An Ancient Christmas Sermon – Augustine
St. Augustine was the Bishop of Hippo (in Northern Africa) from AD 395 – 430. Some of his Christmas sermons have been published in the Ancient Christian Writers series – St. Augustine: Sermons for Christmas and Epiphany (The Newman Press, 1952). Following are selected excerpts that summarize his Trinitarian Christology.
Listen, dearly beloved, and see what sound advice the Apostle has for us when he says: As therefore you have received Christ Jesus our Lord, walk ye in Him, rooted and built up in Him, and confirmed in the faith. With this simple and solid faith we ought to persevere in Him, that He may Himself make known to the faithful what is hidden in Him; for, as the same Apostle says, in Him are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.[1]
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A Christmas Sermon: The Pathos of Advent
In Him was life, and the life was the Light of mankind (John 1:4).
The Incarnation of the eternal Son is situated within human experience. In other words, “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14) means that God experienced the fulness of human experience, and humans might experience the fulness of God. Pathos is an expression of emotion, or passion. So, to speak of the pathos of Advent is to reflect on how the coming of Christ moves us towards faith in God. The pathos of Advent is illustrated in the candles of the Advent wreath. As we moved towards the celebration of Christmas, we light a candle and reflect.
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The Theology of Christmas
Christmas is about theology. During this season of the year, we read selections of Scripture that tell the story of the Virgin conception of the Son of God. We sing hymns like O Come all Ye Faithful (Wade) that are replete with theological phrases:
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The Virgin Mary: The First Lady of Pentecost
My soul exalts the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. For He has had regard for the humble state of His bondslave; for behold, from this time on all generations will count me blessed (Luke 1:46-48).
Every year as we approach the 4th Sunday of Advent the gospel reading provokes us to reflect upon the Virgin Mary. As a protesting Pentecostal, there are certain presumptions that I bring to the task. The greatest presumption is to ignore any honor bestowed upon the Virgin, to make her a footnote in the Christmas story. But if I desire to hear the Spirit in the written word of God, then I must be willing to put my presumptions aside and take a fresh look at Mary, the mother of my Lord Jesus Christ.
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Luke Skywalker’s Despair
I enjoyed the first Star Wars movie (1977). It was fun and the conflict was palpable. So was the hope. Luke Skywalker was a young hopeful idealist, even somewhat corny. He was strong in the Force. Obe-Wan Knobi, the Jedi master, was somewhat brooding, but had an air of confidence which engendered hope. Likewise with Yoda. Obe-Wan and Yoda had faith.
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When God Comes Down – 1st Sunday of Advent
Oh, that You would rend the heavens and come down, that the mountains might quake at Your presence—To make Your name known to Your adversaries, that the nations may tremble at Your presence! (Isaiah 64:1-2 NASB).
Advent is a word that speaks to the arrival, or appearing, of a notable person/event. Advent denotes hope, expectation, joy, and even fear. Christians celebrate a season of Advent as a time in between. The first Sunday of Advent is both historical and eschatological, that is, it remembers God’s appearances in history, and it anticipates the culmination of God’s kingdom in the future.
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