Date Posted: 2024-12-25 14:13:14 | Video Duration: 01:13:20
At Preston Hollow Presbyterian Church, the warmth of community and the glow of candlelight come together to celebrate the profound mystery of Christmas. On this special night, we gather to reflect on the gift of Jesus, the Light of the World, and explore how this light can illuminate even the darkest corners of our lives. This message of hope, delivered by Senior Pastor Matthew Ruffner, invites us to experience the birth of Christ anew in our hearts and to carry this light forward into the world.
Embracing the Light
As the Christmas Eve service commenced, Pastor Ruffner set the stage for an evening of reflection and joy. He reminded the congregation, “No matter where you are on your journey of life or love or faith, all parts of you belong here.” This welcoming spirit is the heart of Preston Hollow, a community that seeks to embody the truth that all belong to God.
The service was punctuated by the lighting of the Christ Candle, symbolizing the birth of Jesus, the Light of the World. Pastor Ruffner encouraged everyone, saying, “May he be born anew in you, Emmanuel, light of the world, shine in our lives and among us now. Come, let us walk in the light of the Lord.” These words served as a powerful reminder of the transformative power of Christ’s light.
The Story of the Shepherds
The scripture reading from Luke 2:1-20 transported the congregation to the fields of Bethlehem, where shepherds first heard the angels’ proclamation of Christ’s birth. The familiar passage tells of the angels’ visit, their message of “good news of great joy for all the people,” and the shepherds’ journey to witness the miraculous event. Pastor Ruffner emphasized the significance of the angels’ words, “Fear not; behold, I bring you good news of great joy for all generations.” He explained that the call to “behold” invites us to see beyond the immediate and to recognize the holy moments in our lives.
God With Skin On
Pastor Ruffner shared a poignant story by Anne Lamott about a little girl afraid of the dark. Despite her mother’s reassurances that God was with her, the girl insisted, “I just need someone with skin on to be with me.” This story beautifully illustrated the message of Christmas: God took on flesh in Jesus so that we would never be alone. As Pastor Ruffner put it, “The good news of this night is that God took on flesh in Jesus so that God would never be separate from you, from us.”
This incarnational theme was further explored through a touching anecdote about a Christmas Eve service at Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church. A man named Jim, struggling with addiction, found himself surrounded by a community of support in the church’s robing room. There, an impromptu AA meeting exemplified how the church can be the “body of Christ”—God with skin on—bringing light and hope into the darkest places.
A Call to Be the Light
The sermon concluded with a call to action: to be the light of Christ in the world. “Our common calling on this night is by God’s grace to take on flesh and to share the Light of Christ with one another and the world,” Pastor Ruffner urged. He encouraged the congregation to “behold” the good news of great joy and to carry this light into their daily lives, acting as beacons of hope and love.
As candles flickered in the sanctuary, Pastor Ruffner offered this blessing: “May God give you the grace never to sell yourself short, grace to risk something big for something good, grace to recognize that the world is now too dangerous for anything but truth, far too small for anything but love.”
On this sacred night at Preston Hollow Presbyterian Church, the Christmas message resonated deeply: the Light of Christ shines in the darkness, and the darkness will never overcome it. As the congregation extinguished their candles, they were reminded to carry this light into the world, embodying the hope of the Incarnation in their lives.
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