Christmas Eve Meditation Luke 2: 1-20

“And Mary pondered all these things in her heart.” I can imagine all that Mary had to ponder. Up until now, it has been Mary’s cousin Elizabeth, and Joseph that have shared her experience of encountering God in dreams and voices. I’m sure the world around her was rather condemning of this young women and smiled sarcastically at her stories of God’s favor. Now these shepherds appear telling stories of angels, and angel choirs and they are repeating the promise she heard those many months before. “Savior, messiah, king.”

Those of us who know parenthood, know that when we were brand new at it, we listened closely to all that those who knew more than we did had to say. I remember listening and pondering when the older members of the congregation looked at my newborn and said things like – that’s the face of a doctor, or those are the hands of a piano player, I can only imagine hearing words that your child was born to be king, or savior.

Pondering is one of my favorite past-times. I confess that I probably spend way too much time pondering. I ponder things like the pictures we saw on the video at the beginning of the service. Those pictures from the Hubble telescope that show borders of distant universes, or the birth of stars and mysterious gases – I ponder how creation continues to create. I ponder this crazy, amazing world we live in. The incredible complexity of it and the realities of life in other lands.

Now I don’t listen to much AM radio but I found myself pondering something I heard there just a couple of weeks ago. I don’t know what station it was or even whose show it was, but the host was discussing the latest atheist view. Atheist have said that Christmas has nothing to do with Jesus or Christianity but that it is a non-religious holiday about present giving and simply “being good for goodness sake.” Now that view alone is not one that I ponder, but it was what happened after that. The host did not agree and felt that Christmas was a religious holiday and he asked for other callers to call in and share their thoughts. 5 calls in a row – and all of them agreed that Christmas was not religious but it was about winter, it was about the joy of giving, it was about family, but had nothing to do with Christianity or religion.

Now I ponder that the world has changed that much that it would take so much to find agreement that Christmas is a religious holiday. I ponder that Christianity is seen so negatively in the world that there is resistance to seeing one of the central celebrations of our faith as anything other than the celebration of the birth of Jesus. I ponder the future and where this debate will be in 10 years.

We have undertaken a sermon series these last four weeks of Advent called the Advent Conspiracy – with the underlying question: Can Christmas still change the world? We were challenged to change how we celebrated Christmas – we were challenged to spend less, give more and worship fully and love all…we were challenged to step away from the part of the world that knows Christmas as something other than a religious holiday and to make our celebrations centered on the good news of God with us!

The first Christmas night, no matter the historical realities of dates and seasons, that first Christmas night and the birth of Jesus – set in motion changes that the world continues to experience. Grace and justice, sacrifice and generosity, life after death, and things like hope and peace and love and joy. The gospel of John speaks of Jesus’ birth as a great light that came into the world to overcome the darkness that existed.

By our gathering together this night, here in this service, we are in agreement – this night is about Christ. Savior of the world, born into this world, so that we might know God is among us, God cares about us and God cares for us. And it is in your presence here this night, that we are able to look and see God at work in each of our lives in the stories we have to share and that God is at work through each one of us in the gifts that we bring to serve.

As was apparent in that radio broadcast, the world is not yet convinced of what we know in our hearts. Yes, Christmas can still change the world! All that is left to ponder is what part we will each play in the living out of that change.

May you find the hope you need to share your story,

may you find the courage you need to take the steps that will turn heads and change hearts,

may you find the peace that as a child of God you have been given all that you need to live the life God is calling you to,

may you know, that in the mysteries of this night, there is more than meets the eye, there is God coming to us again – as a gift that was meant to forever reconcile the world and bring peace upon the earth. Amen

Showing up in the Rain

I was looking through a book catalog recently, and there was a title "What Pastors Want Congregations to Know." I did not order the book but the title intrigued me and I began to wonder what chapter I might write. Let's see, there is the one on "putting it back where you found it" or the "quiet during the prelude would be good" but then it started raining. And it was still raining on Sunday morning and then it hit me! That would be my chapter: "Showing Up in the Rain." What many may not know, is that in the wee hours of a Sunday morning, I begin thinking and praying about who might be at church that day. About the service and whatever elements I am responsible for, and that God would be glorified at the end of the day. And when it rains, (or snows) those prayers change a little, because I know there are some that won't be there that day because of the weather.

I would never want anyone to be in danger, and I know well that it is a long walk to our front door - so I understand not coming - but I do wish for those who could make it - to come and be part of the gathered body inspite of the weather.

When I teach Confirmation, I always tell the students that when they come to church, it affirms my faith as well as theirs. It says that we all thought it was more important to come to church than to stay at home and that God was worth the effort that day.

So on this particular weekend of rain - I was very blessed by the dear people who showed up. The Octogenarians who braved the rain drops to come and worship - if affirmed my faith - and God was indeed glorified as a result!