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Foreign.

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Thank you for engaging with
the homily by Pastor Chill Will from

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Chapel Hill.

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I hope this message encourages
you, challenges you and moves you

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to go deeper in your faith and
enrich how you love God and love

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your neighbor in your day to
day life.

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Just a reminder.

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Like the scriptures and
gospels themselves, this homily was

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written for a particular
community in a particular, particular

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context, time in history.

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And yet, like our sacred
texts, I hope that these words hold

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timeless truths about God's
unconditional love and grace.

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We hope these words speak to
you in a meaningful way.

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Good afternoon.

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Good to see all of you here
and those who are gathered online

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as we gather for our longest
night worship service.

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Lutherans have a history with
both and we believe Christ to be

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both human and divine.

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We have a theology
acknowledging that a part of our

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human condition is that we're
both faint and sinner.

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We don't have a problem with
faith and reason, with doubt and

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faith.

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And over the last few years
we've been talking about grief and

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how we understand the stages
of grief, that we're okay with two

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or three or four emotions
occupying ourselves all at the same

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time.

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And so part of this service,
the reality of this service is acknowledging

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and giving ourselves
permission that in the midst of this

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very joyous, happy, bright
season that it can also be hard and

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filled with grief.

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It can be blue, blue Christmas
in the season of the Advent.

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And so part of this service is
the acknowledgment and giving ourselves

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permission to feel all kinds
of things in this season that perhaps

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faith and doubt, grief and
sorrow, loneliness and happiness

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and joyful expectation all
live in the same house.

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This body, my emotions, and
oftentimes these.

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What look like polar opposites
or different feelings and emotions

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and realities, they can
sometimes gather around and have

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a drink, maybe a cup of
coffee, maybe have a meal.

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I'm sure they have lots of conversation.

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They sometimes argue, they
sometimes see the world differently,

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but hopefully they can have a
friendship and a companionship as

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we journey through life together.

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And that's what this service
is about this afternoon.

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And so the language and the
prayers and the hymns and the silence

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is very intentional to capture
what we're feeling.

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Perhaps.

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Some words or phrases or songs
or prayers will resonate with us

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what we're going through this season.

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And so allow yourself to feel
what you're feeling.

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You have permission.

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And also allow the the Spirit
of God, Emmanuel, perhaps shine something

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new within.

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You to move you through this season.

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So today is the winter
solstice, the longest night of the

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year.

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In the northern hemisphere,
hemisphere on Earth.

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In our position with the sun.

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But then begin tomorrow.

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The days start getting just a little.

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Bit longer each and every day
as we move from this spot on.

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And so tonight, as we sing, as
we pray, as we reflect, we acknowledge

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that the light of Christ comes
to us and and guides us through the

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next steps and journey of our lives.

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Tonight we gather, daring to
wonder if God indeed comes in Jesus,

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discerning the rejection we
have known, intimate with our failed

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relationships, holding our
heartache in hands of tenderness.

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Tonight we gather with
neighbors and strangers.

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A family made one by our
brokenness, coming with our hearts

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full of hope and our heads
filled with doubt.

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Holy God of Advent, you became
weak so that we would find strength

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in moments of heartbreak.

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You left the safety of heaven to.

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Wander the wilderness of this
world, holding our hands when we

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feel hopeless.

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Set aside your glory to hold
our pain that we might be healed

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even when there seems to be no hope.

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You became one of us.

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We would never be alone in any
moment, in any circumstance.

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So come now, child of
Bethlehem, you strengthen us in these

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days and we feel your present
way that we've never known.

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Not just as one born in a
stable long ago and far away, but

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as one born in our hearts.

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You have promised to go before
us, into our brokenness, into hospital

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rooms, into empty houses, into
graveyards, into our future held

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by God.

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You are here even now, waiting
for each of us.

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Serve us, to hold us, comfort
us, heal us who live in us now and

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forever.

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Amen.

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All around us are the sights
and sounds of Christmas, gentle God,

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the laughter of parties, songs
of carolers, shouts of.

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Children and music in every store.

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Deep within us we carry our pain.

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Our grief walks with us every
step we take.

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Loneliness is a shaw we drape
over our shoulders on empty nights.

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So in this time, when every night.

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Stretches into eternity, we
come to you bringing our gifts.

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Not gold, frankincense and
myrrh, but grief, bitterness and.

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The season when so many people
don't have enough hours in a day

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to get their lists checked
off, their cards mailed, their presence

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wrapped.

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We have all the time in the
world remember the loss that has

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stolen the joy of the season,
the grieve over a job, a dream, a

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loved one.

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Sit in the shadows of our
homes, too weary to turn on the lights.

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Wander the streets lit by
lights on all the houses, but not

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by the light of the world.

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God of hope, you shed your
light in the darkness of this world.

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Grant that we may always live
in the promise of your word made

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flesh Inspire and empower us
to be your body in the world.

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God of mercy, you comfort all
in need of your all in need of your

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tender care.

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Watch over those who are sick,
those who mourn, those who struggle

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with addiction, those who
wrestle with loneliness, those who

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struggle in the midst of
holiday joy.

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God of peace, our world longs
for shalom.

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Establish your justice in the
nations of this world, that almighty

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strive for the well being of
all creation, the good of all people.

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Out of joy you fill our world
with the light of your presence that

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we may share in word indeed
the good news of Christ's coming.

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May God bless you and keep you.

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May God's holy darkness enfold
you and grant you rest.

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May God nourish a seed of hope
among us.

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Amen.

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Foreign.

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Thank you for listening.

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If there is anything that
stood out for you, or if you have

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a question or you just want to
have a conversation, you are always

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free to reach out and contact us.

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And remember you are not alone
and that you are loved with a love

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stronger than and death.