{"id":1977,"date":"2017-12-24T23:59:28","date_gmt":"2017-12-25T05:59:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/?p=1977"},"modified":"2018-01-02T11:42:21","modified_gmt":"2018-01-02T17:42:21","slug":"quietly-in-the-night-christmas-2017-message","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/2017\/12\/24\/quietly-in-the-night-christmas-2017-message\/","title":{"rendered":"Quietly in the night (Christmas 2017 Message)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Nativity of the Lord<br \/>\nChristmas Eve\u2014Proper 1<br \/>\nYears ABC<\/p>\n<p>On the same date: Fourth Sunday of Advent<br \/>\nOld Testament Isaiah 9:2\u20137<br \/>\nPsalm Psalm 96:1-13<br \/>\nNew Testament Titus 2:11\u201314<br \/>\nGospel Luke 2:1\u201320)<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"700\" height=\"394\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/3b_GvkU1zUA?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">The birth of Jesus takes place without fanfare.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>No billboards, no public service announcements and no blimp in the sky.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Maybe if He would be born today, that would have happened&#8230;.most likely not.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">Like today, it is so unbelievable for many, that God would come down for us and take on human flesh and be born of a virgin woman.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>If we were told it was happening again tonight, I too would most likely<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>question it.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>I would not make the announcements I spoke of.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">This is how God would have it.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>The king of kings, comes quietly in the night.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>All those that thought they had power, will have no power.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>The weak will be lifted by the birth of a savior, Emmanuel.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">This birth is the beginning of a new chapter in God&#8217;s love story for God&#8217;s people.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>God loved from the beginning, even when others could not see it and even today when people compare the God of the Old Testament to a &#8220;vengeful God&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Mary-and-Joseph-moonlight.png\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"1978\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/2017\/12\/24\/quietly-in-the-night-christmas-2017-message\/mary-and-joseph-moonlight\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Mary-and-Joseph-moonlight.png?fit=1024%2C768&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1024,768\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Mary and Joseph moonlight\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Mary-and-Joseph-moonlight.png?fit=700%2C525&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"alignleft wp-image-1978\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Mary-and-Joseph-moonlight-300x225.png?resize=542%2C406\" alt=\"\" width=\"542\" height=\"406\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Mary-and-Joseph-moonlight.png?resize=300%2C225&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Mary-and-Joseph-moonlight.png?resize=768%2C576&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Mary-and-Joseph-moonlight.png?w=1024&amp;ssl=1 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 542px) 100vw, 542px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">God loved, God does, God will do, for all for us.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">Through Jesus Christ, God loves, does and will do for us.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">It has never been about what we do but what God does.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">I was watching &#8220;It&#8217;s a wonderful life this last week.&#8221;<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>It is a great illustration of the impact that a single person can have upon the rest of the world.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>If that is possible, can we actually take in the immensity of the impact that God in the flesh, Jesus both God and human, actually has upon the world?<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">This second chapter is not over, it is still going on today.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>When God became incarnate as God&#8217;s son heaven broke through to the hear and now. <span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Even when Jesus ascended to heaven to be with the Father, another, the Holy Spirit was sent to us.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Heaven is still here and now breaking through to us today.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">Let me leave you with a story and a quote.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">From an sermon story book I have;<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">What a humble birth! It is as though Christ slipped into the world\u2014no fanfare, no king\u2019s palace, no silk-lined cradle. Just humble swaddling clothes and a manger with straw for a bed! From Rome, Caesar spoke and the world obeyed, yet for it all, he faded into an insignificant shadow in history. The world scarcely took note of Jesus\u2019 birth, yet the centuries have clothed him in glory such as the Caesars never knew. While the world hardly paused to note His birth, heaven bent low to herald to humble folk this event of the ages.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">Martin Luther said this about Christmas.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">Let us not flutter to high, but remain by the manager and the swaddling clothes of Christ, &#8220;in whom dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">Finally my brothers and sisters, Paul said; in 2 Corinthians 9:15<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">Thanks be to God for God&#8217;s gift that is indescribable, &#8230;beyond any human words that can describe the gift of Jesus Christ.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Nativity of the Lord Christmas Eve\u2014Proper 1 Years ABC On the same date: Fourth Sunday of Advent Old Testament Isaiah 9:2\u20137 Psalm Psalm 96:1-13 New Testament Titus 2:11\u201314 Gospel Luke 2:1\u201320) &nbsp; The birth of Jesus takes place without fanfare.\u00a0 No billboards, no public service announcements and no blimp in the sky.\u00a0 Maybe if He &#8230; <span class=\"more\"><a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/2017\/12\/24\/quietly-in-the-night-christmas-2017-message\/\">[Read more&#8230;]<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_crdt_document":"","_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[87,49,102,126,10,84,91,151,83],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"entry","1":"post","2":"publish","3":"author-admin","4":"post-1977","6":"format-standard","7":"category-christ","8":"category-christmas","9":"category-god","10":"category-holy-spirit","11":"category-jesus","12":"category-king","13":"category-martin-luther","14":"category-mary","15":"category-sermon"},"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p2m6h5-vT","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":2708,"url":"https:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/2021\/11\/29\/focus-on-the-king\/","url_meta":{"origin":1977,"position":0},"title":"Focus on the King","author":"Douglas Dill","date":"November 29, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Christ the King SundayNovember 21, 2021 Old Testament Daniel 7:9\u201310, 13\u201314 (NRSV)Psalm Psalm 93 (NRSV)New Testament Revelation 1:4b\u20138 (NRSV)Gospel John 18:33\u201337 (NRSV) https:\/\/youtu.be\/Y9Lsei0T4pQ?t=794 \u00a0","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Calling&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Calling","link":"https:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/category\/calling\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":3327,"url":"https:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/2024\/12\/09\/the-purpose-of-christmas-celebration-2024\/","url_meta":{"origin":1977,"position":1},"title":"The Purpose of Christmas: Celebration 2024","author":"Douglas Dill","date":"December 9, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"December 8, 20242nd Week of Advent Psalm 145:5-16 (NRSV)James 1:16-20 (NRSV)Matthew 1:20-23 (NRSV)","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Advent&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Advent","link":"https:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/category\/advent\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":1970,"url":"https:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/2017\/12\/24\/god-does-and-comes-to-us-in-all-circumstances\/","url_meta":{"origin":1977,"position":2},"title":"God does and comes to us, in all circumstances","author":"Douglas Dill","date":"December 24, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Sunday, December 24, 2017 | Advent Fourth Sunday of Advent Year B On the same date: Nativity of the Lord, Christmas Eve Old Testament 2 Samuel 7:1\u201311, 16 Luke 1:46b\u201355 New Testament Romans 16:25\u201327 Gospel Luke 1:26\u201338 \u00a0 https:\/\/youtu.be\/BVbl-DOgRXk God comes to us even from the very beginning. Sometimes I\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Advent&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Advent","link":"https:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/category\/advent\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.turnbacktogod.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/07\/Mother-Mary-and-Angel-02.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1543,"url":"https:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/2016\/05\/22\/the-father-son-and-spirit-are-calling\/","url_meta":{"origin":1977,"position":3},"title":"The Father, Son and Spirit are Calling","author":"Douglas Dill","date":"May 22, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Click this link for the audio version of the sermon. Sunday, May 22, 2016 \u00a0 After Pentecost Holy Trinity Year C Old Testament Proverbs 8:1\u20134, 22\u201331 Psalm Psalm 8:1-9 New Testament Romans 5:1\u20135 Gospel John 16:12\u201315 Revised Common Lectionary (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2009).","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Acceptance&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Acceptance","link":"https:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/category\/acceptance\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":1633,"url":"https:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/2016\/11\/15\/keep-active-keep-going-and-do-not-sit-idle\/","url_meta":{"origin":1977,"position":4},"title":"Keep Active, Keep Going and Do Not Sit Idle","author":"Douglas Dill","date":"November 15, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Below is the sermon from 11-13-2016 given at First Lutheran, South Sioux City NE. Click here for the audio only version. Old Testament Malachi 4:1\u20132a Psalm Psalm 98:1-9 New Testament 2 Thessalonians 3:6\u201313 Gospel Luke 21:5\u201319 https:\/\/youtu.be\/eH_oPUNHnuE","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Community&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Community","link":"https:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/category\/community\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/img.youtube.com\/vi\/eH_oPUNHnuE\/0.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1341,"url":"https:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/2015\/06\/12\/gods-power-and-majesty-uses-all-even-in-our-ambiguity\/","url_meta":{"origin":1977,"position":5},"title":"God&#8217;s Power and Majesty Uses All: Even in our Ambiguity","author":"Douglas Dill","date":"June 12, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"http:\/\/youtu.be\/wKhSOdF_scs Audio Version Sunday, May 31, 2015 Holy Trinity Old Testament \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Isaiah 6:1\u20138 Psalm \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Psalm 29:1-11 New Testament \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Romans 8:12\u201317 Gospel \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 John 3:1\u201317[1] \u00a0 I don\u2019t know about you but for myself, in the texts for today, I hear ambiguity and reliance upon the Father, Son\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Christ&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Christ","link":"https:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/category\/christ\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/img.youtube.com\/vi\/wKhSOdF_scs\/0.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1977","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1977"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1977\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1987,"href":"https:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1977\/revisions\/1987"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1977"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1977"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.messy-spirituality.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1977"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}