(clap hands) didle-um didle-um didle-um dum dum,
and so forth.
Jon:
While I am dreadfully excited to hear that JÞII will be digitized, I am in Colorado all this week (until 12/29). So I won't be able to help this week. Maybe next.
Jessica: I know to an extent how you feel, and am sorry to hear it. Though I have no idea who you're talking about. OH, and your website gets better and better.
Merry Christmas to all, for as Isaiah wrote,
"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace."
And again:
"How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!"
9:6 and 52:7, respectively.
Let us all sing, "Glory to God in the highest." For are there any gladder tidings than the coming of Our Lord to this earth?
"And behold, he shall be born of Mary, at Jerusalem which is the land of our forefathers, she being a virgin, a precious and chosen vessel, who shall conceive by the power of the Holy Ghost, and bring forth a Son, yea, even the Son of God.
And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people.
And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities.
Now the Spirit knoweth all things; nevertheless the Son of God suffereth according to the flesh that he might take upon him the sins of his people, that he might blot out their transgressions according to the power of his deliverance."
Even as it was, so it is now and ever shall be -- sicut erat in principio, et in saecula saeculorum.
What then for us?
"Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly of heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."
"Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect."
Now, we can't be perfect as mortals. That comes much later. But, are we not commanded? Yes. How then are we to 'be perfect'? There, friends, is the Good News. Through Christ, we can be perfect, we can take the 'easy yoke.'
"Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall dent yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind, strength, then is his grace sufficent for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ."
And again:
"And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them."
So: Humble ourselves, and keep the commandments inasmuch as we can; and then is his grace sufficient -- but it isn't, "Do all you can, and then grace applies". Rather it is, "Come unto Christ -- take upon you His name, covenant with Him, and grace will apply immediately." Grace is of course divine aid, assisting us beyond our own strength: we cannot save ourselves, we cannot do everything all the time. But we can try, and we can come unto Christ; and then, we're okay. It's enough.
What do we do?
Well, there are lots of commandments. But:
"Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment.
And the second is like unto it: Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself."
Love your neighbor. It's Christmas!
Anyway, that's my Christmas Eve sermon.
The choir and congregation will now sing, "Silent Night" in the Austrian Style.
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