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Sing A New Song

Pastor Greg took a seat as the acolytes went about their duties. They lit candles ceremoniously and departed just in time for the first hymn, Morning Has Broken, to conclude. He stepped up to the center of the sanctuary and greeted the congregation.

“This is a day the Lord has made. Let us be glad and rejoice in it. The arrival of Jesus into this beleaguered world heralded a new creation. As Saint Paul wrote to the church in Corinth, ‘Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!’.” He smiled and looked over his church family. “We have another new creation among us, family. At the turn of the new year, we experienced a miracle. Two brand new families joined in holy matrimony. I’m proud to announce the uniting of Mr. and Mrs. Jeb Powell and Mr. and Mrs. Brendan Lyons. We wish them many happy years together.”

The congregation applauded the new couples. Jeb squirmed uncomfortably in the pew as Aundrea held him closer. Brendan and Trilby were already away on their honeymoon.

They read of the deliverance of Israel from foreign bondage in the words of the Prophet Jeremiah, of God’s promises from the Psalmist and mankind’s adoption through the sacrifice of Jesus in the letter from Saint Paul to the church of Ephesus. The hymn before the Gospel reading was Sing A New Song Unto The Lord and the reading was from the first chapter of John. Pastor Greg made his way to the pulpit to deliver his sermon.

“Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!”

The congregation replied in kind.

“You see, even though Christmas Day is over a week behind us it is still Christmastime. The Twelve Days of Christmas are a liturgical season of celebration, folks. We celebrate a very new thing. In fact, we celebrate a lot of new things. Don’t we?”

Nodding and general murmurs of agreement came from the congregation.

“Some people have added up the number of presents given and come to a total of 364 gifts from their true love, but God has given us so much more than a lot of birds and random people milling around.”

“The liturgical season of Christmas is a time of celebration. We spent the season of Advent in solemn preparation for the miracle of Christmas. After all that, the miracle came and it’s time to party. The angels kicked it off, singing to the shepherds. The shepherds passed the word to each other and throughout the town of Bethlehem where the Holy Family huddled in a shelter for farm animals. Everyone came to see the newborn Son of God, swaddled and laying in a feeding trough for ox and ass.”

“This was something new, folks, and yet not new at all. The firstborn of all Creation was, as John tells us, ‘In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.’.”

“Isn’t that amazing? A newborn baby who has actually existed since before there was time and matter. We sang in Advent, ‘O Come, O Come, Emmanuel’ which means ‘God With Us’. Here then, in the Season of Christmas, God is with us. He is here and here he remains to this very day. He is the Alpha and the Omega. He is, was and ever shall be with us. He is our light in the darkness and we shine forth with the light of his love.”

“’Whatever you did not do for the least of these’, Jesus said, ‘you did not do for me’. Jesus told the Pharisee who was trying to trip him up on scriptural technicalities that the most important commandments were to love God above all and each other as ourselves. This was a trap set for Jesus to get him to announce himself as a heretic and blasphemer. As if the Logos, the Living Word of God, could ever be a blasphemer.”

“No, instead, Jesus took the Ten Commandments and summarized them so that even the stupidest, blockheaded, stiff-necked and desperate hypocrites could understand and sent them on their way. Love is what he bought. Love is what he gave. Love is what he instructed us all to share.”

“I look out among my family and that is what I never fail to see. It warms my heart to be among such loving and generous people. We are a community that truly sings a new song unto the Lord. In fact, a dear friend of mine said something I’ll not soon forget. He said, ‘I think it’s nice that they can just be who they are without getting hung up on what people think of them. It would be nice if more people could be like that. The world could use a lot more happiness and honesty.’ and I think that is a fine example for us all to follow. As we journey into this new year, let us do it with a heart full of love and acceptance exactly as Jesus taught us.”

The service continued with prayers and offerings, ending with a rousing rendition of Hark! The Herald Angels Sing!.

As always, he stood by the exit to bid a fond farewell to the congregation. As always, they shuffled slowly from the nave in a long stream of well-wishes and light humor. He was not a bit surprised to find Jeb reaching out to shake his hand. In the bonds of matrimony, Jeb was a new creation in the love of the Lord. Besides, Aundrea wouldn’t let him sneak out the side door anymore.

“Thank you, Pastor. Would you join us for breakfast?”

“The Marbury?”

“Not today, Pastor. We’d like you to come back to the farm when you can for a home-cooked breakfast.” Jeb said.

“And feel free to bring a friend with you, Pastor.” Aundrea said. “I think this marriage stuff might be contagious.”

It took a lot to render Pastor Greg speechless but that was more than enough to do the trick.