Chapel Protestant Community

2024 03 24 Traditional Protestant Service

"I'll Be Home For Christmas"

“The Word became flesh and made his home among us.
We have seen his glory, glory like that of a father’s only son,
full of grace and truth.”
- John 1:14 (CEB)


One of my favorite Christmas movies is White Christmas with Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, and Rosemary Clooney. The nostalgia of Vermont (I grew up minutes from Vermont) mixed with war veterans and Kaye’s humor puts it in my top five-holiday movie list (Star Wars is on that list too). The song captures the emotion of those separated from loved ones during WWII. It was also famously requested by two astronauts in 1965 on their reentry home. Home for Christmas captures the idea that Christmas brings us to a place of belonging, where we can be ourselves and enjoy the best aspects of life. This idea, while warm and inviting, is very much a dream for many. Don’t get me wrong, most of us find some enjoyment during the holidays. However, more often than not, we overextend ourselves–financially, emotionally, and personally–in attempts to create this perfect moment of “home” that is more akin to more recent, well at least in the last 30-40 years recent, Christmas movies.


The home we are looking for at Christmas is there. In fact, in true epic Christmas Movie fashion, the Gospel of John thrusts us into the cosmic reality of Christmas and how the Word became flesh and made his home among us. John describes Jesus as “tabernacling,” or setting up camp among us. John is telling God’s people, and us, that the same God, who spoke creation into existence and rescued them from Egypt, has come to dwell among them, to make a home amongst them.


The truth of Christmas is home can be a present reality. The very God who created us and knows who we are has made it possible for us to be at home with ourselves, our friends and family, and God. Jesus not only took up residence with us at Christmas, but Jesus can also literally take up residence with us now–so that we can be home for Christmas no matter where we find ourselves on December 25th.


O Come, O Come Emmanuel!

Chaplain Weatherwax