WEBVTT 00:01:03.439 --> 00:01:11.599 Blessed be God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and blessed be God's family, now and forever. 00:01:11.840 --> 00:01:12.400 Amen. 00:01:12.560 --> 00:01:13.680 Let's pray together. 00:01:14.000 --> 00:01:21.760 Almighty God, unto whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hid. 00:01:22.000 --> 00:01:34.239 Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of thy Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love thee, and worthily magnify thy holy name through Christ our Lord. 00:01:34.560 --> 00:01:35.200 Amen. 00:01:35.439 --> 00:01:38.480 It is the seventh day of Hanukkah right now. 00:01:38.560 --> 00:01:43.519 It'll be the eighth day when it gets dark tonight, so we'll flight the Hanukkiya. 00:03:00.960 --> 00:03:01.759 Be with you. 00:03:02.000 --> 00:03:03.199 And also with you. 00:03:03.439 --> 00:03:04.800 Let us pray. 00:03:05.360 --> 00:03:09.360 Almighty God, you poured upon us the new light of your incarnate word. 00:03:09.759 --> 00:03:22.159 Grant that this light enkindled in our hearts may shine forth in our lives through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. 00:03:22.479 --> 00:03:23.039 Amen. 00:03:23.199 --> 00:03:24.479 Please be seated. 00:03:42.080 --> 00:03:44.000 A reading from Isaiah. 00:03:45.280 --> 00:03:47.360 I will greatly rejoice in the Lord. 00:03:47.520 --> 00:03:50.240 My whole being shall exult in my God. 00:03:50.960 --> 00:03:54.240 For God has clothed me with the garments of salvation. 00:03:54.479 --> 00:03:57.599 God has covered me with the robe of righteousness. 00:03:58.000 --> 00:04:04.159 As a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. 00:04:04.960 --> 00:04:18.560 For as the earth brings forth its juice, and as a garden causes what is sown in it to spring up, so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring up before all the nations. 00:04:19.360 --> 00:04:31.600 For Zion's sake, I will not keep silent, and for Jerusalem's sake, I will not rest, until her vindication shines out like the dawn, and her salvation like a burning torch. 00:04:32.079 --> 00:04:38.079 The nations shall see your vindication, and all the kings your glory. 00:04:38.319 --> 00:04:42.959 And you shall be called by new name that the mouth of the Lord will give. 00:04:43.279 --> 00:04:50.000 You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of your God. 00:04:51.040 --> 00:04:54.240 Hear what the Spirit is saying to God's people. 00:04:58.959 --> 00:05:02.319 The psalm appointed is Psalm 147. 00:05:08.720 --> 00:05:11.360 Worship the Lord, O Jerusalem. 00:05:14.560 --> 00:05:17.920 For God has strengthened the bars of your gates. 00:05:21.279 --> 00:05:24.399 God has established peace on your borders. 00:05:27.839 --> 00:05:30.800 God's command is sent out to the earth. 00:05:34.319 --> 00:05:36.720 God gives snow like wool. 00:05:40.399 --> 00:05:43.120 God scatters hail like breadcrumbs. 00:05:47.040 --> 00:05:49.680 God's word is sent forth and melts them. 00:05:54.160 --> 00:05:56.800 God's word is declared to Jacob. 00:06:00.720 --> 00:06:03.920 The Lord has not done so to any other nation. 00:06:35.199 --> 00:06:42.720 Now before faith came, we were imprisoned and guarded under the law until faith would be revealed. 00:06:43.199 --> 00:06:50.399 Therefore the law was our disciplinarian until Christ came, so that we might be justified by faith. 00:06:50.720 --> 00:06:56.079 But now that faith has come, we are no longer subject to a disciplinarian. 00:06:56.319 --> 00:07:10.639 But when the fullness of time had come, God sent his son, born of a woman, born under the law, in order to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as children. 00:07:11.120 --> 00:07:22.879 And because you are children, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, Abba, Father, so you are no longer a slave, but a child. 00:07:23.120 --> 00:07:26.800 And if a child, then also an heir, through God. 00:07:28.560 --> 00:07:31.759 Hear what the Spirit is saying to God's people. 00:09:36.080 --> 00:09:40.960 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 00:09:41.519 --> 00:09:43.440 He was in the beginning with God. 00:09:44.000 --> 00:09:48.960 All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. 00:09:49.200 --> 00:09:52.000 What has come into being in him was life. 00:09:52.639 --> 00:09:54.879 The life was the light of all people. 00:09:55.279 --> 00:09:59.759 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it. 00:10:00.240 --> 00:10:03.039 There was a man sent from God whose name was John. 00:10:03.279 --> 00:10:07.600 He came to witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. 00:10:08.000 --> 00:10:12.159 He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. 00:10:12.399 --> 00:10:15.600 The true light which enlightens everyone was coming into the world. 00:10:15.840 --> 00:10:20.879 He was in the world, and the world came into being through him, yet the world did not know him. 00:10:21.360 --> 00:10:37.440 He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him, but to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh, or of the will of a human being, but of God. 00:10:38.080 --> 00:10:43.039 And the word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory. 00:10:43.279 --> 00:10:47.679 The glory is of a father's only son, full of grace and truth. 00:10:49.360 --> 00:10:51.200 The gospel of the Lord. 00:11:40.159 --> 00:11:50.240 And I don't know if you uh remember reading Plato back in high school or college, but John is really pulling off some Platonic philosophy here. 00:11:50.720 --> 00:12:00.559 So just to ease you into it for a second so you can see, I think, what John's trying to do, that word word, in Greek, that's the word logos. 00:12:00.799 --> 00:12:04.960 And usually we translate that as like study of or words about. 00:12:05.120 --> 00:12:13.840 Like geologos, geology, we usually say, oh, that's the study of the earth. 00:12:14.720 --> 00:12:19.919 Biologi, the study of life, right? 00:12:20.080 --> 00:12:21.919 This is like kind of how we use the word. 00:12:22.000 --> 00:12:27.039 But in Platonic thought, it doesn't just mean words about, or it doesn't just mean the study of. 00:12:27.440 --> 00:12:34.159 Plato said that ancient Greek religion, you know, like with Zeus and Hera, he said it was ridiculous. 00:12:34.399 --> 00:12:37.759 He said the gods are not even like more virtuous than human beings. 00:12:37.840 --> 00:12:39.840 So all that's just made up in fantasy. 00:12:40.000 --> 00:12:40.159 No. 00:12:40.320 --> 00:12:45.120 Plato says, if you want to know where the world comes from and what's truly powerful, it goes like this. 00:12:45.279 --> 00:12:47.679 Uh first there are these things called the forms. 00:12:47.840 --> 00:12:53.840 And Plato said, forms, this is kind of like a genus, if you think through your taxonomy you learned in biology. 00:12:54.000 --> 00:13:02.559 Like every horse, and there's a quarter horse, and there's an Arabian, and there's a thoroughbred, they're slightly different, but they all have this quality of hoarseness. 00:13:03.039 --> 00:13:04.399 It's the same with dogs, right? 00:13:04.480 --> 00:13:06.320 Imagine a chihuahua and a great dane. 00:13:06.399 --> 00:13:10.080 I mean, they're quite different, but they have this dogness. 00:13:10.639 --> 00:13:12.720 And Plato said this is the form. 00:13:13.120 --> 00:13:16.879 So the form is sort of the category that gives the individuals. 00:13:17.039 --> 00:13:21.120 Well, the forms, says Plato, all come from the virtues. 00:13:21.519 --> 00:13:24.480 And the virtues all come from the logos. 00:13:24.639 --> 00:13:32.879 So in Platonic thought, the logos is the universal creative ordering principle that permeates existence. 00:13:34.320 --> 00:13:40.720 So biology is not actually the study of life in Plato's dialogue. 00:13:40.879 --> 00:13:48.399 Biology is how the universal creative ordering principle is revealed or made manifest in living things. 00:13:49.039 --> 00:13:59.600 Geology is not the study of the planet, it's how the universal creative ordering principle behind everything that has material is made manifest in the earth itself. 00:14:00.879 --> 00:14:07.519 So sometimes we can kind of cross-pollinate things and say, oh, in the beginning was the word, and that's like the Bible. 00:14:07.759 --> 00:14:10.240 No, the scripture is really clear. 00:14:10.399 --> 00:14:12.399 The Logos is Jesus. 00:14:12.879 --> 00:14:24.080 The universal ordering creative principle behind everything that is material and immaterial, the Logos was not only with God, the Logos is God. 00:14:24.399 --> 00:14:34.080 God is the creator that permeates every part of creation and is therefore manifest in every part of creation. 00:14:34.240 --> 00:14:57.440 And this is part of what we celebrate in this Christmas story, is we say, oh, the God who made the wood and the slate and the porcelain and the quarks and the gluons and the protons is also made manifest not just in one human being, but in each and every human being. 00:15:04.720 --> 00:15:09.759 Look at how people drive, it's because people are inherently wicked and evil. 00:15:09.919 --> 00:15:13.200 Like it's very tempting to make these categorical thoughts. 00:15:13.360 --> 00:15:20.720 And here's this story we come back to every year that says, it's fine that you have those feelings, they're just not true. 00:15:20.960 --> 00:15:22.720 So I have feelings all the time. 00:15:22.799 --> 00:15:27.200 Like I get really mad over nothing, and that feeling is really strong. 00:15:27.279 --> 00:15:28.879 It's just not true. 00:15:29.519 --> 00:15:31.919 It's real, it's not true. 00:15:32.159 --> 00:15:37.919 I have feelings about other people are base and wicked and evil because they don't think exactly like I do. 00:15:38.480 --> 00:15:40.080 Those are real feelings. 00:15:40.240 --> 00:15:42.480 They're just not true. 00:15:43.440 --> 00:15:46.480 Here's a story that says here's the truth. 00:15:47.440 --> 00:15:50.720 God put on human experience. 00:15:52.080 --> 00:15:53.120 Remember that. 00:15:53.519 --> 00:15:56.320 We're not estranged from God because we're human. 00:15:56.399 --> 00:15:57.519 No, no, no, no. 00:15:57.679 --> 00:16:00.720 This is a story about overcoming any estrangement. 00:16:00.799 --> 00:16:03.360 And I think that's why we come back to it every year. 00:16:03.600 --> 00:16:06.399 Because we come on Christmas Day and we say, oh, that's really cool. 00:16:06.559 --> 00:16:08.320 God was manifest in a human being. 00:16:08.399 --> 00:16:09.360 And then what do you know? 00:16:09.519 --> 00:16:13.679 I usually forget pretty fast when I'm talking with a coworker I don't like. 00:16:15.200 --> 00:16:16.799 That doesn't happen here very often. 00:16:16.960 --> 00:16:18.960 I like my co-workers, all three of them. 00:16:19.120 --> 00:16:21.600 But you I hope you understand what I'm saying. 00:16:21.840 --> 00:16:28.960 I easily, easily forget this lesson that God is incarnate in human experience. 00:16:30.320 --> 00:16:33.519 Being human does not mean something lower than God. 00:16:33.679 --> 00:16:36.320 This is a story about God permeating everything. 00:16:36.399 --> 00:16:44.240 And we get to hear this lovely physics lesson in John that talks about how darkness does not overcome light. 00:16:44.480 --> 00:16:49.919 And I'm pretty lucky in this parish that we've got a couple of astrophysicists who've told me a little bit about light. 00:16:50.000 --> 00:16:58.000 And I didn't want to bore you with the story, but you know, our the human eye can only register about this much light on the spectrum. 00:16:58.559 --> 00:17:02.879 Just an example of light you don't see that you know is real is your microwave, right? 00:17:03.039 --> 00:17:06.720 You put things in a microwave and you hit a button and the food's hot. 00:17:06.799 --> 00:17:10.319 Now you might be thinking, I see the microwave, there's a light on in it. 00:17:10.559 --> 00:17:14.079 That's not doing the cooking, that's just so you can see the light, right? 00:17:14.319 --> 00:17:16.799 But microwave is light you don't see. 00:17:17.599 --> 00:17:18.880 So is infrared. 00:17:19.279 --> 00:17:22.640 Your eye can't detect it, but it's very real. 00:17:22.880 --> 00:17:38.480 And there's this really interesting uh quantity in physics, right, which says, like, anybody ever been in a cave, like Mammoth Cave, and you go in there and they're like, hey, we're gonna experience absolute darkness, so put your watch in your pocket and put your phones down and turn out the lights. 00:17:39.519 --> 00:17:41.599 It seems really dark, doesn't it? 00:17:42.640 --> 00:17:44.160 And of course it's not. 00:17:44.720 --> 00:17:46.559 It just doesn't have any visible light. 00:17:46.799 --> 00:17:50.000 Mammoth Cave is absolutely teeming with light. 00:17:50.559 --> 00:17:55.920 Infrared, microwaves, radio waves, like short waves. 00:17:56.160 --> 00:18:04.000 Even the darkest place in intergalactic space is absolutely full of light. 00:18:04.400 --> 00:18:08.480 I know that's enigmatic because, again, we don't perceive it with our eye. 00:18:09.200 --> 00:18:14.480 But there's no less light in Mammoth Cave than there is right here. 00:18:14.880 --> 00:18:16.640 It's just not visible. 00:18:16.880 --> 00:18:24.960 And here is a story we return to every year that says, hey, sometimes there's dark places in life. 00:18:25.200 --> 00:18:28.480 And it doesn't seem, well, like God's present. 00:18:28.640 --> 00:18:30.960 It doesn't seem like there's a lot of light there. 00:18:31.039 --> 00:18:36.240 And the story of the incarnation is the light shines in the darkness. 00:18:36.480 --> 00:18:40.720 Even if it's not perceptible to our eye, God has made it so. 00:18:41.359 --> 00:18:43.920 That there can indeed be light. 00:18:44.640 --> 00:18:46.559 Even in labor pains. 00:18:47.359 --> 00:18:49.440 That's a stretch, right, ladies? 00:18:50.319 --> 00:18:51.920 Because it's painful. 00:18:52.319 --> 00:18:56.000 And God has suffused it with God's presence. 00:18:56.160 --> 00:18:58.559 This is the story of Christmas. 00:18:58.880 --> 00:19:03.119 And not that it had been once upon a time long ago, and that's a neat story. 00:19:03.279 --> 00:19:07.519 It's our invitation to find it over and over and over again. 00:19:07.759 --> 00:19:18.640 And I just keep thinking about like what Walt Whitman and William James have said that really the object of the spiritual and mystical life is to find infinity in a grain of sand. 00:19:19.519 --> 00:19:22.079 And this is the story of the incarnation. 00:19:22.319 --> 00:19:30.640 Infinity showed up in one human child, which is like a grain of sand when you think about how many people have ever lived and will continue to live, right? 00:19:31.200 --> 00:19:37.039 We found infinity there, and now our work is to find it in the next child that's born today. 00:19:38.559 --> 00:19:44.160 And when we get a little bored to find infinity in boredom. 00:19:45.279 --> 00:19:49.279 And even in dark places, to say, God, I don't see any light. 00:19:51.279 --> 00:19:55.119 But I'm gonna choose to trust that you're here anyway. 00:19:55.440 --> 00:20:00.000 And that you can, in fact, make light visible in places where it is not. 00:20:00.240 --> 00:20:04.160 And God, this is my prayer as best as I can do it. 00:20:04.480 --> 00:20:06.079 I don't always do it. 00:20:06.880 --> 00:20:12.640 If I could take part in making your light visible, I'd like to try today. 00:20:13.200 --> 00:20:26.240 This is again why we continue to light this Hanukkah, because the story of the Hanukkah is one day's oil made eight days' light, and so we're reminded that even small lights, and look, they'll be all burned down before we leave, right? 00:20:27.440 --> 00:20:31.279 But in God, a little bit of light goes a long way. 00:20:31.839 --> 00:20:34.559 Like at least eightfold. 00:20:34.880 --> 00:20:35.839 At least. 00:20:36.480 --> 00:20:41.519 And if you lit a candle on Christmas Eve, we did this last night, it's just a practice of that. 00:20:41.759 --> 00:20:45.039 We light one candle, and then we light everybody's candles. 00:20:45.119 --> 00:20:48.079 And isn't that how faith and community life work? 00:20:48.799 --> 00:20:49.680 One light. 00:20:49.920 --> 00:20:51.279 It goes a long way. 00:20:52.559 --> 00:20:56.480 Probably longer and brighter than you ever knew or imagined it would. 00:20:56.640 --> 00:21:01.920 And that's the joy and mystery of not only Christmas, but our faith journey together. 00:21:09.599 --> 00:21:13.279 Please join me as we pray our faith in the words of the Nicene Creed. 00:21:14.880 --> 00:21:20.880 We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth. 00:21:24.079 --> 00:21:57.759 We believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, eternal God the Father, God of God, Father and Lord, true God, true God, begotten the high, Al-Bather, who give all things for him, for us and for our salvation, he and now in heaven, by the power of the Holy Spirit, given our heart and our safety of God, besides, 00:22:00.240 --> 00:22:08.400 Third day of God from the words of the spirit, except in heaven, and seed that prior and the Father. 00:22:08.720 --> 00:22:14.160 You will come in the glory to judge the heaven, and it's in the moment. 00:22:14.880 --> 00:22:27.200 We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and our life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, with the Father and the Son, who has worshiped the glorified, and so on the cross. 00:22:27.680 --> 00:22:31.359 We believe in the Holy Lord, the Catholic Solid Church. 00:22:31.519 --> 00:22:34.960 We all have attitude forgiveness of sins. 00:22:35.359 --> 00:22:39.200 We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world. 00:22:40.319 --> 00:22:40.799 Amen. 00:22:42.240 --> 00:22:45.200 Let us confess our sin against God and our neighbor. 00:22:50.720 --> 00:22:57.599 God of all mercy, we confess that we have sinned against you, opposing your will in our lives. 00:22:57.759 --> 00:23:03.920 We have denied your goodness in each other, in ourselves, and in the world you have created. 00:23:04.319 --> 00:23:11.519 We repent of the evil that enslaves us, the evil we have done, and the evil done on our behalf. 00:23:11.839 --> 00:23:21.359 Forgive, restore, and strengthen us through our Savior Jesus Christ, that we may abide in your love and serve only your will. 00:23:21.680 --> 00:23:22.319 Amen. 00:23:22.960 --> 00:23:32.240 The Almighty and Merciful Lord grant you absolution and remission of all your sin, true repentance, amendment of life, and the grace and consolation of the Holy Spirit. 00:23:32.559 --> 00:23:33.200 Amen. 00:23:40.960 --> 00:23:43.440 The peace of the Lord be always with you. 00:24:04.480 --> 00:24:08.799 I do hope that this is a lovely holiday for you as you go forward. 00:24:09.200 --> 00:24:12.960 And just a couple announcements to bring to your attention. 00:24:14.480 --> 00:24:20.720 One is that if you come next week, we're going to have a new table. 00:24:21.839 --> 00:24:28.000 We had a memorial gift, and the artist has been working at this for a long time and is going to finish. 00:24:28.079 --> 00:24:36.240 So this is like one of the last times we're going to have Eucharist on this table, which is kind of a bittersweet moment because it's been here a long time. 00:24:36.640 --> 00:24:37.440 And it's super lovely. 00:24:37.519 --> 00:24:40.960 But then would you be surprised when you come in next week and it looks really different? 00:24:41.039 --> 00:24:43.200 Because it's it's going to look really different. 00:24:43.359 --> 00:24:44.720 So there, told you. 00:24:45.200 --> 00:25:03.200 And uh I also uh just wanted to raise to you because these are holidays and sometimes we're moving around, but um really really excited that uh to announce that we're gonna be taking a small tour here in January and February of some some other of our faith brothers and sisters. 00:25:03.279 --> 00:25:11.119 And so the first one is on January the 11th, that's a Wednesday night, and we're gonna meet over at uh Congregation Harsh Alone. 00:25:11.279 --> 00:25:17.440 That's a conservative synagogue here, right off of El Camino and El Dorado. 00:25:17.759 --> 00:25:27.839 And Rabbi Stuart Federo is going to physically walk us around the synagogue and talk through why it's built the way it's built and what this does and how the liturgy goes. 00:25:27.920 --> 00:25:33.119 And he's also dedicated his time to ask any questions you have about Judaism. 00:25:33.200 --> 00:25:37.759 I'll warn you he doesn't like questions about what does Jesus mean for Jewish people. 00:25:38.079 --> 00:25:42.640 Like you might want to not ask that question, but he'll handle any other question really, really well. 00:25:43.039 --> 00:25:45.200 And so that's the first of a couple of these. 00:25:45.279 --> 00:25:48.079 We'll also be going over to the Coptic Church that's new. 00:25:48.160 --> 00:25:50.240 Maybe you've seen it, it's got the gold domes. 00:25:50.640 --> 00:25:57.519 We'll be doing that later in January and uh to the Islamic Center as well, among hopefully a couple other tours. 00:25:57.680 --> 00:26:00.640 Last year these people came here and talked to us, which was lovely. 00:26:00.799 --> 00:26:07.440 So we want to return the favor and also see how the architecture and the building supports their faith tradition. 00:26:07.599 --> 00:26:10.799 So I just want to raise that up to you as an opportunity. 00:26:11.920 --> 00:26:13.599 Continue to walk in love. 00:26:13.839 --> 00:26:19.039 As Christ first loved us and gave himself for us, an offering and sacrifice to God. 00:27:48.480 --> 00:27:50.960 And of your own have we given to you. 00:27:51.359 --> 00:27:54.559 This is the table not of the church, but of Jesus Christ. 00:27:54.720 --> 00:27:59.440 It is made ready for those who love him and those who want to love him more, so come. 00:27:59.759 --> 00:28:07.519 You who have much faith and you who have little, you who have been here often and you who have not been for a long time or ever before. 00:28:07.839 --> 00:28:11.039 You who have tried to follow and you who have failed, come. 00:28:11.279 --> 00:28:16.400 Not because the church invites you, it is Christ, and he invites you to meet him here. 00:28:24.880 --> 00:28:28.480 He gives up your house. 00:28:35.920 --> 00:28:40.400 Let us give thanks to the food of God. 00:28:41.920 --> 00:28:47.920 It is right to give God thanks and praise. 00:28:49.200 --> 00:29:08.480 It is truly right to glorify you, Father, and to give you thanks, for you alone, O God, living and true, dwelling in light, inaccessible from the four time and forever. 00:29:09.759 --> 00:29:12.319 Fountain of life and source. 00:29:14.799 --> 00:29:27.759 You made all things and filled them with your blessing, you created them to rejoice in the splendor of your radiance. 00:29:28.720 --> 00:29:52.079 Countless rounds of angels stand before you to serve you night and day, and beholding the glory of your presence, they offer you unceasing praise, joining with them and giving voice to every creature under heaven. 00:29:52.720 --> 00:29:58.480 We acclaim you and glorify your name as we say. 00:29:59.920 --> 00:30:07.519 Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might, heaven and earth are full of your glory. 00:30:07.759 --> 00:30:09.519 Hosanna and the highest. 00:30:09.759 --> 00:30:12.559 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. 00:30:15.119 --> 00:30:18.240 We acclaim you, holy Lord, glorious in power. 00:30:18.480 --> 00:30:20.880 Your mighty works reveal your wisdom and love. 00:30:21.119 --> 00:30:30.240 You formed us in your own image, giving the whole world into our care, so that in obedience to you, our Creator, we might shepherd and serve all your creatures. 00:30:30.559 --> 00:30:35.759 When our disobedience took us far from you, you did not abandon us to the power of death. 00:30:36.000 --> 00:30:40.240 In your mercy you came to our help, so that in seeking you we might find you. 00:30:40.480 --> 00:30:46.559 Again and again you called us into covenant with you, and through the prophets you taught us to hope for salvation. 00:30:46.799 --> 00:30:52.079 Father, you love the world so much that in the fullness of time you sent your only Son to be our Savior. 00:30:52.319 --> 00:30:58.079 Incarnate by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, he lived as one of us, yet without sin. 00:30:58.559 --> 00:31:05.200 To the poor he proclaimed the good news of salvation, to prisoners freedom, to the sorrowful joy. 00:31:05.440 --> 00:31:12.640 To fulfill your purpose, he gave himself up to death, and rising from the grave destroyed death and made the whole creation new. 00:31:12.799 --> 00:31:27.119 And that we might live no longer for ourselves, but for the one who died and rose for us, God sent the Holy Spirit, God's own first gift for those who believe to complete Jesus' work in the world, and bring to fulfillment the sanctification of all. 00:31:27.680 --> 00:31:35.119 When the hour had come for him to be glorified by you, his heavenly Father, having loved his own who were in the world, Jesus loved them to the end. 00:31:35.279 --> 00:31:37.599 So at supper with them he took bread. 00:31:37.759 --> 00:31:42.880 And when he given thanks to you, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, and said, Take, eat. 00:31:43.119 --> 00:31:45.440 This is my body which is given for you. 00:31:45.759 --> 00:31:48.000 Do this for the remembrance of me. 00:31:50.480 --> 00:31:56.720 After supper, Jesus took the cup of wine, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them and said, Drink this, all of you. 00:31:56.960 --> 00:32:02.079 This is my blood of the new covenant, which is shed for you and for all for the forgiveness of sin. 00:32:02.400 --> 00:32:06.319 Whenever you drink it, do this for the remembrance of me. 00:32:08.720 --> 00:32:11.920 Father, we now celebrate this memorial of our redemption. 00:32:12.160 --> 00:32:25.920 Recalling Christ's death and his descent among the dead, proclaiming his resurrection and ascension to your right hand, awaiting his coming in glory, and offering to you for the gifts you've given us, this bread and this cup, we praise you and we bless you. 00:32:26.319 --> 00:32:32.880 We praise you, we bless you, we give thanks to you, and we pray to you, Lord our God. 00:32:33.119 --> 00:32:48.640 Lord, we pray that in your goodness and your mercy, your Holy Spirit might descend upon us and upon these gifts, sanctifying them and showing them to be holy gifts for your holy people, the bread of life and the cup of salvation, the body and blood of your Son Jesus Christ. 00:32:48.960 --> 00:32:57.279 Grant that all who share this bread and this cup may become one body and one spirit, a living sacrifice in Christ to the praise of your name. 00:32:57.519 --> 00:33:02.319 Remember, Lord, your one holy Catholic and apostolic church, redeemed by the love of your Christ. 00:33:02.559 --> 00:33:06.319 Reveal its unity, guard its faith, and preserve it in peace. 00:33:06.559 --> 00:33:14.240 Remember all bishops and other ministers, for Andy, Hector, Jeff, and Kay, our bishops, in the diocesan cycle of prayer, St. 00:33:14.319 --> 00:33:15.519 Paul's Katie, St. 00:33:15.599 --> 00:33:17.599 Philip the Evangelist Houston, St. 00:33:17.680 --> 00:33:18.960 Stephen's Houston, and St. 00:33:19.039 --> 00:33:25.839 Thomas Houston, for Michael, our presiding bishop, for Mike, Jim, and Craig, the priests in our community. 00:33:27.599 --> 00:33:40.240 Remember all your people and those who seek your truth, especially Miriam, Robert, Kay, Pat, Isabel, Phil, Terry, Rich, Billy, and Joe. 00:33:40.400 --> 00:33:46.960 And the congregation is invited to name any prayers or petitions silently or allowed. 00:33:59.359 --> 00:34:04.799 Remember all who died in the peace of Christ, and bless those whose faith is known to you alone. 00:34:05.039 --> 00:34:08.159 Bring them into the place of eternal joy and light. 00:34:08.320 --> 00:34:10.880 And grant that we might find our inheritance with St. 00:34:11.039 --> 00:34:14.559 Thomas and all the saints who have found favor with you in ages past. 00:34:14.800 --> 00:34:19.760 We praise you in union with them, and give you glory through your Son Jesus Christ, our Lord. 00:34:20.079 --> 00:34:28.559 Through Christ and with Christ and in Christ, all honor and glory are yours, Almighty God and Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, forever and ever. 00:34:29.039 --> 00:34:29.679 Amen. 00:34:30.320 --> 00:34:44.239 And now, as our Savior Christ has taught us, we are bold to pray, our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. 00:34:44.639 --> 00:34:57.119 Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. 00:34:57.360 --> 00:35:02.400 For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. 00:35:02.719 --> 00:35:03.360 Amen. 00:35:05.119 --> 00:35:08.960 Hallelujah, Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us. 00:35:09.360 --> 00:35:11.679 Therefore, let us keep the feast. 00:35:12.960 --> 00:35:15.920 These are the gifts of God for you, the people of God. 00:35:16.159 --> 00:35:20.000 Feed on them in your hearts by faith and with thanksgiving. 00:38:46.960 --> 00:38:56.400 Loving God, I give you thanks for restoring us in your image and nourishing us with spiritual food and the sacrament of Christ's body and blood. 00:38:56.639 --> 00:39:07.840 Now send us for the people, forgiven, healed, renewed, that we may proclaim your love to the world and continue in the risen life of Christ our Savior. 00:39:08.159 --> 00:39:08.800 Amen. 00:39:09.119 --> 00:39:17.519 Sometimes we have to dare to be fools for Christ, and that means that sometimes we have to be willing to give food to people who don't really need or deserve it. 00:39:17.840 --> 00:39:22.079 Sometimes we have to be willing to work with some people who might even exploit us. 00:39:22.480 --> 00:39:27.199 Maybe this is as close as we can come to an experience of self-emptying. 00:39:27.360 --> 00:39:31.840 It is the experience of being useless in the presence of the Lord. 00:39:32.239 --> 00:39:39.599 The blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be with you this Christmas tide and remain with you always. 00:39:39.920 --> 00:39:40.559 Amen.