Christmas Eve 2020-The Rev. Melanie Lemburg
Christmas Eve 2020
Dear Vanessa,
Lillian, and Becky,
Today, after a really long wait, you
are going to be baptized into the body of Christ in this, your faith
community. This is not how any of us
expected it to be when we first planned your baptism. It was supposed to happen months ago at
Easter. It was supposed to be inside the
church surrounded by those most important to you with the sweet fragrance of
Easter lilies wafting around you. It was
supposed to be different. No other year
has taught us how our faith must grow and change in the face of the unexpected,
the disappointing, the difficult.
We all have known some dark times
this year, and you girls are no different in that. We all continue to learn
that things don’t always work out the way we think they are supposed to.
But even in the
midst of darkness, difficulty, uncertainty, God does not abandon us.
Today/tonight, we
gather to remember the ancient truth and wisdom of Emmanual—which means God
with us. We remember that God chose to
be born into this world as a testament to God’s love for us and that Jesus, God
with us, proves that God does not abandon us, even when things seem their
darkest. Today, you are being baptized
into that God who is with us, “a long-sought with-ness for a world without.”[i]
You have, ever
since your creation, been claimed as God’s beloved and “marked as Christ’s own
forever.” In and through your baptism
today, you are saying “yes” to your belovedness and you are promising to live
your life as one of God’s beloved; you are promising to set your life and to
follow the path of faith as one who lives as a part of “God with us.” And we do this with you as we renew our own
baptismal vows.
It is a joyfully
daunting task, this year more than ever.
And the good news is that no matter how dark or difficult the way may
be, you are not alone. God is with
us. We are all in this together. Today/tonight, we remember that the church is
so much more than a building. We, the
church, are the people for whom God is with us.
And when we the church are at our very best, we take turns lighting the
way in the dark for each other; we take turns holding up the light of Christ
for one another when one or many of us feel too weary or heart-broken or
disappointed to go on. We take turns
carrying each other through the seasons of darkness and doubt and disbelief.
Because that is
the truth of this night: that God is
with us and that God’s love is stronger than anything. God’s love is stronger
than the darkness of this world. God’s love is stronger than plague or
pestilence. God’s love is stronger than
our daily disappointments or our loneliness.
God’s love is stronger than the worst things we can do to each other. God is with us and the light of God’s love
that shines forth in the person of Jesus Christ is stronger than absolutely
anything we may have to face in this life.
Even death.
And so, on this
day of your baptism which is also the eve of the birth of God with us, may you
each be given some of the gifts of those who first knew and experienced God
with us on this night so many years ago.
May the gift of
the bold courage of Mary be yours to light your path. May the gift of the quiet faithfulness of
Joseph be yours to steady your heart. May
the clear vision of the angels be yours, along with their song of joy. And may you also know the shepherds
willingness to be dazzled by a light that will always shine for you, even in
the darkest of nights.
God is with
us. And we are with you. Now and always.
Your sister in
Christ,
Melanie+
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