Jake Miles Joseph “Oh Holy Night” Longest Night- …

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Jake Miles Joseph "Oh Holy Night" Plymouth Congregational Church, Fort Collins, CO Longest Night- December 20, 2015

"O Holy Night- the stars are brightly shining. It is the night of our dear Savior's birth!" These words are as familiar to us as the greeting of an old friend. "Long lay the world in sin and error pining. Till he appeared and the soul felt its worth." We hear these words piped into us through the radio stations, the mall PA systems, and even on greeting cards, but do we ever listen? Do we ever wonder what they mean? The soul felt its worth: the soul became aware of how sacred, how worthwhile, how precious it was! What we miss in that song, is that it is at night, in the darkness that the soul is awakened to the possibility and the effervescence of life lived in the wholeness of Love.

Tonight, is not yet the O Holy Night where all awareness and all wholeness come together, in the words of the famous song. Tonight, rather, is the Longest Night, the Winter Solstice Eve (since this year tomorrow is actually the longest night of the calendar year). Tonight is a night for healing, for reflection on the parts of us that are not yet whole and well. The stars are not yet brightly shining, sisters and brothers. Tonight, with the glorious accompaniment, the navigation, and way finding of the choir and our musical guests, we are asked questions. Where in our hearts do we need healing of love: the healing love of community, the healing love of friends, the healing of music ([address the choir] choir, you all are the heart healers and the medicine men and women of our community... never lose your power or know your worth)?

Our scripture passage tonight from Luke Chapter 1 is Mary's Magnificat where she finds out the good news that she is literally pregnant with love. She is the theotokos (Godbearer in Greek). After learning the news, she runs as fast as she can to her loved one and confidant, Elizabeth, who is also overtaken with love and joy sings out the words: "My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked favorably on the lowliness of his servant. Surely, from now on all generations shall call me blessed." Mary is called the theotokos or God-bearer because she is the one who has the blessing of the embodied, incarnate love of God within her. We are also theotokos in a Spiritual sense. She who thought herself to be ordinary proclaims My Soul Magnifies, which in Greek is the solo word "Magnificat." In the words of the familiar hymn, Mary's soul has felt its worth.

She says, my soul makes larger, is growing, and magnifies the Lord of Love. Her soul has found love and love grows stronger in the face of empire and fear. Sister and brothers, even in this darkest night when many of us feel powerless in a world of anger, fear, political rage, sexism, heterosexism, racism, pain, and all of the forces that make us feel small, helpless, and alone, we know that love is within us.

In this time and in this place, we need these winter solstice longest nights to reflect on the parts of our souls that hurt and that do not know their sacred worth. What parts of our wholeness, our complete humanity, or ourselves have we lost or unwillingly had taken

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away from us since last Christmas? Where do we need our souls' love to be magnified again? Others see a world of anger and want to retreat from actions of public love for neighbor. Where do we need the healing and the hope? How can we become Love bearers (theotokos) of the possibility of Christ within each of us? We all need to have our souls feel their worth- deep sacred, whole, complete worth. We all want to magnify the love of God.

Respond to each petition by saying the words ?My soul magnifies.

For those who feel lost and without family or love of self because they are gay, lesbian, transgender, or queer or questioning. My soul magnifies

For those who feel useless and unappreciated because of ageist systems that only appreciate the young and have no use for the wisdom of the older ones. My soul magnifies

For those who are oppressed because of their religion, especially our Muslim sisters and brothers in these United States during this election cycle of cynicism fear mongering, and ignorant attitudes. My soul magnifies

For those who are living with severe mental illness and do not have family support structures and desire acceptance, understanding, and care. My soul magnifies

For those who work hard but cannot seem to make enough money because the economic systems they were born into didn't allow education. My soul magnifies

For the CEO who has nobody to love... My soul magnifies

For the homeless person who can't find help... My soul magnifies

For the minister in a shrinking congregation... My soul magnifies

For the teacher who has to see their students fail because of poor administrations and funding "shortfalls." My soul magnifies

One thing Mary knows is that she wanted to share her love. Her soul could not just magnify God for its own sake. This is why she went to be with her cousin Elizabeth. Let the love of our hearts magnify the love of God for all of creation and inspire us to prayer, to song, and to action- may this longest night reflection enable us and strengthen us in the days of light yet to burst forth in God's realm of peace, love, and justice.

For all those who think God doesn't love them because of whom they are or where they are on life's journey- My Soul magnifies.

We pray all of this in the hope of the God of Love. Amen

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