Today's daily lesson for Christmas Day is from 1 John chapter 4 verse 7:
"Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God."
Last night was a wonderful evening. The sanctuary was packed with people, the voices of children could be heard throughout the service (including the sermon -- which actually underscored all I was trying to say), and the light of hundreds of candles lifted high into the air on the last verse of Silent Night was just pure beauty:
"Silent night, holy night
Son of God, love's pure light
Radiant beams from Thy holy face
With the dawn of redeeming grace
Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth
Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth"
At midnight I received a text from a friend who has come back to church after being gone many years. It has been a difficult journey for him and his family, but last night they were all at the Christmas Eve service for the first time. His text said this:
"Beautiful service tonight. Your deep love of others is bringing folks to and back to 2nd B. We love you guys."
I texted back with words from St. John the Apostle, "We love because God first loved us."
The great gift of Christmas is God's love. When we receive it, when we truly take it into our hearts and come to know that we are God's beloved then we are filled with a love so deep that we can do nothing but share it with others. For it wells up inside us and spills outward.
May your Christmas be filled with the knowledge of God's great love for you. You are beloved. May you be loved. And may you in turn love others as you yourself are loved.
Merry Christmas.
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