DOING CHRISTMAS
Rev. Kevin Anderson (12-24-11)
Let us pray:
Gracious and loving God tonight on this Christmas eve,
on this night of nights.
We come to a place of anticipation for a new Christmas Morn.
Let us experience the birth of Christ anew
with the wonder and awe of those arriving at the manger for the first time.
And Lord, let the words of my mouth
and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight,
Almighty Father Now and Forever, Amen.
This Advent season, we have been on a journey.
A journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem,
with millions of other Christians from around the world.
We might have all started in different places,
yet we all have had the same DESTINATION in mind.
And tonight, we have all come to be in the midst of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ as we humble ourselves before our King
“FOR UNTO US A CHILD IS BORN, UNTO US A SON IS GIVEN[KA1] ”
On this Journey over Advent season there have been many wonderful stops along the road to Bethlehem.
It is possible to fill up almost every night for the full advent season with new places to go
and things to see, hear and do that surround Christmas.
We are really good at DOING Christmas.
We are really good at ARGUING about Christmas
We are really good at BUYING Christmas,
We are really good with the TASKS of Christmas,
But are we good at FEELING Christmas?
It can be easy to feel burnt out from the endless
Onslaught of Christmas Cheer!
It can be maddening to hear about fights over X-Boxes, which includes pepper spray, hours of waiting and long lines.
A season of rush, a season of hustle and bustle,
This is why we need a good cup of Christmas Balance,
That balance is between the busy and quiet preparations of the season
A balance found in all the comings and goings, of Christmas parties, and Church events, of family decorations and Christmas light shows,
The wrapping and the giving of heartfelt gifts,
All Ending in those moments of stillness; drinking hot cider,
listening to Christmas Choirs on the local Classical Music Station; reading a good book next to a Christmas Tree
filled with twinkling lights.
It is IN the balance of FEELING Christmas that we truly enjoy the Journey and the process of arriving at Bethlehem.
We have all been on the journey together this season ,
No matter where we started from
The people of Isaiah’s time were also traveling
On a journey together; they were a people walking in darkness
Searching and waiting for a great light, a Savoir,
The Messiah for the world.
This darkness for them was caused by an onslaught
Of invasion and war from the Assyrians.
You see, during the time of Isaiah the land was broken into two separate Kingdoms, the Northern Kingdom of Israel and the Southern Kingdom of Judea.
And while Israel to the North had many more struggles, Judea to the south remained stable, prosperous and victorious in battle.
In Judea, under the reign of King Uzziah,
The Philistines were driven back,
highways for trading opened wider,
And while there was friction between landowners and farmers Over issues of taxation for the most part the kingdom was do well.
King Uzziah was from the lineage of David which symbolized the strength and the special Covenant God made with David.
Isaiah believed the Messiah would come from this Lineage
and that His kingdom would have no end.
Well things changed for the Judeans and all of Israel after the death of this King;
The countryside began to experience the pains of violence,
The hardships of war, political unrest, famine, and stryfe.
These were the headlines of the day,
The people searched for the Lord in the wind,
But the Lord was not in the Wind,
The people looked for the Lord in the Earthquake;
But the Lord was not in the Earthquake,
So the people looked for the Lord in the fire;
But the Lord was not in the fire, but after the fire;
Came a still small voice of the Lord!
(this was HOPE for the People of Israel)..
Dispite Winds of stryfe, earthquakes of war, fires of drought and famine HOPE remained steadfast, even in the darkest of hours……
Isaiah declares, “ A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.
2 The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him—
the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
the Spirit of counsel and of might,
the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the LORD—
3 and he will delight in the fear of the LORD.”
During the time of his prophecy, Isaiah like the other Phrophets was searching, seeking, and on a journey for Hope
—for the Messiah.
The Biblical headlines of the day are not so different than our own. We only have to turn on our radio or local news program
To feel the pains of our time.
It can be easy for us to see a world and a people
still living in darkness.
For us today, we might feel the struggle of emotional loss, economic uncertainty, stress, moments of axieity, transition, shame, division, guilt, and human sin; the list goes on and on!
This list can feel bigger than our Christmas shopping lists and longer than Santa’s naughty and nice list.
Living in unrest, and during this season of Advent maybe not living into the balance of the journey.
At the beginning of this advent season, I was tired,
I found myself having trouble FEELING Christmas.
With one thing stacked on another. And another and another,
I felt that I was riding out the wave of busyness that came with the season, that comes from being a Pastor, a Husband and a Parent of two Little Ones.
But like the people of Isaiah I craved something more
I desired more and my heart wanted more.
I wanted to experience this journey with fresh eyes and able feet. I would not let the Rush of the season win;
The realization that buying, decorating and putting lights on a Christmas tree did not have to happen in ONE day
Was Liberating
Realizing that the Garlands, Wreaths, and outdoor lights did not have to be all attached to the house in one Saturday afternoon Was Refreshing
Understanding that HUMANIY is a WORK IN PROGRESS< that WE ARE A WORK IN PROGRESS,
Progressing forward towards Christmas
Restored my Spirits,
Christmas is not about COMPLETING THE TASK,
Christmas is about BEING IN the PROCESS,
Enjoying the PROCESS with those you LOVE
All of the sudden the distance to Bethlehem did not feel so unnerving.
All of a sudden the road toward Bethlehem became a pilgrimage.
For some, the distance of the journey might not feel as intense or as many miles as last year, for others it might feel a lot harder and further away then last year.
For Mary and Joseph it would have taken around 80 miles from Nazareth to Bethlehem and it could have amounted to about a week or more of travel, all this while pregnant with our Lord.
For the Magi, the Three Kings from the East, it could have been a journey of months, trudging through desert sands on the backs of Camels.., bringing many gifts for our mighty King
And for the Shepherds in the fields that night it might have only been a few miles, following the instructions of Angels
Yet they all reached the same destination.
Once Mary and Joseph ARRIVED in Bethlehem, Joseph began running from house to house seeking shelter knocking on doors
There was so MUCH DOING at that time due to the Roman Census, that Bethlehem was crowded and busy,
So busy that there was no room at the inn.
So Mary gave birth to Christ in a lowly stable, and in that stable came a Still Small Voice.
Christ was laid in a manger bed of hay and straw,
and wrapped in swaddling clothes.
Even in this lowly of places, visitors came from afar,
traveling long roads by camel or donkey,
walking with staffs and crooks for herding,
sandals on their feet,
they came whether alone or hand in hand,
The Darkness of Night did not hinder them,
They continued on
because they wanted to FEEL something more,
They wanted to FEEL Hope,
They wanted to Feel comfort, to FEEL joy,
They came looking for a Savior.
The People had not stopped waiting and watching since the days of Isaiah.
And when they got to the place where the star shown most bright. Above a stable scene carved out from soft rock;
They FELT Christmas for the first time,
They Had ARRIVED.
Well the Good News tonight for all people is that
WE too HAVE ARRIVED!!...
Our journey has brought us here.
Wherever we have been in this process of Christmas;
we have NOW reached Bethlehem.
Our Advent journey has ended
TO WELCOME A NEW BEGINNING
Having heard the words of SCRIPTURE, having listened to the voices of Angels, having followed the Star of Bethlehem, and like the shepherds watching their fields by night we have said,
“Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”
Finally stopping to rest in the stillness of night,
We have ARRIVED at the Manger throne.
Once we were no people, and now we are God’s people,
Once we were a people walking in darkness, and now we have seen a great light.
No matter how dark our world CAN become, the light of Christ is brighter than all the darkness.
For HIS Kingdom will have no end
For the light of Christ is OF GOD,
The light of Christ IS God,
And This newborn child IS Light to the world.
Our Advent journey might end here,
but our travels have just begun.
The Journey Continues.
And no matter where they might lead us, no matter the condition of the Path in front of us, we walk the path together,
Going forth no longer following a star,
But following the LIGHT which is Christ.
Let us shine that light BRIGHTLY for all the WORLD to SEE!
[KA1]Why in caps?
