the one from which he came. To talk of it is to wade eye high in mystery, but we shouldn't make it too complicated. Bethlehem is closer than you realize. Since the Word became flesh, He is with us, here in His body, the church, in His followers, in the words which bring us hope and healing and new life.

Just as He came in the flesh long ago, he is pleased to come to us Incarnate now. Just ask Maryann Bird. She grew up different and hated it. Born with a cleft palate, school children made it clear how she looked...a little girl with a misshapen lip, crooked nose, lopsided teeth, and garbled speech. "What happened to your lip?" She would say she fell and cut it on glass. Being different by accident sounded better than being born different. Mary was convinced no one outside her family could love her. Then she entered Mrs. Leonard's second grade class. She was round, pretty and fragrant and everyone adored her. But no one loved her more than Mary, and there was a reason.

The time came for the annual hearing test at school. Mary could barely hear out of one ear, but wasn't about to reveal another difference. So she cheated. The "whisper test" required each child to go to the classroom door, turn sideways, close one ear with a finger, while the teacher whispered something from her desk which each child repeated. Then the same for the other ear. No one checked to see how tightly the untested ear was covered, so Mary pretended to block hers.

As usual, she was last, and all through the test she wondered what Mrs. Leonard would say to her. Mary knew from previous times the teacher whispered things like, "The sky is blue." or "Do you have new shoes?" It was now Mary's turn. She turned her bad ear and plugged the other just enough to be able to hear. She waited, then came words which Mary said surely God had put into Mrs. Leonard's mouth...seven words that changed her life forever. Mrs. Leonard, the teacher Mary adored, said softly, "I wish you were my little girl."

Christmas Eve tells of God's deep desire. "I want you to be my children." It is why He came as a child. Jesus was one of us to show how much God loves.

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. There is no telling how he will come. Tonight tells us therefore to pay attention. He is here. In the carols. In the candlelight. In someone's caring words. In some kind thoughtful act. With us at either hand. Here. Now.

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