by 
God is With Us
Rev. Jennie Churchman
Throughout the Advent season, we have focused on the Imperatives of Christmas: “Keep Awake!” “Cry out!” “Rejoice!” “Here I Am!” That last one is not an imperative in the grammatical sense, but it is imperative in the sense that it is necessary. The call of God cannot be avoided or evaded, so we respond with a ready and enthusiastic, “Here I am!”
We see this again and again throughout scripture — Abraham and Sarah, Moses, Samuel, David, Isaiah. And Mary. Wow, what courage! “Here am I, the servant of the Lord. Let it be with me according to your word,” she said. Whenever we come across the phrase “Here I am!” in scripture, this is the context. It is our response to God because the call is simply unavoidable.
But Christmas Day is different. On this Day of Incarnation, we are not the ones to say, “Here I am!” God is. Christmas Day is God’s response to us. “I have come into your darkness,” God-in-Christ says, “and I will be your Light. I have come into your frailty, and I will be your strength. I have come into your despair, and I will be your salvation. I have come into your brokenness, and I will make you whole. Here I am!”
This is Good News! This is the reason to celebrate and rejoice. Go tell it on the mountain! Go tell it to the ends of the earth!
Prayer: What a gift! On this day of celebration, we are simply humbled by the truth that you came to be among us. Who are we that you would care for us? Who are we that you would be mindful of us? And yet, you came to be one of us. We give you thanks for the precious gift of Jesus the Christ who is our Light, our Love, and our Life. Amen.
