2008 Christmas Sermon
May the words of my mouth and the meditations of all our hearts be acceptable to you, O Lord, our Strength and our Redeemer.
A couple of weeks ago a made a rather rash statement during my Sunday sermon – I said “I hate Christmas.” Taken out of context, that is a dreadful thing for a priest to say. In my defense, I made the comment in disgust over the secular culture’s push to rush things. This year I saw Christmas items for sale in August!
Perhaps it was “The zeal of the LORD of hosts” we heard mentioned in the Isaiah reading that over came me while I was talking about the need for patient waiting that the Advent season reminds us to practice. In my fervor, I blurted out, “I hate Christmas,” and I immediately regretted it.
The truth is I love Christmas. I love everything about this time of year. I love cold weather. I love the music. I love the food. I even love the somewhat cheesy Christmas TV movies. But what I love most of all is what Christmas is really all about – the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
I have a confession to make. I was probably 10 or so before I realized that the word Christmas had the word “Christ” as its root. The way we pronounce the word probably added to my misunderstanding. “Chrissmas.” The “t” is nowhere to be heard, and the “i” gets schwaed to an “e”. It was not until I read a sign that said – “Keep the Christ in Christmas” that I really got it.
The word Christmas is really a conflation of the words “CHRIST” and “MASS”, or Mass for Christ. This seems odd to me because we celebrate a Mass for Christ every Sunday and at every Eucharist, but it follows an old English tradition of naming days for when specific feasts were celebrated, such as Michaelmas on the feast for the archangel Michael and all angels.
Christmas is the day specifically set aside to commemorate and celebrate one of the most awesome events in history – the birth of a baby. In many ways it was as ordinary and extraordinary as any other birth that has taken place on earth, including yours and mine. Birth is a miracle. Yet we know that this particular birth was even more miraculous.
First of all, Jesus’ birth had been predicted to take place several centuries earlier. Again, from the prophet Isaiah, “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light . . . For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders; and he is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” These words are given to the Israelites living in a time when there were no electric lights. They were dependant on the sun or fire to provide any sort of illumination. But even today we are drawn toward a source of light as a beacon that calls to us, showing us the way.
It was before our modern understanding of science, both on the micro and macro levels. Yet, just like us, they wanted to make sense of things and may have even been more open to the phenomenal than we are in our skeptical culture.
These ancient people were also constantly being threatened by invaders from far off lands that had different cultures and religious beliefs. We are still in the midst of such threats and misunderstandings, even in our age of enlightenment and global communication.
It is very difficult for me to imagine the utter darkness that surrounded the Israelites - physically, emotionally, and spiritually – because the only world I know is the world after Jesus’ presence on earth. It is almost unfathomable to understand what the world was like before he came to us. Yet through Isaiah’s words, I feel the same urgent need, the longing desire for something greater and more powerful than me that the Israelites had.
Isaiah’s words offer great comfort to there hearers. We are not left alone to wander senselessly around with no direction or purpose. God is present and visible to all who take notice. But take notice of what? Of a child – a poor, lonely child born in a backwater town to a mother of questionable background? Does that sound like a wonderful counselor or a prince of peace? From a practical point-of-view, this prophecy makes no sense – how can a child fulfill all of these expectations? I am sure that is part of what Mary pondered in her heart. We, of course, benefit from knowing the rest of the story – that of Jesus Christ’s ministry, passion, death and resurrection. We gratefully accept that Jesus is the fulfillment of this prophecy and rejoice at his birth. And we are also keenly aware of the incongruity of a Savior in the form of a helpless infant – like that of a King hanging on a cross.
Another miraculous aspect of Jesus’ birth is the presence of angels heralding the Good News to the shepherds. While some parents may say that angels sang at the birth of their daughter or son (which I am sure they do), I’ll wager that most people don’t hear about a birth from a multitude of heavenly hosts. I love the fact that whenever angels appear in the Bible, they always tell their hearers, “Do not be afraid.” It is a good introduction, but I think I would still be in a state of shock if that happened to me. The fact that the shepherds are able to take in what is proclaimed to them and then have enough sense to follow the directions of the angels is miraculous.
This message is also given to a bunch of working class people, not the aristocrats or rulers. It does make sense that those with any kind of power or authority would have felt threatened by such a message. Those with little or nothing to loose accept what is told them enough to go investigate it themselves.
Then the shepherds go to a meager stable to see a baby, and scene is just as it had been told to them. But I believe that what was more amazing to them was being in the presence of the Son of God. Even in the crude flesh of a human being, the baby Jesus must have had an aura about him – a feeling of peace as well as power. For those lucky enough to be in his presence, they must have known in the deepest part of their being that everything had changed because this child was born.
Finally, it is miraculous that we are even here to celebrate this birth. Taking into account all of the paradoxes in this tale, it is incredible that such a story should have lasted 2 years, let alone 2000 years. And yet here we are, gather together on this night to celebrate a Mass for Christ, our Savior and Redeemer.
I love Christmas because it offers the world an opportunity each year to hear a miraculous story of what it really is all about – God coming to God’s people in human form, showing us that we are not left along to wander in darkness of sin and despair, and beaconing us to come toward the light of God’s love, a love so powerful that it eliminates all darkness – physical, emotional, and spiritual.
I invite all of you over this Christmas season, which lasts until January 6th, to be an example of the light shining in the darkness, of spreading God’s love where ever you go. I do believe that part of the secular tradition of offering gifts is one way, when it is done out of love and joy instead of obligation or greed. But remember to include Jesus on the present list – what can you give him? Can you share your faith, tell someone the real Christmas story, listen to someone who is lonely, use our resources to help someone in need or be a good neighbor? These are the most precious gifts we can give, because, just like Christ did, it is giving of ourselves, to do the work God needs us to do today and everyday.
May the presence of Christ in your hearts, souls and minds fill you up with joy and peace that lasts throughout the year.
In the name of Jesus Christ, the one born in Bethlehem so many years ago and in our hearts each and every day, we pray. AMEN.
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