This is a sermon I preached a few years ago on the first Sunday after Christmas which I offer in the spirit of my words prompting yours!

Today we hear John. The poetic, philosophical and well-known opening verses of the origin of Christ. It is a far cry from the birth stories in Matthew and Luke. It isn’t a story. It’s a series of statements. And as I’m sure you know, mirrors the series of beginning statements in Genesis.

“In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth.” Like Genesis, John’s account does not surmise, or conjecture, or try to build a case or argument:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.

There are no – if “this” then “that” conditional clauses. No harkening back to a claim that this is to fulfill what had been spoken through the prophets. The words simply are. That is characteristic of John’s gospel. Jesus in this gospel makes statements, “I Am.” Our consent is not needed to proclaim that Jesus is the way, the truth, the light and life.

Fast forward to John’s account of the passion and the same holds true. When asked by Pontius Pilate, “What is truth?” Jesus is silent. All the statements have been made.

Here’s a question on another topic, but apropos of this season, do you know why we have worship bulletins? We have a prayer book, so why go through all the trouble of making a bulletin (and yes, it is akin to trouble) Because it is a sign of hospitality, generous hospitality. As some of you know about me, I’m a big believer in worship bulletins, good bulletins, clear and easy to follow bulletins that show everything that is being done or said in a service. Because church can be a very intimidating place, especially if you are new and not “in the know.”

As much as I love our Book of Common Prayer it’s not that user friendly. Clarity is kindness (Brene Brown) and clear bulletins are kind.

But at the same time, I do lament all that reading. All the faces, facing down to read instead of listen. The worshipping community is one of the last places where we get to hear the power of the text. An oral tradition of words intended to be absorbed by our heads and hearts.

Scripture is a record of holy speech. God said, let there be light, and there was light.

God cries out, Listen, incline your ear to me; listen so that you may live (Is 55:3)

The Almighty declares, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and succeed in the thing for which I sent it. (Is 55:11)

God’s language is a force. It has power and is alive. The fourth evangelist uses holy speech to proclaim that the Word has gone forth towards God’s purpose. The purpose of bringing life and light into the world. A purpose that those of us in the world can choose to see or not. But regardless of what we choose we still have received grace upon grace.

Words – speech – bring forth incarnation. Language creates a reality.

In his Christmas message the Archbishop Justin Welby spoke of how the prophetic proclamations in the opening of John’s gospel transition into the full human experience.

“The vulnerable God was born into a world that rejected him and yet he loved it without limits. Love demonstrated not by grasping power but by lowering (oneself) to raise the fallen. The humility of God provokes us to seek to awaken what is best, in every person we meet, every group that we encounter.” (Christmas Sermon 12/2013)

The Word became flesh, walked and talked. Laughed and wept. Railed at injustice. The word became flesh and shared words of hope and love to any and all who sought him out, who wanted to receive him. Which means if someone comes to church wanting to receive hope and love, I want to help them find it! And I believe, you do to. So yes to reading and yes to listening.

Because ultimately it’s our “yes” that invites God in. It is our “yes” to a newborn baby and to the courageous claims of John’s gospel. Our “yes” despite our doubts and struggles. The holy speech, the holy writ is a cornerstone for us to lean into, to pray, to remember. So that when we are in darkness we can take them in, and let the words be our strength.

For the Word made flesh prospered that for which it was sent – ultimate vulnerability, to give everything for us. To let go of life and then give it again so that we might see the light, see we have all received grace upon grace. As we move through the last days of Christmas and into a New Year I pray we remember that God spoke us into being. We incarnate the image of God and our words go forth and they matter. For we have been given the power to become children of God and we are created for a purpose that God lovingly intends. Yes and yes. Amen.