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Nativity Pageant & Sermon Video: “Seen and Known”
Livestream Archive
Sermon Text: “Seen and Known”
Transcribed and summarized by ChatGPT
As we celebrate Christmas in 2024, it’s hard not to think back to how different the holiday felt just a few years ago. Four years ago, many of us spent Christmas in the middle of a pandemic, with lockdowns and strict rules. Some people even joked on social media about the extreme measures taken to stop families from gathering, like the police showing up to break up family get-togethers. A Facebook post humorously asked if that “service” was still available, highlighting just how odd and stressful those times were.
But even through it all, many of us found comfort in traditions—like Christmas pageants and carols—that helped us mark the passage of time. One tradition I personally enjoy is watching Christmas movies. One of our family favorites is *It’s a Wonderful Life*. If you’re familiar with the story, you know that George Bailey, the main character, feels like his life is falling apart. His business partner loses a large sum of money, and George thinks he might go to jail. He feels like a failure, and everything seems hopeless. But the real turning point in the story isn’t when his friends and family come together to help him. It’s when he has a moment of joy running through the streets of Bedford Falls, shouting “Merry Christmas!” even though his problems are still unresolved.
Why is this moment so powerful? It’s because George has experienced what it would be like to be invisible, forgotten, and unknown. After being shown by his angel Clarence what life would be like without him, he realizes how much it means to be seen and known by others. When he returns to reality, surrounded by family and friends who recognize him, he’s overwhelmed with gratitude.
This theme of being seen and known is something we can all relate to, especially around Christmas. It’s easy to hide parts of ourselves out of fear of judgment or rejection. We often keep our vulnerabilities to ourselves, worried about what might happen if we let others in. Sometimes, we even think of God as distant, as if God is keeping to Himself and only giving us bits and pieces of truth. But the message of Christmas flips that idea on its head.
The birth of Jesus, the incarnation, is all about God wanting to be close to us. The name Emmanuel means “God with us,” showing that God not only wants to be known but to be *with* us. God took the ultimate step of becoming human to show us that there’s no distance too great to overcome in order to be with us. Christmas is a reminder that God longs to be close to us in every part of our lives.
This Christmas, let’s think about what it means to let others see and know us—really see us. It might feel scary or uncomfortable, especially with all the holiday stress, but Christmas is about letting go of our fears of vulnerability. It’s about embracing the joy that comes from being seen and known by the people around us, and most importantly, by God. Like George Bailey, we don’t need everything to be perfect to find joy—we just need to be alive and present.
In the end, Christmas is a time to remember that we’re not alone. Just as God chose to be with us in the most humble way, we can choose to open our hearts to others, letting ourselves be seen and known. That’s where true joy lies.
Amen.