February 3 sermon: Fearless For God

Now the word of the Lord came to me saying, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.” Then I said, “Ah, Lord God! Truly I do not know how to speak, for I am only a boy.” But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am only a boy’; for you shall go to all to whom I send you, and you shall speak whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you, says the Lord.” Then the Lord put out his hand and touched my mouth; and the Lord said to me, “Now I have put my words in your mouth. See, today I appoint you over nations and over kingdoms, to pluck up and to pull down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant.”

(Jeremiah 1:4-10)

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     Jeremiah was a fascinating man who led a fascinating life. He was perhaps the most notable of the Hebrew prophets, because the call he received from God was an almost impossible task, and yet - after initial hesitation and perhaps even some fear - he remained faithful to it throughout his life, even in the face of that almost certain failure. Jeremiah’s life might be the prism that helps us to redefine success and what it looks like. Today - probably far too often - the church adopts a bottom line mentality for defining success; a business approach to the work of the Kingdom; a worldly way of looking at spiritual realities. So if we don’t have a lot of money and we don’t have a lot of people and our message often seems to go unheeded by those around us, then we must be failing. That’s an understanding of “success” that the prophets of the Old Testament (and certainly Jeremiah) couldn’t have even begun to comprehend. For them - and for the church in the earliest years of its history - the definition of “success” was much different, and it was really quite simple: Is the Word of God being proclaimed? That was all that mattered. People might respond to the Word of God or not, but the faithful proclamation of that Word was all that mattered. The more worldly mindset of the 21st century church has difficulty with that idea. Being popular often seems to be our primary concern. It’s too often all that counts for us today. But in the ancient Hebrew faith (and in the early Christian faith) this concern with being popular would have been sneered at. “Who cares about being popular,” would have been the attitude. “We care about being faithful to God’s Word.” That was what mattered - and even if it came with a price to be paid, that was still all that mattered.

     Jeremiah wasn’t concerned about being popular. His primary concern wasn’t even whether people or society responded to his message. All he cared about was sharing this message he had been given by God. R.K. Harrison of Wycliffe College in Toronto described the difficulty of Jeremiah’s mission and the consequences of his faithfulness to it in this way:

His task was to try to recall the people of Judah to an observance of divine law at a time when they were poised on the brink of national and spiritual catastrophe. For many years the influence of pagan Canaanite worship had exerted a corrupting influence on the Judeans … Religious apostasy had been followed by social and moral decay, and it fell to Jeremiah to present the implications of [God’s] covenant fearlessly in a desperate attempt to stem the tide of destruction. But because the nation was indifferent … Jeremiah soon found that he had acquired a reputation for pessimism and gloom. For his fidelity to his vocation he was rejected, hated, persecuted, and even feared by those whom he was most anxious to recall to the covenant.

     I liked Harrison’s point that Jeremiah had to engage in his mission fearlessly. God does not call prophets to easy tasks. Truthfully - God does not call any of us to easy tasks. If our work for God is too easy and requires little struggle and little sacrifice then we need to question whether whatever call we feel we’ve received from God is authentic. Jeremiah was given a difficult task by God. He was called to be fearless for God. So are God’s people today called to be fearless for God.

     Jeremiah had come from a religious family. Jeremiah was a “preacher’s kid” - a PK. His father Hilkiah had been a priest, so Jeremiah would have been aware of the growing indifference of the nation to its covenant with God and of the concern that must have caused his father. We’re told that at a young age Jeremiah received a call from God to proclaim a message of judgment and repentance, forgiveness and love to a nation that had become largely indifferent to any of it. And we see that Jeremiah’s initial reaction was one of fear. God had known Jeremiah before Jeremiah was even in his mother’s womb and God had consecrated Jeremiah to this task before he had been born, and yet Jeremiah resisted the call from God. He found excuses for not serving God as God asked: “I am only a boy,” Jeremiah said in response to God’s call upon his life. And since Jeremiah began with an attempt to escape from God’s call, we learn a lot about God from God’s response. God’s reply to Jeremiah’s excuse is, in turns, encouraging and challenging and comforting and (in the best, non-psychological meaning of the word) enabling. I want to think about each in turn, because I believe that God still calls women and men to serve, that service is still difficult and I believe that we’re still as reluctant as Jeremiah to respond, and I believe that God still responds to our reluctance in the same way.

     God began with encouragement to Jeremiah. It was, of course, possible that Jeremiah’s concerns had been more than just an excuse. Maybe Jeremiah really did believe that he was too young and too inexperienced and too immature to serve God as God was asking. And so God’s reply began with a gentle word of encouragement: “Do not say, ‘I am only a boy.’” Don’t put yourself down, in other words. Don’t fall into the trap of feeling unworthy; don’t believe that God couldn’t possibly want to use you. No child of God should ever feel unworthy of being called to serve God. Jeremiah was not “only a boy.” He was a precious child of God. He was loved by God. When any of us fall into the trap of feeling that we’re too unimportant or unprepared or incapable to be called to serve God, we need to remember that the Bible from beginning to end is a reminder to us of just how important we are to God. We are not unworthy. We are beloved children of God! That’s the encouragement!

     But encouragement wasn’t enough.God didn’t stop by just boosting Jeremiah’s self-esteem. God continued by giving Jeremiah a challenge. Sometimes today the gospel seems reduced to little more than a feel-good message with a lot of warm fuzzies with God resembling something like a giant cosmic teddy bear inviting us for cuddles, but with few real calls to challenging service. But God - while pumping Jeremiah up - didn’t stop with that. God told Jeremiah what his service was to be, and didn’t give Jeremiah any options. It wasn’t “you can do this or that or whatever you want.” Jeremiah was given a specific task and was told to get on with it. God’s call in our lives is never just one option among many from which we can choose. We are called to serve God as God wants us to serve, fear and hesitation notwithstanding. That’s the challenge.

     But God also moved beyond the challenge. It was a difficult task to which Jeremiah was called - an almost impossible task, as I mentioned earlier. Jeremiah would labour for a lifetime with few visible results, making many enemies, becoming something of an outcast among his own people. This was not a very comfortable way to live. But God promised to provide the comfort to see Jeremiah through his hardships. “I am with you to deliver you,” was God’s message to Jeremiah. And God continues to be with us to deliver us, and troubled, tough times don’t change that. The final promise that Jesus made to his disciples was “I am with you always …” We should have no fear or hesitation in our hearts as we go about God’s business, no matter how challenging the circumstances may be, because we believe that “God is with us; we are not alone” as the United Church’s New Creed reminds us.

     But God moves even beyond comfort. God could have encouraged and challenged and comforted Jeremiah and set him on his task and accomplished nothing, because acting in his own power Jeremiah most likely would have accomplished nothing. But God went one step further. “I have put my words in your mouth,” God said. God is more than merely with us as one who walks alongside us. God is with us in a far more intimate way. God is with us through the power of the Holy Spirit. God is acting through us. God’s power and wisdom are upon us. God’s words are in our minds and on our tongues - if we’re truly open to the presence of God in our lives. Whether we’re called as witnesses to nations and kingdoms (as Jeremiah was) or whether we’re called as witness to our families and friends, God will work through us and equip us for the task that faces us. We don’t depend on our own talents and abilities, because God’s power will work through us. So, if you ever begin to think that God has called you to tasks that are too great for you - think again! If God has a job for you it isn’t going to be you doing the job; it’s going to be God doing the job through you. God’s strength always accompanies God’s call. That’s the enablement.

     Serving God is a great privilege, but it’s also a great challenge, and when God calls, it’s easy to try to escape and hide.  Many of the great figures of the Bible were called by God and found it difficult to accept - but ultimately God’s will prevailed. Moses didn’t want to go to Pharaoh, but eventually Moses went to Pharaoh. Job didn’t want to go to Nineveh, but eventually Job went to Nineveh. Jeremiah didn’t want to preach to an indifferent and sometimes even hostile nation, but eventually Jeremiah did preach to an indifferent and sometimes even hostile nation. Even Jesus preferred not to go to the cross, but eventually Jesus accepted the cross, and the table set as a commemoration of Jesus’ death  as it is today - is a reminder to us that there is a cost involved in being faithful to God. It’s easy to let fear take over. But when we remember what a blessing we have been given - to have been called children of God and to have been assured of God’s presence - how, truly, can we be hesitant or afraid to respond?

January 20 sermon: Why Wine?

On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. When the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what concern is that to you and to me? My hour has not yet come.” His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” Now standing there were six stone water jars for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. Jesus said to them, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. He said to them, “Now draw some out, and take it to the chief steward.” So they took it. When the steward tasted the water that had become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the steward called the bridegroom and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and then the inferior wine after the guests have become drunk. But you have kept the good wine until now.” Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee, and revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.

(John 2:1-11)

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     Being a bit of a science fiction buff, I love stories about time travel. My favourite Star Trek episodes were always the ones where Captain Kirk or Captain Picard found themselves in a different time trying desperately to fit in to a strange culture, sometimes even doing things that would change history – things that would have to be corrected somehow or everything they knew would change and maybe they themselves would cease to exist. I love the story “The Time Machine” by H.G. Wells, as the Time Traveller fast forwards more than 800,000 years in time and confronts a nightmare of a future earth. I sometimes wonder – if I had the ability to travel either backward or forward in time, would I actually want to do it, and if I did it, what would I want to do, what would I want to see and who would I want to meet? As I considered the Gospel reading for this week – the story of Jesus turning water into wine – it occurred to me that one person I’d like to sit down and have an in depth chat with if I could go back to the late 19th century is Letitia Youmans.

     That name might not be familiar to you, but she’s one of those people who are largely unknown but who played a significant role in history – both the history of society and the history of the church. Letitia Youmans was basically the leader of an organization that eventually came to be known as the Women’s Christian Temperance Union. The WCTU was absolutely and totally opposed to Christians drinking alcohol of any kind. It was the WCTU that caused many churches to start using grape juice instead of wine at Communion services. The WCTU explained that wine contained “the narcotic poison, alcohol, which cannot truly represent the blood of Christ.” The reason I’d love to sit down with Letitia Youmans is because I’d really like to get her take about this Gospel passage in which Jesus acts (for lack of a better word) as a vintner; a maker of wine. Perhaps that’s the reason that this passage often gets overlooked when we consider the great events and miracles of Jesus’ life. We know, of course, that this is his first miracle. The story tells us that. But then we don’t think too much about it. A hint of how beloved a Scripture passage is can be found in how many times a hymn writer chooses imagery from a passage as the basis of a hymn. Voices United has almost 900 hymns in it and do you want to know how many of those 900 hymns refer to this event? Exactly 1! There’s one in More Voices. We’re singing both today. And in all the research I’ve done I’ve only come across one other hymn that refers to Jesus turning water into wine – one written in 1973. This passage often gets ignored, because even in today’s world the image of Jesus as a party-goer and connoisseur of wine seems awkward. But that’s how this passage portrays Jesus. Jesus, his mother and some of his disciples were at a party. They had been invited to what we today would call a wedding reception. And we, the church, aren’t really too sure what to make of a party-going Jesus who makes sure that there’s enough wine for the guests.

     I have to admit myself that this seems to be a strange way for Jesus to reveal his miracle-making ability. I mean – why not calm a storm as the first miracle? Or feed the hungry? Or heal a sick person? Or raise a dead person? Or walk on water? Why not do something really dramatic that future generations of Christians wouldn’t feel at all squeamish about commemorating with songs? Somehow, we expect more of Jesus; better of Jesus. Because – honestly – this is the Son of God! This is God in the Flesh! And he goes to a party and turns water into wine. I suppose it reveals his power well enough. I mean, people don’t turn water into wine. Water is water and wine is wine. You can turn water into something that looks like wine. To do that you need sodium carbonate and a chemical called phenolphthalein. . I doubt that Jesus had access to either in Palestine 2000 years ago and in any event you can’t really drink the stuff made with water, sodium carbonate and phenolphthalein. But the host of the party said that what Jesus had created was the best wine! It was wine – alcohol and all! It’s a dramatic revelation of Jesus’ power, but still – it comes across as a little bit like a parlour trick. It seems like something a magician might pull off. At worst, it seems mundane and pedestrian; unimportant and insignificant. To be honest, I can imagine myself asking, “so what?” So Jesus turned water into wine. So what? It’s dramatic – but what did it really accomplish? What good did it do? What noble purpose did it serve?

     By the time Jesus’ life ends, of course, he’s accomplished a lot and he’s done a lot of good. By the time Jesus’ life ended he had in fact calmed a storm, and fed the hungry, and healed the sick, and raised the dead, and walked on water. But it all started with this curious little miracle of seemingly little importance that seems to have accomplished little of significance except to make a party a big success. Think about that. Jesus’ first miracle was to save a party that had been going downhill because the host ran out of wine. Strange. But you know what? The more I thought about this the more I started to wonder if this might not be just the first miracle of Jesus – but also his most important miracle of all! Not the most dramatic. Not the most helpful. Not the one that touched the most people. But, just maybe, the most important.

     By saving a party that was going nowhere fast because there was no wine, doesn’t Jesus essentially associate himself with the mundane and unimportant things of everyday life? And if Jesus was God in the flesh, doesn’t that tell us something about God? Maybe the first miracle had to be something quite unimportant and even trivial, because if Jesus had started with something big, perhaps the implication would have been that God only cares about the big things in life – and in everything else we’re on our own. We see that idea expressed often. When a football player prays before a game or gives thanks to God after the game, people say “Get real! God doesn’t care about a football game!” Maybe some of you have thought that yourself. But think again. If God cared about a party, God probably cares about the football game. Do you know why God cared about the party? Because God’s people who were at the party cared about the party! Do you know why God cares about the football game? Because God’s people who were at the football game cared about the football game! We seem to want to limit God to only the biggest and most earth-shattering things. Healing the sick and raising the dead by all means! Feeding the hungry and caring for the poor? Absolutely! The particular troubles and trials and tribulations and nuisances and grievances and petty irritations that I’m going through right at this very moment? Of course – because they’re my troubles and trials and tribulations and nuisances and grievances and petty irritations – and that makes them important. But saving a party? Or blessing a football player? Say it ain’t so. It can’t be. But I want to ask – why can’t it be?

     Did Jesus not say, “I am with you always ...” He didn’t say “I’ll be with you only when you face your biggest challenges.” He didn’t say “I’m with you only for the most important things.” He said “I am with you always ...” The miracle of turning water into wine at the wedding at Cana is a sign to us of God’s presence in the everyday things of life that so many people want to think of as off limits to God because God should only care about the most important things of life – as if God’s attention span was as short as ours; as if God were incapable of multi-tasking.

     I will confess to you that in one sense I really couldn’t care less that Jesus turned water into wine. I don’t much care for wine. I really don’t. It’s not a temperance issue. I just don’t care much for wine. I really don’t much like the taste of the stuff. And to be honest I don’t care if it’s a $5 bottle of plonk or a $200 imported French wine – it’s foul tasting liquid to me. Some people drink wine and speak about the aroma or the bouquet or the hints of this and that flavour. I just kind of stifle a shudder as it goes down, and to my taste buds wine will always just be wine. No – I’ll never be a wine connoisseur, so I suppose this miracle fizzles a little bit for me. Until I think about it. If Jesus cared this much about saving a party, how much does he care about the admittedly trivial things that sometimes get to me? In the light of this miracle, is there anything so inconsequential that I can’t “take it to Jesus,” so to speak? The wedding at Cana tells me that, no, there isn’t. From the big things to the small things – Jesus cares. From the earth-changing and life-changing events to the things that just don’t much matter and are barely remembered an hour later, Jesus cares. To me that’s the message of this story, and that’s the point of this being Jesus’ first miracle. It’s to make sure that we understand that Jesus really does care about it all. And, ultimately, this is really just a small start to a bigger miracle. As Alyce McKenzie wrote, “At Cana, the gift is wine. It propels us forward to the hour when the gift will be new life.”

January 13 sermon: The Third Baptism

As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah, John answered all of them by saying, “I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.” … Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.”

(Luke 3:15-17, 21-22)

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     We’ve probably all heard the phrase “baptized by fire.” It’s pretty common. To say that someone has been “baptized by fire” means that they have had their ability to handle a new situation tested to the limit. “If you can handle this, you can handle anything,” is basically the message. Baptism by fire has become such a common catch-phrase in the English language that it’s entirely possible that most people who use it don’t even realize the biblical roots of the phrase, and, because we forget the biblical roots of the phrase, I take it as a given that we don’t really understand the biblical meaning of the phrase, but the concept of baptism with fire has a deep significance to our Christian lives, and it’s important for us to understand this powerful Christian phrase, and we begin to do so by putting the passage we just read into its proper context.

     As this passage began, we find that John the Baptist had gained a significant following of his own. He had been engaging in a ministry of water baptism, immersing people in the Jordan River as a symbolic way of cleansing them from their sins and allowing them to begin a new life devoted to God without the burden of guilt weighing them down. Aside from baptism, John was also preaching – he was proclaiming a message of repentance and judgment to people who had become disenchanted with their country, their society, their political institutions and their religious leaders. Do you see any similarities with our own generation? People were looking for options. They wanted to find something different and they firmly believed that God was going to act to bring something new about. They believed that God was going to send them their Messiah, who would right the wrongs of the world around them, and into that milieu stepped John the Baptist, preaching a message that touched the hearts of those who heard him because he denounced those things that the people had become so disillusioned with. He wasn’t hesitant to take on anyone he saw as responsible for the condition of society, regardless of who they were or how much power they had or what positions in society they held, and the people responded to John the Baptist’s message and, not surprisingly in the circumstances, many began to think that – just maybe – John was the promised Messiah.

     Well, John was not the Messiah, of course. He knew that, and he never claimed otherwise. He simply told the people that they would have to look for someone else. He said to them, ““I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” The people surely wondered what John could possibly have meant, because the only baptism they had ever heard of was water baptism. Many people probably still wonder about this. Most Christian churches place their emphasis on water baptism, but when you read a passage such as this one you’re forced to confront the reality that John himself said that water baptism wasn’t really that important in the broader scheme of things. In fact, John said that water baptism wouldn’t even be a part of the ministry of the Messiah. Then, of course, there are other Christian denominations that place great emphasis on the baptism of the Holy Spirit, but they often ignore the fact that John said that baptism with the Holy Spirit would be accompanied with a baptism with fire. So, here we have three baptisms: water baptism, Holy Spirit baptism and fire baptism, and when we try to set aside all the unfortunate and divisive rhetoric about the different kinds of baptism, we’re left trying to figure out what baptism itself is all about, and especially what baptism with fire is all about, because it seems to be the third and final baptism. To begin with, perhaps we need to consider the first two baptisms.

     The first baptism is water baptism. Keep in mind that water baptism was John’s baptism and not that of Jesus. John was very clear: “I baptize you with water.” But what is water baptism? In the United Church, as well as most mainline Protestant churches, water baptism is a symbol of our cleansing by God and of the new life that God offers us. We emerge from the waters of baptism recognized as members of God’s family. This is symbolic, of course. Water baptism has no magical power. Water baptism doesn’t guarantee us anything in particular; neither does a lack of water baptism mean anything in particular. So, water baptism may be an important symbol, but it’s only a symbol. As John said, it’s not the baptism of Jesus, and since Jesus is the head of the church, we need to understand those other two kinds of baptism.

     The baptism of Jesus, you see, is different. John said that, first, the Messiah “will baptize you with the Holy Spirit ...” Baptism with the Holy Spirit is usually a topic that guarantees at least two or three hours of debate among Christians of various denominations and traditions. But, working on the assumption that none of you wants to sit here and listen to me for two or three hours – although I can’t imagine why! - let me try to summarize the two competing views. Mainline churches such as ours argue that baptism with the Holy Spirit is another way of saying that a person has come to Christian faith. In other words, at the moment one comes to Christian faith, one is empowered by the Holy Spirit. There may be other powerful spiritual experiences awaiting a Christian, but Spirit baptism occurs at the moment of conversion. Charismatic Christian churches such as the Pentecostal Church believe that baptism with the Holy Spirit is something that takes place at some undefined point after one comes to Christian faith, and most believe that the sign of Spirit baptism is the ability to exercise the spiritual gift of speaking in tongues. They would also believe that not all Christians experience baptism with the Holy Spirit. Suffice to say that I agree with the mainline view of Spirit baptism. But there’s a third baptism – the one that often gets ignored – and that’s the baptism with fire.

     John said that the Messiah would also “baptize … with … fire.” We don’t talk about that very much in church, and I suspect that we ignore it for the worst possible reason: because it makes us uncomfortable. And yet, it’s these uncomfortable subjects we should be addressing in the church, because these are the subjects that push us to a deeper understanding of how God works. Fire is an uncomfortable and frightening thing. Fire can destroy. We have to be careful with fire. Fire departments tell us how dangerous even the flames of small candles can be, and we regularly see on the news scenes of forest fires and wild fires raging out of control, destroying entire communities as they advance. And yet, it’s this uncomfortable, uncontrollable and dangerous thing called fire that the Messiah will baptize with.

     In Christian terms, when we think of fire I suspect that we tend to think first of hell, and some have suggested that the reference John the Baptist makes to baptism with fire is, in fact, a reference to judgment, and that those being baptized with fire are actually being condemned. They base that largely on the reference in v.17 to the burning of “the chaff … with unquenchable fire.” But I don’t believe that the fire of v.17 is the same as the fire of baptism referred to in v.16, because v.16 seems to very deliberately say that those being baptized with fire are the same ones being baptized with the Holy Spirit. “He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” So it’s believers who will be baptized with both the Holy Spirit and with fire, but what does the part about fire actually mean? I suspect it’s a reminder to us that no matter how hard we try, we can never win God’s favour by how nice we are or by how good we are. If baptism with water is the symbol of our acceptance by God, and baptism with the Holy Spirit is the guarantee of our acceptance by God, then baptism with fire is the final step in our acceptance by God, because it’s the process by which God takes care of those parts of our lives that don’t quite measure up. You see, fire destroys, but fire can also purify, and perhaps this is what John was getting at. Water cleanses temporarily – but fire purifies. The Holy Spirit accepts us as we are – but fire makes us what God wants us to be. Fire makes a lasting impression, and baptism with fire makes a spiritual mark upon us that will never be erased. Fire is that which purifies us and makes us ready for our welcome not into God’s family, which we’re already a part of, but into God’s Kingdom, into which nothing impure can ever enter. And perhaps this is the ongoing part of the Christian experience. The baptism with fire is the ongoing process of God re-creating us into what God wants us to be.

     Fire is powerful. It can destroy or it can purify. Either way, when it strikes it changes our lives forever. Perhaps that’s what makes so many people so nervous about Jesus; perhaps it’s why so many back away from Jesus; perhaps it’s why so many people try to reduce the King of kings and Lord of lords to just another religious teacher or good man, rather than the Incarnate God that he is. You see, Jesus comes with purifying fire, seeking to change us forever. This third baptism is in many ways the key to our Christian faith, because it reminds us that not only does God accept us as we are, God will make sure that we become what we’re supposed to be!

     In Discover Magazine a few years ago, Leeaundra Kealy wrote that “fire is an event, not a thing.” She was referring to fires in nature, of course. But I think it applies to faith as well. The baptism with fire is an event and not a thing. It’s ongoing. Just as in nature the full effects of fire often aren’t seen for many years, so it is with the baptism with fire. In nature, it’s through fire that forests eventually regenerate; in a life of faith it’s the baptism with fire that regenerates us and brings us vibrantly alive, purifying and preparing us for the Kingdom of God.

December 30 sermon: Confronting Christmas Culture 5 - It's Not All Finished

Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; this man was righteous and devout, looking forward to the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit rested on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. Guided by the Spirit, Simeon came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him what was customary under the law, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying, “Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.” And the child’s father and mother were amazed at what was being said about him. Then Simeon blessed them and said to his mother Mary, “This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed - and a sword will pierce your own soul too.” There was also a prophet, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, having lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped there with fasting and prayer night and day. At that moment she came, and began to praise God and to speak about the child to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.

(Luke 2:25-38)

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     It’s all fading fast. I’ve already seen Christmas trees put out at the side of the road, so that now they’re just dry and dead pine trees ready to be ground up into wood chips. Decorations are being put away, lights are beginning to disappear. It’s like Christmas was a long, long time ago.  Today is December 30 and we’re all planning for New Year’s Eve by now. We’re looking ahead into 2019. I was trying to explain to someone a few weeks ago that in the church December 30 is Christmas Sunday, and they said that no one could relate to that because December 30 is after Christmas. Except that it isn’t. In the world, I know, Christmas starts at the latest by the end of November and it’s over on December 25. But in the church that’s Advent. In the church Christmas starts on December 25 - it doesn’t end on December 25. So if I’m talking all month about “Confronting Christmas Culture” - I need to reflect on this a bit. The church and the world have an entirely different understanding of Christmas. The world wants to have a giant, month long splurge of excess and then call a screeching halt to it on December 25 with the birth of Jesus being the final act in the Christmas season, if it’s thought of at all. The church says that it’s only with the birth of Jesus that Christmas and what it means – the presence of God; the coming of God to the world to share our lives – can be fully celebrated and understood. And I don’t even think that our appreciation of Christmas has to be restricted to these famous “12 days.” I’d like to think that at least a bit of Christmas and what it represents to us would be on our minds always. So I tend to lean to the Dr. Seuss school of thought – that “Christmas will always be as long as we stand heart to heart and hand in hand.”

     I wonder why there’s such a rush to get Christmas over with? Why do so many people seem to think that December 25 is the end of it all and they put Christmas away for the next eleven months? People talk about loving the so-called “Christmas spirit.” They talk about everything seeming brighter and people seeming happier and more friendly at Christmas-time. And yet it seems as soon as we can we pack it all away and move on. We may not be like the Grinch who tried to steal Christmas, but still it seems just a little bit Grinch-like to try to hurry it to an end. Why do we do that? Perhaps there are a couple of reasons I can think of right off the top of my head.

     Maybe – as much as we love the season and the feelings that it brings to our hearts – we’re a little bit uncomfortable with what we in the church like to call the “true meaning” of Christmas. Maybe the very idea of the incarnation of God (the idea that God would become human - “veiled in flesh the godhead see, hail the incarnate deity” we sing in a popular Christmas carol) is just too overwhelming; too unnerving and too unsettling for us to be comfortable with it for very long. So perhaps we hide ourselves behind the secular festivities and we move on as fast as we possible can to avoid having to deal with the theological implications of Christmas – with what Christmas actually tells us about God. Most of us – if we’re being honest about it – like to think that we kind of have God under control. We don’t want anything too strange or unusual to happen. We want to let God in a little bit – but just a little bit. We remember that Jesus said that the Holy Spirit was as uncontrollable as the wind – but we sure try. And we like to think we have God figured out. So most often what we end up with is a God created in our image, rather than a God who created us in God’s image. We want God to be like us. We shy away from things that make God different. Jesus is a comfortable companion for us as long as we stick to his ethical and moral teachings. Add in the virgin birth as anything more than a cute little story that works for a Sunday School pageant and we suddenly start to get nervous. Because that doesn’t make sense. That isn’t logical. And we justify rejecting it by playing with Isaiah 7:14. “Therefore the Lord Himself shall give you a sign: Behold, a virgin shall conceive ...” And then we realize that the word we translate as “virgin” is the Hebrew word “alma.” And then we realize that “alma” can also be translated as simply “young woman.” And lo and behold we suddenly say: “well, it has to mean ‘the young woman shall conceive.’” And we go on, having excised the great miracle of the Christmas story with a translation game. Except – it makes no sense because of the first part of the verse: “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign.” What sort of sign is a young woman having a child? That’s no sign. It literally happens all the time. UNICEF estimates that 353000 babies are born every single day. There were fewer people 2000 years ago and so there would have been fewer births, but still – a lot of babies were born. The only logical translation of Isaiah 7:14 is “virgin.” And that pushes us out of our comfort zone and makes God a bit scary because when God is truly in control things happen that shouldn’t happen. And the letter to Titus tells us that Jesus is the grace of God that came to earth. That’s the Christmas story. “On earth peace and good will to all.” Christmas reminds us of the scandal of divine grace. Christmas reminds us that God comes for everyone and not just the ones we deem worthy of God’s presence. If you get too deeply into it, Christmas is theologically very uncomfortable. It pushes us, it prods us, it tells us to consider the implications of a God who chooses to become flesh and to dwell among us and to live with us and to die for us. Those are big issues. It’s no wonder that even in the church we kind of rush to get it over with. Better not to be reminded perhaps of all those implications of Christmas.

     And yet, the wondrous thing is that as uncomfortable as Christmas might make us with God the more we think about it, Christmas is also a reminder to us that God is so approachable. Christmas reminds us that – as amazing as it may be – God comes to us, we don’t have to come to God. I sometimes hear Christians who speak of finding God or finding Jesus. But we don’t. God finds us; Jesus finds us.  God comes to us in the humble form of a child and remains with us throughout our lives. If the meaning of Christmas is summed up by the word “Emmanuel” - “God-With-Us” - then Christmas isn’t just a day or 12 days or a month. Christmas truly never ends. In the 1951 movie version of “A Christmas Carol” the host of Christmas Present says to Ebenezer Scrooge that “the child born in Bethlehem does not live in men’s hearts just one day of the year but all 365 days of the year.” And so he does. If December 25 represents the end then Christmas itself is pointless. But if December 25 is just the beginning then Christmas takes on a whole new meaning – with a spirit and a message to be lived throughout the year.

     The work of Jesus just got started with his birth. As Simeon said in today’s Gospel reading,

“Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel. … This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed ...”

     The world may want to tell you otherwise. The world may be beginning its countdown to a new year, and in the next few days Christmas cards will be replaced by Valentines Day cards and all reminders of Christmas will disappear. But Christians know better. Christmas isn’t all finished just because December 25 has come and gone. The work of Christmas goes on, the presence of God is eternal and the spirit of Christmas needs to be felt all year round.

December 23 sermon: Confronting Christmas Culture 4 - It's Not All About Santa

And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name. His mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, according to the promise he made to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his descendants forever.” And Mary remained with her about three months and then returned to her home.

(Luke 1:46-56)

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     My friends – he is everywhere now! It’s true – and it’s so exciting! I don’t know how he gets around so much, but I’ve seen him in Oshawa and I’ve seen him in Pickering and I saw a picture of him in Beaverton weeks ago. He’s everywhere! It’s so exciting! I’m talking, of course, about Santa Claus! Because it’s that time of year! What an awesome dude he is! Everywhere and all over the world and bringing presents to boys and girls. He’s truly awesome! And he knows things. Lots of things. You know what they say:

You better watch out

You better not cry

Better not pout

I'm telling you why.

Santa Claus is coming to town.

He's making a list

And checking it twice;

He's gonna find out

Who's naughty and nice.

Santa Claus is coming to town

He sees you when you're sleeping;

He knows when you're awake;

He knows if you've been bad or good

So be good for goodness sake!

Oh! You better watch out!

You better not cry

Better not pout

I'm telling you why:

Santa Claus is coming to town!

     Think about these words for a second: “He sees you when you're sleeping; he knows when you're awake; He knows if you've been bad or good ...” He sounds a bit like God, actually. Now, I have nothing against Santa – although when I try to type his name I notice that more often than not I make the inevitable typo and it comes out as “Satan” instead of “Santa.” My bad. But I’m not one of those Christians who rails against Santa. It’s all good, clean fun – although Lynn and I had the experience of raising a child who never ever wanted anything to do with Santa. Go figure. I think he’s a rather jolly old fellow who adds to the enjoyment of the season. But I will say this – Christmas is not all about Santa. You could say that Santa has become a secular icon for the season; almost the false god of Christmas; and far removed from his Christian origins as St. Nicholas. So maybe we do need perspective. As I said when Advent began, I don’t worry too much about the whole “Jesus is the reason for the season” stuff – but I would say that neither is Santa the reason for the season. In some ways Jesus and Santa seem to be in competition at this time of year, so I’m wondering how we could encourage people to choose Jesus, or at least to put him first. I have a few thoughts about the differences between Jesus and Santa that might help us make that choice and could remind us that, indeed, this season is not all about Santa.

     Let’s think first about where Santa lives. Now all of us know that Santa lives at the North Pole. That’s where his workshop is. That’s where his home is. That’s where the toys get made. Santa has a very special relationship with Canada. The North Pole is a little beyond Canadian territory, but the nearest inhabited place is Alert, Nunavut – so if Santa ever needs help with anything he comes to Canada. And, of course, he takes his summer vacations in Bracebridge at his own little village where he kindly invites us all to visit him. All well and good. But do you know where Jesus lives? At one and the same time he’s with God the Father interceding for us, and he’s living right in our hearts. Jesus is way better than Santa. It’s not all about Santa.

     And then – what is it about how Santa travels? In a sleigh? Pulled by reindeer? Isn’t that kind of old-fashioned? I mean – I admit that there’s an impressive quality about the fact that the reindeer can fly and that one of them has a shiny red nose, and that he can circumnavigate the entire world and stop at so many homes all in one 24 hour period. Points for Santa, I guess. But remember what I just said a moment ago – Jesus doesn’t even have to travel. He’s just always with you. Santa’s gonna leave! He’s gonna ride that flying reindeer powered sleigh back to the North Pole and aside from his summer in Bracebridge you’re not going to see him again until next Christmas. And keep in mind – Santa might ride in a sleigh pulled by flying reindeer – but so what! Jesus can walk on water! So there’s maybe a couple of points for Santa, but still – Jesus is way better than Santa. It’s not all about Santa.

     And I want you to think about how hard it is to get to see Santa. I was in the Oshawa Centre last week. Just by coincidence Santa was there at the same time. And don’t tell me that it wasn’t the real Santa. I know better than that. It was him. I saw him. And people were lined up just to get a chance to sit on his lap for a few seconds to tell him what they wanted. Seriously – there was a lineup! Can you believe it! You have to line up! What’s with that? You know what you do when you want to talk to Jesus? You pray. You don’t have to go to some silly shopping mall. And how well does Santa really know you anyway? If you don’t get to see him – if the lineup is too long – will he really know what you want? Think about it - he has to have a list and he has to keep checking it. Memory issues or something. Jesus just knows you. And he knows what you need. And he never forgets. Jesus is way better than Santa. It’s not all about Santa.

     And why does Santa say “you better not cry”? I beg your pardon. We’re human. We have emotions. We cry. When sad things happen. Sometimes when happy things happen. We cry. What’s the big deal. Santa needs to get over it. But Santa seems to think there’s something wrong if you cry. “You better not cry.” I mean – I can understand the pouting part and the shouting part – but “you better not cry”? You know who cried? Jesus cried! John 11:35. Shortest verse in the entire Bible - “Jesus wept.” Is Jesus on Santa’s naughty list because of that incident? Crying’s OK. There’s nothing wrong with it. What’s with Santa’s attitude? Jesus is way better than Santa. It’s not all about Santa.

     And I hate to say it – but Santa’s biased. Apparently he prefers the good little girls and boys. Which is pretty arbitrary when you think about it. Seriously – define “good” and “bad.” How does Santa really make that call, anyway? The truly best thing about Jesus is that he doesn’t make that call. He understood perfectly. Remember what he said: “only God is good.” So Jesus gave up on the whole “naughty list” and “nice list” thing a long time ago. He just came for the world. He even said that he didn’t come for the good people – but for the bad people! Remember - “I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” Compare that to Santa with his lists that he can’t remember and so he has to keep checking them. Seriously. Jesus is way better than Santa. It’s not all about Santa.

     Mary said that “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant.” God had looked on her with favour by calling her to be the mother of Jesus. And through Mary, God sent Jesus to us. I have nothing against Santa – he’s a cultural icon and I’m sure he’s a great guy to share some milk and cookies with in the middle of the night – although keep a close eye on him because sometimes your wife will start kissing him – somebody saw that once. But Christmas is not all about Santa. Jesus – the Son of God – is far more important!

December 16 sermon - Confronting Christmas Culture 3: It's Not All About Decorations

In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.”

(Luke 1:39-45)

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     “All that glitters is not gold.” It’s a very old saying. Some people say that variations of it go back to the 12th century, although in its current form it comes from the pen of William Shakespeare in the play “The Merchant Of Venice.” The meaning is clear enough I think. Just because something looks good doesn’t mean it’s valuable or useful or productive. Some things just glitter without meaning. Think of pyrite – better known as “fool’s gold.” Over the centuries a lot of people thought they had struck it rich by discovering gold, only to find out that it wasn’t real. There’s a lot in our world that’s glittering right about now. All you have to do is take a drive around the highways and biways or go into any shopping mall and you’ll see it. There are trees and lights and garlands and wreaths and bells and ornaments of various kinds. I have seen Santa inflatables, Grinch inflatables, snowman inflatables, penguin inflatables – inflatables of various kinds. All of them are intended to – in a sense – glitter. There’s a very long tradition of something special being done to places of worship as we approach the celebration of Christmas. We have special banners and trees and candles that make an appearance here at this time of year. Many people put in a lot of hours decorating their houses. I have to admit that I can’t even imagine a Christmas without thinking of Clark Griswold’s gaudy attempt at a Christmas light display in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. Some neighbourhoods have contests for the best decorated house – if you remember Snoopy won a contest for decorating his doghouse in A Charlie Brown Christmas – and there are Christmas displays that cause traffic headaches in some areas as people come from long distance to see what some folks have managed to put together. And it’s all beautiful. What, after all, would Christmas be without some decorations for us to admire. And a Christmas tree without decorations really isn’t a Christmas tree – it’s just a pine tree.  As Burl Ives sang in “Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer:”

Silver and gold, silver and gold,

Means so much more when I see

Silver and gold decorations

On every Christmas tree.

     Would it really be Christmas without decorations? Norman Vincent Peale said that “Christmas waves a magic wand over the world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful.” A part of the impact of that magic wand is surely the beauty of the glistening decorations around us: decorations that dazzle us. But remember the caution I began with – all that glitters is not gold. In fact, the things that glitter can simply distract us from what Christmas is supposed to be about.

     There’s actually truth to the saying that “all that glitters is not gold.” The fact is that gold doesn’t glitter. Pyrite glitters – that’s why people mistake it for gold, because people expect gold to glitter. It glitters, so it must be important, it must be valuable. But gold doesn’t glitter. Real gold is actually a rather dull metal with very little shine to it. Sometimes the things of the most importance – the things of real substance – easily get lost in the midst of the shiny things that are all around us. We romanticize the manger, turning it into an almost charming place to give birth rather than accepting it as what it was – a dirty, smelly stable. And, I’d point out, we do the same with the end of Jesus’ life as well, so that the cross – a crude object of torture in Roman times – becomes a beautiful crafted piece of wood, often (as in here) with heavenly lights shining upon it. It’s almost as if we need the glitter to convince ourselves that the story is actually worth telling.

     And yet, Jesus doesn’t glitter like gold, or like a Christmas ornament. In Isaiah 53, and in speaking of the Messiah to come, the prophet said that “he had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.” But I think we get so dazzled by the concept of Christmas that we can forget the reality of Christmas. Even the way that we deal with certain aspects of the biblical story suggests that we’re often more concerned with sizzle than with steak – so when we talk about Matthew’s Christmas story and the visit of the magi (who were likely astrologers) we inevitably turn them into much more impressive kings – even though there’s nothing in the Bible that suggests that they were kings. But “kings” seems to fit the season so much better – it’s a word and an image that’s far more in keeping with the glitter of the season.

     I thought about this morning’s Scripture reading as I was reflecting on why it seems so important for us to be dazzled  by the Christmas story and the Christmas season. There was nothing particularly dazzling about the scene today’s reading describes. Two mothers to be – cousins to each other – share a visit with one another in “a Judean town in the hill country.” It was an out of the way location – not the centre of anything in particular – for these two to meet: one to be the mother of Jesus, and one the mother of John the Baptist. You would have thought that there might have been more of a fuss, more excitement, more – well – glitter, but there wasn’t. There were no strings of lights, no wreaths and no shiny baubles hanging off trees. Just two women sharing unexpected pregnancies - an experience that must have at one and the same time been both frightening and overwhelming to them.

     Perhaps it’s in reflecting on this story – essentially the first meeting between Jesus and John the Baptist, even though both were in the womb and not yet born – that we start to understand the point of Christmas. What was the purpose of God in coming in flesh to the world? Was it to dazzle us? I think that surely there were more effective ways that God could have dazzled us than by coming as a baby in a manger. The point of Christmas, perhaps, is that God chose to descend not to a world that glitters, but to a world that is hurting and broken; that God chose to become a part of this hurting and broken world, to share in our lives with all of our struggles, to experience our hurts and pains and sufferings and, ultimately, even death. None of that glitters. None of that decorates the Christmas season in the way we’ve come to expect – but maybe that is the meaning of Christmas.

     In 1517, Martin Luther preached a Christmas Day sermon. He invited his congregation to consider the conditions in which Christ was born:

There was no one to take pity on this young wife who was for the first time to give birth to a child; no one to take to heart her condition that she, a stranger, did not have the least thing a mother needs in a birth-night. There she is without any preparation, without wither light or fire, alone in the darkness, without anyone offering her service as is customary for women to do at such times. Everything is in commotion at the inn, there is a swarming of guests from all parts of the country, no one thinks of this poor woman. … Just imagine what kind of swaddling clothes they were in which she wrapped the child. … Is it not strange that the birth of Christ occurs … in such a poor and despicable manner?

     Martin Luther was himself engaging in conjecture. The Bible really doesn’t tell us very much about the conditions surrounding Jesus’ birth – but I do suspect that it was pretty rough. Luther asks, “is it not strange that the birth of Christ occurs … in such a poor and despicable manner?” Not really, I’d say. Considering the world God entered and the work that lay ahead for Jesus – that was probably far more appropriate than entering a world full of glitter and lights.

December 9 sermon - Confronting Christmas Culture 2: It's Not All About Shopping

In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him 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 ancestor David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” The angel said to 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 holy; he will be called Son of God. And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.” Then Mary said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.

(Luke 1:26-38)

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     We spend a lot of time as Christmas approaches wondering what nto buy for the people in our lives. There’s a story told of a woman who gave her husband a burial plot for Christmas. Suffice to say, he wasn’t very impressed. The next year, she didn’t give him anything. He was actually hurt. He said to her, “why didn’t you give me anything for Christmas this year?” She looked at him and said “Why should I? You didn’t use what I gave you last year!”

     I did some research a few days ago on shopping habits in Canada at this time of year. I couldn’t find specifics from 2017, but I did come across some fascinating numbers from December of 2016. I’m not sure how things are going to go this year, of course, but based on what I’ve already seen in various stores and shopping malls over the last little while I’d say this is probably going to be pretty accurate. Not all of these amounts are directly due to Christmas, of course – because these items get purchased all year round – but spending in December according to every source I consulted is always substantially higher than in any other month. From Statistics Canada, here’s how much Canadians spent based on products bought at large suppliers in December 2016:

On food and drinks, Canadians spent – $5.1 billion

On TVs, audio and video equipment, Canadians spent – $459.9 million

On toys, games and hobby supplies, including electronic games, Canadians spent – $417.8 million

On computer hardware and software, Canadians spent – $274.9 million

On small electrical appliances, Canadians spent – $263.4 million

On tableware, kitchenware, cookware and bakeware, Canadians spent – $238.5 million

On cosmetics and fragrances, Canadians spent – $154.8 million

On sporting goods, Canadians spent – $171.6 million

On jewellery and watches, Canadians spent – $118.0 million

On stationery, office supplies, cards, gift wrap and party supplies, Canadians spent – $98.7 million

On cameras and related photographic equipment and supplies, Canadians spent – $73.7 million

     That’s a lot of shopping! Happy holidays and merry Christmas, indeed! It certainly is for large suppliers!

      Shopping – and the gifts we get – tend to be the focus at this time of year. And we instill that idea in our children’s minds from a very young age as we introduce them to Santa and they give him their list of what they want for Christmas. Please understand that I’m not saying that we shouldn’t be giving gifts to others. I suppose that the tradition of giving gifts for Christmas flows from the story in Matthew’s Gospel of the wise men bringing gifts to the child they found in Bethlehem. There’s nothing wrong with showing our love and friendship with giving gifts, but sometimes it does get out of hand, and the focus of the season becomes the gifts themselves, rather than the people. Let’s be honest. Have you ever had someone give you a gift and rather than being thankful for it you’ve been disappointed with it? You’ve thought they should have got you something else? You thought they should have known you well enough that they’d have known that the collection of dish towels wasn’t exactly what you wanted to find under your tree? So, in other words, the gift rather than the giver was what mattered. I may not be a Mormon, but I think Brigham Young gave some pretty good advice: “Love the giver more than the gift.”

     Having said that, let’s also be honest. Most of us like to get gifts, don’t we? And so most of us feel that in order to make those we care about happy at Christmas, we have to buy gifts – sometimes lots of them! So Christmas turns into a gigantic shopping spree, except that unlike the shopping sprees you win, you have to pay for all the things you buy. We buy for our co-workers, we buy for our friends, we buy for our spouses and our children and our parents. And rather than the joy of the Christmas season, after doing that what happens is that many people end up with the post-Christmas hangover when the credit card bills come in to pay for it all. I read in the course of my research that one third of people will take over seven months to pay off their Christmas debts. So in other words, you’re pretty much at the point when stores will be trying to entice you to start your Christmas shopping (because I see Christmas displays appearing in some stores in August) before you’ve even managed to pay for everything you bought the year before. And this never ending cycle of shopping and buying and paying and debt goes on and on and on – and the stores rejoice, and the banks who charge you interest rejoice. But we usually don’t rejoice when the January credit card bill arrives. So maybe – just maybe – we have our focus all wrong at this time of year.

     I’m thinking of today’s Gospel reading. Mary received a wonderful gift – and I’m not even talking about the baby Jesus. The gift Mary received was the knowledge that she was loved and favoured by God; that she was chosen by God for a special purpose. She learned that her value wasn’t to be measured by what kind of gifts she received from others, but from the gift she received from God – to be accepted and chosen and used in God’s plan. That’s something you can’t buy in a store. Usually, when we think of the Christmas story, we think of Mary giving birth, but really in many ways the key to the whole story was what happened before she was even pregnant – and what mattered was really these words; “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.” The gift that God gave Mary was not the baby Jesus; the gift God gave Mary was the knowledge that she was loved, accepted and even favoured by God. Those were not expensive gifts; this was simply Mary coming to realize the very nature of God – a God who gives for the sake of his children. The greatest gift Mary received was the gift of being assured of God’s presence. If we think back for  moment to Matthew’s Gospel - what do you think pleased God the most in that story? Was it the gifts the wise men brought to Jesus, or was it the fact that they simply came to him that counted the most? I am not saying there is anything wrong with buying gifts for others at Christmas. I think the desire to give gifts shows a very Christian heart. But, I think that as we do buy things for others, we should try to remember that the most important gift of all that we can give is ourselves.

     I want to go back for just a moment to those words from Brigham Young: “Love the giver more than the gift.” We can give those around us many things this Christmas, but none of them even come close to the love we give them by merely being around them and sharing time with them. Your presence is the best possible gift you could ever get for someone whom you love and treasure, and their presence is the best possible gift they could give to you. In the orgy of commercialism and shopping that marks the Christmas season, we need to learn to value the people around us more than we value the material things that we buy and put under the tree.