I can‟t seem to shake this scripture. We read it in church on Christmas morning, and again for the Sunday liturgies following. Powerful, poetic and lyrical, the first eighteen verses of John‟s Gospel—called the Prologue—are among the most well-known verses in the New Testament. Deeply theological and rich in imagery, these words
engage our minds and our spirits.

Contrasting with the infancy stories about Jesus found in Matthew and Luke, John immerses us in the idea that Jesus wasn‟t simply born on Christmas Day, but that Jesus, as part of the blessed Trinity, has always co-existed with God and with the Holy Spirit for all time. Jesus is the central organizing principle of life itself: creator, interpreter and illuminator. In my sermon, I invited people to imagine a picture of the round earth in their minds, and to „see‟ that Jesus was at the very center of the earth itself, emanating and participating in our lives from the inside
out. In the same way that we say Jesus lives in our hearts, he is at the heart of all creation on earth and in the universe,both known and unknown aspects. The expansiveness of this idea takes my breath away!

In contrast to the expansiveness of the universe, the Rev. Barbara Brown Taylor preached the idea that each of us is the living word of Christ here on earth. How can our God be so enmeshed in our lives that he is paying attention
to both the enormity of the universe as well as the importance of a single human heart? The simple answer is that he loves us and has given us this love to share. So if, as John says, Christ is all the words that exist in all
languages spoken, if he is the center of all life, then we are his expression of his presence on earth.

To build on that, I challenged people to pray about what word or words they were bringing into the world that expressed the essence of Christ at work and alive in the world. Rev. Taylor said that until our „words‟ become incarnate or enfleshed or alive, just as Jesus became alive, these words are simply concepts that remain abstract and unconnected to our real lives. For example, you might have a conversation about compassion, but that‟s very different than showing compassion to someone you know.

So what‟s your word? At the end of the 4:30 service, several people leaned in to hug me goodbye and they whispered their word in my ear: “Advocate,” said one young mother; “Thankfulness,” said a man who was visiting us for the first time; “Mother,” said another woman who often takes care of her grandchildren.

You are probably living out lots of words, but you might recognize one particular role or gif that rises to the surface.
What aspect of Christ‟s love has been given to you that you are being asked to share with the world? Hospitality? Friendship? Servant minister? Daughter? Pray-er? Technical wizard? Singer? Listener?

As we enter the New Year—2010!!—pray about what it means to be the Word of Christ in the world of Christ. Look at your life, your ministries, your talents, and the people you love. What unique word or gift has God given you so that you may show his presence to the world?

He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him,

(John:1:10He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.)

Will the world recognize Him through you?