Christmas Eve: Pageant and Sermon

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3xeE5niLflA

Sermon: The Rev. Dr. Maryann Amor

I hope when people remember my story at Christmastime, they know that my courage does not come easily. I am living in a difficult time in Israel, in a region oppressed by a ruthless empire. I hope you all know I sang my song about God’s faithfulness not because I was so brave, but because I was filled with hope—believing that God is faithful to our covenant.

It’s easy to imagine that Mary had no struggles with her faith, that she said yes to the angel and believed so deeply that her son would save the world…that her faith in God was perfect in every way. But that’s not what we heard Mary say today. Mary told us that she lived in a difficult time in Israel; the people were oppressed by a ruthless empire—an empire that taxed them, took from them, and crushed what little freedom they had.

Mary had every reason to give up. She had every reason to struggle to believe in anything. But deep within herself, she found the courage to continue. She gathered the strength to sing songs of joy despite what was taking place around her. And this was possible not because she was fearless, or perfect, or super strong and brave, but because she was filled with hope.

We, too, live in difficult times. While our empires may look different than Mary’s, we know what it is like to feel overpowered by forces beyond our control—systems that break people down, living in bodies that ache, enduring relationships that strain, looking toward futures that feel uncertain. During this season, the world tells us we must be happy—wrap all of our problems up in lights and meals and gifts. And sometimes we might feel like we lack bravery, like we have no reason to keep going at all. That there are no songs to sing, no joy to feel, no hope anywhere.

And to our reality, Mary tells us that she understands. She wasn’t always brave or strong; she struggled too. And when we feel this way, she says: keep going. Trust that your life matters even if it doesn’t feel impressive. Believe that there is something bigger than yourself that cares for you and will work through your ordinary, vulnerable life.

Mary found her strength by holding onto her faith that God empowered her. She saw that God surrounded her with community—her cousin Elizabeth, her husband Joseph, unnamed midwives and neighbours who supported her through the challenges of life. For Mary, God did not remove the danger or the uncertainty; instead, God accompanied her through it, through the people God placed with her. And somehow, that was enough.

You may come here today full of faith, full of doubt, or not sure what you believe at all. What matters is not certainty, but hope—like Mary, we are called to hold onto the quiet hope that our lives have value, and that even when the path ahead is unclear, we do not walk it alone. Trust, even if you do so tentatively, that you are held by something larger than yourself—by a love that desires only good things for your life and will never, ever let you go.

And the truth of this is clear right now… look around you—you are not alone. There are people who care for you, who want you here, who will walk with you when your song feels too hard to sing. The love of God shines through every person God puts in your life, who lifts you up when you do not feel brave, when you feel alone, when you feel like there is no reason to keep going.

Christmas is not about trees or gifts or perfect gatherings. Instead, it is about one moment: a child born into a broken world to a young woman who dared to hope despite all the challenges in her life. Mary’s hope did not erase fear, but helped her live through it. Her hope whispered, even in the shadow of empire, that God was and is still at work.

So as you leave this place, be like Mary. Don’t force yourself to be brave when it feels too difficult. Instead, be people of hope—hope in the face of what is hard, trust in the face of what feels impossible, and resist the empires—large or small—that try to convince you that nothing can change. Because there is more to your life; there is someone who is with you, who sends you people to support you and lift you up, and who loves you so deeply.

Amen.

Mary's script is from Illustrated Ministry's 2025 Advent Liturgy: https://www.illustratedministry.com/thewilltodream