“Christmas Eve”
sermon December 24, 2019
Rev. Paul E. Capetz
Christ Church by the Sea (United Methodist),
Newport Beach

It’s that time again, that time of year, Christmas Eve. But what time is that exactly? Do we really know what time it is? Or are we just following a calendar that tells us it’s December 24th again? Are we here tonight because there is something missing in our lives that we can find only in church? Or are we simply following an annual routine, just as we set a clock to wake us up at the same time each morning? We know it’s Christmastime, but what time is this really?

Charles Dickens opened his novel A Tale of Two Cities with these memorable words: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…It was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair.” But how can both be true at the same time?

For some of you tonight, it is the best of times. Your lives are going well and you are happy. For others of you, it is the worst of times. Your lives are not going well and you are unhappy. For some, it is the spring of hope; for others, it is the winter of despair. One thing is sure: time changes all things. Nothing remains the same. A year from now, those of you for whom it is the best of times may be experiencing the worst of times; your spring of hope might turn into a winter of despair. A year from now, those of you for whom it is the worst of times may be experiencing the best of times; your winter of despair might turn into a spring of hope.