Christmas is for children, we say.
And, who doesn’t enjoy the look of joy and excitement on the face of a child on Christmas morning!
Of course what we celebrate with children on Christmas morning has very little, or nothing at all, to do with the stories of our faith.
Even the nativity story we all know so well is an amalgam of many diverse stories melded together nowhere in our sacred texts.
As a pastor for some 45 years, I have labored for a more educated understanding of the basic truths that underlie the stories we know so well.
At the end of the day, Christmas is important to us not primarily for children; but, because it is primarily a story for adults.
Take a look at the very earliest writings we have –
the letters of Paul and some of the writings that were found in the Dead Sea Scrolls and Nag Hammadi and other places in the desert country of Egypt and Syria and Palestine,
and the very earliest Gospel in our Bible:
the Gospel of Mark – which was published around the year 70.
We actually have several texts now that were published during these early years – during the first 75 years or so after Jesus was killed.
And, look as we may, it is obvious that none of these texts say anything at all about the birth of Jesus.
It just was not important to them.
Yes, Jesus was a pivotal figure in their history,
yes, Jesus was a pivotal figure in their faith,
yes, Jesus was a pivotal figure in their life experience – in their understanding of who they were and what they to do.
Clearly, they each articulate a faith that in Jesus, they saw God incarnate – God in the flesh –
for them, Jesus was Emmanuel – God with us.
Tuesday, December 22, 2015
Monday, December 21, 2015
The Christmas Stories Are Stories of Theophanies
Advent is a time the church concentrates on preparing for Christmas.
Christmas is so important to our faith.
It is so basic to our understanding of God and Jesus.
Without Christmas – and the stories that are told about it –
the rest of our faith would be nonsense.
I really like Advent and Christmas and Epiphany.
It gives us a chance to get down to the raw basics and to hear stories that impact our faith and how it gets expressed in our lives.
The Christmas stories are stories of theophanies – encounters with the holy – culminating in the ultimate theophany: Emmanuel! –
the incarnation of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob,
the Creator of all that is,
the great Jehovah, into our very lives.
The Christmas stores are stories of cracks that occurred in the cosmic egg that traditionally separates the holy from the mundane –
cracks through which people were able to glimpse the divine,
cracks through which people encountered the holy.
Traditionally, during this Advent season our churches purposefully focus on these encounters with the holy from days gone by – through the stories we hear and the stories we tell.
Through our telling and hearing these stores again, this Christmas, maybe, just maybe, you and I can encounter the Holy.
Oh, I am convinced that we do encounter the holy just as we hear they did in days of yore.
It’s just that usually, we don’t recognize it when it happens.
Even when the very skies open and the celestial voices sing, we are prone to ignore it –
perhaps because we are so preoccupied with enhancing our own display.
The stories of our faith are good stories.
And, they have lasted through the years because they speak of truth – truth that ring to the heart of all who hear them.
But, if we let them remain as stories of people of another time, of days gone by, we do them – and we do us – a disservice.
For, they are true.
And they speak to our reality.
This year I invite you on a quest to encounter the holy.
I am convinced that we can.
I know that we do.
Let us take this time before Christmas to sharpen our senses and to hone our skills so that, like the people in our Christmas stories, we can point to times the holy breaks through in our lives,
to recognize it when it happens,
and to celebrate when it does.
So, in church each week we will be looking for the breakthroughs in the stories of our faith and in the days of our lives.
We will pay attention to the messengers of the Lord that come to us – is they did to Zechariah, Mary, Joseph and the Shepherds.
Our stories tell us to be alert to our dreams and heed them as Joseph and Simeon and the Magi did;
to listen for the celestial song – the music of the spheres – as the shepherds heard;
to see what happens when hospitality is practiced – remembering the Innkeeper and the Table of The Lord;
and, to learn to celebrate the incarnation – Emmanuel! – Christmas Day and every day.
May you encounter the holy this Christmas.
Christmas is so important to our faith.
It is so basic to our understanding of God and Jesus.
Without Christmas – and the stories that are told about it –
the rest of our faith would be nonsense.
I really like Advent and Christmas and Epiphany.
It gives us a chance to get down to the raw basics and to hear stories that impact our faith and how it gets expressed in our lives.
The Christmas stories are stories of theophanies – encounters with the holy – culminating in the ultimate theophany: Emmanuel! –
the incarnation of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob,
the Creator of all that is,
the great Jehovah, into our very lives.
The Christmas stores are stories of cracks that occurred in the cosmic egg that traditionally separates the holy from the mundane –
cracks through which people were able to glimpse the divine,
cracks through which people encountered the holy.
Traditionally, during this Advent season our churches purposefully focus on these encounters with the holy from days gone by – through the stories we hear and the stories we tell.
Through our telling and hearing these stores again, this Christmas, maybe, just maybe, you and I can encounter the Holy.
Oh, I am convinced that we do encounter the holy just as we hear they did in days of yore.
It’s just that usually, we don’t recognize it when it happens.
Even when the very skies open and the celestial voices sing, we are prone to ignore it –
perhaps because we are so preoccupied with enhancing our own display.
The stories of our faith are good stories.
And, they have lasted through the years because they speak of truth – truth that ring to the heart of all who hear them.
But, if we let them remain as stories of people of another time, of days gone by, we do them – and we do us – a disservice.
For, they are true.
And they speak to our reality.
This year I invite you on a quest to encounter the holy.
I am convinced that we can.
I know that we do.
Let us take this time before Christmas to sharpen our senses and to hone our skills so that, like the people in our Christmas stories, we can point to times the holy breaks through in our lives,
to recognize it when it happens,
and to celebrate when it does.
So, in church each week we will be looking for the breakthroughs in the stories of our faith and in the days of our lives.
We will pay attention to the messengers of the Lord that come to us – is they did to Zechariah, Mary, Joseph and the Shepherds.
Our stories tell us to be alert to our dreams and heed them as Joseph and Simeon and the Magi did;
to listen for the celestial song – the music of the spheres – as the shepherds heard;
to see what happens when hospitality is practiced – remembering the Innkeeper and the Table of The Lord;
and, to learn to celebrate the incarnation – Emmanuel! – Christmas Day and every day.
May you encounter the holy this Christmas.
Sunday, December 20, 2015
All Our Religious Experience Is for Naught Unless We Know and Experience Emmanuel – God With Us.
For many of us, Christmas can be a confusing time, can’t it?
Bright lights, crowded stores, parties and obligations to keep track of, ads for this and ads for that – there is much that vies for attention, isn’t there?
In the midst of all of the busyness, it is difficult to know which way to turn.
We may want to experience the joy and peace of the season, and yet we often don’t know were to begin.
Within the ever-present cacophony of the world around us, our church tries to focus attention on the real reason for the season.
Especially these days, I think, we are called to be alert, to watch out, to look around, to keep hoping, and to be proactive in welcoming Emmanuel.
For indeed, all our religious experience is for naught unless we know and experience Emmanuel – God With Us.
That’s what Christmas is all about.
That’s what we affirm.
That’s what we celebrate.
This year, promise yourself to take time periodically to read the stories of Emmanuel:
the stories of John the Baptist,
the story of Mary the mother of Jesus, the story of Joseph, the stories of the birth of Jesus,
the story of the wise men, the story of the shepherds,
the story of old Simeon,
the story of old Anna.
Once again, I ask, where are these stories being told today?
Not on TV.
Not in school.
Not in many family gatherings.
It is so important to make church a part of our schedule – especially at this time of year. [Perhaps there should be a rule: no opening of presents until after the Christmas Eve Candlelight service of stories and songs.]
Children need to hear these stories.
Adults need to hear these stories.
We all need to hear these stories.
Churches all over the country will be telling the story with song.
We will be telling the story with words.
We will be telling the story with prayer.
We will be telling the story with communion.
We will be telling the story with visual symbols.
We will be telling the story with graphic symbols.
We will telling the story with candlelight.
We will be telling the story in a hundred ways.
Yes, we affirm Emmanuel!
We celebrate Emmanuel!
Our God is with us!
Don’t miss his presence this year!
See you in church –
and bring someone with you.
Bright lights, crowded stores, parties and obligations to keep track of, ads for this and ads for that – there is much that vies for attention, isn’t there?
In the midst of all of the busyness, it is difficult to know which way to turn.
We may want to experience the joy and peace of the season, and yet we often don’t know were to begin.
Within the ever-present cacophony of the world around us, our church tries to focus attention on the real reason for the season.
Especially these days, I think, we are called to be alert, to watch out, to look around, to keep hoping, and to be proactive in welcoming Emmanuel.
For indeed, all our religious experience is for naught unless we know and experience Emmanuel – God With Us.
That’s what Christmas is all about.
That’s what we affirm.
That’s what we celebrate.
This year, promise yourself to take time periodically to read the stories of Emmanuel:
the stories of John the Baptist,
the story of Mary the mother of Jesus, the story of Joseph, the stories of the birth of Jesus,
the story of the wise men, the story of the shepherds,
the story of old Simeon,
the story of old Anna.
Once again, I ask, where are these stories being told today?
Not on TV.
Not in school.
Not in many family gatherings.
It is so important to make church a part of our schedule – especially at this time of year. [Perhaps there should be a rule: no opening of presents until after the Christmas Eve Candlelight service of stories and songs.]
Children need to hear these stories.
Adults need to hear these stories.
We all need to hear these stories.
Churches all over the country will be telling the story with song.
We will be telling the story with words.
We will be telling the story with prayer.
We will be telling the story with communion.
We will be telling the story with visual symbols.
We will be telling the story with graphic symbols.
We will telling the story with candlelight.
We will be telling the story in a hundred ways.
Yes, we affirm Emmanuel!
We celebrate Emmanuel!
Our God is with us!
Don’t miss his presence this year!
See you in church –
and bring someone with you.
Saturday, December 19, 2015
Christmas Not Primarily About the Birth of A Baby
The Christmas we -- and the world around us -- celebrates really has little to do with the Christmas that is so much a part of our faith history.
It may surprise you to know that for over 300 years nobody celebrated the birthday of Jesus.
The stories and pictures that you and I value about the birth of Jesus and all the events around that — simply were not important to the early Christians.
For 300 years they did not worship a baby.
They worshiped an adult "Emmanuel" —
through which they kept having encounters with the holy.
These encounters were important to them.
It was the basis of their new faith.
In most cultures in the world, Christmas is not primarily a day for children.
In fact, throughout our faith history Christmas is for adults.
Although the early believers simply did not celebrate the birthday of Jesus, there is ample evidence that Christians have always recognized and celebrated the specialness of Jesus — universally called the Christ — and identified in Matthew as Emmanuel — God With Us.
Especially in these days and times, I think it would do us well to look at how those earliest Christians celebrated Emmanuel —
and look for clues as how you and I can have the very best Christmas ever this year,
celebrating the Presence of Christ, God With Us, Emmanuel.
It may surprise you to know that for over 300 years nobody celebrated the birthday of Jesus.
The stories and pictures that you and I value about the birth of Jesus and all the events around that — simply were not important to the early Christians.
For 300 years they did not worship a baby.
They worshiped an adult "Emmanuel" —
through which they kept having encounters with the holy.
These encounters were important to them.
It was the basis of their new faith.
In most cultures in the world, Christmas is not primarily a day for children.
In fact, throughout our faith history Christmas is for adults.
Although the early believers simply did not celebrate the birthday of Jesus, there is ample evidence that Christians have always recognized and celebrated the specialness of Jesus — universally called the Christ — and identified in Matthew as Emmanuel — God With Us.
Especially in these days and times, I think it would do us well to look at how those earliest Christians celebrated Emmanuel —
and look for clues as how you and I can have the very best Christmas ever this year,
celebrating the Presence of Christ, God With Us, Emmanuel.
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