Christmas Eve 2011

    A few days ago I decided to make another addition to my wife's angel collection. I was shopped at Hallmark in the Mall and was captivated by the inscriptions on their angels. Some of these are on the screen behind me. Such as:

• "Friends are gifts from heaven."
• "Angel of Hope." "Angel of Faith." "Angel of faith, hope and charity."
• "Little miracles fill our lives with love and our hearts with happiness."
• "Love with all your heart."
• "A friend loves at all times." (Pr 17)
• "Angels have wings to carry your prayers."
• "The best part of friendship is sharing, laughter and smiles."
• "Friends are like stars. Sometimes you can't see them, but you know they're there."
• The one I bought says: "Angels see the good in all of God's creation."

    All of these were so positive and uplifting. It was hard to choose just one.

    After paying the clerk pointed me toward a gift wrapping station out in the main part of the mall. "They are raising funds for a charity." And so I met Judy. As she was wrapping my gift I saw a brochure from Laurel UMC and asked about it. "Yes, our church is raising funds for "Imagine no malaria" which our denomination is sponsoring to eradicate this disease in Africa. "Great," I said and explained that I was the UM Pastor at Sherman and that we were giving to INM too. "Oh, several from Sherman have stopped here for gift wrapping." Judy is Director of Lay ministries at Laurel Church and a living angel herself.

    If you could be an angel what inscription would you write about yourself? One of these on the screen? Or something else that would be nice? Angels were prominent before and after the birth of Jesus. The angel, Gabriel appears to Mary and announced that she would bear a son. An angel appears to Joseph in a dream and explains that the son to be born would save people from their sins. They would name him Jesus in fulfillment of what was spoken by the prophet that his name would be Emmanuel which means "God is with us."

    Angels appear to the shepherds with good news of the Savior's birth and they go to the manger to see. An angel warns the wiremen not to return to King Herod after they deliver their gifts. An angel warns Mary and Joseph to take their child and flee to Egypt in order to escape the wrath of King Herod.

    Angels tell good news and warn about bad news coming. Their purpose is doing God's work that will bring about a blessing to others rather than a curse. They are facilitators in executing God's plans.

    I believe we all have an angel inside us. I saw many last week during "One night in Bethlehem" telling and playing roles in the story of Jesus' birth. You see them at VBS during the summers, working at chicken dinners, teaching Sunday school classes, going on mission trips and caring for other mission projects near home. You see them in worship, week after week, coming to hear the good news and learning how to plug in your life as one of God's angels. You see them wherever something good is being done even as simple as wrapping gifts in a shopping mall.

    The greatest angel of all was Jesus who was actually more than an angel. He is the Son of God. He came to show and teach by example how we can be angels too who live for Emmanuel to show that God is with us and not against us. Angels show God's love and care for his people. They pray a lot. They minister to the sick, bind up the wounded, comfort sorrows, feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, shelter to the homeless, peace to the troubled, clothing to the naked. They listen and give hugs and encourage others to have faith and never give up hope because God never gives up hope. Angels rediate streams of heaven on earth and help everyone to see the good that abides in all of God's creation.

    If you could be an angel what kind would you be? The good news is that God seeks to awaken and re-awaken the angel inside all of us tonight so we can be all that God wants us to be. God does not intend for life to end with pain and sadness. Angels are always needed to visit God's people with good news of the Savior who has been born, Christ the Lord. He will save his people from their sins and the darkness of death. He will be great, the Son of the most high. He will be a King and of his kingdom there will be no end. (Mt 1, Lk 1) There will everlasting peace with justice and righteousness from this time onward and forevermore. (Is 9)

    As we receive Christ tonight may we all discover the angel we are and can be. Spreading Peace, Love, Faith, Hope and the good in all of God's creation.. In the words of a classic verse: O holy Child of Bethlehem, descend to us, we pray; cast out our sin, and enter in, be born in us today. We hear the Christmas angels the great glad tidings tell; O come to us, abide with us, our Lord Emmanuel! (v.4)