Sunday Service:
Holy Eucharist
at 9:30 am
Child care is available
Church of Our
Saviour
191 Flanagan Way (Rt 153) Secaucus, NJ 07094
Tel: 201-863-1449
Fax: 201-863-1474
Mark A. Lewis, Vicar MLewis@secaucus.org
Dorothy Fowlkes
Pastoral Associate
This page revised 21
Jul 02
http://www.secaucus.org/
oursaviour
The Church of
Our Saviour
in the Town of Secaucus, New Jersey
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A light in
the darkness
Reflections on the
gospel for Christmas Day
25 December 2000
By The Rev. Mark A. Lewis, Vicar
Isaiah 52:7-10 / Psalm 98:1-6
Hebrews 1:1-12
/ John 1:1-18
Just to share a little secret with you: Christmas morning my favorite Christmas service. The one with noise and incense and lots of singing last night is fine. But this quieter one is the one I couldn't get through the season without.
One important reason for that is that I far prefer today's gospel reading to the nativity story with shepherds and angels and the baby in the manger from last night. The baby stuff is fine. But today is about the Bible asking adults to reflect on an adult Christ. Today's story doesn't begin with an angel's announcement to a young girl - it begins with the beginning of creation. In the beginning was the Word. And John goes on to say that the Word was the light of the world. God comes among us as light, and as an enlightened person.
John says that the central mystery of Christmas -- of God coming to live among us in a new way -- is that light shines in the darkness of the night, of the troubled world, of a human soul. In our part of the world, these are the shortest days and the longest, darkest nights of the year. And just such days are the ones in which we keep this festival of God's light. The older we get, the more we all understand what it's like to need some light in the darkness. That's why I like this gospel, and this moment to worship God in the morning sun best of all the other parts of Christmas.
-- Mark Lewis
Your comments or questions are welcome MLewis@secaucus.org.
Links to additional "Reflections on Lessons" may be found at the bottom of the Sunday web page.
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