Sunday, December 22, 2013

Christmas: Feast of the Nativity

You all know about the star of Bethlehem, don’t you - the star that led the three kings from far away right to the stable in Bethlehem where Jesus was born. Well, I am going to tell you the story of how that Christmas star got its wonderful, great light so that it was brighter than all the other stars.
In the beginning God created all the heavens and all the earth. And then God said:
“Let there be stars in the heavens.” And immediately there were millions and millions of new heavenly creations of all shapes and sizes. God wanted the stars to be good like all the other things that God created. But when God looked at all these new heavenly creations and saw them just hanging there cold and lifeless in the dark silent sky, God knew that there was something wrong, there was something missing. God thought and thought and thought but could not figure out what was wrong with the stars.
And so God called together all the angels and asked them what was wrong with the stars. And the great angels and archangels and cherubim and seraphim, with all their combined wisdom, could not tell God what was wrong. But suddenly a small cherub came forward. You know what a cherub is - a little, young angel, like a child angel, just about the size of children like you. Well, this cherub stood before God and said, “I know what is wrong with the stars, God.” And all the older angels gasped in amazement; how could this little angel dare to tell God that there was something wrong in creation. But God said,
“That's all right. Tell me, little one, what is wrong with the stars?” And the little angel said, “They are hanging in the heavens alright, but they do not shine, for all people to see.”
“That's it; that is what is wrong,” God shouted, “The stars do not shine; I must make the stars twinkle and shine. I know what I will do. Each star shall get an angel to give it an inner light so that it will shine for all to see.” And with a wave of God’s hand the great angels flew off to be the stars’ light. And the millions and millions of stars all lit up, like sparkling jewels. And God looked and said, “Ah, finally it is right, the stars are good.”
But the cherub, the little angel who told God what was wrong, was pushed aside in the great rush and excitement, and soon forgotten.
And then, thousands and thousands of years later, God had a certain plan and needed an angel; and God remembered the cherub. When God inquired they told how the cherub had been pushed aside and forgotten in the great rush and excitement of lighting up the stars. God was sad to hear this and sent out many angels to search for the cherub.
After a long time, they brought the cherub before God. God said, “It has been a long time, my little one, but finally I have a reward for you. You did not get a star like the other angels, but now I have something very special for you to do for me.” And God leaned down and whispered in the cherub's ear. The cherub smiled widely, leaped for joy, and flew away. And almost immediately there appeared a new star in the sky. And the star did exactly what God whispered to the cherub. That star traveled far away into the east, and after many, many years it began a long journey back from the east, and when it arrived at
Bethlehem it stopped and stood still. And the little cherub inside that star glowed with all the power and might stored up over all those thousands and thousands of years so that the star grew bigger and brighter than all the other stars. And that is how the star of Christmas got its wonderful, great light, and how the kings were able to know Jesus in Bethlehem on the first Christmas night.
And now let us all stand together and say this prayer after me: “Lord Jesus – you are the light - of the world - like the stars - in the sky. Lord Jesus - you are the light – of my life. 

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