Same Old, Same Old
Children's sermon
Illustration
Preaching
Sermon
Worship
Object:
So often in life, we are temped to "delegate" or "pass the buck." We don't want to do something, so we'll pass the task, and the responsibility, on to someone else. As we continue into another Christmas season, we again encounter more and more exclusions of Christ on our televisions, in our schools, and in the public square. For those who want to "keep Christ in Christmas" this can be a very troubling time, even prompting some to action, petitioning those in authority to mandate Christian symbols in public places. However, is this true righteous indignation, or are we simply "passing the buck"? Thom Shuman will write the main article with Paul Bresnahan providing the response. Illustrations, a liturgy, and a children's sermon are also included.
Same Old, Same Old
Thom Shuman
THE WORLD
It's the most wonderful time of the year, according to the song, and once again, we Christians are carping about "Christ being taken out of Christmas." Store clerks don't wish us "Merry Christmas," malls have Santa and the elves but not a creche, schools have holiday festivals instead of Christmas concerts. It's enough to make one's blood boil! But before we boil over, let's ask ourselves: Who is in the business of proclaiming the birth of the One we call Savior? A department store? A hardware chain? A school?
THE WORD
Our gospel reading for the day (Matthew 11:1-10) is not part of the traditional story of Christmas, is it? It is an all-too human account of questioning the identity of Jesus. Only in this case, it is the cousin of Jesus, John the Baptist, who is raising the issue. Sitting in prison, wondering what is going to happen to him, and hearing rumors and stories about what Jesus is doing, John sends some of his own disciples to raise the question: "Are you the real deal? Or do we have to put our hopes on hold once again?"
Sounds like John is just a little bit disappointed, doesn't it? Makes you wonder if he and Jesus used to talk as kids about what kind of world they would bring about when they became adults. Makes you wonder what John was looking for out of Jesus. Did John expect Jesus to turn into a man of fire, a man on fire? Was John waiting for Jesus to turn into a mighty warrior, someone who would come and rescue him from prison, someone who would push Herod off the throne and after becoming the monarch, make John his prime minister?
Whatever his reasons, it seems clear that Jesus is not doing what John expected him to do. Jesus is gaining a reputation it seems, but for doing all the wrong things. Instead of gathering an army together, he is gathering the tax collectors and sinners into his family. Instead of being a mighty warrior, Jesus is going around and telling stories. Instead of plotting a revolution, Jesus is giving sermons about turning the other cheek, and going the extra mile. So, since his expectations have been dashed, John sends word to Jesus, "What's going on? I thought you were the one. What's happened to you, cuz?" And Jesus' reply is one that must have startled John. "Yes," says Jesus, "I am the one who was to come. It's just that the job description has been rewritten since you last looked at it." The blind are being given sight, the lame dance through the streets, new life is being given to those the world thought were gone, and mercy comes before judgment.
Where in the world did Jesus get such a crazy notion? John must have thought to himself when he got that answer. Well, probably from that prophet of judgment and exile, the prophet of restoration, Isaiah. Using words almost direct from the Old Testament lesson for this Sunday (Isaiah 35:1-10), Jesus reminds John, and us, that God's vengeance turns out to be salvation; that God's terrible recompense translates into unparalleled compassion. This 35th chapter, which comes right before the folks are carried off into exile, and before the startling announcement in chapter 40 of the One who is coming to bring the exiles home, speaks of that time when all creation is made whole, when the fractured faithful will be healed. It is a vision of One who comes to radically transform nature and history, a vision of a time when Death Valley becomes Napa Valley, when a young woman in a wheelchair plays the role of Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady.
CRAFTING THE SERMON
When I was in junior high school, I first heard the complaint that "Christ has been taken out of Christmas." And now, more than forty years later, that litany is still being repeated. "holiday movies" like White Christmas and Miracle on 34th Street have been replaced by the Die Hard series (set at Christmastime) and films like American Gangster. Those of us who can remember practicing for weeks to sing Christmas carols at school now attend the holiday concerts featuring our grandchildren. Communities will offer rides with Santa on fire trucks but no longer put manger scenes on public land. Christmas is no longer the way it used to be (if it ever was); Christmas is no longer what we grew up expecting it to be when we go older, and had our own children.
What's a Christian to do? What should a church's response to such changes be? What word/s of wisdom can a preacher offer in such a culture? Perhaps this is a good Sunday to point out that because our expectations have been disappointed, we are still asking the same question John put to Jesus. And, perhaps because Jesus' expectations of us have been disappointed, he is giving the same answer. For if Jesus has truly come, not to be the one we expected, but to be the One we need, if Jesus has come to put into reality that radical vision God gave to Isaiah, and if Jesus has come to transform our barren lives into gardens of grace and generosity, then we better start paying attention, and we had better start telling people what we have seen and heard.
Not with pageants and caroling, not with sending cards and exchanging presents, not with shopping sprees and office parties. These are all the expected, normal, usual ways in which we "proclaim the good news" as we preach in the same old, same old way to the faithful. No, if we really want to glimpse that vision of Isaiah, if we want to take to heart the command to go and tell, maybe this is the year we will do things in a new, new way and encourage our people to do the same. Why not suggest that instead of writing a letter to the newspaper whining about the lack of Christmas at the mall, that we write to our young women and men in the service, who know, like the Holy Family, what it is to be lonely and afraid at this time of the year? Go and tell that person you have been mad at for the last year that you have heard Jesus' words of forgiveness in your heart and you want them to forgive you for any hurt you have caused.
Think about the person down the street who has lost their job, that woman in church whose husband died in September, the young person who is so desperate for someone to tell them they are loved--and invite them to go with you to a Longest Night/Blue Christmas service. Instead of giving your family every single present on their lists, give them one or two gifts, and give the rest of the money you would have spent to an organization that will provide Christmas to a family with kids who would have no tree, no gifts, and no meal without your generosity. We can continue to celebrate Christmas in the same old, same old way we have for years, or we can listen and see, then go and tell of the new life, the new hope, the new way Jesus brings into the world.
ANOTHER VIEW
A Prayer for the Shopping Mall
Paul Bresnahan
We are approaching the peak shopping season. We run ourselves ragged this time of year and the subliminal music we hear in the supermarkets reinforces our inclination to buy. Many of us become a bit impatient with ourselves as the pace picks up toward Christmas but we do it anyway. Such is the love of our families that we cannot help but go about our errands as we more or less expect ourselves to do.
Into this annual routine John the Baptist also makes his annual liturgical visit. I picture him in his unusual dress, eating locusts and wild honey, perhaps a bit wild-eyed and annoyed with our preoccupation with the bazaar mentality... and he announces the advent of the kingdom of Jesus; "Repent!" he says.
We stop dead in our tracks, even if only for just a moment... and then go back about our business. To be sure John has a point. But it is just not practical and it doesn't reach me where I truly live. So we return back into our routine.
Sometimes I remember that I have forgotten to pray. I tend not to think about prayer in the mall. This year it's different. A crazed young man with a rifle opens fire in the mall, and I pray instantly, beginning with the primitive prayer; "O my God!"
There are other kinds of prayers to offer God. Ignatius Loyola encourages us to spend at least 20 minutes in gratitude before we even move into the sphere of personal or intercessory prayer. He is right. For us to strike any depth in our practice of the presence of God, the place to begin is with gratitude.
When I teach catechism, I always ask the class to name the seven different kinds of prayer. The first six are mentioned quite quickly. Adoration, praise, thanksgiving, petition, intercession, penitence; but then there's a pause... what is the seventh?
More often than not I have to say it. It is the prayer, of course, of oblation. It is the prayer that offers oneself in concert with God for the purposes of God. We are a consumer society and we have a hard time thinking of this kind of prayer.
In other words the prayer of oblation is the prayer that says; "God, you can count on me to do whatever it takes to make your will a reality." What a wonderful prayer. Wouldn't we all love to have churches filled with people who said that prayer in their heart of hearts? Imagine a world that said prayed that prayer with all the heart, soul, and mind of humankind. What a world this would be!
John the Baptist prepared the way for the One who gave himself as an oblation to God with his life. He is the One who is the perfect oblation, offering and satisfaction for the sins of the whole world. Jesus asked the same of his followers. His followers asked the same of their followers and so on. Here we are so many years later. We can ask nothing less now of one another.
For the church and the culture around it to live; for it to live in all the abundance that Christ offers us, we must rediscover the power of this prayer so that we too can be a fragrant offering to God for the sins this world is so dangerously prone to commit. We live in dangerous world when people can shoot out randomly in schools malls and churches. Suicide attacks at home and abroad seem to be in vogue. It makes no sense.
What makes more sense is to offer ourselves in concert with God for the purposes of God. We are here to make peace, proclaim forgiveness, and share a compassionate heart in a world that is dark with fear and violence. We are missing our soul when we forget to pray. We are missing our soul when we forget that we have nothing to give... but when we remember that we are a perfect gift from God for one another our soul returns and God's glory shines once again.
ILLUSTRATIONS
This week on Friday, as the longest, darkest night of the year comes upon us, it's good for us to remember that we have a loving Lord who comes to us in the midst of our darkest times, bringing his tender, understanding love for each of us.
Teresa of Avila, who lived from 1515 to 1582, wrote:
May you be blessed forever, Lord, for offering your hand of love in my darkest, most lonely moment.
May you be blessed forever, Lord, for loving me more than I love myself.
May you be blessed forever, Lord, for being constant and unchanging, amidst all the changes of the world.
* * *
As we prepare, during this Advent season, to welcome our Lord into our midst--into our hearts, into our homes, and into our congregation--we need to make him the center of all we do. We need to not be so busy preparing that we don't have any energy left to enjoy his arrival.
Barbara Jurgensen talks about this in her poem "The Welcome":
Into our wilderness
comes a voice
crying,
"Prepare the way
for the Lord!"
But how do we prepare?
Do we go into a frenzy
of trying to
straighten up things?
Or do we realize
there's too much of that to do
and give up?
Either way,
we'll never be ready.
But we say,
simply,
"Jesus,
come."
-- Barbara Jurgensen, Following You, p. 11.
* * *
A recent 60 Minutes program interviewed an Anglican priest who serves an underground congregation in a city in Iraq. Christians there, he said, are experiencing the worst persecution in almost 2,000 years--the worst persecution in the whole history of the Christian church.
Churches there have been bombed till the members are afraid to worship in any church any longer. So many members have been killed for their faith that the remaining members now slip quietly, by ones and twos, into a basement somewhere and risk their lives to quietly sing and pray and hear God's Word together.
And, he said, they also must be very quiet about their celebrating of this holy season in their homes. So their observance of Advent and Christmas is stripped down to it barest essentials: to giving thanks in their hearts for the birth of Jesus.
* * *
If we want to put Christ into Christmas, we need to remember Jesus' advice that "by their fruits we shall know them." There is an old joke that illustrates this very well.
A man was being tailgated by a stressed out woman on a busy boulevard. Suddenly, the light turned yellow, just in front of him. He did the right thing stopping at the crosswalk, even though he could have beaten the red light by accelerating through the intersection.
The tailgating woman was furious and honked her horn, screaming in frustration as she missed her chance to get through the intersection, dropping her cell phone and makeup.
As she was still in mid-rant, she heard a tap on her window and looked up into the face of a very serious police officer. The officer ordered her to exit her car with her hands up. He took her to the police station where she was searched, finger printed, photographed, and placed in a holding cell. After a couple of hours, a policeman approached the cell and opened the door. She was escorted back to the booking desk where the arresting officer was waiting with her personal effects.
He said, "I'm very sorry for this mistake. You see, I pulled up behind your car while you were blowing your horn, flipping off the guy in front of you, and cussing a blue streak at him. I noticed the 'What Would Jesus Do' bumper sticker, the 'Choose Life' License plate holder, the 'Follow Me to Sunday-School' bumper Sticker, and the chrome-plated Christian fish emblem on the trunk. Naturally... I assumed you had stolen the car."
* * *
I once read a letter to the editor taking offence at people who have taken Christ out of Christmas by having shortened the reference to Xmas. While most clergy know that the X in Greek was the first letter for Christ and that the symbol was well known in early Christianity, I was most interested in a response made by a scientist. He wrote that in his world the X was always the unknown factor in an equation. He went on to say that for him Christ was always the "unknown factor" in the equation of life. He had learned to trust Christ but never presume to understand that he fully understood Christ. At the same time, he understood that it was Christ who completed the equation.
* * *
Bruce Forbes, in his new book, Christmas: a Candid History, University of California Press, reminds us that much of what we love about Christmas predates Christianity. The Roman midwinter festival Saturnalia closely resembled the modern holiday, with weeks of eating and drinking, gift giving, wreaths of evergreens, and concern for the less fortunate.
From the beginning, the Church's hold over Christmas was (and remains still) rather tenuous. There were always people for whom Christmas was a time of pious devotion rather than carnival, but such people were always in the minority. It may not be gong too far to say that Christmas has always been an extremely difficult holiday to Christianize.
He then concludes, "One idea I do not recommend is a campaign to turn Christmas into the purely spiritual holiday it never was. My understanding is that the Christmas message is 'incarnation,' that God entered fully into the world. So combining Jesus' birthday party with at least some worldly celebration seems appropriate."
-- Taken from a review in Christian Century, December 11, 2007
* * *
A television interviewer was walking the streets of Tokyo at Christmas time. Much as in America, Christmas shopping is a big commercial success in Japan. The interviewer stopped one young women on the sidewalk, and asked, "What is the meaning of Christmas?"
Laughing, she responded, "I don't know. Is that the day that Jesus died?"
There was some truth in her answer.
-- Donald L. Deffner, Seasonal Illustrations for Preaching and Teaching (Resource Publications, 1992), p. 16
* * *
Remember those pictures we had in elementary school that we had to study and figure out what was wrong with the picture? One was a farm scene with a barn, cows, and a windmill, and near the pond there was this grand piano. In another, there would be a schoolroom scene with desks, a blackboard, and a teacher, but in the back row there would be a pirate sitting there with a parrot on his shoulders. What's wrong with this picture?
What's wrong with the Christmas picture? Bethlehem is overrun with people--not tourists, mind you, but reluctant travelers who had been ordered by the occupied troops to return to their family of origin in order to be counted for the census. Taxes. With so many people claiming David as an ancestor, this sleepy hamlet quickly becomes chaotic. It almost looks like a scene from "Where's Waldo?" or a battle scene from Lord of the Rings because there are people everywhere, moving, traveling, sitting, tired, and hungry. Tempers are short. Frustration runs high. Some are on donkeys, but most are walking. They are everywhere. It looks like a disturbed fire ant pile--people are scurrying in every direction, and while you can't figure out a pattern, you know that they are moving with some purpose toward some unknown destination--and they are upset. They would rather be home.
If you look closely enough in the confusion, you will see a young, Jewish girl, hardly old enough to be a mother, nine months pregnant, on a donkey, lead by a man going from hotel to hotel, house to house, and inn to inn looking for some place for her to rest. But it is dark. The hour is late. There is no room for them in the inn.
See the picture? Is there anything out of place? Anything wrong? There is no halo--just dirty, matted hair after traveling from Nazareth. There is no beacon of light--just whatever dim glow given off by the moon or an occasional candle. There are no angelic voices--just the raised voices of frustrated travelers who don't want to be there. But is anything wrong? Out of place? No. Nothing. Not this night.
With all the confusion, it's hard to find the Christ in the midst of the chaos. Not much has changed with this picture, has it?
* * *
I suppose we all have stories of Political Correctness gone amok, but I had one recently that seemed over the top. We had a mother in my congregation who was the room mom for her daughter's third-grade class. When December came, this mom was in charge of the party. She knew she couldn't call it a Christmas Party nor would it be appropriate to call it a Hanukkah Party. She suggested "Holiday Happenings" but was told by the higher powers that this was not a holiday for everybody. She was told that the name of the party would be "Twinkle Time." Though irritated with the name, she went forward with the party but when she brought napkins with pictures of presents, she was told to get different ones because not everyone exchanges presents. When she came back with green and red plain napkins, she was told that those were the colors for Christmas and could not be used. So with white and blue napkins (the color of the school) and vanilla ice cream and chocolate chip cookies, they celebrated... who knows what? But the kids enjoyed the snack.
WORSHIP RESOURCE
Thom Shuman
Call to Worship
Leader: Be patient!
The time is coming when
we will celebrate the birth of Christ,
People: when we will sing and rejoice, dancing with everlasting joy. Leader: But for now,
let us wait in this season of Advent,
People: when God speaks in dreams and visions,
when we are invited to dance into the kingdom. Leader: For this is Advent,
when all the world rejoices in its Creator,
People: when those who limp will learn new dance steps,
when the speechless burst forth in
"Joy to the World."
Prayer of the Day
God:
using the unnoticed,
you accomplish the unexpected
for an uncaring world;
with the Bread of life,
you restore the brokenness
of your creation;
letting go of your Child,
you fill our emptiness
with grace beyond measure.
Ever-new, always-scarred
Jesus Christ:
in you,
those silenced by the world
hear the whispers of angels
bring good news;
in you,
those shoved to the side
lead the race into the kingdom;
in you,
those who grope in darkness
are clasped firmly by your love.
Advent's Spirit:
you fill the voiceless
with the promises of your Word;
you lead us out of exile,
placing God's beloved kin
on the Holy Way to freedom,
not letting a single one of us lose our way.
God in Community, Holy in One,
hear us as we lift the prayer Jesus has taught us,
saying, Our Father . . .
Call to Reconciliation
In this holiest of seasons, we can become so cynical:
to doubt, to wonder, to question. In this time of
bright lights and celebration, we can be blinded to
the need around us. It is easy to grumble about
what we do not have, rather than hearing the songs of
children. Let us confess how we lose our way during
this time, so that God will forgive us, and put us back
on the Holy Way.
Unison Prayer of Confession
God of hopes and joys, because it is easy for us
to forget what you have done for us in the birth of
Jesus, we can easily step off your path and wander
the streets of the world. Our indifference keeps us
from seeing those overlooked by our culture. Our fear
keeps us from reaching out for your future. Our
grumbling silences the angel speaking to us of your
coming toward us.
Forgive us, God of Advent. Fill our emptiness with the everlasting joy of your grace. Blow away our arrogant attitudes with your Spirit of compassion. Embolden our hearts with the courage of your Child, Jesus Christ, who became one of us that we might be your redeemed forever.
(silent prayers may be offered)
Assurance of Pardon
Leader: Be strong, do not fear! Our God is here!
Your eyes will be opened to see God's
salvation coming to you.
People: Our spirits rejoice in God our Savior, who
has called us blessed. Thanks be to God.
Amen.
CHILDREN'S SERMON
Now or later?
Object: a box of wrapped presents
Matthew 11:2-11
Good morning, boys and girls. Do you ever get tired of waiting for something to happen? (let them answer) Is anyone tired of waiting for Christmas? (let them answer) Why don't we just have Christmas this afternoon? You know what I mean, let's haul out the presents, tear away the paper, and open our Christmas presents. Does it sound like a good idea? (let them answer) Forget the Christmas tree and all of the decorations around the house. Most of them are up anyway, aren't they? Forget about the other children and their Christmas. When they have their Christmas, we will play with their gifts. Let's forget about Grandma and Grandpa coming over to the house. Let's give them a call and if they can make it, fine, but let's have our Christmas now. The Christmas dinner isn't any reason to wait. After all, we like peanut butter and jelly and we can have that for Christmas dinner. We don't care about the Christmas carols, Santa Claus, Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer, Christmas cards, special candy, and all of those things. We just want our presents, and we are tired of waiting for something to come that is more than a week away. How many of you agree? Who doesn't want to wait? (let them answer)
There is something good about waiting, isn't there? We like it when our cousins come over to our house and we share each other's gifts. We love the turkey and mashed potatoes and gravy. We really like being surprised by the things Grandpa and Grandma bring to our house. We even like to hear all of the people in church sing the great Christmas hymns, and we love the candlelight service when all of the lights are turned out and only the candles are lit. Most of all, we love to hear the Christmas story about the shepherds and the angels singing to them when they are out in the fields with their sheep. What about the inn being full and Joseph and Mary staying in a stable with a manger full of hay? Don't forget the Baby Jesus who sleeps in the hay. We really do think it is worth waiting for, don't we?
John the Baptist was a pretty impatient person, and he was a man of great action. He wondered what was taking Jesus so long to be recognized by all of the people as their king. John wanted Jesus to take action, but Jesus said it was worth the wait to heal the sick and make the deaf hear and bring the good news to the poor people. God has a plan, and part of it is waiting for just the right time that God has chosen for all of us.
I think you can wait a little longer. While you are waiting, enjoy Jesus being a part of your week. When the time is just right, you will celebrate with all of us the birth of the Baby Jesus into our world. Amen.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
The Immediate Word, December 16, 2007, issue.
Copyright 2007 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to The Immediate Word service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons and in worship and classroom settings only. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to permissions@csspub.com or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 517 South Main Street, Lima, Ohio 45804.
Same Old, Same Old
Thom Shuman
THE WORLD
It's the most wonderful time of the year, according to the song, and once again, we Christians are carping about "Christ being taken out of Christmas." Store clerks don't wish us "Merry Christmas," malls have Santa and the elves but not a creche, schools have holiday festivals instead of Christmas concerts. It's enough to make one's blood boil! But before we boil over, let's ask ourselves: Who is in the business of proclaiming the birth of the One we call Savior? A department store? A hardware chain? A school?
THE WORD
Our gospel reading for the day (Matthew 11:1-10) is not part of the traditional story of Christmas, is it? It is an all-too human account of questioning the identity of Jesus. Only in this case, it is the cousin of Jesus, John the Baptist, who is raising the issue. Sitting in prison, wondering what is going to happen to him, and hearing rumors and stories about what Jesus is doing, John sends some of his own disciples to raise the question: "Are you the real deal? Or do we have to put our hopes on hold once again?"
Sounds like John is just a little bit disappointed, doesn't it? Makes you wonder if he and Jesus used to talk as kids about what kind of world they would bring about when they became adults. Makes you wonder what John was looking for out of Jesus. Did John expect Jesus to turn into a man of fire, a man on fire? Was John waiting for Jesus to turn into a mighty warrior, someone who would come and rescue him from prison, someone who would push Herod off the throne and after becoming the monarch, make John his prime minister?
Whatever his reasons, it seems clear that Jesus is not doing what John expected him to do. Jesus is gaining a reputation it seems, but for doing all the wrong things. Instead of gathering an army together, he is gathering the tax collectors and sinners into his family. Instead of being a mighty warrior, Jesus is going around and telling stories. Instead of plotting a revolution, Jesus is giving sermons about turning the other cheek, and going the extra mile. So, since his expectations have been dashed, John sends word to Jesus, "What's going on? I thought you were the one. What's happened to you, cuz?" And Jesus' reply is one that must have startled John. "Yes," says Jesus, "I am the one who was to come. It's just that the job description has been rewritten since you last looked at it." The blind are being given sight, the lame dance through the streets, new life is being given to those the world thought were gone, and mercy comes before judgment.
Where in the world did Jesus get such a crazy notion? John must have thought to himself when he got that answer. Well, probably from that prophet of judgment and exile, the prophet of restoration, Isaiah. Using words almost direct from the Old Testament lesson for this Sunday (Isaiah 35:1-10), Jesus reminds John, and us, that God's vengeance turns out to be salvation; that God's terrible recompense translates into unparalleled compassion. This 35th chapter, which comes right before the folks are carried off into exile, and before the startling announcement in chapter 40 of the One who is coming to bring the exiles home, speaks of that time when all creation is made whole, when the fractured faithful will be healed. It is a vision of One who comes to radically transform nature and history, a vision of a time when Death Valley becomes Napa Valley, when a young woman in a wheelchair plays the role of Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady.
CRAFTING THE SERMON
When I was in junior high school, I first heard the complaint that "Christ has been taken out of Christmas." And now, more than forty years later, that litany is still being repeated. "holiday movies" like White Christmas and Miracle on 34th Street have been replaced by the Die Hard series (set at Christmastime) and films like American Gangster. Those of us who can remember practicing for weeks to sing Christmas carols at school now attend the holiday concerts featuring our grandchildren. Communities will offer rides with Santa on fire trucks but no longer put manger scenes on public land. Christmas is no longer the way it used to be (if it ever was); Christmas is no longer what we grew up expecting it to be when we go older, and had our own children.
What's a Christian to do? What should a church's response to such changes be? What word/s of wisdom can a preacher offer in such a culture? Perhaps this is a good Sunday to point out that because our expectations have been disappointed, we are still asking the same question John put to Jesus. And, perhaps because Jesus' expectations of us have been disappointed, he is giving the same answer. For if Jesus has truly come, not to be the one we expected, but to be the One we need, if Jesus has come to put into reality that radical vision God gave to Isaiah, and if Jesus has come to transform our barren lives into gardens of grace and generosity, then we better start paying attention, and we had better start telling people what we have seen and heard.
Not with pageants and caroling, not with sending cards and exchanging presents, not with shopping sprees and office parties. These are all the expected, normal, usual ways in which we "proclaim the good news" as we preach in the same old, same old way to the faithful. No, if we really want to glimpse that vision of Isaiah, if we want to take to heart the command to go and tell, maybe this is the year we will do things in a new, new way and encourage our people to do the same. Why not suggest that instead of writing a letter to the newspaper whining about the lack of Christmas at the mall, that we write to our young women and men in the service, who know, like the Holy Family, what it is to be lonely and afraid at this time of the year? Go and tell that person you have been mad at for the last year that you have heard Jesus' words of forgiveness in your heart and you want them to forgive you for any hurt you have caused.
Think about the person down the street who has lost their job, that woman in church whose husband died in September, the young person who is so desperate for someone to tell them they are loved--and invite them to go with you to a Longest Night/Blue Christmas service. Instead of giving your family every single present on their lists, give them one or two gifts, and give the rest of the money you would have spent to an organization that will provide Christmas to a family with kids who would have no tree, no gifts, and no meal without your generosity. We can continue to celebrate Christmas in the same old, same old way we have for years, or we can listen and see, then go and tell of the new life, the new hope, the new way Jesus brings into the world.
ANOTHER VIEW
A Prayer for the Shopping Mall
Paul Bresnahan
We are approaching the peak shopping season. We run ourselves ragged this time of year and the subliminal music we hear in the supermarkets reinforces our inclination to buy. Many of us become a bit impatient with ourselves as the pace picks up toward Christmas but we do it anyway. Such is the love of our families that we cannot help but go about our errands as we more or less expect ourselves to do.
Into this annual routine John the Baptist also makes his annual liturgical visit. I picture him in his unusual dress, eating locusts and wild honey, perhaps a bit wild-eyed and annoyed with our preoccupation with the bazaar mentality... and he announces the advent of the kingdom of Jesus; "Repent!" he says.
We stop dead in our tracks, even if only for just a moment... and then go back about our business. To be sure John has a point. But it is just not practical and it doesn't reach me where I truly live. So we return back into our routine.
Sometimes I remember that I have forgotten to pray. I tend not to think about prayer in the mall. This year it's different. A crazed young man with a rifle opens fire in the mall, and I pray instantly, beginning with the primitive prayer; "O my God!"
There are other kinds of prayers to offer God. Ignatius Loyola encourages us to spend at least 20 minutes in gratitude before we even move into the sphere of personal or intercessory prayer. He is right. For us to strike any depth in our practice of the presence of God, the place to begin is with gratitude.
When I teach catechism, I always ask the class to name the seven different kinds of prayer. The first six are mentioned quite quickly. Adoration, praise, thanksgiving, petition, intercession, penitence; but then there's a pause... what is the seventh?
More often than not I have to say it. It is the prayer, of course, of oblation. It is the prayer that offers oneself in concert with God for the purposes of God. We are a consumer society and we have a hard time thinking of this kind of prayer.
In other words the prayer of oblation is the prayer that says; "God, you can count on me to do whatever it takes to make your will a reality." What a wonderful prayer. Wouldn't we all love to have churches filled with people who said that prayer in their heart of hearts? Imagine a world that said prayed that prayer with all the heart, soul, and mind of humankind. What a world this would be!
John the Baptist prepared the way for the One who gave himself as an oblation to God with his life. He is the One who is the perfect oblation, offering and satisfaction for the sins of the whole world. Jesus asked the same of his followers. His followers asked the same of their followers and so on. Here we are so many years later. We can ask nothing less now of one another.
For the church and the culture around it to live; for it to live in all the abundance that Christ offers us, we must rediscover the power of this prayer so that we too can be a fragrant offering to God for the sins this world is so dangerously prone to commit. We live in dangerous world when people can shoot out randomly in schools malls and churches. Suicide attacks at home and abroad seem to be in vogue. It makes no sense.
What makes more sense is to offer ourselves in concert with God for the purposes of God. We are here to make peace, proclaim forgiveness, and share a compassionate heart in a world that is dark with fear and violence. We are missing our soul when we forget to pray. We are missing our soul when we forget that we have nothing to give... but when we remember that we are a perfect gift from God for one another our soul returns and God's glory shines once again.
ILLUSTRATIONS
This week on Friday, as the longest, darkest night of the year comes upon us, it's good for us to remember that we have a loving Lord who comes to us in the midst of our darkest times, bringing his tender, understanding love for each of us.
Teresa of Avila, who lived from 1515 to 1582, wrote:
May you be blessed forever, Lord, for offering your hand of love in my darkest, most lonely moment.
May you be blessed forever, Lord, for loving me more than I love myself.
May you be blessed forever, Lord, for being constant and unchanging, amidst all the changes of the world.
* * *
As we prepare, during this Advent season, to welcome our Lord into our midst--into our hearts, into our homes, and into our congregation--we need to make him the center of all we do. We need to not be so busy preparing that we don't have any energy left to enjoy his arrival.
Barbara Jurgensen talks about this in her poem "The Welcome":
Into our wilderness
comes a voice
crying,
"Prepare the way
for the Lord!"
But how do we prepare?
Do we go into a frenzy
of trying to
straighten up things?
Or do we realize
there's too much of that to do
and give up?
Either way,
we'll never be ready.
But we say,
simply,
"Jesus,
come."
-- Barbara Jurgensen, Following You, p. 11.
* * *
A recent 60 Minutes program interviewed an Anglican priest who serves an underground congregation in a city in Iraq. Christians there, he said, are experiencing the worst persecution in almost 2,000 years--the worst persecution in the whole history of the Christian church.
Churches there have been bombed till the members are afraid to worship in any church any longer. So many members have been killed for their faith that the remaining members now slip quietly, by ones and twos, into a basement somewhere and risk their lives to quietly sing and pray and hear God's Word together.
And, he said, they also must be very quiet about their celebrating of this holy season in their homes. So their observance of Advent and Christmas is stripped down to it barest essentials: to giving thanks in their hearts for the birth of Jesus.
* * *
If we want to put Christ into Christmas, we need to remember Jesus' advice that "by their fruits we shall know them." There is an old joke that illustrates this very well.
A man was being tailgated by a stressed out woman on a busy boulevard. Suddenly, the light turned yellow, just in front of him. He did the right thing stopping at the crosswalk, even though he could have beaten the red light by accelerating through the intersection.
The tailgating woman was furious and honked her horn, screaming in frustration as she missed her chance to get through the intersection, dropping her cell phone and makeup.
As she was still in mid-rant, she heard a tap on her window and looked up into the face of a very serious police officer. The officer ordered her to exit her car with her hands up. He took her to the police station where she was searched, finger printed, photographed, and placed in a holding cell. After a couple of hours, a policeman approached the cell and opened the door. She was escorted back to the booking desk where the arresting officer was waiting with her personal effects.
He said, "I'm very sorry for this mistake. You see, I pulled up behind your car while you were blowing your horn, flipping off the guy in front of you, and cussing a blue streak at him. I noticed the 'What Would Jesus Do' bumper sticker, the 'Choose Life' License plate holder, the 'Follow Me to Sunday-School' bumper Sticker, and the chrome-plated Christian fish emblem on the trunk. Naturally... I assumed you had stolen the car."
* * *
I once read a letter to the editor taking offence at people who have taken Christ out of Christmas by having shortened the reference to Xmas. While most clergy know that the X in Greek was the first letter for Christ and that the symbol was well known in early Christianity, I was most interested in a response made by a scientist. He wrote that in his world the X was always the unknown factor in an equation. He went on to say that for him Christ was always the "unknown factor" in the equation of life. He had learned to trust Christ but never presume to understand that he fully understood Christ. At the same time, he understood that it was Christ who completed the equation.
* * *
Bruce Forbes, in his new book, Christmas: a Candid History, University of California Press, reminds us that much of what we love about Christmas predates Christianity. The Roman midwinter festival Saturnalia closely resembled the modern holiday, with weeks of eating and drinking, gift giving, wreaths of evergreens, and concern for the less fortunate.
From the beginning, the Church's hold over Christmas was (and remains still) rather tenuous. There were always people for whom Christmas was a time of pious devotion rather than carnival, but such people were always in the minority. It may not be gong too far to say that Christmas has always been an extremely difficult holiday to Christianize.
He then concludes, "One idea I do not recommend is a campaign to turn Christmas into the purely spiritual holiday it never was. My understanding is that the Christmas message is 'incarnation,' that God entered fully into the world. So combining Jesus' birthday party with at least some worldly celebration seems appropriate."
-- Taken from a review in Christian Century, December 11, 2007
* * *
A television interviewer was walking the streets of Tokyo at Christmas time. Much as in America, Christmas shopping is a big commercial success in Japan. The interviewer stopped one young women on the sidewalk, and asked, "What is the meaning of Christmas?"
Laughing, she responded, "I don't know. Is that the day that Jesus died?"
There was some truth in her answer.
-- Donald L. Deffner, Seasonal Illustrations for Preaching and Teaching (Resource Publications, 1992), p. 16
* * *
Remember those pictures we had in elementary school that we had to study and figure out what was wrong with the picture? One was a farm scene with a barn, cows, and a windmill, and near the pond there was this grand piano. In another, there would be a schoolroom scene with desks, a blackboard, and a teacher, but in the back row there would be a pirate sitting there with a parrot on his shoulders. What's wrong with this picture?
What's wrong with the Christmas picture? Bethlehem is overrun with people--not tourists, mind you, but reluctant travelers who had been ordered by the occupied troops to return to their family of origin in order to be counted for the census. Taxes. With so many people claiming David as an ancestor, this sleepy hamlet quickly becomes chaotic. It almost looks like a scene from "Where's Waldo?" or a battle scene from Lord of the Rings because there are people everywhere, moving, traveling, sitting, tired, and hungry. Tempers are short. Frustration runs high. Some are on donkeys, but most are walking. They are everywhere. It looks like a disturbed fire ant pile--people are scurrying in every direction, and while you can't figure out a pattern, you know that they are moving with some purpose toward some unknown destination--and they are upset. They would rather be home.
If you look closely enough in the confusion, you will see a young, Jewish girl, hardly old enough to be a mother, nine months pregnant, on a donkey, lead by a man going from hotel to hotel, house to house, and inn to inn looking for some place for her to rest. But it is dark. The hour is late. There is no room for them in the inn.
See the picture? Is there anything out of place? Anything wrong? There is no halo--just dirty, matted hair after traveling from Nazareth. There is no beacon of light--just whatever dim glow given off by the moon or an occasional candle. There are no angelic voices--just the raised voices of frustrated travelers who don't want to be there. But is anything wrong? Out of place? No. Nothing. Not this night.
With all the confusion, it's hard to find the Christ in the midst of the chaos. Not much has changed with this picture, has it?
* * *
I suppose we all have stories of Political Correctness gone amok, but I had one recently that seemed over the top. We had a mother in my congregation who was the room mom for her daughter's third-grade class. When December came, this mom was in charge of the party. She knew she couldn't call it a Christmas Party nor would it be appropriate to call it a Hanukkah Party. She suggested "Holiday Happenings" but was told by the higher powers that this was not a holiday for everybody. She was told that the name of the party would be "Twinkle Time." Though irritated with the name, she went forward with the party but when she brought napkins with pictures of presents, she was told to get different ones because not everyone exchanges presents. When she came back with green and red plain napkins, she was told that those were the colors for Christmas and could not be used. So with white and blue napkins (the color of the school) and vanilla ice cream and chocolate chip cookies, they celebrated... who knows what? But the kids enjoyed the snack.
WORSHIP RESOURCE
Thom Shuman
Call to Worship
Leader: Be patient!
The time is coming when
we will celebrate the birth of Christ,
People: when we will sing and rejoice, dancing with everlasting joy. Leader: But for now,
let us wait in this season of Advent,
People: when God speaks in dreams and visions,
when we are invited to dance into the kingdom. Leader: For this is Advent,
when all the world rejoices in its Creator,
People: when those who limp will learn new dance steps,
when the speechless burst forth in
"Joy to the World."
Prayer of the Day
God:
using the unnoticed,
you accomplish the unexpected
for an uncaring world;
with the Bread of life,
you restore the brokenness
of your creation;
letting go of your Child,
you fill our emptiness
with grace beyond measure.
Ever-new, always-scarred
Jesus Christ:
in you,
those silenced by the world
hear the whispers of angels
bring good news;
in you,
those shoved to the side
lead the race into the kingdom;
in you,
those who grope in darkness
are clasped firmly by your love.
Advent's Spirit:
you fill the voiceless
with the promises of your Word;
you lead us out of exile,
placing God's beloved kin
on the Holy Way to freedom,
not letting a single one of us lose our way.
God in Community, Holy in One,
hear us as we lift the prayer Jesus has taught us,
saying, Our Father . . .
Call to Reconciliation
In this holiest of seasons, we can become so cynical:
to doubt, to wonder, to question. In this time of
bright lights and celebration, we can be blinded to
the need around us. It is easy to grumble about
what we do not have, rather than hearing the songs of
children. Let us confess how we lose our way during
this time, so that God will forgive us, and put us back
on the Holy Way.
Unison Prayer of Confession
God of hopes and joys, because it is easy for us
to forget what you have done for us in the birth of
Jesus, we can easily step off your path and wander
the streets of the world. Our indifference keeps us
from seeing those overlooked by our culture. Our fear
keeps us from reaching out for your future. Our
grumbling silences the angel speaking to us of your
coming toward us.
Forgive us, God of Advent. Fill our emptiness with the everlasting joy of your grace. Blow away our arrogant attitudes with your Spirit of compassion. Embolden our hearts with the courage of your Child, Jesus Christ, who became one of us that we might be your redeemed forever.
(silent prayers may be offered)
Assurance of Pardon
Leader: Be strong, do not fear! Our God is here!
Your eyes will be opened to see God's
salvation coming to you.
People: Our spirits rejoice in God our Savior, who
has called us blessed. Thanks be to God.
Amen.
CHILDREN'S SERMON
Now or later?
Object: a box of wrapped presents
Matthew 11:2-11
Good morning, boys and girls. Do you ever get tired of waiting for something to happen? (let them answer) Is anyone tired of waiting for Christmas? (let them answer) Why don't we just have Christmas this afternoon? You know what I mean, let's haul out the presents, tear away the paper, and open our Christmas presents. Does it sound like a good idea? (let them answer) Forget the Christmas tree and all of the decorations around the house. Most of them are up anyway, aren't they? Forget about the other children and their Christmas. When they have their Christmas, we will play with their gifts. Let's forget about Grandma and Grandpa coming over to the house. Let's give them a call and if they can make it, fine, but let's have our Christmas now. The Christmas dinner isn't any reason to wait. After all, we like peanut butter and jelly and we can have that for Christmas dinner. We don't care about the Christmas carols, Santa Claus, Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer, Christmas cards, special candy, and all of those things. We just want our presents, and we are tired of waiting for something to come that is more than a week away. How many of you agree? Who doesn't want to wait? (let them answer)
There is something good about waiting, isn't there? We like it when our cousins come over to our house and we share each other's gifts. We love the turkey and mashed potatoes and gravy. We really like being surprised by the things Grandpa and Grandma bring to our house. We even like to hear all of the people in church sing the great Christmas hymns, and we love the candlelight service when all of the lights are turned out and only the candles are lit. Most of all, we love to hear the Christmas story about the shepherds and the angels singing to them when they are out in the fields with their sheep. What about the inn being full and Joseph and Mary staying in a stable with a manger full of hay? Don't forget the Baby Jesus who sleeps in the hay. We really do think it is worth waiting for, don't we?
John the Baptist was a pretty impatient person, and he was a man of great action. He wondered what was taking Jesus so long to be recognized by all of the people as their king. John wanted Jesus to take action, but Jesus said it was worth the wait to heal the sick and make the deaf hear and bring the good news to the poor people. God has a plan, and part of it is waiting for just the right time that God has chosen for all of us.
I think you can wait a little longer. While you are waiting, enjoy Jesus being a part of your week. When the time is just right, you will celebrate with all of us the birth of the Baby Jesus into our world. Amen.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
The Immediate Word, December 16, 2007, issue.
Copyright 2007 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to The Immediate Word service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons and in worship and classroom settings only. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to permissions@csspub.com or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 517 South Main Street, Lima, Ohio 45804.
