What is Advent in the wake of such tragedy?
How can we “Prepare for Christmas” when there is so much pain and hurt?
These were the circumstances God chose to change things and enter this world of wailing and crying –
this world of unjust actions by a few.
Yes, this is precisely when God became one us.
It is in times like these that we need a little Christmas.
And, it is times like these that we need a little Advent in church to help us prepare for Christmas –
a real Christmas.
Third Sunday of Advent
Jeremiah 31:15-17, 31-33
Matthew 2:16-18
So, this is our third Sunday of Advent –
that time the church sets aside for us to use to prepare for the coming of Christmas.
The theme I am working with this year is
Preparing for Christmas . . . when times are tough.
I personally have found this to be a particularly tough week.
There was this killing at a shopping in mall in Portland, Oregon.
And Friday, the event in Newtown, Connecticut.
(And these events were right after the event in upstate Pennsylvania where a man pulled his gun during church and shot the organist.)
I was pretty much glued to the television Friday as events unfolded and more and more details of the tragedy were uncovered.
And sometime yesterday, I decided I just could not go on with the sermon I had planned for today.
The first response I had was to pray . . .
Pray for those innocent children,
pray for those adults who lost their life protecting the children . . .
Pray for the children who survived the tragedy . . .
(some having seen the bloody lifeless bodies of their friends and teachers) . . .
Pray for the families of those children who perished,
pray for the families of all the children in the school who are now dealing with the aftermath .. .
Pray for the professional responders who arrived at the school building in very short order,
and entered the building not knowing what they would find,
and observing the carnage laid out before them,
and escorting all the hiding children from the building to safety and to reunite with their families,
and dealing with all the those little lifeless bodies.
(There were pictures of some of these responders – grown men – weeping openly at what they had seen and what they had to do.)
And, prayers for the whole community now weeping for the overwhelming loss.
"For those who bear tonight the unbearable burden
of unimaginable grief,
who in their agony yell at the forces of fate...
For those who moan and those who faint,
for those who rage and those who pray,
we moan and pray along with you.
For tonight, those were our children too.
Dear God, May a legion of angels
come upon these parents.
Bring to them an otherworldly touch,
an otherworldly comfort,
an otherworldly sense that their children are well --
that they are safe with God
and shall be with them always.
Give to those who grieve what no mortal can give...
the touch of Your Hand upon their heart.
May all touched by this darkness
be Lit by Your grace.
Please wipe away all tears, dear God.
as only You can do."
What is Advent in the wake of such tragedy?
How can we “Prepare for Christmas” when there is so much pain and hurt?
Of course, we were reminded a couple of weeks ago, that this is precisely the way things were when that first Christmas came to be.
Times were tough all over.
Lives were controlled by forces over which there was no control.
What Rome wanted, Rome got.
What Herod ordered, Herod got.
In fact Herod was so ticked off at the wise men’s trickery, that he flew off the handle,
and sent out armies to find and murder all baby boys in the land under the age of two.
There was wailing and crying all around.
These were the circumstances in which folks were living then.
These were the circumstances God chose to change things and enter this world of wailing and crying –
this world of unjust actions by a few.
Yes, this is precisely when God became one us.
Emmanuel! , we say.
God-is-with-us.
The Christmas message is a message of hope in a hopeless world.
The message of hope in a hopeless time.
The message of hope for folks who had little reason for hope.
John would write “light came into the world of darkness.”
And this gets us back to what Advent is for, and what Advent does for us.
Advent is the time for us to be reminded of what we really celebrate at this time of year.
Yes, it’s true, like the rest of the world around us, it is so easy for us to get distracted from this most basic message of our faith.
It is so easy for us to begin to think Christmas is about something else –
something like gifting presents,
or sending cards,
or going to parties,
or family dinners,
or singing of carols,
or any of the other “secular traditions” that have
sprung up at this time of year.
After all, Christmas makes us feel good.
That is, unless we are too stressed out.
Unless we our loneliness takes over.
Unless the tough times of our life prevent us from celebrating like we are told we should.
Unless we are ill, or experiencing pain, or simply unable to do much of anything at all.
Unless there are no children in our lives – so we see nothing to celebrate.
Unless we are just too old to care much anymore.
Unless we experience a tragedy in our lives –
a tragedy that trumps celebration.
Then Christmas does not make us feel good.
But, this is when our church says Christmas begins to make the most sense.
This is when Christmas becomes real.
This is when Christmas takes on whole new meaning.
You see, Christmas is about Emmanuel!
Christmas is about God being with us now.
Christmas is about hope.
Christmas is about hope in a hopeless world.
Christmas is hope in hopeless times.
“The time will come,” the Lord says through the prophet Jeremiah, “when I will be your God and you will be with me.”
Christmas is about Emmanuel . . . in times of trouble.
Christmas is about Emmanuel . . . in times of distress.
Christmas is about Emmanuel . . . in times of distraction.
Christmas is about Emmanuel . . . in times of uncertainty.
Christmas is a recognition that God is with us.
God is with us –
comforting the distraught,
aiding the afflicted,
giving new life to old bones,
bringing relief to the displaced.
God is with us.
The light shines in the darkness.
And the darkness cannot put it out.
It keeps on shining.
Christmas is not to be belittled.
We ignore the message of Christmas at our own peril.
“We are lighthouses of sacred love”, Anne Lamott says.
But, it is so easy to get distracted, isn’t it?
It is so easy to not get it.
It is so easy to forget, or to overlook, or to obfuscate the message and meaning of Christmas.
We so need this time in church at Advent to hear about Christmas.
Because when we don’t understand Christmas, it is easy to get bogged down in the wailing and the lamenting,
and the wondering why and wither,
and the projecting and conjecturing.
And – especially in days like we have been through – it gets overwhelming.
What to do?
Inaction becomes the order of the day.
We get depressed – and the song is no longer sung.
But, Christmas is about God being with us.
Christmas is about God embracing us.
Christmas is about God entering our very being – pulsing through our veins –
providing the life force
from which we can never sever.
We are not alone.
God knows. We are not alone.
God wants us to know. We are not alone.
We don’t have to experience our feelings alone.
We don’t have to live our lives in isolation.
We don’t have to have secrets that we keep hidden.
God is with us.
Caring.
Sharing.
Providing.
Enabling.
Like I’ve said every Sunday, it is in times like these that we need a little Christmas.
And, it is times like these that we need a little Advent in church to help us prepare for Christmas –
a real Christmas.
Listen to these words from Madeline L’Engle from her poem, First Coming:
God did not wait till the world was ready
till ... nations were at peace.
God came when the heavens were unsteady,
and prisoners cried out for release.
God did not wait for the perfect time.
God came when the need was deep and great.
God dined with sinners in all their grime,
turned water into wine. God did not wait
til hearts were pure. In joy God came
to a tarnished world of sin and doubt.
To a world like ours, of anguished shame
God came, and God’s light would not go out.
God came to a world which did not mesh,
to heal its tangles, shield its scorn.
In the mystery of the Word made Flesh
the Maker of the stars was born.
We cannot wait till the world is sane
to raise our songs with joyful voice,
for to share our grief, to touch our pain.
God came with Love: Rejoice! Rejoice!
God came . . .
And became one of us . . .
A more significant act has never happened.
And it is something worth celebrating.
It is something worth singing about.
It is something worth talking about.
It is something worth sharing.
Friends, even in these most depressing times –
especially in these most depressing of times –
my hope is for you to have the most blessed Christmas ever.
Amen.
The Congregation of Christ Presbyterian Church in Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania, USA, heard this sermon during a worship service, Sunday, December 16, 2012.
Monday, December 17, 2012
Friday, December 14, 2012
Advent 2012: Preparing for Christmas . . . when we don't feel like it
You and I are going to walk from here to Bethlehem?
That must be 70 miles as the crow flies – and the pathway is up and down, around and about.
No way!
And don’t give me any of that donkey stuff –
with this belly I couldn’t even get on one,
much less put up with his swaying and bouncing.
Because Mary made that trip (even when she didn’t feel like it) you and I experience a faith in this God who is with us - always.
This God who never abandons us.
This God who is a part of us –
providing pulses of life in all kinds of situations.
The story of Christmas is our story.
So, this is the second Sunday of Advent 2012.
Advent is this time set aside for the church to prepare for Christmas.
Last week we looked for messages of hope and help preparing for Christmas when times are tough.
For most of, these are not ordinary times – the life we are experiencing is not what we signed up for.
Times are tough for a lot of us.
And we are reminded that times were particularly tough in the days of Herod and Joseph and Mary and their families and friends.
And that’s exactly when God chose to move into the neighborhood and become one of us.
And, today, I want to explore how it is hard for some of us to get into the Christmas spirit sometimes –
it is hard to prepare for Christmas when you don’t feel like it.
I was thinking this week specifically about the plight of little Mary.
Have you ever thought about how she must have gone through a roller coaster of emotions?
She was just a girl, really.
From what we know, she was about 13 years old.
She had been told that a marriage had been arranged with the village carpenter’s apprentice – and she was pretty excited about that.
Not to have a husband was to continue to be burden on her mother and father –
and life was just better with a spouse.
And, one had been found for her.
We don’t know how much time had passed since her betrothal had been announced, but she and Joseph had been spending some time getting to know one another, and make specific plans about where to life and what they would need to set their new household, and such.
The future for Mary was promising.
And, then the angel came.
She didn’t understand that all.
She was fearful.
“But, how can that be?” was her response to the angel’s announcement.
Her future was up in the air now.
What about Joseph?
What about their plans?
What about her parents?
What about her friends?
What about the village?
What would her life be like raising a baby without a husband?
Her future looked bleak.
We don’t know just how long she harbored her 13-year-old feelings before she told Joseph about her situation.
But, apparently she did try to tell him.
And, apparently he wasn’t buying it.
Of course he couldn’t go through with the arrangement now.
Mary was damaged goods and carried unclaimed baggage.
That’s when the angel came to Joseph.
And, Joseph ended up doing the right thing and agreed to take Mary anyway.
Things were looking up for Mary.
No doubt, life was still hard for her – as well as for Joseph – in their village.
For sure no one else was convinced about their “immaculate conception” story.
They would have been shunned by their village, their families, their friends.
She had no one else at this point.
They had to turn to each other.
Times were tough for Mary and Joseph.
And, this ridiculous census was announced.
What was this about?
Why did Joseph have to travel so far?
Especially now.
She had been carrying this baby for a long time.
The time was surely at hand.
And, now he was to leave to town?
At this time?
Please!
Mary was stressed.
“Wait, wait! And now you want me to do what?
Why do I have to go with you?
Look at me – heavy with child.
How am I supposed to get there?
We don’t have a car.
There is no bus, no taxi, no train.
You and I are going to walk from here to Bethlehem?
That must be 70 miles as the crow flies – and the pathway is up and down, around and about.
No way!
And don’t give me any of that donkey stuff –
with this belly I couldn’t even get on one,
much less put up with his swaying and bouncing.
To be sure, Mary didn’t feel like going.
Folks make that pilgrimage walk today.
Today, it takes folks 28 days to make that walk – walking at a pace presumably not too fast for an eight-month pregnant girl.
Do you think for one minute, Mary felt like doing that?
But, she did do it, didn’t she?
And, of course, the story goes on: after they finally arrived at Bethlehem, Mary suffered a double indignity - there was nowhere to stay.
Finally, after some wheeling and dealing, and a compassion-hearted inn-keeper, make-shift shelter was provided.
So, the young, frightened, country-girl, sheltered in a barn – presumably in the company with an assortment of farm animals.
Mary didn’t feel like making the trip in the first place, that’s for sure.
And she didn’t much feel like bedding down in the barn, either.
But she did.
Was she driven by her faith – bolstered by the encounters with the angel and her cousin, Elizabeth – or by her circumstance – having to accompany her betrothed because there were no other alternatives?
It really doesn’t matter much.
It is a wonder the baby didn’t come somewhere along the way.
When our first child was late, Suzanne received all kinds of advice:
go home and rearrange the furniture,
try to move the refrigerator,
go sit in a double feature movie.
(Just for the record, we did NOT have her try to move the refrigerator, but we did go to the circus for four hours one afternoon,
and watched a double feature movie showing of Oklahoma and South Pacific another afternoon.)
But, alas, there was no Laurie for Suzanne,
and no Jesus for Mary.
Mary did show a strong belief in her destiny as described by the angel Gabriel.
The song she sings after her visit with cousin Elizabeth demonstrates a familiarity with a radical restructuring of society that is about to be brought about.
For sure, Mary didn’t feel like making that trip.
But, she did.
And, that she did is a message of hope for all of us today.
Of course, we know how the story turns out.
The baby was born – healthy baby and healthy mom – without the help of a midwife or medical attention.
The baby was named Jesus –
and was recognized by all as Emmanuel!
God is now with us.
God chose to demonstrate this new reality through this unwed, homeless, teenage mother
in a hick-podunk town (mostly unheard of and ignored by the rest of the Roman Empire),
and in a barn at that.
Here in 2012, it may be hard to get in the Christmas spirit.
We just may not feel like it – for a variety of reasons.
We may be grieving a loss,
we may be experiencing a debilitating illness,
we may just be tired,
we may be too busy or too distracted.
We may come up a very good excuse.
But, let’s remember Mary.
She surely did not feel like making that trip.
But, because she did step out and make the effort, look what happened.
The skies opened up.
The angels came out.
The heavenly chorus rang out.
The shepherds came in to town to see the new born.
Magi came from the East to pay homage.
And the powers of rule were scared spitless –
So much so that Herod sent out the order to kill all the baby boys in the land born near the suspected day.
Mary did not feel like making that trip.
But because stepped out and acted on her faith,
the world was changed.
Emmanuel was made known.
Societal structure was turned upside down.
The Kingdom of God was ushered in.
Because Mary made that trip (even when she didn’t feel like it) you and I experience a faith in this God who is with us - always.
This God who never abandons us.
This God who is a part of us –
providing pulses of life in all kinds of situations.
This God who is manifest through acts of compassion, and justice.
Because Mary made that trip when she didn’t feel like it,
you and I – and everyone we meet –
literally everyone we meet –
can celebrate Christmas even if we may not feel like it.
Because, time and time again, our experience shows,
and clinical research confirms,
that when we make the effort to celebrate events like Christmas –
even if we don’t feel like it –
magic happens.
The heavens open up.
We start seeing angels.
We hear the music.
We smile.
We sing.
We might even dance.
We gift one another.
We acknowledge one another.
We actually converse with one another.
The spirit of Christmas overtakes us
and we actually become a part of the message.
The story of Christmas is our story.
It is the story of Mary, yes.
It is the story of Emmanuel, yes.
It is the story of God and the inauguration of God’s Kingdom, yes.
But, the story of Christmas is the story of us.
This week Anne Lamott relayed a comment Wendell Berry told her some thirty years ago:
“It gets darker, and darker, and darker,
and then Jesus is born.”
That’s what Mary found out.
That’s what millions of believers throughout the ages have found out.
That’s what many in this room have found out.
It is just when things seem to be getting darker and darker and darker that the light comes and illuminates the world around us.
For sure, Mary experienced a brightness in her soul after making the trip she didn’t feel like making.
And, the thing is, you and I can try it out.
We can test it out for ourselves.
If you just don’t feel the Christmas spirit,
remember Mary and take action:
go to the Christmas party at the pastor’s house,
buy a turkey for a neighbor,
buy a gift card at the Acme and hand it to a person coming into the store,
make a call to someone you haven’t spoken to in over a year,
write a note to someone who is not expecting it,
sing a song of Christmas,
do something for another,
offer a prayer for another’s wellbeing,
well, the list goes on.
Like Mary found out, it will make a difference.
Like Auntie Mame said:
especially when we don’t feel like it,
we need a little Christmas, right this very minute.
We need a little laughter,
we need a little singing,
we need a little Christmas –
even when we don’t feel like it –
especially when we don’t feel like.
Amen.
The congregation of The Maxlife Church: Christ Presbyterian Church in Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania, USA, experienced this sermon during a worship service the Second Sunday of Advent, December 9, 2012.
That must be 70 miles as the crow flies – and the pathway is up and down, around and about.
No way!
And don’t give me any of that donkey stuff –
with this belly I couldn’t even get on one,
much less put up with his swaying and bouncing.
Because Mary made that trip (even when she didn’t feel like it) you and I experience a faith in this God who is with us - always.
This God who never abandons us.
This God who is a part of us –
providing pulses of life in all kinds of situations.
The story of Christmas is our story.
So, this is the second Sunday of Advent 2012.
Advent is this time set aside for the church to prepare for Christmas.
Last week we looked for messages of hope and help preparing for Christmas when times are tough.
For most of, these are not ordinary times – the life we are experiencing is not what we signed up for.
Times are tough for a lot of us.
And we are reminded that times were particularly tough in the days of Herod and Joseph and Mary and their families and friends.
And that’s exactly when God chose to move into the neighborhood and become one of us.
And, today, I want to explore how it is hard for some of us to get into the Christmas spirit sometimes –
it is hard to prepare for Christmas when you don’t feel like it.
I was thinking this week specifically about the plight of little Mary.
Have you ever thought about how she must have gone through a roller coaster of emotions?
She was just a girl, really.
From what we know, she was about 13 years old.
She had been told that a marriage had been arranged with the village carpenter’s apprentice – and she was pretty excited about that.
Not to have a husband was to continue to be burden on her mother and father –
and life was just better with a spouse.
And, one had been found for her.
We don’t know how much time had passed since her betrothal had been announced, but she and Joseph had been spending some time getting to know one another, and make specific plans about where to life and what they would need to set their new household, and such.
The future for Mary was promising.
And, then the angel came.
She didn’t understand that all.
She was fearful.
“But, how can that be?” was her response to the angel’s announcement.
Her future was up in the air now.
What about Joseph?
What about their plans?
What about her parents?
What about her friends?
What about the village?
What would her life be like raising a baby without a husband?
Her future looked bleak.
We don’t know just how long she harbored her 13-year-old feelings before she told Joseph about her situation.
But, apparently she did try to tell him.
And, apparently he wasn’t buying it.
Of course he couldn’t go through with the arrangement now.
Mary was damaged goods and carried unclaimed baggage.
That’s when the angel came to Joseph.
And, Joseph ended up doing the right thing and agreed to take Mary anyway.
Things were looking up for Mary.
No doubt, life was still hard for her – as well as for Joseph – in their village.
For sure no one else was convinced about their “immaculate conception” story.
They would have been shunned by their village, their families, their friends.
She had no one else at this point.
They had to turn to each other.
Times were tough for Mary and Joseph.
And, this ridiculous census was announced.
What was this about?
Why did Joseph have to travel so far?
Especially now.
She had been carrying this baby for a long time.
The time was surely at hand.
And, now he was to leave to town?
At this time?
Please!
Mary was stressed.
“Wait, wait! And now you want me to do what?
Why do I have to go with you?
Look at me – heavy with child.
How am I supposed to get there?
We don’t have a car.
There is no bus, no taxi, no train.
You and I are going to walk from here to Bethlehem?
That must be 70 miles as the crow flies – and the pathway is up and down, around and about.
No way!
And don’t give me any of that donkey stuff –
with this belly I couldn’t even get on one,
much less put up with his swaying and bouncing.
To be sure, Mary didn’t feel like going.
Folks make that pilgrimage walk today.
Today, it takes folks 28 days to make that walk – walking at a pace presumably not too fast for an eight-month pregnant girl.
Do you think for one minute, Mary felt like doing that?
But, she did do it, didn’t she?
And, of course, the story goes on: after they finally arrived at Bethlehem, Mary suffered a double indignity - there was nowhere to stay.
Finally, after some wheeling and dealing, and a compassion-hearted inn-keeper, make-shift shelter was provided.
So, the young, frightened, country-girl, sheltered in a barn – presumably in the company with an assortment of farm animals.
Mary didn’t feel like making the trip in the first place, that’s for sure.
And she didn’t much feel like bedding down in the barn, either.
But she did.
Was she driven by her faith – bolstered by the encounters with the angel and her cousin, Elizabeth – or by her circumstance – having to accompany her betrothed because there were no other alternatives?
It really doesn’t matter much.
It is a wonder the baby didn’t come somewhere along the way.
When our first child was late, Suzanne received all kinds of advice:
go home and rearrange the furniture,
try to move the refrigerator,
go sit in a double feature movie.
(Just for the record, we did NOT have her try to move the refrigerator, but we did go to the circus for four hours one afternoon,
and watched a double feature movie showing of Oklahoma and South Pacific another afternoon.)
But, alas, there was no Laurie for Suzanne,
and no Jesus for Mary.
Mary did show a strong belief in her destiny as described by the angel Gabriel.
The song she sings after her visit with cousin Elizabeth demonstrates a familiarity with a radical restructuring of society that is about to be brought about.
For sure, Mary didn’t feel like making that trip.
But, she did.
And, that she did is a message of hope for all of us today.
Of course, we know how the story turns out.
The baby was born – healthy baby and healthy mom – without the help of a midwife or medical attention.
The baby was named Jesus –
and was recognized by all as Emmanuel!
God is now with us.
God chose to demonstrate this new reality through this unwed, homeless, teenage mother
in a hick-podunk town (mostly unheard of and ignored by the rest of the Roman Empire),
and in a barn at that.
Here in 2012, it may be hard to get in the Christmas spirit.
We just may not feel like it – for a variety of reasons.
We may be grieving a loss,
we may be experiencing a debilitating illness,
we may just be tired,
we may be too busy or too distracted.
We may come up a very good excuse.
But, let’s remember Mary.
She surely did not feel like making that trip.
But, because she did step out and make the effort, look what happened.
The skies opened up.
The angels came out.
The heavenly chorus rang out.
The shepherds came in to town to see the new born.
Magi came from the East to pay homage.
And the powers of rule were scared spitless –
So much so that Herod sent out the order to kill all the baby boys in the land born near the suspected day.
Mary did not feel like making that trip.
But because stepped out and acted on her faith,
the world was changed.
Emmanuel was made known.
Societal structure was turned upside down.
The Kingdom of God was ushered in.
Because Mary made that trip (even when she didn’t feel like it) you and I experience a faith in this God who is with us - always.
This God who never abandons us.
This God who is a part of us –
providing pulses of life in all kinds of situations.
This God who is manifest through acts of compassion, and justice.
Because Mary made that trip when she didn’t feel like it,
you and I – and everyone we meet –
literally everyone we meet –
can celebrate Christmas even if we may not feel like it.
Because, time and time again, our experience shows,
and clinical research confirms,
that when we make the effort to celebrate events like Christmas –
even if we don’t feel like it –
magic happens.
The heavens open up.
We start seeing angels.
We hear the music.
We smile.
We sing.
We might even dance.
We gift one another.
We acknowledge one another.
We actually converse with one another.
The spirit of Christmas overtakes us
and we actually become a part of the message.
The story of Christmas is our story.
It is the story of Mary, yes.
It is the story of Emmanuel, yes.
It is the story of God and the inauguration of God’s Kingdom, yes.
But, the story of Christmas is the story of us.
This week Anne Lamott relayed a comment Wendell Berry told her some thirty years ago:
“It gets darker, and darker, and darker,
and then Jesus is born.”
That’s what Mary found out.
That’s what millions of believers throughout the ages have found out.
That’s what many in this room have found out.
It is just when things seem to be getting darker and darker and darker that the light comes and illuminates the world around us.
For sure, Mary experienced a brightness in her soul after making the trip she didn’t feel like making.
And, the thing is, you and I can try it out.
We can test it out for ourselves.
If you just don’t feel the Christmas spirit,
remember Mary and take action:
go to the Christmas party at the pastor’s house,
buy a turkey for a neighbor,
buy a gift card at the Acme and hand it to a person coming into the store,
make a call to someone you haven’t spoken to in over a year,
write a note to someone who is not expecting it,
sing a song of Christmas,
do something for another,
offer a prayer for another’s wellbeing,
well, the list goes on.
Like Mary found out, it will make a difference.
Like Auntie Mame said:
especially when we don’t feel like it,
we need a little Christmas, right this very minute.
We need a little laughter,
we need a little singing,
we need a little Christmas –
even when we don’t feel like it –
especially when we don’t feel like.
Amen.
The congregation of The Maxlife Church: Christ Presbyterian Church in Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania, USA, experienced this sermon during a worship service the Second Sunday of Advent, December 9, 2012.
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Advent 2012: Preparing for Christmas . . . when times are tough
Christmas is for adults.
In my opinion, Christmas is the very most significant celebration we have in our church.
Because Advent and our celebration of Christmas is so out of synch with the rest of the world around us, we need all the help we can get to help us see the significance to our faith.
Christmas is basic to our faith.
Christmas explains a lot about what our faith is about.
These are tough times for many people.
And it is hard, sometimes, to “get in the Christmas mood” when times are tough.
It seems to me that the Christmas stories come more real to us when we are going through tough times.
More real, that is, if we take time read the stories, to hear the stories, to tell the stories.
First Sunday of Advent
Isaiah 40:3-5,9
Luke 1-38
Today is the first Sunday of Advent –
Advent is the season set aside by the church for centuries as time to prepare ourselves for Christmas.
For the church in the Western world, Christmas happens on December 25 –
and the Christmas Season continues for 12 days until what we recognize as Epiphany, January 6.
There are Christians that celebrate Christmas day at other times, but we won’t get into that today.
The season of Advent begins the fourth Sunday before Christmas.
So, this year we have 24 days to prepare for Christmas.
Many churches don’t make much out of Advent.
Presbyterians didn’t used to.
But, for the past 35 years, or so, I have placed great emphasis on this time before Christmas.
Because Advent and our celebration of Christmas is so out of synch with the rest of the world around us, we need all the help we can get to help us see the significance to our faith.
Christmas is basic to our faith.
Christmas explains a lot about what our faith is about.
In my opinion, Christmas is the very most significant celebration we have in our church.
It is that important.
But, we won’t hear messages about this anywhere else this year.
It is very possible to even attend church for 50 or 60 years and never hear messages like this.
But, Christmas succinctly and effectively summarizes our relation to God and to each other.
Christmas is about Emmanuel! – God being with us.
Christmas is about God – the Creator of the universe and all the worlds that are and all that dwell therein – the omnipotent, the almighty, the Great Jehovah, the Great I Am –
Christmas is about God becoming one of us.
Christmas shows just how radical this faith we are a part of is.
God, the Ground of all Being, no longer is relegated to some other-worldly plane.
Our God is here, not there.
We say “Christmas is for children” –
and we do so enjoy the look on children’s faces when they get caught up in the wonder of the season;
But, really, Christmas is much much more.
Christmas is for adults.
As the world around us celebrates Christmas with the parades,
the decorations,
the commercials,
the music,
the sales,
we use this time to prepare for Christmas
amidst believers,
looking anew at the Biblical stories of Christmas to hear what Christmas really means –
to our faith,
and to us.
One contemporary theologian wrote last week:
“We in the Christian churches need to take back the message of the coming birth of Jesus.
The time leading up to Christmas is not primarily about fluffy angels, or even worse, to be confused with guys in red suits or shopping on Black Friday or Cyber Monday.
The central message about the impending birth of Jesus should be, as it is in the Bible, about how God-with-us means overturning the extremes of wealth and poverty.
The coming of Jesus is the coming of a strong prophetic message: the Kingdom of god is here and now, ‘in our midst.’”
(Susan Thistlethwaite, professor of theology at Chicago Theological Seminary)
Today, I want to look at how we can prepare for Christmas when times are tough.
There is no question that times are tough these days for many many people.
We have been through four years now of the worst depression in what, 80 years?
Folks seen their savings diminish radically,
their pensions disappear (totally in many cases),
and what we thought was a secure investment in a house became a burden instead of an asset.
Many have experienced the recent loss of a loved one – and the loss seems to be exacerbated at holiday times.
And many come to this particular season in ill health – suffering great pain just trying to do our daily do.
These are tough times for many people.
And it is hard, sometimes, to “get in the Christmas mood” when times are tough.
When we read, or hear, or tell, the Christmas stories, it is so easy to overlook the underlying backdrop in which the stories are told.
Mark, Matthew and Luke are very clear about when these stories take place.
What to us may seem like a casual throwaway dropping of a name or two here and there,
is to the story-tellers concrete citations that these birth stories take place during tough times –
very tough times.
Yes, Israel had their own “country-state” governed by Herod from the capital city, Jerusalem.
But, Israel was taken over by the Roman Empire and was subject to Roman rule.
What the Caesar in Rome wanted, Caesar got.
Rome ruled in matters of taxation, laws, education, and all sorts life matters.
These were not good times for folks who practiced a faith that demanded unqualified allegiance the God who led them out of Egypt and gave them 10 commandments and so many purity laws that they were to follow for the faithful life.
These were not good times to be a woman –
and certainly not a young girl.
Women in general, and young girls in particular were thought of as property and had no rights at all.
Young girls were traded off in marriage at a very young age.
The stories of Christmas are set in tough times, indeed.
It seems to me that the Christmas stories come more real to us when we are going through tough times.
More real, that is, if we take time read the stories, to hear the stories, to tell the stories.
Because, what the early disciples knew to be true –
And what our fathers and mothers in the faith affirmed for thousands of years, now –
that God –
the Creator of the Universe and all the worlds that are
the Author of life itself
the Power the infuses the turbines and the nuclei of the world –
became incarnate –
became one of us –
at a particular time in history,
in a particular place,
to a particular people,
in a particular way –
through a baby being born to a young unwed immigrant couple in an unlikely place at an unlikely time –
a time when things were tough all over.
That God entered our world and became incarnate is an essential tenet of the faith we have come to inherit and to know.
It seems to me that it is very good news –
good news that should be shouted from the roof-tops –
that in tough times God came to be part of our lives.
It was in tough times that Emmanuel was affirmed.
In the midst of persecution by Rome and Rome’s puppet, Herod, Emmanuel – God came to be a part of us.
To a frightened, underaged, unwed mother who was about to loose it all (possibly her life itself) –
Emmanuel – God was with her.
To Joseph, trying to do the right thing, and be fair, not understanding at all, Emmanuel – God came to be.
And it particularly good news for you and me,
especially in the tough times we are living in,
Emmanuel!:
That’s the message of Christmas!
Our God is with us.
Today.
And in the days ahead.
No matter what happens around us.
No matter what personal tragedies we experience.
No matter how tough the times are for us.
Emmanuel!
God is with you.
God is with you,
comforting,
consoling,
healing,
leading,
enabling,
ensuring,
enlivening.
I encourage you to take time this year to prepare for Christmas by reading the stories,
join in the conversations,
tell others what we are doing here.
Emmanuel!
When times are tough, let us find a song to sing.
A song like:
We need a little Christmas
right this very minute . . .
I need a little angel
sitting on my shoulder,
need a little Christmas now.
For we need a little music,
need a little laughter,
need a little singing
ringing through the rafter,
and we need a little snappy
“happy ever after,”
need a little Christmas now.
Emmanuel!
God is with us –
especially when times are tough.
Amen.
The congregation of The MaxLife Church heard this sermon during a worship service the first Sunday of Advent: December 2, 2012.
In my opinion, Christmas is the very most significant celebration we have in our church.
Because Advent and our celebration of Christmas is so out of synch with the rest of the world around us, we need all the help we can get to help us see the significance to our faith.
Christmas is basic to our faith.
Christmas explains a lot about what our faith is about.
These are tough times for many people.
And it is hard, sometimes, to “get in the Christmas mood” when times are tough.
It seems to me that the Christmas stories come more real to us when we are going through tough times.
More real, that is, if we take time read the stories, to hear the stories, to tell the stories.
First Sunday of Advent
Isaiah 40:3-5,9
Luke 1-38
Today is the first Sunday of Advent –
Advent is the season set aside by the church for centuries as time to prepare ourselves for Christmas.
For the church in the Western world, Christmas happens on December 25 –
and the Christmas Season continues for 12 days until what we recognize as Epiphany, January 6.
There are Christians that celebrate Christmas day at other times, but we won’t get into that today.
The season of Advent begins the fourth Sunday before Christmas.
So, this year we have 24 days to prepare for Christmas.
Many churches don’t make much out of Advent.
Presbyterians didn’t used to.
But, for the past 35 years, or so, I have placed great emphasis on this time before Christmas.
Because Advent and our celebration of Christmas is so out of synch with the rest of the world around us, we need all the help we can get to help us see the significance to our faith.
Christmas is basic to our faith.
Christmas explains a lot about what our faith is about.
In my opinion, Christmas is the very most significant celebration we have in our church.
It is that important.
But, we won’t hear messages about this anywhere else this year.
It is very possible to even attend church for 50 or 60 years and never hear messages like this.
But, Christmas succinctly and effectively summarizes our relation to God and to each other.
Christmas is about Emmanuel! – God being with us.
Christmas is about God – the Creator of the universe and all the worlds that are and all that dwell therein – the omnipotent, the almighty, the Great Jehovah, the Great I Am –
Christmas is about God becoming one of us.
Christmas shows just how radical this faith we are a part of is.
God, the Ground of all Being, no longer is relegated to some other-worldly plane.
Our God is here, not there.
We say “Christmas is for children” –
and we do so enjoy the look on children’s faces when they get caught up in the wonder of the season;
But, really, Christmas is much much more.
Christmas is for adults.
As the world around us celebrates Christmas with the parades,
the decorations,
the commercials,
the music,
the sales,
we use this time to prepare for Christmas
amidst believers,
looking anew at the Biblical stories of Christmas to hear what Christmas really means –
to our faith,
and to us.
One contemporary theologian wrote last week:
“We in the Christian churches need to take back the message of the coming birth of Jesus.
The time leading up to Christmas is not primarily about fluffy angels, or even worse, to be confused with guys in red suits or shopping on Black Friday or Cyber Monday.
The central message about the impending birth of Jesus should be, as it is in the Bible, about how God-with-us means overturning the extremes of wealth and poverty.
The coming of Jesus is the coming of a strong prophetic message: the Kingdom of god is here and now, ‘in our midst.’”
(Susan Thistlethwaite, professor of theology at Chicago Theological Seminary)
Today, I want to look at how we can prepare for Christmas when times are tough.
There is no question that times are tough these days for many many people.
We have been through four years now of the worst depression in what, 80 years?
Folks seen their savings diminish radically,
their pensions disappear (totally in many cases),
and what we thought was a secure investment in a house became a burden instead of an asset.
Many have experienced the recent loss of a loved one – and the loss seems to be exacerbated at holiday times.
And many come to this particular season in ill health – suffering great pain just trying to do our daily do.
These are tough times for many people.
And it is hard, sometimes, to “get in the Christmas mood” when times are tough.
When we read, or hear, or tell, the Christmas stories, it is so easy to overlook the underlying backdrop in which the stories are told.
Mark, Matthew and Luke are very clear about when these stories take place.
What to us may seem like a casual throwaway dropping of a name or two here and there,
is to the story-tellers concrete citations that these birth stories take place during tough times –
very tough times.
Yes, Israel had their own “country-state” governed by Herod from the capital city, Jerusalem.
But, Israel was taken over by the Roman Empire and was subject to Roman rule.
What the Caesar in Rome wanted, Caesar got.
Rome ruled in matters of taxation, laws, education, and all sorts life matters.
These were not good times for folks who practiced a faith that demanded unqualified allegiance the God who led them out of Egypt and gave them 10 commandments and so many purity laws that they were to follow for the faithful life.
These were not good times to be a woman –
and certainly not a young girl.
Women in general, and young girls in particular were thought of as property and had no rights at all.
Young girls were traded off in marriage at a very young age.
The stories of Christmas are set in tough times, indeed.
It seems to me that the Christmas stories come more real to us when we are going through tough times.
More real, that is, if we take time read the stories, to hear the stories, to tell the stories.
Because, what the early disciples knew to be true –
And what our fathers and mothers in the faith affirmed for thousands of years, now –
that God –
the Creator of the Universe and all the worlds that are
the Author of life itself
the Power the infuses the turbines and the nuclei of the world –
became incarnate –
became one of us –
at a particular time in history,
in a particular place,
to a particular people,
in a particular way –
through a baby being born to a young unwed immigrant couple in an unlikely place at an unlikely time –
a time when things were tough all over.
That God entered our world and became incarnate is an essential tenet of the faith we have come to inherit and to know.
It seems to me that it is very good news –
good news that should be shouted from the roof-tops –
that in tough times God came to be part of our lives.
It was in tough times that Emmanuel was affirmed.
In the midst of persecution by Rome and Rome’s puppet, Herod, Emmanuel – God came to be a part of us.
To a frightened, underaged, unwed mother who was about to loose it all (possibly her life itself) –
Emmanuel – God was with her.
To Joseph, trying to do the right thing, and be fair, not understanding at all, Emmanuel – God came to be.
And it particularly good news for you and me,
especially in the tough times we are living in,
Emmanuel!:
That’s the message of Christmas!
Our God is with us.
Today.
And in the days ahead.
No matter what happens around us.
No matter what personal tragedies we experience.
No matter how tough the times are for us.
Emmanuel!
God is with you.
God is with you,
comforting,
consoling,
healing,
leading,
enabling,
ensuring,
enlivening.
I encourage you to take time this year to prepare for Christmas by reading the stories,
join in the conversations,
tell others what we are doing here.
Emmanuel!
When times are tough, let us find a song to sing.
A song like:
We need a little Christmas
right this very minute . . .
I need a little angel
sitting on my shoulder,
need a little Christmas now.
For we need a little music,
need a little laughter,
need a little singing
ringing through the rafter,
and we need a little snappy
“happy ever after,”
need a little Christmas now.
Emmanuel!
God is with us –
especially when times are tough.
Amen.
The congregation of The MaxLife Church heard this sermon during a worship service the first Sunday of Advent: December 2, 2012.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)