Adoration of the Magi by Albrecht Dürer (1504)

I’ve been reading about the promise and danger of artificial intelligence, so I decided to ask ChatGPT to write a sermon. I opened a free account and gave this prompt: “Write a Christmas sermon emphasizing the incarnation.” That’s it. I didn’t suggest scripture passages or give any other suggestions. Here’s what the program produced:

Title: “Embracing the Miracle of the Incarnation: The Gift of God Among Us”

Introduction: Dear friends, as we gather together on this joyous occasion of Christmas, we are reminded of the profound mystery and beauty of the incarnation—the divine taking on human form. This event, this miracle, is the cornerstone of our faith, a testament to God’s immeasurable love for us.

Scripture Reading: John 1:14 – “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

Reflection: In the Gospel of John, we find these powerful words that encapsulate the very essence of Christmas—the Word becoming flesh. The Almighty, the Creator of the universe, chose to enter into our world as a vulnerable baby, born in a humble manger.

The incarnation is a profound revelation of God’s love and grace. It signifies God’s desire to intimately connect with humanity—to walk among us, to experience our joys and sorrows, and ultimately, to redeem us.

The birth of Jesus Christ heralds a new chapter in human history—a divine interruption into our ordinary lives, offering extraordinary hope and salvation. In this act of incarnation, God demonstrated His unrelenting commitment to us, revealing His character as loving, merciful, and compassionate.

The incarnation speaks volumes about the lengths to which God was willing to go to bridge the gap between divinity and humanity. It’s a story of God stooping down to our level, not in grandeur but in humility, to bring forth the greatest gift of all—salvation and reconciliation with Him.

Application: As we celebrate Christmas, let us not merely be spectators of this beautiful story, but active participants in its message. Let us embrace the spirit of the incarnation by:

1. Imitating Christ’s Humility: Just as Jesus humbly entered the world, let us embody humility in our interactions with others.
2. Extending Love and Compassion: Just as God showed His love by coming to us, let us extend love and compassion to those around us, especially to the marginalized and those in need.
3. Reflecting on the Depth of God’s Love: Take time to reflect on the profound love demonstrated in the incarnation, allowing it to deepen your relationship with God.

Closing: As we gaze upon the manger, let us remember that the incarnation is not just a historical event but a present reality—a reminder that God is with us, walking alongside us in our daily lives. May the miracle of the incarnation fill us with awe and gratitude, and may it inspire us to live out the love and grace exemplified by Christ. Merry Christmas!

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Just to be extra helpful, the genie in the software added this note:

The incarnation is such a powerful and awe-inspiring event to reflect upon, especially during the Christmas season. If you have any specific themes or verses you’d like to emphasize, feel free to let me know.

I must admit, I’ve read worse sermons than this one. It’s better organized than a many of the submissions I encounter as a reader for the Presbyterian Church (USA) ordination exams, and it’s orthodox so far as doctrine goes (at least it contains no outright heresies.) If I were to ask the genie to give me some concrete examples of how to “embrace the spirit of the incarnation,” I’ll bet it could have come up with some.

Because ChatGPT produces “original” content regurgitated from gobbling up mountains of data, this sermon is not plagiarism in the strictest sense, but it certainly gives me the willies. Will real-life ministers of the gospel employ this technology in the future? Are they already using it?

The Reformed tradition maintains that “the preaching of the word of God is the word of God.” I understand that to mean that in the human effort by the preacher to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ to the gathered assembly, the voice that is heard by God’s people is not merely that of the preacher, but in an inexplicable way, the very voice of God. This doctrine has always given me pause, but it also gives me hope that the Holy Spirit will make up for the many inadequacies inherent in my own preaching.

But if a machine produces the sermon manuscript (an ironic word to use in this context), is it really a sermon? No human hand has written the words. No human heart has pondered their deeper meaning. No human body, Jacob-like, has wrestled with the scriptural text.

The genie is right about one thing: the incarnation is the heart of the gospel. Call me old school, but I’d say it still takes a fleshy sinner to proclaim the “word made flesh.”