p3. December 21-26, Nativity. "Merry Christmas!"
Dec 21. �Truly I tell you, people will be forgiven for their sins and whatever blasphemies they utter; but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit can never have forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin�- for they had said, �He has an unclean spirit.� See Mark 3:28-30. Jesus said this when his opponents accused him of casting out demons through the power of Satan. And we could say it when our opponents reject our full participation in the church. They blaspheme against the Holy Spirit within us by naming it sinful, unclean, or evil. We must keep faith with the Spirit, even when others reject it. May Christians praise your Spirit within us Holy God.
Dec 22. Jesus said to her, �Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?...Do not hold on to me.� See John 20:15, 17. Jesus asked Mary whom she sought on that first Easter morning of resurrection. Then he called her by name, and she recognized him. But he warned her not to hold on to him. Many tried or try to hold on to us, to keep us just the way we were. Parents, spouses, children, churches, careers, governments- all have wanted us the way we were, or at least how they perceived us. But they should not weep. Nor should they hold on. Free me from expectations that keep me entombed.
Dec 23. �See, the home of God is among mortals�God will wipe every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more.� See Revelation 21:3-4. Walking along the beach on Fire Island, the protagonists �see� all the friends they have lost to AIDS gathering for a party. Smiles flash, hair is playfully tugged, hugs are long. Early Christians needed a similar vision in the midst of the persecutions and martyrdoms that they endured. We pray for a cure for AIDS, just as you have given us a cure for death. Amen.
Dec 24. Love never ends. But as for prophecies, they will come to an end; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will come to an end�And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love. See 1 Corinthians 13:8, 13. Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. See Hebrews 11:1. We have faith and hope in your love, God.
Dec 25. MERRY CHRISTMAS! But the angel said to them, �Do not be afraid; for see-I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people; to you is born this day in the City of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. See Luke 2:10-11. Angels made this announcement of Christ�s nativity not to a religious gathering or council, but to a bunch of literal outsiders, shepherds, tending their flocks. Jesus himself was an outsider, born in a stable to a poor, unwed Jewish teenage girl. He was destined not to be a priest, but a carpenter. But from the outside looking in, he discerned what had gone wrong in the spiritual quest of his people. Spirituality had become overly codified, rigid, and restrictive. It was the pet of the wealthy, the powerful, the educated, and the self-righteous. God had been domesticated. Lord make your Word flesh in us, that we may call the church to repentance. Help us to lead spiritual lives without the restrictions placed on us by man made institutions.
Dec 26. And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory�See John 1:1-14. Mary and Joseph experienced joyful exhaustion as the long-awaited Jesus arrived at the end of a lengthy journey. The signs of abundance were difficult to identify. If there was a feast that night, Mary and Joseph were not invited. They were turned away from the inn, but God filled their lives with a brilliance even the shadows of the manger could not diminish. The story of Christ�s birth in Bethlehem teaches us not to confuse the gifts with the package. Home, family, religious traditions- they are spirit filled containers that hold precious fragments of God�s promise. But nothing we have- whether big or small- can truly capture the magnitude of grace. God still waits in the unwrapped darkness to give us something more. Generous Savior, open my eyes so that I might get a new glimpse of your abundant grace. Amen. |
