Would you kneel?

If Christ would born today, would you pull out your ear buds and listen to the voices of the angels in song or stick to your own playlist?  If Christ were born today, would you leave your work and your home to discover the new thing God was doing or would you wait for a rerun to watch on your own schedule or a podcast to run in the background while you were focused on something else?  If Christ were born today, would you kneel before the Infant Savior and King or would make yourself comfortable in His presence?  If Christ were born today, would you take off on the great journey across the unknown toward a goal still vague in your mind or would you stay home and stick to your own routine?  If Christ were born today, would you bring Him the richest gifts of your treasure -- gold, frankincense, and myrrh -- or would you have Amazon deliver Him something quick and easy (a gift card, perhaps)?

This is no what would Jesus do kind of speculation.  Christmas comes once a year but Christ is present with us every Sunday in the Word preached, sins absolved, baptism recalled, and Holy Communion received.  It might be an interesting game to see how far one might go to emulate the Holy Family in their reception of the mystery of the Word made flesh and the singing angels who provided a heavenly soundtrack and the shepherds who left work and home to visit the unknown of God born to a Virgin within a stable or to follow the Magi in their walk by the light of His natal star.  But it is no game.  Christmas comes every Sunday.  Christ is here.  He is here with all His gifts.  He is accessible in His Word and Sacraments.  Salvation's day and salvation's bread and salvation's cup are all wrapped up into the one Divine Service where we hear God speak and where we eat the flesh of Christ and drink His blood.  If we would leave behind the playlist, kneel in His presence, leave work and home to see Him who is our Savior, follow the Light to be in the presence of the Light of the World, and bring Him our best for His glory to go back to Bethlehem, why not do the same for the Bethlehem of the Lord's House on the Lord's Day around the Word and Table of the Lord???

Some thoughts on the night that is the eve of when it all happened first. . . even though we joyfully acknowledge that what happened then is still among us full of grace of truth and offering forgiveness, life, and salvation for all who will hear and follow, kneel and worship, rejoice and give thanks. . .  A blessed ChristMass Eve. . .