The Seventh Day of Christmas 2024

 New Year's Eve, or Watchnight

I think we need to go back to Watchnight.  Late night services for Christians to review the year that has passed and make confession, and then prepare for the year ahead through prayer and resolutions.  For many, this also carries a liberation component.  Being set free.  In remembrance of the African American congregants gathering December 31, 1862, expectantly waiting confirmation of the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863.

That all seems particularly appropriate to reflect on this season, as 2024 has remained a year of change.  Avalyn starting Fifth Grade, the last year of elementary.  Jude starting Second Grade.  Jamie’s second year as the theater teacher in Brownsburg.  

It has also been a marvelous time in seeing God's faithfulness, his provision, and his care.

It gives us much to hope for in the new year.  Hope for change and for a breakthrough.  Hope for a return to something close to normal.

As we all start to prepare for countdowns, for closure, for change, for the ringing out of the old and in with the new, I pray you all have a safe and wonderful night.  I pray you have time to reflect on what you've been brought through, and to recognize if nothing else, how you survived.  To recognize those that have pulled you through or been right there beside you.

To those who have continued to read through this second year of posts, thank you.  It means more than you can imagine.

To all, have a great night!  May it be safe and blessed and may your transition into this new year, into the new bring everything.  Highs and lows, joy and tears.  But through it all, may it bring love, kindness, generosity, and grace.

The Sixth Day of Christmas 2024

 The Feast of The Holy Family

"Every year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the Festival of the Passover. When he was twelve years old, they went up to the festival, according to the custom. After the festival was over, while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it. Thinking he was in their company, they traveled on for a day. Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends. When they did not find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him. After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers. When his parents saw him, they were astonished. His mother said to him, 'Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.' 'Why were you searching for me?' he asked. 'Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?' But they did not understand what he was saying to them.

Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart. And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man."

Luke 2:41-52

Today for the Sixth Day of Christmas, we look at the Feast of the Holy Family.  It would normally be on the Sunday between Christmas and New Year's Day, but that will be New Year's Day.

We know precious little about the life of the Holy Family.  Of the accounts that we have of Jesus's family life before his ministry, the account of him at the temple is the most complete.  We further have mentions of his circumcision and presentation and the family flight to Egypt and return to Nazareth.

Otherwise it would seem that Jesus's early life was fairly uneventful.  From Matthew, we see that early in Jesus's ministry, it is asked, "Isn't this the carpenter's son?  Isn't his mother's name Mary, and aren't his brothers James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas?"  Had Jesus performed more miraculous signs early in his life, surely those would have been known.  He would have already had a reputation.  As it was, he began developing his reputation with his ministry.

This means we have a lot of questions about his early life.  We don't know his family's relationship with their relatives.  Were Mary and Joseph shunned for their early, unplanned pregnancy?  For the rumors and shame they brought on the family?  Beyond Zechariah, Elizabeth, and John, did anyone else believe them?  Did they have anyone they could share their burdens, their questions with?

How did the time in Egypt affect the family?  What was their reception when they returned?

How did Jesus get along with his siblings?  Were they older siblings, as assumed in the denominations that perpetuate the virginity of Mary, or were they younger siblings trying to live up to Jesus's example?

How often did Joseph and Mary feel it was too much to handle, too much to bear?  How often did they worry about the life of the child they were caring for?  How often did they get angry at him for doing the things all normal children do?  How often were they frustrated with him, hurt by him?

We don't know how long Joseph lived into Jesus's life.  We assume that he may have passed away before Jesus's ministry began, because we never hear about him after the account at the temple.  Is this because he passed away or because he didn't support Jesus's ministry?  How long did Jesus apprentice under Joseph as a carpenter?  What was their relationship like?  Was there a bit of contention there?

Like many things, we have a tendency to sanitize the family life of Jesus because of an assumption of what holiness looks like.  We assume because this was God's plan everything was ordered and peaceful.  We assume the absence of chaos and stress.  The absence of storms.  

We forget that God's plan for Mary and Joseph immediately subjected them to rumors.  Immediately cast them into chaos.  The promise was not that the storms wouldn't come, it's that the one who calms the storm was going to be with them.

So for everyone in this season whose life is a mess...

Whatever your family life may look like...

Whatever your past has held...

Whatever your future may bring...

Remember, it's into these lives that God steps in and works.  In the midst of it all, in the uneventful and the chaotic alike, may you find him.  May you treasure him in your heart.  May you grow in wisdom and stature, and find favor with God and man.

The Fifth Day of Christmas 2024

 St. Thomas Beckett

On the fifth day of Christmas, we talk about murder. Specifically a murder that happened 851 years ago. The Murder in the Cathedral, when the king’s men, acting on the “suggestion” of King Henry II put Archbishop Thomas Beckett to death for his defiance of the king. 

Becket had once been a trustee advisor to the king. He served as Lord Chancellor to King Henry and had even fostered the king’s son Henry as was the custom of the time. Becket as chancellor had focused on strengthening the secular governmental position. The expectation was that he would strengthen the tie between the church and the state with his appointment to Archbishop. 

Becket, however, saw things differently. And saw the importance of a distinction between the church and the crown.  He would repeatedly fight Henry on the jurisdiction of the English courts over church officials, the independence of the priests, and the influence of Rome. He became a fugitive and an exile to avoid the king’s ire. 

Eventually it was a breach of protocol that proved to be the final straw. King Henry had the Bishops of York, London, and Salisbury crown the heir apparent in 1170. Seeing this as a flagrant disregard of his privilege as the Archbishop of Canterbury, Becket excommunicated all three of them in November 1170.

It’s in response to this excommunication we have the scene that has transcended history. When told the news, Henry is said to have replied to his men, “What miserable drones and traitors have I nourished and brought up in my household, who let their lord be treated with such shameful contempt by a low-born cleric?" Or perhaps more famously, “Will no one rid me of this turbulent priest?”

His men saw this as a direct order and carried out the execution swiftly. On December 29, 1170, four of the king’s knights traveled to Canterbury to force Becket back to Winchester to account for his actions. From all accounts of the story, they left their weapons outside and only went back to retrieve them once Becket refused to accompany them. When the knights left to retrieve their weapons, the other monks at Canterbury tried to bolt the doors, but Becket refused. “It is not right to make a fortress out of the house of prayer!”

When the knights returned, they asked, “Where is Thomas Becket, traitor to King and country?” Becket replied, “I am no traitor and I am ready to die.” And with that, the knights went to work. It took several blows, but the Archbishop was murdered there on the cathedral floor, in a spot near a door to the monastic quarters, the stairs to the crypt, and the stairs to the quire. 

“For the name of Jesus and the protection of the Church, I am ready to embrace death.”

Swiftly after his execution, Becket started being recognized as a martyr. And by 1173, he had been canonized as a saint by Pope Alexander III. December 29 has become his feast day. 

We have a lot to learn from Becket today and in many ways are in large need of more religious leaders that will follow in his example. 

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention which part of his fight we can and should do without first. We have no need for the desire to keep church officials out of the secular court system. This has done nothing but create huge problems for the church throughout its existence. It is the ugly stain behind the Catholic Church and Southern Baptist Convention sexual abuse scandals on the macro level and the complicity in abuse of local churches at the micro level. When churches misuse and distort the doctrines of grace and repentance to cover up for abuse by keeping it as a matter for the church to govern, it is sin. Plain and simple. For believers, God instituted both government and the church, and gave specific purposes to each. To circumvent this system runs counter to his design. 

What we do need, and need desperately, are religious leaders that will fight any erosion between church and state. That will fight to keep the church set apart, distinct, holy. That will not be swayed by the promise of power. 

I’m sure there are pastors who believe they are standing in that gap. They are standing up to the current “corrupt” government in their eyes. They may even chuckle or more at minced epitaphs like “Let’s go Brandon.”   The are extremely excited for the coming government, as they believe it to be a vindication of their political battles.

It’s easy to oppose something when it’s not your side. 

But how many of those same leaders were calling out the actions of the coming administration when they were improper before and are revealing improper intentions upcoming? How many leaders are still trying to curry favor with that president for his return to office and the power and influence it will bring? How many religious leaders sold their souls for Supreme Court Justices?

Forget leaders, how many Christians sold their souls so their team could be in power?

No doubt there are leaders that are standing in the gap, making their opposition known and like Becket trying to keep the church set apart. But in our largest Protestant denomination, in the most “powerful” Christian block, the one closest to home, we are not seeing it. 

Today, on the Feast of Thomas Becket, that should be a somber reflection. 

“Now is my way clear, now is the meaning plain:
Temptation shall not come in this kind again.
The last temptation is the greatest treason:
To do the right deed for the wrong reason.”

The Fourth Day of Christmas 2024

 The Massacre of the Innocents

"Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men.  Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying:

 'A voice was heard in Ramah,
Lamentation, weeping, and great mourning,
Rachel weeping for her children,
Refusing to be comforted,
Because they are no more.'"

Matthew 2:16-18

Massacre of the Innocents by Léon Cogniet (1824)

There's a part of the Christmas story that we do not really talk about at all.  The massacre of the innocents.  After the Magis' visit, Herod becomes so enraged that he orders the execution of all male children in Bethlehem and its districts two and under.

Joseph is warned in a dream, so he takes Mary and Jesus and begins the flight to Egypt, where they will stay for the next several years.  And to the extent that we do mention it, this is generally where our discussion ends.

In doing so, we ignore a reality of the Christmas story.  That for the great joy it brings, it also includes great suffering.  A reminder of why the Christ child had to come.

Imagine the scene in Bethlehem.  Mothers scrambling to protect their infants.  Families torn apart by soldiers looking for such a child.  The chaos in the streets as they are going door to door.

The wailing of mothers' cries in the air.   Their anguish filling the streets.

Today, many scholars and historians question the historical accuracy of the account.  Josephus does not contain any mention of the event.  Modern biographers of Herod often dismiss the story as an invention, particularly given the comparison to Pharaoh's actions in Moses' story.  It became, then, the subject of liturgy and apocrypha.  Macrobius wrote in his Saturnalia, "When he [emperor Augustus] heard that among the boys in Syria under two years old whom Herod, king of the Jews, had ordered killed, his own son was also killed, he said: it is better to be Herod's pig, than his son."  Byzantine liturgy estimates 14,000 victims, Syrian lists put the number at 64,000, and Coptic sources at 144,000.  Modern estimations think it could have been as small as a dozen or so.  There is thought that given the smaller number of infants potentially in the vicinity of Bethlehem at the time, it may not have warranted mention in Josephus' account.

Whatever the number, it remains a tragedy.

Artists through the ages have looked to capture the scene.  None have done as well as Cogniet has done above.  The other artists looked to capture the greater scene. The chaos, the massacre in total.  Leon Cogniet, a largely forgotten French artist, instead chose to focus on a single mother and child.  We still see the tragedy.  Another mother fleeing with two children.  A child dead on the ground.

But with the focus on the single mother and child, we feel what she is feeling.  The terror in her eyes as she stifles her child's cry.  Her eye's almost begging us for intervention.

For many, this still captures their modern Christmas.  This mother could be Ukranian, Afghani, Syrian, Yemeni, or Sudanese.  This mother could be Honduran in South Texas, her child being taken from her to be placed in a separate "detention facility."  Her being forced out of the country to a migrant tent city on the border "worse than Syrian refugee camps."

A single mother huddling in a cold, dark flat terrified of when her next meal will be.

We are called to remember them all.  At this season, yes, we are to remember the birth.  To remember the celebration.  Exceeding great joy.

But we are also called to remember the least of these.  This mother and her child on the streets of Bethlehem.

We are to remember that the coming of the Christ was to set in motion a revolution of love and justice that would eventually sweep away all tyrants and free all victims and end all wars.

"This Christmas, remember that the followers of the Christ are called not to side with empire, but to sit with the terrified, to comfort those who mourn, to join the meek and merciful and pure in heart. And to hunger and thirst for the righteousness only Jesus can bring."

That woe is me, poor child, for thee

And ever mourn and may
For thy parting neither say nor sing,

"Bye bye, lully, lullay."

Coventry Carol

The Third Day of Christmas 2024

 St. John the Apostle's Day

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was in the beginning with God.  All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.  In him was life, and the life was the light of men.  The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it."

John 1:1-5

Today marks the Feast of St. John, the evangelist.  Author of the Gospel of John and three epistles, the "disciple whom Jesus loved" is honored with a day close to Jesus's birth.  The second day of Christmas honors the first Christian martyr, St. Stephen.  The second day honors the chief evangelist.

"It is God whom we adore at Bethlehem during Christmas time. Thus it was natural that St. John, the chief evangelist of the divinity of Christ, should be found beside the crib, to disclose the greatness of the Infant who reposes therein."

St. Andrew Daily Missal

We see this need for evangelism in the response to the birth.  It's something we see over and again in the Christmas story.  The first people to receive the gospel, the first to see Jesus beyond his parents, immediately went and told what they saw.  "And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them."  When the Magi saw the signs of the birth of Christ, the first thing they did was go looking for him.  In doing so, they inquired of those who should know "Where is he who has been born the king of the Jews?  For we saw his start when it rose and have come to worship him."  They told and worshipped.

That is our natural response to good news.  We want others to know it.  Good news is meant to be shared.  And the gospel is quite literally good news.  It is the good news.  And our response is to be that of the shepherds, of the Magi, of John the Evangelist.  To go and tell.

To tell those in our family.

To tell those in our close circle of friends.

To tell those who we come in contact with.

To tell those that we interact with regularly.

To tell all who will hear.

Go tell it on the mountain, that Jesus Christ is born!

When I am a seeker,
I seek both night and day;
I seek the Lord to help me,
And He shows me the way:
Go, Tell It On The Mountain,
Over the hills and everywhere;
Go, Tell It On The Mountain
That Jesus Christ is born.

He made me a watchman
Upon the city wall,
And if I am a Christian,
I am the least of all.
Go, Tell It On The Mountain,
Over the hills and everywhere;
Go, Tell It On The Mountain
That Jesus Christ is born.

The First Day of Christmas 2024

 

"In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered.  This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria.  And all went to be registered, each to his own town.  And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child.  And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth.  And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.  And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear.  And the angel said to them, 'Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.  For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.  And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.'  And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

'Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!'

When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, 'Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.'  And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger.  And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child.  And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them.  But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart.  And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them."

I think we often run the risk of over-sanitizing the Christmas story.  Because of what we have made worship, what we have made religion, we view holy as orderly, as clean, as quiet, as presentable.  We've made that first Christmas, a silent night, a beautiful ordered pageant, worthy of a king.

In reality, that first Christmas was messy.  It wasn't pretty.

It was chaotic.

If it were us, we might look back at the time as our worst Christmas ever.

Joseph and Mary had their lives interrupted three times in a very short time.  Their planned marriage quickly turned into a scandal.  An unplanned pregnancy.  The requirement that they travel over 100 miles to Bethlehem to be taxed.  And then becoming refugees in Egypt to escape a tyrannical government.

We noticed last night that Joseph and Mary were still not married when Jesus was born.  They were still in the betrothal stage.  Jewish marriages were not completed until they were consummated, and we know Joseph did not know Mary until after Jesus was born.  Think of that, Jesus was born to unwed parents.

We have to wonder why Joseph and Mary were looking for an inn in Bethlehem.  Bethlehem was where Joseph's family was from.  In a culture where family was of the utmost importance, did they not have family any more that would take them in?  Were they ostracized from their family because of Mary's pregnancy?

The stable as well was the most unfortunate of places to be born.  It would have smelled of animal feces and urine.  It would have been dark, damp, cold.  The birth would have involved blood, and other human excretions.  A most unsanitary birthing room.  It would have involved pain and screaming.  The cries of Mary and Jesus.

And the bonding time with the baby was interrupted by ultimate outsiders, dirty, smelly shepherds.  The runts of the litter.  People who spent a little too much time with the animals.

In all that chaos, it was no less holy.  It was no less miraculous, no less worship.

So, to everyone who's life is messy, Merry Christmas!

To everyone who's life has been interrupted for the second, third, fourth time...
To everyone who is homeless...
To everyone without family...
To everyone with complicated family relationships...
To everyone at their lowest...
To everyone who is running....
To the refugees...
To the ostracized...
To the outcast...

To anyone who feels dirty, downtrodden, unloved...

Merry Christmas!

The Child is born, and He is here for all.

God bless us, everyone...

Christmas Eve 2024

 It's Christmas Eve.  I pray you and yours have a wonderful night.  May the night be spent with those you love and may the blessings of the season be upon you.  May it be all you hope for, and all you need.

'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads;
And mamma in her kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled our brains for a long winter's nap,

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below,
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer,

With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name:

"Now, Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!
On, Comet! on, Cupid! on, Donder and Blitzen!
To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!"

As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky;
So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,
With the sleigh full of Toys, and St. Nicholas too.

And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
As I drew in my head, and was turning around,
Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound.

He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot;
A bundle of Toys he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a peddler just opening his pack.

His eyes--how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow;

The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath;
He had a broad face and a little round belly,
That shook when he laughed, like a bowlful of jelly.

He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself;
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread;

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk,
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose;

He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight,
"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night."

A Visit From St. Nicholas, Clement Clarke Moore, 1823

Festivus! 2024

 

It's a Festivus for the rest of us.

Today marks the celebration of a very new holiday - Festivus.  Festivus was created for the 1997 episode of Seinfeld entitled "The Strike."  In the episode, it is revealed that George Costanza's family never really celebrated Christmas, but celebrated Festivus instead.  George's father, Frank, created the holiday after getting into a fight with another shopper over a doll one year.  Fed up with the commercial and religious aspects of Christmas, Frank set out to create his own celebration.  

Festivus is celebrated with a Festivus dinner, at which the family will partake in the Airing of Grievances and Feats of Strength.    The Airing of Grievances begins early into the dinner when Frank starts "I got a lotta problems with you people, and now you're going to hear about it!"  He then goes down around the table listing specific injuries.  The Feats of Strength is celebrated immediately after the dinner when the head of the household selects a person for a wrestling match.  Festivus then only ends when the head of household is pinned in the match.  Traditional Festivus decoration is a bare aluminum pole.

It's a comical holiday, but has gained some larger adoption.

We've celebrated Festivus, sort of, pretty regularly in our family, though our practices are a lot closer to Christmas.  Christmas Eve Eve has been our little family's Christmas.  Since we are usually at one of the grandparents' houses for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, December 23 was our opportunity to have dinner, exchange presents, and watch a Christmas movie.  We've taken to eating Chinese food, a nod to A Christmas Story.  We still exchange presents, though our movie has changed, switching from Love Actually pre-kids, to something a little more family friendly.

It's our little day and though we've moved up our celebration, we still will be partaking in a little Festivus of our own, as before.

However you are spending the day, I hope you have a very Happy Festivus and a Merry Christmas ahead.

Fourth Sunday of Advent - The Response

 On the fourth and final Sunday of Advent, we celebrate the love of God.  The greatest gift ever given! That an omnipotent, omnipresent God would step into time and space, into a moment, to live among His creation and to sacrifice Himself to provide a pathway for its restoration.

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil."

John 3:16-19

"The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth."

John 1:14

"And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

“Glory to God in the highest heaven,
    and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told."

Luke 2:8-20

"This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins."

1 John 4:10

I pray you have a wonderful day in the Lord this Advent Sunday and are able to fully appreciate the love of God as it has been poured out to us.

The message remains the same.  Good news that will bring great joy to all.

And in so doing, let's go and tell.  It is good news after all.

Blue Christmas 2024

 

"In the bleak mid-winter
Frosty wind made moan;
Earth stood hard as iron,
Water like a stone;
Snow had fallen, snow on snow,
Snow on snow,
In the bleak mid-winter
Long ago.

Our God, heaven cannot hold Him
Nor earth sustain,
Heaven and earth shall flee away
When He comes to reign:
In the bleak mid-winter
A stable-place sufficed
The Lord God Almighty —
Jesus Christ."

Today marks the winter solstice or midwinter.  It's officially the shortest day of the year, and the longest night.  This is the period people think of when discussing seasonal depression.  When it truly looks darkest.

Today has also been traditionally Blue Christmas in Western Christianity, a day in the advent season marking the longest night of the year.   Many denominations hold church services that honor people that have lost loved ones and are experiencing grief.  

That hits home this year.  Churches not just being there immediately after a loss, but really continuing to deal with and acknowledge grief.  There are so many people struggling this year, so much work to do, and this is an important part of it.  I wish more denominations and churches were doing the same.

Blue Christmas also coincides with the traditional day of the Feast of St. Thomas.  Thomas the doubter.  You have a convergence of a recognition of Thomas's struggle to believe in Jesus's physical resurrection, the long winter nights before Christmas, and the struggle of the darkness and grief that is faced by people dealing with loss, depression, loneliness, anxiety, etc.  

It's a reminder that the holidays are not always a joyous time for a multitude of reasons, and that we are still to show love and care to those who may be in such a situation.  That we should recognize them.  Honor them.  And struggle alongside them.

Do you know how many people in your midst are really hurting right now?

May this midwinter be a good time to pause and reflect.  May we be aware of our surroundings and the situations of those around us.  May we be responsive to the need.  

The joy will come.  The light shines in the darkness, breaking that great darkness right before the dawn.  

But for tonight, we remember the night, and those that it is affecting.

The Twelve Days of Christmas, An Overview

 "On the twelfth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me..."

In preparation for the series of posts beginning December 25, I post this reminder of what the Twelve Days of Christmas actually refers to.

You may have noticed many businesses and organizations refer to a Twelve Days of Christmas celebration or sale now.  Some schools even started marking the Twelve Days of Christmas at the beginning of December, because they were only going to be to school twelve days in December before Christmas break.

Without proper context, you would think this could be an accurate use of the term.  The modern Christmas season has come to be defined officially as the period from Black Friday after Thanksgiving through Christmas Day.  Unofficially, it seems to begin the day after Halloween, or All Saints Day.  This is largely because the economic component of Christmas is so important, so the focus has shifted to the shopping related days before Christmas.  We can promote this shopping season through decoration, through music, through events leading into Christmas Day, and then get everyone to return their focus to work and productivity after that one singular day. 

But, while this might be our modern focus, we know this is not the proper usage, nor the correct time period for the Twelve Days.

This specific period of time starts on Christmas Day and then continues through Epiphany.  There is some debate as to whether day one starts on Christmas Day and then finishes the day before Epiphany, or whether the twelve day period starts on the day after Christmas and then includes Epiphany at the end.  Either way Christmas Day on December 25 and Epiphany on January 6 mark the bounds of the Twelve Days of Christmas, also known as Christmastide or Twelvetide. 

Those two bounds would be the markers because it reflects the entirety of the Nativity of Christ.  Christmas Day would celebrate the birth and the stable.  The shepherds arriving, angels appearing, and the spreading of the gospel.  Epiphany, or Three Kings Day, would mark the arrival of the Magi, completing the Nativity story.

The origins of this practice date back to 567 AD, where the Council of Tours proclaimed this twelve day period between Christmas Day and Epiphany as a sacred and festive season.  Advent, or the weeks leading into Christmas, would be the more somber and reflective preparation for the feast.  But Christmastide or Twelvetide would be the celebration and the feast.  

With that in mind, traditionally, decorations for Christmas, like the Christmas tree, would not go up until Christmas Eve and then would remain up through the celebration.  They would only be taken down between Twelfth Night, the eve of January 5, and the morning of Epiphany, January 6.

Likewise, gifts may have been given each of the twelve days of this period.  This provides the inspiration for the song.  Despite what you may have read, the song is not a catechism song, with encoded symbols for Christian theology.  The symbols can be seen, but could be done with any gifts assigned to the numbers.  In other words, the numbers there are all that matter.  Rather, the origins of the song are more likely simply in a children's memory and forfeit song, given the cumulative nature of the verses.  It would be sung and repeated to see which child forgot one of the gifts first.

Over time, celebrations have developed for each of the twelve days, whether they are feasts for the saints, or more secular and traditional holidays.  I've included a snapshot below for each of the celebrations, and will be writing about each day this season starting on Christmas Day.

• The First Day of Christmas - December 25 - A Partridge in a Pear Tree
• Christmas Day
• The Second Day of Christmas - December 26 - Two Turtle Doves
• St. Stephen's Day, or the Feast of Stephen
• Boxing Day, a day to give gifts to the household staff or the poor, now mainly a shopping holiday
• Feast days of Abadiu of Antinoe, James the Just, and Synaxis of the Theotokos
• Earliest day of the Feast of the Holy Family (it would be celebrated here this year)
• The Third Day of Christmas - December 27 - Three French Hens
• Feast of St. John, Apostle and Evangelist
• Feast days for Blessed Francesco Spoto, Blessed Sara Salkahazi, Fabiola, Pope Maximus of Alexandria, Nicarete, and Theodorus and Theophanes
• The Fourth Day of Christmas - December 28 - Four Calling Birds
• Feast of the Innocents, commemorating the Massacre of the Innocents, where Herod killed the children two and under in an attempt to kill the Christ child
• Feast days for Abel, Caterina Volpicelli, and Simon the Athonite
• The Fifth Day of Christmas - December 29 - Five Golden Rings
• Memorial of St. Thomas Becket, Bishop and Martyr
• Feast days for David, King and Prophet, Jonathan, Prince of Israel, and Trophimus of Aries
• The Six Day of Christmas - December 30 - Six Geese a Laying
• Feast days for Abraham the Writer, Anysia of Salonika, Egwin of Evesham, Frances Joseph-Gaudet, Liberius of Ravenna, Pope Felix I, Ralph of Vaucelles, and Roger of Cannae 
• The Seventh Day of Christmas - December 31 - Seven Swans a Swimming
• New Year's Eve
• First Night
• Watch Night
• Hogmanay or "Auld Year's Night"
• Feast day for Pope Sylvester I
• The Eighth Day of Christmas - January 1 - Eight Maids a Milking
• New Year's Day
• The Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God
• Feast of the Circumcision of Christ, as he would have been circumcised eight days after his birth.
• Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus in some traditions
• Feast of Fools
• Feast days for Adalard of Corbie, Basil the Great, Fulgentius of Ruspe, Giuseppe Maria Tomasi, Telemachus, and Zygmunt Gorazdowski
• The Ninth Day of Christmas - January 2 - Nine Ladies Dancing
• The second day of New Year
• Feast of Sts. Basil the Great and Gregory of Nazianzus
  
• Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus in some traditions
• Feasts also for Defendens of Thebes, Johann Konrad Wilhelm Lohe, Macarius of Alexandria, Seraphim of Sarov, and Vedanayagam Samuel Azariah 
• The Tenth Day of Christmas - January 3 - Ten Lords a Leaping
• Memorial of the Holy Name of Jesus
• Feasts for Daniel of Padua, Genevieve, Kuriakose Elias Chavara, Pope Anterus, and William Passavant
• The Eleventh Day of Christmas - January 4 - Eleven Pipers Piping
• Feasts for Angela of Foligno, Elizabeth Ann Seton, Ferreol of Uzes, Mavilus, Pharaildis of Ghent, and Rigobert
• The Twelfth Day of Christmas - January 5 - Twelve Drummers Drumming
• Twelfth Night, forever memorialized as the title for one of Shakespeare's works
• Feasts for Charles of Mount Argus, John Neumann, Pope Telesphorus, and Simeon Stylites
• Epiphany - January 6 - We Three Kings

A celebratory season indeed.  And an opportunity for a lot that we in our faith forget over the Christmas story.

A Christmas Carol - The Ghost of Christmas Present

 "Come in and know me better, man"

A Christmas Carol is a story that gets a lot of play in our house during this time of year.  We have the recent Jim Carrey motion capture version that Jamie used in class, as it is one of the most faithful adaptations.  We watch Mickey's Christmas Carol for Scrooge McDuck (lovingly homaged in last year's Ducktales Christmas episode).  We watch the derivations of the story, like Rod Serling's haunting Carol for Another Christmas or the noir Cash on Demand.  And of course, we watch the best adaptation of them all - Muppet Christmas Carol.  I'm not joking on that last part.  Michael Caine has to be one of the best Ebeneezer Scrooge's ever because he plays the role with such sincerity.  The perfect straight-man while surrounded by Muppets.  Someday soon, we'll have to catch the Indiana Repertory Theater's annual version. (Jamie was this close this year to going with a class).

Over the last several years, the Ghost of Christmas Present has become a fascinating figure to me.  A Father Christmas like figure.  A giant of a man - a symbol of plenty.  A cornucopia for a torch and a bountiful feast before him.  And through his journey he shows Scrooge the abundance of the celebration, even for those of meager means.

I also love the detail of him carrying an empty scabbard.  A symbol of the message the angels brought for this time of year, "on Earth peace, goodwill toward men."  The sword is not needed, the Savior is here.

The spirit also serves as a reminder to us of the fleeting nature of the present.  He exists only for the season and each year, a new brother is born.  In Dickens' text, it seems he lives for the Twelve Days of Christmas, as he disappears on the stroke of midnight on Twelfth Night, the eve of Epiphany or Three Kings' Day.  He is a reminder for us to "be present."  The spirit is merry because of his focus on the celebration of the night.  Unburdened by the mistakes of the past or the worries of the future, the Ghost of Christmas Present can enjoy the merriment of the season.  He can spread his light and warmth from his torch as he travels.

That is not to say that this spirit ignores the realities that many face over the holidays.  He shows Scrooge scenes of deprivation as well as plenty. And it is this spirit that gives Scrooge perhaps the most pressing warnings.  Warnings that all would do well to heed.

Toward the end of his visit, the spirit reveals to Scrooge two emaciated children, a boy and a girl, clinging to his robes. Ignorance and Want.  The boy is Ignorance and the girl is Want.  They are man's children.  "Beware them both, and all of their degree, but most of all beware this boy, for on his brow I see that written which is Doom unless the writing be erased."

The ills of Want are quite apparent.  Want represents the need we see all around us.  Homelessness, hunger, poverty, and neglect.  All social ills that we recognize and prioritize trying to address.  "Our people must learn to devote themselves to doing what is good, in order to provide for urgent needs and not live unproductive lives."  Titus 3:14  We do so, because we recognize the dark ends that Want leads to:  disease, abuse, suffering, desperation, and death.  All ends we would seek to avoid.

The ills of Ignorance are less obvious, but far more dangerous.  Ignorance prolongs and worsens Want.  For Ignorance keeps us in fear: we fear what we do not know and understand.  It is ignorance that prolongs racism, sexism, homophobia, xenophobia, religious intolerance, and hate.  For it is much easier to hate that which you do not know or understand.   It is Ignorance that looks at someone who is begging and assumes that they have not even tried to look for a job.  It is Ignorance that assumes that same person would just spend any money on alcohol or drugs.

And it is Ignorance that we first must tackle so that we can address Want.   "Desire without knowledge is not good, and whoever makes haste with his feet misses his way."  Proverbs 19:2  That is the warning of the Ghost of Christmas Present.  Why Ignorance is to be feared more.  For it is Ignorance that will bring our doom, unless it is changed.

We see this through the character of Scrooge himself.  The first thing that is changed through his travels with the spirits is his ignorance to the world around him.  Through his travels, he becomes aware of the joys and the sorrows that surround him, breaking through his narcissism and myopic greed.  Through the removal of his ignorance, his heart can be changed.  And from that, he can be moved to address the wants that are all around him.  The want of the Cratchit family for basic provisions.  Tiny Tim's want for nourishment to help heal him.  Fred's want for family connection.

May we all be present this Christmas season.  Aware of those around us and open to their needs.  May we not let ignorance lead us, but may we seek to address want where it is found and meet it. May we share our abundance and bounty with those around us.  May we embody the peace of the season and may we rejoice in it.  And may we never forget the reason for Christmas past, present, and future.

Come, let's know Him better.

The Christmas Story - The Child

 "Child in the manger,

Infant of Mary;

Outcast and stranger, 

Lord of all;

Child who inherits

All our transgressions,

All our demerits

On Him fall."

“But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons.”

Galatians 4:4-5

There is a tendency in Christianity to downplay the humanity of Jesus.  We know and will say he was "fully human" and "fully God," but in our reading of scripture and description of the events of Jesus life, we'll often shift our focus bad to his divinity, because we know the whole story.  We know the ending, we know the full displays of his power, so it colors our view of his entire life.  

We downplay just how human he really was.

The Nativity story should put any such notion to rest.

If Jesus simply arrived on the scene as a fully grown adult and started his ministry, questions of his humanity would be justified.  Mythologies and other religions are rife with gods appearing to men.  In the scriptures themselves, we have heavenly beings appear to men.  Angels and messengers.  If Jesus appeared fully formed, it would be easy to believe he was just an angel or some other heavenly being.

This moves Jesus farther away from us.  As one who cannot relate, but instead as one who has simply come to instruct.  One whose suffering was somehow easier because of his divine ability to endure it.

But by appearing as a child, Jesus assures us of his humanity.

No matter how much we would like to portray his birth as a silent night, or that there was no crying that he made that night, I assure you, Jesus cried as a baby.  It would have been his only way to communicate with his parents.  

Yes, he cried, and perhaps hollered and screamed.  He wet himself.  He soiled himself.  He would have vomited.  Made messes.  Worried his human parents.  He got hungry.  Tired.  Frustrated.  Upset.

His life was messy.  Like ours.  

God Himself stepped down to earth, into a form totally dependent on human parents.  Needing their provision, their protection, their attention.  Unable to do even the simplest tasks for himself.

You can almost imagine the times he would be just like every other child.  And then, something would happen to remind Mary and Joseph of how truly special he was.

We can estimate that the rest of Jesus's childhood and young adulthood would have been similar.  We only have accounts of him as a very young child and then the account of him in the temple, around age twelve.  The rest of his formative years must have been largely uneventful, because when his ministry started, he had no notoriety.  The people who saw him grew up around them asked, "isn't that the carpenter's son?"  And his miracles that began with his ministry seemed surprising and drew attention.

Yes, the infant Jesus reminds us of how much he has in common with all of us.  How he truly can relate to us.  How he knows our struggle, and not just from an outside perspective.  He lived it.

And he lived it because of His compassion for us.  He sees our need and is moved to act.  "For God so loved..."

That's the good news that brings great joy.  That's what causes the angels to rejoice and calls for us to do the same.

Glory to God in the Highest
And on earth, peace

“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin”

Hebrews 4:15

"Once the most holy

Child of salvation

Gently and lowly

Lived below;

Now as our glorious

Mighty Redeemer,

See Him victorious

O'er each foe."

The Christmas Story - The Angels

 

An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.  But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.  Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.  This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 

“Glory to God in the highest heaven,

and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

Luke 2:9-15

Angels are interesting creatures. 

I mean, have you ever seen pictures of biblically accurate angels?  I’ve included some below, and they are unsettling.  You can start to understand why every time they appear to humans, they have to start with “Do not be afraid”.

The images all remind us of a vital fact - angels are not human.  Shocking I know, but far too often in our art, angels are portrayed as glowing humans or winged humans, making them mostly like us, but just a little better.  A little more.

Angels are a completely different class of created beings.  A messenger/warrior class that is elevated a bit above us, as we are described as a little lower than the angels.  Spiritual beings that intermediate between God and man.  

And these angels appear a few times in the Christmas story.  An angel appears to Zechariah, Mary, and Joseph to provide announcements of the coming births.  The host appears to the Shepherds announcing the birth has occurred.  And here we see angels do something never before mentioned before humans - they sing.  Gloria in Excelsis Deo!

Could you imagine witnessing the darkened night skies be illuminated by a multitude of indescribable looking beings singing likely the most beautiful song you ever heard? 

You would be stunned, right?

But you would also have to go and see.  You would be compelled to go.  

You’ve gone from fear to elation in a manner of minutes.

In the broader story, in that moment, it’s a reminder that God was using all of creation to celebrate the birth of his son.  The stars were joining in with the brightest star you’ve ever seen, standing in place, lighting the way.  The animals were surrounding his son, attending the birth.  Mankind would arrive and share the news.  And even the angels, the higher plain was singing his praise.  

Every creation of God was taking part.  The rocks were crying out indeed.

How can we do less?

How can we hear the story, and not respond?  Not view it for the great gift and celebration that it is?

We’ve hit the joy part of advent and I pray we are participating.  I pray we are lifting our voice and joining the chorus that spreads round the world, “Angels we have heard on high…”

Gloria in Excelsis Deo!

The Christmas Story - The Shepherds

 "Shepherds in the fields abiding

Watching o'er your flocks by night
God with man is now residing;
Yonder shines the infant light:

Come and worship
Come and worship
Worship Christ the newborn king"

"And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.  And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear.  And the angel said to them, 'Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.  For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.  And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.'  And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

'Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!'

When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, 'Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.'  And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger.  And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child.  And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them.  But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart.  And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them."

Luke 2:8-20

Once Mary and Joseph have gotten settled in to the stable and the delivery begins, the scene of the Nativity story shifts to the fields outside Bethlehem.  To a group of societal outsiders, to some of the lowliest of all Israelites - the shepherds.

Shepherds stood at the bottom rung of the social ladder, along with tax collectors and dung sweepers.  The were dirty.  They were smelly.  They spent way too much time with animals.  And there were rumors about what they did with the sheep.  

They were no one's desired guest.

But God.

The first people to receive the birth announcement for God's only son were shepherds.  Poor, humble, lowly shepherds.  God bypassed the priests, the Levites, the ruling class, even the middle class to send his angels directly to the most humble of them all.

We should pause and ask why.  Why send this message to the shepherds, of all people?  

Perhaps because they were the ones most likely to listen.  

We see it later in the story that when the ruling class was confronted with the signs of the Messiah’s birth, they knew the answers, they knew the prophecies.  But they had no interest in finding out whether He had arrived.

The shepherds upon hearing the fantastic news that the promised savior had been born immediately went and sought him out.

There's also likely another, poetic reason why these shepherds in particular were singled out.  If we look to the Mishnah, the Jewish rabbinical legal-history document, we see that these shepherds were no ordinary shepherds.  For they were watching no ordinary flock.  

During those times, sacrificial lambs for the burnt offerings, peace offerings, and Passover offerings were kept in the region of Jerusalem, including Bethlehem, which was just five miles south of the city. These sheep were kept outside year round and watched particularly carefully to keep them without blemish or spot. That means it is likely that these shepherds were watching over the sacrificial flock.

So you can see the beauty in the shepherds who watched the sacrificial flock being told that the Lamb who takes away the sins of the world has been born.  They are shown the next sheep to protect.  They are shown the one who will make their jobs unnecessary.

Regardless of their specific function, the shepherds remind us that the Christmas story is not just for us.  It is not just for the ones who are religiously together.  It's for the dirty.  It's for the hurting.  It's for the outcasts, the strays, the undesired.  

The beauty of the shepherds is that they remind us the Christmas story is for all of us, every one.  

Our part is to determine what we do with it.  

Fear not, we are told, good news of great joy which will be to all the people.  

Do we go and see?

Do we go tell it from the mountain?

The Christmas Story - The InnKeepers

 "No beautiful chamber,

No soft cradle bed,
No place but a manger,
Nowhere for His head;
No praises of gladness,
No tho't of their sin,
No glory but sadness,
No room in the inn."

"In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered.  This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria.  And all went to be registered, each to his own town.  And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child.  And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth.  And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn."

Luke 2:1-7

Our Christmas story often has another set of characters that pops into the story next.  A set of innkeepers that keep telling Mary and Joseph that they have "No Room."  The process is repeated over and over until one innkeeper finally makes room for them in his stable or barn.  

It makes for great pageantry.  Perhaps we can even see it best in the annual festival of Las Posadas, or The Inns, celebrated in Latin American countries and cultures.  Las Posadas derives from the Spanish word posada, meaning lodging or accommodation, here referring to the inn in the Nativity story.  Celebration of this 400 year tradition starts with two actors dressing as Mary and Joseph, leading a procession to certain houses designated as inns, usually those at the end of a street.  The procession is headed by a leader carrying a luminaria and can often contain other players of the Nativity story (angels, shepherds, etc.).  The procession makes its way from house to house, singing carols in hopes to have a place to stay.  They are initially met with "no posada," no room, until the end of the street.  There, the residents of the houses respond by singing a song, recognizing Mary and Joseph, and allowing the procession to enter.  The procession comes in and kneels to pray before a Nativity scene.  At the end of each night, carols are sung, children break open a star shaped piñata, and everyone sits for a feast.  This is repeated throughout the nine day period, with a new house each night accepting them in for the festivities.

Despite the longevity of this celebration and the widespread nature of the idea of the innkeepers, this is not necessarily how it went in Mary and Joseph's day.  The word translated as “inn” in the scripture can also be translated as an  upper, finished room of a house.  If this were the intent, then our innkeeper could have actually been relative of Joseph.  He didn’t have any place for Joseph and Mary to stay upstairs, as would be traditional.  Instead they had to stay in the cold, unfinished lower part of the house where the animals would be.  In a cave that would have been used for the animals.  Exposed to the weather, to the stench, to the filth of being with the livestock.

This makes a lot of sense in Jewish culture.  If Joseph had relatives still in Bethlehem, that is where he would seek lodging first.  Hospitality was of the utmost importance, and it would be especially extended to family.  If Joseph had no family left in the area, then he would be seeking shelter at an inn as we think of it.

Either way, the innkeeper should not be blamed for the lack of room. The city was overwhelmed by the census, not because of an inhospitable innkeeper or the like.  Rather because of circumstance and so that prophecy could be fulfilled.  

The lesson still remains the same.  No matter the reason for the crowding, the call is to make room.  To find a place.

Nearly every example Jesus gives us of meeting the needs of our fellow man comes at an inopportune time for the person rendering aid.  The Good Samaritan hurrying off a treacherous road, interrupted by the dying man needing aid.  Not allowing followers to bury their dead or say farewell to those at home.  Leaving the 99 to find the one lost sheep.

Jesus' ministry was filled with interruptions.  To feed his followers, to heal their infirmities, to dote on their children.  

Our lives can be so overcrowded.  With school, with work, with family, with church.  Have you ever been so overburdened with church activities that you miss God all together?  We have to be able to make room for those moments when God is looking to step in and wants us to join him.  For God to truly direct our paths and move us into tangents, into distractions, into diversions.  

To meet people and God where they are.

To find room for them in our lives.

The Christmas Story - Joseph

 "This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit.  Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.

But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, 'Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.  She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.'

All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 'The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel' (which means 'God with us').

When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife.  But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus."

Matthew 1:18-25

Since becoming a father, I've thought a lot about Joseph at Christmas.  The focus of what becoming a father will do to you.  Understanding his position in the story just a little bit better.

He is certainly an enigmatic figure.  We know less about him than we do of Mary and he has a far smaller written role in the life of Jesus than she does.  We know his lineage, tying him to the house of David and requiring him to go to Bethlehem to be taxed/counted.  We know he was a carpenter, or craftsman.  We know he was a just and faithful man.  Beyond that, all we know of him is what happens to him in the early chapters of Matthew and Luke.  The birth, the flight to Egypt, and Jesus at the temple.  From there his story ends.

Some assume that Joseph died before Jesus' ministry ever started.  We know he was not present at the Crucifixion.  If he were, Joseph would have assumed care of his son's body, and Jesus would not have asked John to watch over his mother, Mary.  When exactly Joseph died or by what cause is unknown.

In the greater apocrypha, he is portrayed as an old man, even as old as 90 years old at the time of his betrothal to Mary.  These portrayals are found in the texts that maintain the perpetual virginity of Mary.  Accordingly, James, Joses, Simeon, and Judah/Jude/Judas, and their sisters are claimed to be children from a previous marriage, the step-siblings of Jesus if you will.

Modern protestant view tends to portray him a little younger.  Closer in age to Mary, still in the prime of his life.  That James, Joses, Simeon, and Judah would be the later children of Joseph and Mary.  

Whatever the additional details of his life, I can't help but place myself in his position.  The mix of emotions he must have felt when he learned Mary was pregnant.  The awe of the angel's statement.  All leading him to a dark stable, on a cold night, holding this little child that has been entrusted to his care.  Knowing the greatness this child is called to.

There's a song written a few years ago by Mercy Me called Joseph's Lullaby.  A song written from the perspective of Joseph as he sings Jesus to sleep.  It has a line that has haunted me since the first time I heard it.

Go to sleep my Son
This manger for your bed
You have a long road before You
Rest Your little head

Can You feel the weight of Your glory?
Do You understand the price?
Or does the Father guard Your heart for now
So You can sleep tonight?

Go to sleep my Son
Go and chase Your dreams
This world can wait for one more moment
Go and sleep in peace

I believe the glory of Heaven
Is lying in my arms tonight
But Lord, I ask that He for just this moment
Simply be my child

Go to sleep my Son
Baby, close Your eyes
Soon enough You'll save the day
But for now, dear Child of mine
Oh my Jesus, Sleep tight

All the questions that come from looking at an infant child who is the Son of God.  Finally realizing the weight of that statement.  And Joseph's simple request - for one moment, can he just be mine?  Everything else will come, everything else will happen, but can he just be mine right now?  Can he be spared the crushing weight of expectation for one minute?

How often did Joseph and Mary wish to spare Jesus from his destiny?  Did they try to talk him into a safer life?  How often did they pray for his protection, even at the expense of his mission? 

How often did they beg God to spare Jesus from His plan?

I know this is probably not the most appropriate Christian response, but looking over my children and knowing what I would do to protect them, I can imagine the answer is often and frequently.

I know kids need to learn overcoming difficulty and hardship, but every parent, if they knew their children would face real suffering, would face terminal illnesses, agonizing pain, overwhelming hardship, would beg to take their place.

It puts new perspective on what it must have been like as the adoptive father in this story.  To be the one appointed to watch over Jesus.  To raise him, to teach him a trade, and to set him out on his ministry.

I think there is a little poetry in why Joseph, a carpenter or craftsman was chosen.  God the master craftsman sent his son to a carpenter to apprentice.  Picturing Joseph teaching Jesus how to create, how to restore, how to reuse.  How to repair the broken.  

A picture of our adoptive Father.  What he wants to teach us.  How He restores.  How He repairs.   How He creates.

How great the father's love, indeed.

The Christmas Story - Mary

 "Why her, she's just an ordinary girl?"

A Strange Way to Save the World, Mark Harris

"In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin's name was Mary.  And he came to her and said, 'Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!'  But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be.  And the angel said to her, 'Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.   And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus.  He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.'

And Mary said to the angel, 'How will this be, since I am a virgin?'

And the angel answered her, 'The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God.  And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren.  For nothing will be impossible with God.'  And Mary said, 'Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.' And the angel departed from her."

Luke 1:26-38

Mary rightly receives a lot of attention at this time of year, but I wonder if we often gloss over what makes her story so amazing.  We focus so much on the miracle, on the extraordinary circumstances and the details of the birth that make it so amazing, but do we pay attention to the character of Mary and how we should relate to her?

Because, from what I see of the story, Mary was the most ordinary of girls.  We know little of her life from the gospel account.  We know she was living with her family in the betrothal stage of her marriage to Joseph.  At the time, Mary could have been betrothed as early as age twelve and there are apocryphal accounts that she was only 12-14 at the time of the Annunciation.  We know that she was a virgin at the time, that she was faithful.  We know that she was from Nazareth.

Nazareth at that time was a city of no prominence.  Though it is mentioned in the Gospels, there are no contemporaneous mentions of Nazareth.  It does not appear in other writings until 200 AD.  It was a town of around likely 400-500 people.  A town in the hills of Galilee.  A poor farming town.  It was the country.  To the point where it was even asked "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?"

An ordinary girl, in an ordinary town, in the most ordinary of circumstances.

Until God...

Until God steps into the most ordinary of circumstances to do the extraordinary.

I know there are those that would venerate Mary.  To make her sinless.  To make her a perpetual virgin.  To make her already extraordinary, set apart by God.  The new Mary film on Netflix leans heavily into this belief, relaying the story largely found in the pseudepigraphical Gospel of James.

While I don't want to deny their beliefs, I think that misses the mark of her story.

She's supposed to be us.  

To represent what God could do through any of us, if we found his favor.  If we were willing to say "let it be to me according to your word."  That no matter our beginnings, no matter our location, no matter our circumstances, God can make something wonderful.  Something miraculous, something extraordinary.

It's Mary's statement, "let it be to me according to your word," that reveals her extraordinary character.  Her willingness to follow God wherever He led her is her most amazing attribute.  Because what the angel was telling her would bring shame on her and her family.  At its most benign, it made her the subject of gossip and whispers.  It brought slander to her character.  It could mean the dissolution of her betrothal.  If that happened, it could make her an unfit candidate for marriage of any kind, leaving her destitute, should her family refused to keep her.  At the absolute worst, it could mean her death for her "unfaithfulness."

We don't see Mary fight back against any of this.  She simply says, "let it be done."

To have that kind of faith!

It can be so hard for us to serve when it's merely mildly inconvenient.  We're so concerned God is going to send us to Africa or China if he calls us, that we're turning away from even going across the street.  We hold on to so many reasons holding us back - family, jobs, status, comfort, prejudice, tradition, relationships - when God is waiting for us to cut through it all with a simple, "Here am I, send me!"

Or perhaps worse, we make it about ourselves.  We make ourselves important people needing to be seen and known as doing great things.  To be visible.  To be prominent.  To always be pictured as someone on the right side of pious.  To be known for being a good person, having the right beliefs, attending the right church, doing the right things, voting correctly, fitting in just squarely.  Associated with the right people.  We have no time for when things get messy or uncomfortable.  We're sticking to our plan.  We’re determined to be the main character of the story, when our role may be more like Mary’s - to set up a bigger story.  And also forgetting we are all just the supporting cast in God’s grand story.

What would we see if Christians went back to being ordinary people used by God for extraordinary things?

What if we weren't afraid of messy?  Of inconvenient?

Think about it, the Christmas story starts with an all too common scenario that we look down our noses at today.  An unplanned, likely teenage pregnancy.  A rushed and hushed marriage.  

Do we really grasp that?  God's plan for Mary's life was going to subject her to lies and slander about her character.  She was going to be known for her lifetime in her hometown as unfaithful.  There would be questions and rumors about exactly who she slept with, including rumors that persist to this day of her relations with a Roman soldier.

Joseph would likely be looked upon as either the one who couldn't wait or as weak for not exacting his remedy for her unfaithfulness.

God's plan made their lives extremely messy.  It subjected them to the disappointment of their family and friends.  

No wonder her name meant “bitter tears,” as there were likely many bitter tears shed throughout her lifetime.

Mary had to know this, she had to be imagining this.  

And yet, she said, "let it be."

Mother Mary come to us.

And there, through bitter tears, came the joy of the world.  All because an ordinary girl was willing to endure the messy, the broken, and the pain to see the extraordinary.

Are we willing to do the same?