Keeping Christmas
December 21, 2008
Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11
1 The spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me; he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and release to the prisoners; 2 to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; 3 to provide for those who mourn in Zion- to give them a garland instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the mantle of praise instead of a faint spirit. They will be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, to display his glory. 4 They shall build up the ancient ruins, they shall raise up the former devastations; they shall repair the ruined cities, the devastations of many generations.
8 For I the LORD love justice, I hate robbery and wrongdoing; I will faithfully give them their recompense, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them. 9 Their descendants shall be known among the nations, and their offspring among the peoples; all who see them shall acknowledge that they are a people whom the LORD has blessed. 10 I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my whole being shall exult in my God; for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation, he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. 11 For as the earth brings forth its shoots, and as a garden causes what is sown in it to spring up, so the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to spring up before all the nations.
Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11
Many years ago, in the seaside town of Capernaum, a carpenter's son stood up in front of the congregation, opened up the scroll of Isaiah and read to them the following words, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." And he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. Then he began to say to them, "Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing." (Luke 4:18-21). Thus began the ministry of the anointed one-the Messiah-the one known as Jesus of Nazareth.
As I've mentioned before, during Advent we are not only called to prepare our hearts to celebrate the birth of Jesus long ago in Bethlehem but we are also called to prepare ourselves for his return. We are a people who live in between-in between the year of the Lord's favor when a baby's birth declared that God so loved the world he gave his only begotten son so that whoever believes in him may have eternal life and the day when that same Jesus will return and set the world aright.
JESUS IS COMING - GET BUSY
Perhaps you've seen the buttons and bumper stickers that declare: "Jesus is coming soon, so look busy!" I realize they are generally meant rather sarcastically and somewhat irreverantly, but they also have a good dose of truth in them. One of the major tenants of our faith declares that Jesus will return and when he returns he does, in fact, expect to find us busy with his work.
There is a whole industry out there making money and drawing crowds by speculating on when Jesus will return-what signs to look for, what to avoid, and what life will be like before, during and after. But Jesus doesn't encourage speculation about those things. Rather Jesus continually says we won't know the day or time-in fact, he says even he doesn't know. He says that we'll be surprised. And time and time again what he has to say to those who call themselves his followers is two-fold: First, his return will be a good and glorious day for those who long for God's justice and righteousness and second he expects to find his followers busy doing the things that he would do.
So that is why during the season of Advent, we find ourselves reading the words that Jesus used to introduce the world to him and to his ministry.
BEGINNING WITH THE END IN MIND
A few years back, I read Stephen Covey's 7 Habits of Highly Effective People and Habit number 2 was this: Begin with the end in mind. By that Covey meant that every person and every organization needed a mission statement that described the end that they wanted to achieve. Then this mission statement would drive their priorities so that everything that a person or an organization does was geared toward accomplishing that end.
In Isaiah, we find Jesus' mission statement and in doing so we find the mission statement for the church. And like any great mission statement it is full of verbs: bring, bind up, proclaim, comfort, build up, and repair. This wondrous thing we call the Christian faith is anything but a spectator sport. If you want to be a Christian-a little Christ-one of his followers who live between the Day of the Lord's favor and his return to judge and set the world aright-then you have to be willing to suit up and get in the game, because this is what we are called to do!
After all, isn't that what Jesus did when he came to live among us? He gave up all the glory of being God. He gave up the comfort of heaven. He gave up the privileges of being almighty. He took on flesh. He came in the form of a baby, who had to rely on someone else to feed him, to change him, and to protect him. The one who came to rule the world was born among the animals and laid in a manger. The one who came to be our great high priest was first visited by unclean shepherds and foreign astrologers. And where other great teachers might have built a great cathedral or megachurch and waited for the crowds to come to them, Jesus was out walking the roads, going where the people were, teaching, healing, comforting, and challenging.
This Jesus, whose birth we come to anticipate and celebrate today, was never content to simply talk about God-nor did he allow his disciples to do so-he was constantly on the move going to where the people were. Yes, Jesus and his disciples talked about God, but more than that Jesus showed them who God was by touching the untouchable, accepting the unacceptable, forgiving the unforgivable, and challenging the unchallengeable powers of this world!
And if that is what Jesus and his disciples did, isn't that what we-Christ's church should be about also?
KEEPING CHRISTMAS
In the past few years, there has been a lot of talk about efforts to keep Christ in Christmas. Most of these have focused on writing to businesses and asking them to display signs that read "Merry Christmas" rather than "Happy Holidays" or demanding the right to place Nativity scenes on courthouse squares.
But as I think about how important it is to keep Christ in Christmas, I'm reminded of an old-fashioned Victorian term for the Christmas celebration-Keeping Christmas. I like that term: keeping Christmas. It reminds me that we are not simply to observe Christmas as if Christmas is something we sit back and watch happen. Nor are we to simply celebrate Christmas as if Christmas is a big party where we all come together, eat too much, drink too much, perhaps give a few presents before returning to our every day routine. Rather keeping Christmas reminds me that if we truly want to observe and celebrate Christmas-if we truly want to keep Christ in Christmas-then we need to be busy keeping the truth of Christ alive not only in our lives but in the lives of others and not just for one day but for all days.
In other words, we need to be proclaiming, releasing, comforting, healing, accepting, forgiving, and loving others for Christ's name sake-not just Christmas day but every day.
KEEPING CHRISTMAS BY BEING CHRIST'S BODY IN THE WORLD
At some level, we all realize this truth. That is why we gather toys and adopt Christmas stars at Christmas time. This is why you have generously left money on the communion rail for the poor in our community. It is why you send money to organizations that care for those in need. Why you send cookies to Kairos walks and lotion to Veterans. And while all those are good Christ-honoring actions, I don't think they are enough.
Jesus did much more than send money to help us-he gave his life. Jesus did more than talk about his love for us, he came to us. Jesus did more than say he accepted us, he acted on our behalf and reached out in love to us. So if we are to keep Christ in Christmas then we need to leave the comfort of our homes, our sanctuary, and the community of folks just like us and enter into the world of the lost, the broken, the sinful, and the hurt for Jesus' sake.
Thankfully, this congregation has been busy doing some of the very things I think most honor Christ at Christmas and every season of the year. Let me share just a few examples.
All this month, a group of our men have been serving on a SOFAR team. They have sacrificed valuable time during this busy holiday season in order to spend every Saturday morning sharing the stories of how Jesus has changed their lives with the patients at Cedar Lodge. They have given of themselves so that they could proclaim the good news that those men need not be held captive by their addictions or defined by their past. They are truly giving good news to the oppressed and release to the captives.
Last week, a group of our youth loaded up in the van and went to Huntsville to visit our Veterans at Tut Fann. They took candy, cookies, razors, and lotion that you provided. But, most importantly of all, they took themselves. Several shared how sad it was. I can tell you there were places where it didn't particularly smell too good. Yet they overcame their discomfort in order to share the love of Christ through their presence.
Just yesterday members of this church bagged and delivered toys and clothes to our Christmas stars. And through their service and presence they said more about the meaning of Christmas than any number of toys could!
And on Christmas Eve, Denise Acker is encouraging us to join her at the Marshall County jail to help prepare and serve a meal to the prisoners there. I've never been beyond the waiting room of a jail before, but I plan to help prepare a meal this Christmas Eve. Because the message I have heard from God this Christmas season is that I dare not stand up in front of you and preach on Christmas Eve if I have not been out keeping Christmas in this world, stepping out of my comfort zone, and reaching out to those whom Christ loves.
In fact, this is where you-the congregation of New Life-have challenged me the most. You see, I have always believed that honoring Christ meant reaching out to the least, the last and the lost. As I shared with someone recently, I can preach that till the cows come home. But most of my ministry to the least last and lost has been limited to hospitals, nursing homes, funeral homes, and moments of crisis. But as I've listened to your stories, as I've watched those involved in ministries to men and women recovering from drug addictions and to those in prison, I've become convicted that as important as my pastoral care ministry is, it isn't enough.
The prophet Isaiah says that when we proclaim release, when we bind up, when we comfort, when we build up, when we restore, when we repair then we become an Oak of Righteousness proclaiming God's glory to the world. In other words, we tell the good news of Jesus Christ best when we go into the world and care for the world Jesus so loves. And therefore, the best way to keep Christ in Christmas is to be Christ's hands and feet in ministry in the midst of this broken, hurting world.
A SHORT CHRISTMAS SERMON
At the turn of the 20th century, the author Henry Van Dyke (best known for writing "The Fourth Wiseman") wrote what he aptly named, "A Short Christmas Sermon," and I'd like to share his words with you today.
He began by quoting Romans 14:6: "He that regarded the day regarded it unto the Lord." Then he went on to say:
It is a good thing to observe Christmas day. The mere marking of times and seasons, when men agree to stop work and make merry together, is a wise and wholesome custom. It helps one to feel the supremacy of the common life over the individual life. It reminds a man to set his own little watch, now and then, by the great clock of humanity which runs on sun time.
But there is a better thing than the observance of Christmas day, and that is, keeping Christmas.
Are you willing to forget what you have done for other people, and to remember what other people have done for you; to ignore what the world owes you, and to think what you owe the world; to put your rights in the background, and your duties in the middle distance, and your chances to do a little more than your duty in the foreground; to see that your fellow-men are just as real as you are, and try to look behind their faces to their hearts, hungry for joy; to own that probably the only good reason for your existence is not what you are going to get out of life, but what you are going to give to life; to close your book of complaints against the management of the universe, and look around you for a place where you can sow a few seeds of happiness--are you willing to do these things even for a day? Then you can keep Christmas.
Are you willing to stoop down and consider the needs and the desires of little children; to remember the weakness and loneliness of people who are growing old; to stop asking how much your friends love you, and ask yourself whether you love them enough; to bear in mind the things that other people have to bear on their hearts; to try to understand what those who live in the same house with you really want, without waiting for them to tell you; to trim your lamp so that it will give more light and less smoke, and to carry it in front so that your shadow will fall behind you; to make a grave for your ugly thoughts, and a garden for your kindly feelings, with the gate open--are you willing to do these things even for a day? Then you can keep Christmas.
Are you willing to believe that love is the strongest thing in the world--stronger than hate, stronger than evil, stronger than death--and that the blessed life which began in Bethlehem nineteen hundred years ago is the image and brightness of the Eternal Love? Then you can keep Christmas.
And if you keep it for a day, why not always?
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