Christmas Day Sermon, The Rev. Michael A. Bird: "A Love Story for the Ages"

"The reality is our Christmas story is a big, hot mess," said the Rev. Michael Bird, Vicar of Trinity Church Wall Street, preaching on Christmas Day and recalling Christmases past, including a young parishioners-drawn mural that didn't quite turn out as planned. "It's not what we thought it was going to be. It ended up in a manger in Bethlehem, surrounded by the ragged, the lost, and the downtrodden. And yet, it is so compelling."

The anchor moment of our faith, the Christmas story, is that God descended to become one of us so that we might know true love. "As we tell this story, we remember that it is a love story, and if we allow it to, it will change our lives," he added.

The readings are Isaiah 52:7–10; Psalm 98; Hebrews 1:1–4; and John 1:1–14. Watch the sermon.