Breath of Heaven

Message Transcription

We'll jump into our song today. Breath of Heaven. Some of you may be familiar with this hymn. It's a lot newer hymn. It wasn't written back in the eighth or ninth century as Silent Night was. It's it's a little more modern comes to us circa 1990, 91 ish. It was actually a song written by a gentleman named Chris Eaton. Uh, some of you may know that. Some of you may not. And actually, he wrote this song. It was not a Christmas song. He was playing in Amy Grant's tour band, and they were friends. And she heard the song and she was getting ready to come off the tour, to go back into the recording studio and to record her Christmas album, home for Christmas. And she heard the song and she she said it resonated with her deeply and she wanted to to do a little work on it because as she heard it, she couldn't help but hear Mary's song. In Luke's gospel. And so she talked with Chris and he approved and let her rewrite the lyrics to the song. And so the song that you have heard, maybe on the radio certainly been playing around. It's been on my iTunes playlist all week long. This week are our words that she helped to craft and and rewrite to to draw this song into one of Christmas, but it's one that's been resonating to me this week and a number of ways.

One of the places I came across this story, I've been looking for the actual article, but I found this quote from CCM magazine where they were interviewing Amy about the song. She said, it's a prayer that fits a lot of people's circumstances because it's a cry of mercy. Some nights on stage, I can hardly get through the song for knowing all of the collective unspoken pain of the lives in front of me, and so the words become my prayer for the listener and the reader as well as the singer. I was inspired listening to this song on repeat this week, and I want to take just a couple of minutes to point at some of the verses that I think are powerful and hold a key for us, understanding maybe a little more about the mystery and the wonder and the beauty of the advent season. In fact, the song that we sing typically is just the chorus, and that's what we'll do this morning here in just a couple of minutes. But I want to point us to the verses that I think have some powerful lyrics. In fact, here's the first verse of the song. I have traveled many moonless nights, cold and weary with a babe inside. And I wonder what I've done. Holy father, you have come and chosen me now to carry your son. I am waiting in a silent prayer.

I am frightened by the load I bear. In a world as cold as stone. Must I walk this path alone? Be with me now. Be with me now. Breath of heaven. Hold me together. Be forever near me. Breath of heaven. Breath of heaven. Lighten my darkness. Pour over me, your holiness. For you are holy. Breath of heaven. As I listened to the hymn this week, and especially that chorus, I was once again struck by the beauty and the challenge that we find in this story of advent. I was researching some about the song, and and much of what I found was came across in a blog entry by a woman named Doctor Carolyn Eckert, who's a high school vice principal and an online adjunct professor just outside of Philadelphia. And she was reflecting on growing up with this song in her family, listening to it and and sharing some of the Christmas traditions that were in her family. But she also pointed back to just the power of this story, remembering that Christmas. It's an encounter, she says, with the one who purposefully sent a light into the darkness. Paul would say it this way to the church in Corinth for God who said, let light shine out of darkness, made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God's glory displayed in the face of Christ. Like John's gospel. Paul two is pointing us back to that original creation story, where it was there in the midst of darkness and chaos, that God said, let there be light, and there was light in the darkness.

So too, in this first advent, I think John wants us to see that same light shining in the darkness. Now it tells me a couple of things. First of all, it reminds me there is darkness. And it's actually okay to recognize that, to to even talk about that, because that darkness is often in our lives. That first Christmas, for all the joy and the wonder that at least I like to imagine that there was, and I'm sure there was some of that. It also came in the midst of a lot of darkness. So if your Christmas this season isn't quite full of the joy and the peace that you were hoping for, the wonder, well, there's good news for you. You're in good company. The same was true in that very first Christmas. I don't think Mary and Joseph's first advent together was was quite what they expected it would be. Remember, Mary is overwhelmed by the circumstances, the reality of her life. She is pregnant and she is not yet married. And the story that she has to explain that to her friends and her family. Nobody's buying it. Right. Nobody's buying it. They didn't then. Many still don't today. Right. And Joseph Joseph's standing at the beginning of this marriage journey, recognizing it's over before it even started.

Now what? Not only that, they've got to go back to Joseph's hometown because the government's been up in his business. We need you to go home and be counted. Right. And so Joseph has to go and he's taking his pregnant fiancee slash wife. On a donkey nine months preggo. Now guys, imagine having to explain that one to your wife and we don't know a whole lot about Joseph's family story. We we don't know a whole lot about that. All we know is he went home and there wasn't a place for him in a regular spot. There wasn't a bed ready for him. Right? So again, imagine you're coming home with your nine month pregnant wife and your parents are like, oh, we're so glad you're here. The barn is ready for you. We move the donkey over with the cow so you'd have his spot. You know, we don't know much about Joseph's family. We know they weren't a family of means and they didn't have a whole lot to offer. May create a little spot for him, but it wasn't what he was expecting. You see, that first Christmas left a little bit to be desired if we're just honest with each other. I think. I think Amy Grant captured it really well and that his first opening stanzas. I've traveled many moonless nights, cold and weary, with a babe inside.

And I wonder what have I done? I'm waiting in a silent prayer. And I'm frightened by the load I bear. In a world as cold as stone. Must I walk this path alone? So, friends, this morning, if you're wandering through your Christmas story wondering, what have I done? Or am I really all alone? Do I have to face all of this on my own? You're in good company. You're welcome here. That's the story of Joseph and Mary. Can I invite you to pray that breath of Heaven prayer. Breath of heaven. Would you hold me together? Would you be forever near me? I'll breath of heaven. Would you lighten my darkness? And would you pour over me, your holiness? For you are holy. See Christmas is an encounter with the one who is purposefully sent as a light into the world, into the darkness, meaning there is darkness, but it also means there is light. There is a light shining, and that light is there for a reason. That light came on purpose. See, John calls us back to that reality when he echoes some of the similar language that that no one who's ever read the Bible, who's ever read Genesis. And now John doesn't hear the echoes of those two stories rallying together. And unlike Matthew and Luke's telling of that first Christmas story, John reminds us of God's recreation that happened in the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God.

He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made. Without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life. And that life. It was the light of all mankind. And that light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. See in Genesis one. The climax of that story is God creating humanity in his image. And John's telling of this same story, the highlight now is the arrival. The climax is the arrival of this human, the word made flesh. I love how N.T. Wright noted scholar says it this way when I speak a word, it is in a sense part of me. It's a breath that comes from inside me, making the noise that I give it with my throat and mouth and tongue. And when people hear it, they assume I intended it. But you said people comment if our deeds don't match up to our words. We remain responsible for the words that we say. And any of us who have ever been in a relationship before know our words matter. And I'm sure many of you taught your children or grandchildren what my parents taught me. Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me. Not true. Many of us know the weight of an ill timed word.

That Kaylee and I have a favorite movie of ours called You've Got Mail. Some of you have seen it where the woman of the story is like lamenting how in those moments when I just want to say something, the words are gone and I just get so frustrated right until that one moment when it all comes and she says, the thing I was meaning to say in instantly regret sits in right, sets in right. We know our words matter, and when people hear us say them, they they assume we intended that. You intended to say that. You see, God intends His Word in the world. In fact, all through the Old Testament, we see that God's action often occurs through his words at the psalmist proclaimed that the heavens were created by the word of the Lord. How many times do we see the prophets and hear their stories where it's and the word of the Lord came to the prophet? Isaiah tells us it's the word of the Lord. That's going to be the thing that lasts. The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever. Isaiah also tells us that it's the it's the thing that has power to bring life and hope and healing. As the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it's yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater.

So is my word that goes out from my mouth. It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent. And John is telling us who Jesus really is. In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God, and on purpose, with intention, out of incredible love, God sends His Word into the world, and that word takes on flesh. The word present at creation. That challenged the darkness and the chaos, and out of it brought light. So to now at New Creation. Jesus is challenging the darkness, the darkness and the chaos that sadly sometimes is found, found right inside of my own heart. And once more again, God is saying, let there be light. Let there be light. Breath of heaven. And so in the midst of the darkness, we cry out not because we don't have faith, but because we do. We believe that the word has become flesh, and that word is powerful. When God says, let there be and it is, we recognize that same word is still at work in our lives today. We believe that word has become flesh. And the very one who spoke into existence. Creation can speak new life into existence in our hearts. Breath of heaven.

Hold me together. Be forever near me. In the last verse of this song to me, I think speaks so well to the reality that so many of us face when we have received that word, and that transforming power is taking place in our lives. We hear that same call that God and and Christ himself said, now would you join me in bringing this light into the world? Would you let your light shine on a hill? Let your let your light shine before men. Would you join me in being light bringers? I think the third verse of of Amy's song says it. Well, she asked this question do you wonder, as you watch my face, if a wiser one should have had my place? Now, if I've asked myself that question once, I've asked it a million times. Lord, are you sure you got the right number here? Am I the one that you're wanting to bring light into this situation and this relationship at this work office? Am I? Am I the right person for the job? My hope and prayer is that we'll respond the way Mary does as the verse continues, but I offer all that I am. For the mercy of your plan. Help me be strong. Help me be. Help me. See God creates by his breath. His breath becomes a word, and that word becomes flesh. And in that flesh is life. And that life.

That life is the light of all mankind. And so we celebrate that in the midst of darkness, God has shown his light again. We celebrate that the breath of heaven has come near. Who is ready to work and to move in our hearts and our lives again we celebrate the one who would tell his followers, I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. Breath of heaven. May it be so. Father. This is our prayer and our cry to you this morning that you would be forever near us, that you would hold us together. God, in the midst of our doubts and our fears and our wondering. Have you have you really? Have you really called me? Well. If so, father, would you give me the strength that I need? Would you give me the courage? Would you remind me that that light is shining in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it? It will never overcome it. Even in those moments in my life, in our lives where it feels like it has. Yeah, but you do for us today what we cannot do for ourselves as we wait in our own silent prayer. Frightened by the load that we bear. Would you remind us that we are not alone? Would you be with us now, father? Would you be with us now, in Jesus name? Amen.