Just a few days ago we experienced the shortest day of the year. The Winter Solstice has the least hours of daylight in the northern hemisphere. Here in Maine, it means that we go to work or school in the dark and we come home in the dark. Despite this being the first day of Winter the good news is that the days that following immediately begin to add minutes of daylight. Even amid the darkest moment we have reason to hope.
            A child born in a stable in the middle of the night hardly seems a reason to hope but all around the world this weekend believers are gathering in churches and homes to celebrate this child’s birth. In song and prayer, in food and gift, in laughter and love, we gather because on that first Christmas darkness was dispelled, chaos overcome, fear conquered, and love made powerful. The birth of Jesus, the coming of God in the very same flesh that we wear, was a moment that turned hope into blessed assurance and lifted a weary world.
            In that stable on that night was Emmanuel, God with us. Recognizing that our world needed help, that darkness was taking over, that fear was paralyzing believers, and seekers had nowhere to turn, God, rather than sending another prophet or another messenger, comes to his people. He comes not to add stress or anxiety, he comes not to burden or to encumber, he comes not to judge and punish, but instead he comes to save us and set us free. Jesus comes to a weary world with the promise of freedom from fear, the promise of the fullness of life, and to be the way that restores our dignity and our exalted destiny.
            The tradition of exchanging gifts at Christmas surely has come from the realization that when God becomes one of us, he brings a boatload of gifts with him. We spend hours thinking about, searching for, and then wrapping gifts that we hope will bring joy to those who will receive them. Jesus comes to us wrapped in the clothing of poverty with gifts that are beyond our imagination. Jesus comes with gifts that can change our lives on this earth and show us the way to eternal life.
            As we celebrate Christmas, we must be mindful that we do not allow ourselves to be overcome by the secular traditions of this holy day. The parties, the gifts, and gatherings are all opportunities for us to be with those we love. But when these become the focus of our celebration of Christmas, when the birth of Jesus is an afterthought, we may very well find ourselves spending the Christmas Season returning or regifting things that can never measure up to the true gifts of this holy season.
            So let me wish you a very Merry Christmas, filled with joy, peace, and love. May the gifts that radiate from the crib in the stable at Bethlehem fulfill our hopes, calm our fears, and bring light to the darkness that tries to invade our lives. May these gifts increase our joy and draw us ever closer to Jesus in this season and in every season.
           
I like to take this opportunity to say thank you to all those who make our parish such a wonderful welcoming community. Thank you to our staff, our volunteers, our deacons, and to the many many people whose work may go unseen but is never unappreciated. On a personal note, thank you for your support, your kindness, and most especially for sharing your faith with me. I am blessed and grateful for the opportunity to serve here to experience the love of Jesus with you.