light in the darkness

Good morning and Merry Christmas!
I had such a great time last night at our Christmas Eve service. Thanks to everyone for their hard work. The choir, bell choir and women's (+1) ensemble all sounded fantastic, the sanctuary looked great and greeters made people feel welcome. What a blessing to gather for worship like that. This morning's reading is the full version of our last reading from Christmas Eve. This passage is called John's prologue because it gives us an introduction to John's Gospel. In 18 verses John lets us know what the story will be about.

John begins his story of Jesus at the beginning of time, because Jesus is the eternal Word of God, through whom all things were made. In his human life he came to bring light, life, grace, truth and a new relationship with God. John sets the stage here with the prologue and then begins the story in earnest with John the Baptist preaching in the desert. This is a great passage to reflect on the meaning of Christmas this Christmas day.
Christmas blessings,
Sam

John 1:1-18

1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was in the beginning with God. 3All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being 4in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. 5The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.



6There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. 8He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. 9The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.


10He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. 11He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. 12But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, 13who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.

14And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father's only son, full of grace and truth. 15(John testified to him and cried out, "This was he of whom I said, 'He who comes after me ranks ahead of me because he was before me.'") 16From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. 17The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father's heart, who has made him known.