Yea, Lord, we greet Thee

The glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.
Isaiah 40:5

Today is Christmas Eve. Once again the Seasons of the Church are turning, the Light is here, tonight, for us Christians, and all the world,  the Incarnation shall come once more.

Unfortunately we rarely talk about the Mystery of the Incarnation except at this time of the year.  It truly is a Mystery beyond human comprehension, but I do believe and confess that one night, long ago, the Word was made flesh. 

That miracle of Incarnation to me, teaches us that we should share in all human happiness and mourn every human grief. All genuine human joy and contentment is the business of a Christian because it was shared by God, Incarnate. Not staying in the walls of a Church, getting into the business of life is Incarnational. My friend Blake's restaurant (the famous Joe Momma's), engages workers and people on a deep Incarnational level.  People contact the Kingdom there, and with them.

But also, all human suffering, misery, depression, and darkest despair is our concern because Christ walked with us there also.  When my Dad had trouble breathing from his COPD, Jesus was there, struggling to breathe on the Cross. There is no human condition that Jesus did not share with us, apart from sin.

That the Word of God, Who was with God from the beginning, and Who is God should have become flesh, not just putting on some sort of human "skin suit", but becoming flesh, recreates all human experience into a new place, one that God Himself deigned to dwell.

So tonight, in the candles, incense, and songs of the devout, may we greet once again, the Lord of Glory!

Yea, Lord, we greet Thee,
Born this happy morning,
Jesus to Thee be all glory giv’n;
Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing!

Purify our conscience, Almighty God, by Your daily visitation, that Your Son Jesus Christ, at His coming, may find in us a mansion prepared for Himself; Who lives and reigns with You, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Comments

[Jim]

We Protestants do a poor job of really accepting any mystery at all in our religion any more. We'll wander away from the faith to something else (Wicca, Sufism, etc.) and revel in the mystery there, but demand pristine, crystalline logic from the faith in which we were raised. Actually one of the things I do like about my denomination (there are a few :o) is the admission of mystery in some key points of doctrine.