Come holy Jesus

Infant holy, infant lowly

for his bed a cattle stall;

Oxen lowing, little knowing

Christ the child is Lord of all.

Swiftly winging, angels singing, 

bells are ringing, tidings bringing;

Christ the child is Lord of all!

Christ the child is Lord of all!   

ELW 276

That is the story we prepare to hear again.....that the infant born in a cattle stall is a holy infant.  God's unique incarnation.  The Anointed One.  Lord of all Creation.  Prince of Peace.  

The beginning of the end.

The end of sorrow and  hate.  The end of fear and longing.  The end of oppression and racism.  The end of all that deals death and crushes God's beloved creation.

Tonight we tell again the story of the moment when the world shifted and 'all that is' began the journey to 'all that it will be.'  It is a tortuous journey that saps our energy.  We struggle to keep Jesus in sight as we wrestle with fear and death and hatred and our own sinful behavior. Each day we try to remember that our hope needs to be in Jesus because nothing else in all creation can save us. 

Tonight we will hear how the hope of the world has been born.  

Don't keep that good news to yourself.  All creation needs the gift of life that Jesus brings.  Let the whole creation cry, "Come, holy Jesus."

A blessed Christmas to you all.  

Frozen in time.....

The Advent of our Lord is fast upon us......or so those among us who speak in liturgical language might claim.  It's December 21st and the final frenzy of preparation is in progress.  The gift list is being double checked to make sure everyone is 'covered' and the gift wrapping is in full swing in some hidden locale within the house, and some cookies are being baked for that holiday exchange at the office, and the grocery list is being assembled for the big shop that precedes the big cook....well, I guess I don't have to tell you, right?

Meanwhile, church secretaries are finalizing bulletins, altar guilds are arranging poinsettias, the cleaning crews are dusting and the pastor is making last minute visits, writing a sermon, confirming all the assistants and ordering pizza for Christmas Eve (since she never cooks on that night!).

For many the very busy - ness of it all is wonderful. Hanging the stockings, pulling out the fancy clothes for Christmas Eve services, sneaking one more cookie.  All this frenzy - and at the center of it all is a frozen ceramic Mary and Joseph, some straw, a few sheep and maybe a donkey, all gathered in a western version of a stable.  The same Mary and Joseph that have been stoically stuck in that stable for your lifetime....and the lifetime before them.

Stuck.  Frozen in time.  In fact, for many, Mary and Joseph have simply become the background wallpaper that provides the excuse for immersing ourselves in family tradition and the gathering of friends.

The outrageous claim that the love of God took on human flesh in the person of Jesus, born 2000 years ago, and yet alive today among and between us......is lost.  Gone.  Frozen into a dilute yet beautifully rendered tableau of mother and child, with Joseph thrown in for good measure.

"Jesus is the reason for the season"  Yes.  But I think Jesus is no longer at the center of the season or the celebration.  Jesus is frozen to a time long, long ago in a place far, far away. Can it be that the only Jesus you know is the ceramic one that is pulled out and dusted off for Christmas Eve services?

If so, then maybe next week, when the hoopla has died down, you might want to stop by for a chat, to talk about the world that is killing you and the Savior who waits to give you life.  There are no gifts needed, no special decorations or fancy cookies.

I will spring for the coffee at Panera though because, you don't want to miss knowing this living, life giving Jesus.  You don't want to miss out on the hope that he brings into our lives.  You don't want to navigate one more year on your own when the Prince of Peace is waiting to walk with you.

Let's defrost the baby Jesus and allow him to work in our lives.  It's not too late; it's the best present you'll receive.  Come, holy Jesus.

What would it take for you to say No?

I know that some of this is a function of getting older.  I have seen 64 Christmases, and I remember probably about 55 of them.  I understand that as I age I want things to be simpler and require less fluff and to focus more on the important stuff.

I also think that some of this is a function of my call as pastor, which as you know, came later in life. For 15 years I have been the one in charge of multiple services, often in multiple locations, with multiple 'absolutely necessary' traditions.  I know what it is like to recruit folks to be a part of the great Christmas Eve extravaganza when their response is....I am so busy shopping and baking.  I just want to sit and watch on Christmas Eve. I have never understood families who insist on gatherings that make it impossible to attend worship.

Furthermore, I am by nature a 'less is more' kind of person.  I dislike excess....and believe me, I define excess quite broadly.  I prefer less running around, fewer 'must do' activities, fewer 'must have' presents and the pressure of finding gifts for folks who don't need anything but who are very particular about what you get them.  I like white lights on the tree, and a simple family dinner.

Therefore, I find it easier to say No than most folks.  When I realized that I was receiving Christmas cards with just someone's name in them, PRINTED! and no message.....and I was often sending back exactly the same thing, I stopped sending Christmas cards.  There isn't a Christmas card contest somewhere that I have to win.

When the children came along and cash was far from plentiful, I found it easier to say No to in-laws of every stripe.  We simply couldn't afford presents for every version of relative out there and so we reduced and eliminated.

After several years of trying to produce a wonderous Christmas Eve dinner, I discovered that my children much preferred familiar food, eaten by candlelight.  They called it 'a feast' and my life was simplified.  We could get to evening worship without great stress to me, and therefore to everyone else.

We could focus on what was, and is, and will always be, the important center of Christmas: the birth of Jesus.  We can embrace the peace that Jesus promises to bring to our world.  We can rejoice in the very quiet fellowship of family and friends.

NO was the password to a different celebration of this holy time.  We could give to those without.  We could buy a goat or a sheep or books for children.  We could invite someone to share our meal.

What can you do to recapture the holiness of the season....all season long....into the new year?

How could you live out the great promise of life that is Jesus and put behind you the world's definition of holiday celebration?  What kind of joy awaits you?

What would it take for you to say No?

I win!

The other day my grandson gleefully suggested that his mother smash their car into the truck in front of them.....because you get lots of points for trucks.  Apparently there is some kid's game that my grandson likes which gives you points for crashing into other cars.  It is hard to imagine what this game is teaching beyond the idea that crashing is fun.  This is, of course, until you own the car and the crash is real and the insurance goes up. [BTW, after this episode, the game has disappeared from their home.]

My idea of a video game is beweled blitz, or tetras, or candy crush.  No one is shooting, smashing, destroying anyone or anything.  No one is declared supreme winner in the end.

But, of course, that makes me the exception.  Looking at the statistics of the number of games sold, and the mix of violence based games v. the 'lame' games that I like to play, well, I am clearly in the minority.  I see some of the advertising for the new games and I wonder what it does to our minds to play such games all the time.

Somehow it only makes sense to me that practicing 'defeating' the 'enemy' with swords and guns and other imaginative weapons forms thought patterns.  Violent solutions to 'problems' encountered are at the core of the action, and the more efficient one gets at destroying the other, the further one advances in the game.  It certainly is a satisfying outlet for anyone being bullied, right?

This just simply can't be a good thing for young minds which are still learning values and social skills.  This can't be a good thing for young people who too easily fail to recognize the potential consequences of actions.  Furthermore, since these games are loved by 20 and 30 somethings, it can't be good for the development of matue responsible engaged citizens.

It seems so obvious that American society is enfused with violent solutions to problems.  From our history of conquering this land, to the gun-slinging take over of the wild west, to our unique brand of slavery,  to our love of police dramas with more violence than is really necessary, even to our love of the game of football (which you all know I love, but which at its heart, is a violent game), we are comfortable with violence.

Yes, we believe violence is only justified when used as a solution for the common good:  police, military, football for entertainment.  Yet we have become accustomed to seeing these images (go back and watch an old Columbo episode.  There is so little 'action', so little gunfire when compared to today's Blue Bloods.)  But violence for entertainment teaches another lesson altogether.

 I can't help but believe that this naturally spills over into all those areas where disgruntled folks want to be heard.  They will prove their point, or get their payback, or just for once in their lives, win!  They will support a cause, make a political statement, act out their own insecurities or mental illnesses.

In the end, all society pays the price.

I will watch football this weekend, but I am wondering if that isn't a part of the problem.  I am wondering if banning violent video games isn't a part of the solution.  I am wondering what we need to do at the core of our society to move away from violence and build people of peace.  I wonder.

You brood of vipers!!!!!!

{7} John said to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? {8} Bear fruits worthy of repentance. Do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our ancestor'; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. {9} Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire."   Luke 3.7-9 Today's blog is from Bishop John Macholz.......... John the Baptist has always been something of an anathema to me, but one thing he isn't is subtle in his use of language. There is nothing mysterious about what he is saying. Even the crowds following him clearly hear what he's talking about as they ask what it is they can do about what he says with their lives and repentance.  In a very simplistic way John's call is a call that invites us to change what we are doing and head in a new direction. We can repent all we want and admit our sins and shortcomings and be very, very clear regarding where we've missed the mark but....unless we make some changes we've, well, missed the mark! That's what repentance is all about, isn't it? Repentance is not delegated to a specific group or collective of people, it's for everyone. Note John's response to the 'what shall we do' question. He covers, it would seem, the occupation of all those present; the crowd, soldiers and even tax collectors! This includes you and me, it would seem, wouldn't it? And, as he calls us to repent and turn toward those things that are holy and good and just, he suggests what this is really about is generosity with others and satisfaction with what we've been given. Two coats? Give one away? Collecting money? Don't take more than is legal. Be satisfied with your wages. In a very real sense isn't John calling us to a simpler life that is filled with less and less in order to create more space for God within? More God, less me? More God, less worry. More God, less chance to claim that title myself? Advent is a time for waiting, for wondering and for wandering through the wilderness. It offers times and days for us to stop and rethink our priorities, our hopes and dreams. It brings opportunities to focus on what is truly needed in our lives and world, namely the One who will come again to bring peace and hope and light. In the meantime, we've got that job and it is especially crucial during these days of hateful speech, labeling of entire groups of people and rejection of all because of few. This Jesus reached out to those rejected by society and claimed them as his own. Can we do any less? It is time to put an end to marginalizing, separating and rejecting out of hand those who are not like us. Our calling is to unite, not divide. To reach out, not to push aside. To speak with love and hope not hate. To lift up the lowly and bring light into the darkness of this world. It is time, people of God, to get busy!

Part of the construction crew........

Boom!  Racial differences don't matter.  Boom!  Genders are equal.  Boom!  Old and young are valued the same.  Boom! Those who look different from us are treated exactly the same as us.  Boom! The poor are loved just like the wealthy.  Boom!  Here is forgiveness.  Now go and live.

Boom! Jesus crashes in.  Once in a manger.  Once at a time we cannot foretell.......but for which we can hope.  This is the HOPE of Advent, that longing and watching and waiting for the fullness of all time when the final curtain is raised and Jesus reigns.

That is how yesterday's post ended......with Jesus crashing into our world to establish a wholly different and life filled kingdom.  Hallelujah!  Come Lord Jesus.

So what are we doing while we stand and watch and wait?  Are we like the disciples who stood on that hill near Jerusalem and watched as Jesus ascended?  Are we the same passive, confused, unfocused believers just standing around waiting for the next thing to happen?

It is easy to forget that we are now a part of the divine plan.  We are agents of God's life giving love in Jesus - bringing that life into all the corners of the world through our lives and our actions.  We are partners in breaking down the arriers.  We are partners in the transformation of this world.  We are part of the Boom!

Jesus sent those first disciples out with a mission:  to tell the story of God's love for us in Jesus; to let others know the amazing gift of being loved by Jesus; to tell our story, God's story, the story of the kingdom that is coming.  We are the disciples armed with the justice and love of Jesus.

Sure, without Jesus nothing could happen, but in the power of the Holy Spirit, we are given this purpose:  to tell the story, to act with justice and mercy, to cry out against injustice, to be generous in our lives.

Be bold in your telling of the story, in your witness to Jesus' love, and in living out grace.  Come Lord Jesus.

Dear Lord, open my mouth to proclaim your story and my heart to be a disciple of your grace.  Amen.

Just a little bit of help.........

Just a little bit of help, please.

That's what most of us are looking for in our lives, and boy do I get it.  Some days I ask the universe, "Can't you make it just a little bit easier?"  "Does everything have to be so hard?"  even though we both know that when the trials of my life are compared to millions of others, mine is a ridiculous request.

But life can be wearing, exhausting, and some days it feels like every single force of both nature and the unnatural are conspiring against us.  On really bad days, I am certain that this is true.  Some days I simply don't want to be an adult.  I want someone else to be responsible, someone else to care for me; someone else to fix it.

For many, this role is given to God.  God is the great fixer, the one who will care for us, the great adult in the sky who makes our lives here on earth easier.  God as the cosmic handyman.  This is certainly a starting point for a relationship with God, but in fact, it is a small picture of the God of all creation, the source of all life.  In the end, it isn't a relationship at all since once our troubles have eased, once the crisis is over, once we gotten enough sleep, we move on from conversation with God and leave God behind.

It's a good thing that God doesn't treat us the same way.  God never leaves us behind.  God never says, "One and done" and moves on to love and care for and heal someone else.  God's eye is always on us, and God looks on us in love.  Life is God's ultimate goal: abundant life for all, even the ones who only check in when the going gets rough.

So God sends Jesus.  Once in a manger in Bethlehem.  Once at a time we cannot foretell.  God breaks into our world with a message about another kingdom, where life is gift and joy.  Jesus comes - no, that's not right - Jesus crashes into all the barriers we create, all the protections we put in place, all the power sources we accumulate in order to open a way to a new life, a new kingdom.

Boom!  Racial differences don't matter.  Boom!  Genders are equal.  Boom!  Old and young are valued the same.  Boom! Those who look different from us are treated exactly the same as us.  Boom! The poor are loved just like the wealthy.  Boom!  Here is forgiveness.  Now go and live.

Boom! Jesus crashes in.  Once in a manger.  Once at a time we cannot foretell.......but for which we can hope.  This is the HOPE of Advent, that longing and watching and waiting for the fullness of all time when the final curtain is raised and Jesus reigns.

We live out our lives in HOPE.  Come Lord Jesus.

Dear Lord, I want to live in your kingdom.  Help me walk with you daily.  Amen