Sunday, December 25, 2022

Year A Christmas Day 2022 Traditions 2022

 Year A Christmas Day,  December 25, 2022

St. James the Less Episcopal, Ashland, VA

“Traditions 2022”



Collect: Almighty God, you have given your only-begotten Son to take our nature upon him, and to be born [this day] of a pure virgin: Grant that we, who have been born again and made your children by adoption and grace, may daily be renewed by your Holy Spirit; through our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom with you and the same Spirit be honor and glory, now and for ever. Amen.


Old Testament Isaiah 52:7-10

How beautiful upon the mountains

are the feet of the messenger who announces peace, 

who brings good news,

who announces salvation, 

who says to Zion, "Your God reigns." 

Listen! Your sentinels lift up their voices,

together they sing for joy; 

for in plain sight they see

the return of the Lord to Zion.

Break forth together into singing,

you ruins of Jerusalem; 

for the Lord has comforted his people,

he has redeemed Jerusalem.

The Lord has bared his holy arm

before the eyes of all the nations;

and all the ends of the earth shall see

the salvation of our God.

The New Testament Hebrews 1:1-4,(5-12)

Long ago God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom he also created the worlds. He is the reflection of God's glory and the exact imprint of God's very being, and he sustains all things by his powerful word. When he had made purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.

For to which of the angels did God ever say,

"You are my Son;

today I have begotten you"? 

Or again,

"I will be his Father,

and he will be my Son"?

And again, when he brings the firstborn into the world, he says,

"Let all God's angels worship him."

Of the angels he says,

"He makes his angels winds,

and his servants flames of fire." 

But of the Son he says,

"Your throne, O God, is forever and ever,

and the righteous scepter is the scepter of your kingdom. 

You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness;

therefore God, your God, has anointed you

with the oil of gladness beyond your companions." 

And,

"In the beginning, Lord, you founded the earth,

and the heavens are the work of your hands; 

they will perish, but you remain;

they will all wear out like clothing; 

like a cloak you will roll them up, and like clothing they will be changed. 

But you are the same,

and your years will never end."

The Gospel John 1:1-14

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.

He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.

And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father's only son, full of grace and truth.



We all have them. We might not see them as Traditions, but we do things in the same way for comfort, for ease, for our brains to go on automatic pilot at times, so our souls can find those still, happy places we need. We also carve out space in our days or seasons to do things with intention. Christmas is filled with Traditions, and that means Christmas is filled with Intention.  


This is our third pandemic Christmas. We are gathering, with a triple threat of COVID, and flu, and RSV. We are singing joyful carols and few are still are wisely wearing masks. The pandemic is not over, but so many of us were over it a long time ago. I know the role that this place plays in so many lives, and I am thankful that we can gather and invite people in after being closed for what was unimaginably long. We did it all out of love. Too much for some, too little for others. But we all grieve because things are not the way we want them to be. And all of us respond to that disappointment and grief in our own ways.


That makes the traditions that we can have all the more special.


Stephanie and I were married on the 19th, so on our honeymoon we began to read the three Gospel accounts of Christmas from Luke, then Matthew, then John. And then we read the Gospel according to Dr. Seuss. The Grinch is Gospel, as there is a conversion when his heart “grew three sizes that day.” 


We got to read those together last night in the Rectory. Another Traditional Ritual is the eating of Chinese Food which comes from my birth family who always went to the Chinese restaurant after the Christmas Eve service. Wonton Soup might not scream “Happy Birthday, Jesus!” to you. But it does to me.


Traditions bring us comfort. Traditions warm our hearts. Traditions make us cozy inside. 


Another one of my traditions is to usually cry, whether I want to or not, when I hear, “I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day.” The song comes from a poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. A simple song, a throwaway song almost until you hear the words with Longfellow’s thoughts in your mind. Two years after his wife died in a tragic accident, which also left him permanently scarred, Longfellow’s son enlisted in the Union Army in the Civil War. Receiving a grave wound, Charley, Longfellow’s son, was in hospital in Washington, D.C. Longfellow joined him there to help in his recovery. On Christmas Day, in the midst of personal tragedy and in his beloved country ripping itself apart, he penned these words.   


I heard the bells on Christmas Day 

Their old, familiar carols play, 

And wild and sweet,  the words repeat 

Of peace on earth, good-will to men! 


And thought how, as the day had come, 

The belfries of all Christendom 

Had rolled along the unbroken song 

Of peace on earth, good-will to men! 


Till ringing, singing on its way, 

The world revolved from night to day, 

A voice, a chime, a chant sublime 

Of peace on earth, good-will to men! 


And in despair I bowed my head; 

"There is no peace on earth," I said; 

“For hate is strong, and mocks the song 

Of peace on earth, good-will to men!" 


Then pealed the bells more loud and deep: 

"God is not dead, nor doth He sleep; 

The Wrong shall fail, the Right prevail, 

With peace on earth, good-will to men." 


And that poem became a song when we are tired and beaten by a world that ignores the message of Hope and Love we share at Christmas. One cannot be cynical and call oneself a disciple of Christ. It is as hypocritical as the bigot, the sexist, the blatant sinner. Cynicism is a sin of the heart. And this song reminds us of that. 


This year, I look to the Christ Child in hope, and in trust. I have to. This year we have had to remain hopeful when we hear names we may not have known before, but now these places are scars on our souls. Uvalde, Vestavia Hills, Tree of Life Synagogue, Club Q in Colorado Springs, Ukraine. 

And in despair I hung my head. 

There is no peace on earth, I said, 

for hate is strong and mocks the song 

of peace on earth good will towards men.


Longfellow's words haunt me as surely as Scrooge’s ghosts haunted him.


If you have not seen it, the hauntingly beautiful image of the Christmas tree covered in doves, a symbol of Christ's peace in the Kyiv, Ukraine could not be more poignant. I happened to see that this morning. Lit only in car lights, it could not be more poignant.




But it is Christmas, and at Christmas you tell the truth. I have to have Hope.

Speaking of Hope, one of my favorite Christmas traditions is Charlie Brown’s Christmas Special. From 1965, it was controversial even then. The climax of the special is a boy quoting a Bible story. That’s it. But it is everything! We shared it with Father Nana Kessie when he was visiting with us. He had never seen it. He asked if the dog’s name was Scooby. I had to (calmly) say, Snoopy. It’s funny how some of our cultural things become so dear to us. But back to Charlie Brown.


I heard an interesting piece of trivia, and I have shared it the last few years. I am shocked I had never noticed it before. You see, Linus stops the production of the Christmas show rehearsal to tell Charlie Brown the real meaning of Christmas, and he quotes Luke 2 from the King James Version. 


8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field , keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And, lo , the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid . 10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold , I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. 12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes , lying in a manger. 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying , 14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. 


“That’s the meaning of Christmas, Charlie Brown.” Linus, being a cartoon character, is defined in simple ways. He is a believer, trusting or naive, depending on your point of view. He also is comforted by his security blanket and sucking his thumb. NOT your normal hero. He holds tight to his protection from his insecurities, and most of us cannot think of Linus without it. 


But if you go back to watch the video, and I did a couple of times to make sure, while he is quoting Luke, a most amazing thing happens. As soon as he says “Fear not!” his hand disappears from the screen and it returns without the blanket. The boy who is so timid, so fearful, goes center stage and let’s go of his fears, or at least his comfort from his fears. His “security” dropped at his feet. You see, the one who can stand with Linus, the one who can stand beside Longfellow in his pain and grief, the one who can stand beside me in my weakness and insecurities and you in yours has come into the world. “Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.”  


Maybe that is the greatest Christmas Tradition of them all, and it started with Mary, then Joseph, then the Shepherds all the way down to us. And we gather still under threat of pandemic, and so many other big, bad,things, we hold onto hope and offer it to a suffering world. Immaneul, God-with-us, encourages us and is with us through all of it. That is Christmas, and always will be. The words of the angels come to us today, “Fear Not.” And that my friends, is a Tradition to keep, especially in 2023! “Fear Not!” Amen


Year A Christmas Eve High Mass, 24 December 2022 The Only Way

 Year A Christmas Eve II, 24 December 2022

St. James the Less Episcopal, Ashland, VA

“The Only Way”



Collect

O God, you have caused this holy night to shine with the brightness of the true Light: Grant that we, who have known the mystery of that Light on earth, may also enjoy him perfectly in heaven; where with you and the Holy Spirit he lives and reigns, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.


Old Testament Isaiah 62:6-12

Upon your walls, O Jerusalem, I have posted sentinels; 

all day and all night they shall never be silent.

You who remind the Lord, take no rest, 

and give him no rest until he establishes Jerusalem 

and makes it renowned throughout the earth.

The Lord has sworn by his right hand and by his mighty arm: 

I will not again give your grain to be food for your enemies, 

and foreigners shall not drink the wine

for which you have labored;  but those who garner it shall eat it

and praise the Lord, and those who gather it shall drink it in my holy courts.

Go through, go through the gates, prepare the way for the people; 

build up, build up the highway, clear it of stones, 

lift up an ensign over the peoples. 

The Lord has proclaimed to the end of the earth:

Say to daughter Zion,

"See, your salvation comes; 

his reward is with him, and his recompense before him." 

They shall be called, "The Holy People,

The Redeemed of the Lord";  and you shall be called, "Sought Out,

A City Not Forsaken." 


The New Testament Titus 3:4-7

When the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of any works of righteousness that we had done, but according to his mercy, through the water of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit. This Spirit he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

The Gospel Luke 2:(1-7) 8-20

[In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. All went to their own towns to be registered. Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.]

In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 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. This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger." And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying,

"Glory to God in the highest heaven,

and on earth peace among those whom he favors!" 

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us." So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.


Tonight we began with the prayer, “O God, you have caused this holy night to shine with the brightness of the true Light…” The True Light. Not a nice light, or A true light. In our decidedly better world where we acknowledge others’ perspectives and beliefs, this type of language can sound exclusive or harsh. But tonight I want us to consider what Jesus brought into the world and why it is all the more needed, and even requisite, for this world to continue. He came to rule with truth and grace, to change the nations into one Kingdom of God, that they might live in and embody his righteousness and the wonders of his love. This, my friends, is our ONLY HOPE.


The day before Bishop Stevenson’s ordination and consecration, our Presiding Bishop Michael Curry spoke to the clergy of the diocese. It was deeply moving and inspiring. It was from his heart, one hurting from so many tragedies and hate-filled actions in our headlines. He spoke about how the pandemic was a consciousness raising event for him. He spoke about how it brought clarity, a singular truth. He said, “The very Life of the World DEMANDS us to live the life of love that Jesus taught.”


When Jesus says that he is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, he means it. This is not about excluding or separating anyone, but a call for his way of sacrificial love of neighbor is the only hope for the world. “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 


When we live with Uvaldes and Ukraines, this world needs the message of Love and Peace that Jesus taught, and it needs it RIGHT NOW. Jesus’ form of Redemptive Love was never that he took, but that he gave. “No greater love has anyone than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” “He shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”


As Bishop Curry said of Jesus’ Redemptive Love, “ANY OTHER WAY IS THE WAY OF DESTRUCTION.” Period.


I was so pleased when he echoed this message in his Christmas message to our Episcopal Church. I quote him here:

Jesus came to show us how to live, reconciled with God, and with each other, and He taught us that the way to do it is God’s way of love. For God’s way of love is God’s way of life. It’s our hope for our families, our communities, our societies. Indeed, it is our hope for the whole world. For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, and love came down at Christmas.


Now, look, I’m 69 years old. I’ve been around the block a little bit. I know that sounds nice, sounds like the kind of thing we say in church. It sounds nice, but naive, idealistic but unrealistic, and yet, consider the alternative. Need I just simply say the names? Uvalde, Vestavia Hills, Tree of Life Synagogue, Club Q in Colorado Springs, Ukraine.


Now, God’s way of love is not naive, it is not unrealistic, it’s the way. It’s the way to life for us all. Dr. King once said, “Darkness cannot cast out darkness; only light can do that. And hatred cannot cast out hatred; only love can do that.” Love came down at Christmas. And as some of us are beginning to say in this Episcopal church of ours, “Love always.”


God’s way of love is God’s way of life. In Christmas that way began, and it continues on to this day. If it did not, we would not, we will not, be here at all.


This way of Love is not limited to just our faith. Jesus’ messages and teaching have changed nations and continents. It is the cruxpoint of history, that hinge that continues to save us from ourselves. The teachings of Jesus can conquer empires and abolish even the most evil hatred we might encounter. Consider Gandhi, a Hindu, but a student of Jesus.


Gandhi said:

“I like your Christ, but not your Christianity… I believe in the teachings of Christ, but you on the other side of the world do not, I read the Bible faithfully and see little in Christendom that those who profess faith pretend to see…” 

[As reported by Dr. J.H. Holmes in the Harvard Crimson, https://www.thecrimson.com/article/1927/1/11/mahatma-gandhi-says-he-believes-in/]


While many thought Western colonization brought Christianity, the oppression wiped out any hope our faith may have brought. But this simple man preached non-violence. “When someone strikes you turn the other cheek.” He preached that no one should be lower class, but that we should all serve one another. He read, and tried to live out the Christian scriptures faithfully.

 

Renowned reporter Edward R. Murrow said of Gandhi at his funeral where approximately two million souls gathered to honor him: 

“The object of this massive tribute died as he had always lived - a private man without wealth, without property, without official title or office. Mahatma Gandhi was not a commander of great armies nor ruler of vast lands. He could boast no scientific achievements or artistic gift. Yet men, governments and dignitaries from all over the world have joined hands today to pay homage to this little brown man in the loincloth who led his country to freedom. Pope Pius, the Archbishop of Canterbury, President Truman, Chiang Kai-shek, The Foreign Minister of Russia, the President of France... are among the millions here and abroad who have lamented his passing. In the words of General George C. Marshall, the American Secretary of State, “Mahatma Gandhi had become the spokesman for the conscience of mankind, a man who made humility and simple truth more powerful than empires.” And Albert Einstein added, “Generations to come will scarce believe that such a one as this ever in flesh and blood walked upon this earth.”

[https://www.squaducation.com/blog/death-mohandas-k-gandhi]


Gandhi walked in the way of humble love and peace that Jesus calls us to still. The Message will always win, not without cost, but it will always win. What does the Lord require of us? To act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with our God. Turn the other cheek. Love your enemy. Do good to those that hate you. Bless those that curse you. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Friends, these hard teachings are the only hope we have.


On this Christmas Eve, in the simplicity of the humble babe born alone in a stable, with only unclean shepherds to welcome him into the world, the angels could not stay quiet proclaiming the dawning of the age of the Kingdom of God, a divine conspiracy to turn the darkness to the light, to change self-preservation to world-transformation, to drive out hate with unconquerable Love, for Love never fails.


There will be costs. Gandhi was killed for this message. Jesus was crucified. The blood of the martyrs line the path to the Kingdom of God. But God’s Rule will not be overcome. The Light that came into the world cannot be extinguished.


As Isaiah prophesied:

The Lord has proclaimed to the end of the earth: Say to daughter Zion,

"See, your salvation comes; his reward is with him, and his recompense before him." 

They shall be called, "The Holy People, The Redeemed of the Lord";  

and you shall be called, "Sought Out, A City Not Forsaken." 


Friends, we are waging a war of Love against Hate. This very week, last Sunday,  people handed out flyers HERE IN ASHLAND on several streets and neighborhoods with antisemitic and anti-LGBTQ propaganda. [source: https://www.ashlandva.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=600] They do not speak for Christ. They do not speak for me. As the town said in its official statement: 

Hate has no home here in the Center of the Universe. The individuals or groups of individuals responsible for the flyers seek to spread disinformation, sow hatred, encourage intolerance, and are not a reflection of Ashland’s values.

We are here and we will remain. God planted us here for a reason, to be an outpost of his Kingdom and workers in his fields. We will continue to share the message of this one born this night in the city of David, the ones the angels proclaimed and the shepherds worshiped. His message is still so needed. I need it each and every day, for the world wants to drag me away from the Hope, and Love, and Redemption Jesus offers.


As we sing tonight, may it be a rallying cry. You still need it. I still need it. Ashland still needs it. 

He rules the world, with truth and grace, and makes the nations prove

The glories of his righteousness, and the wonders of his love!


May we make it so. Amen

Saturday, December 24, 2022

Year A Christmas 1, 24 December 2022 A People of His Own

Year A Christmas Eve I,  December 24,  2022

St. James the Less Episcopal, Ashland, VA

“A People Of His Own”

Collect: O God, you make us glad by the yearly festival of the birth of your only Son Jesus Christ: Grant that we, who joyfully receive him as our Redeemer, may with sure confidence behold him when he comes to be our Judge; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.


Old Testament Isaiah 9:2-7

The people who walked in darkness
have seen a great light; 
those who lived in a land of deep darkness--
on them light has shined. 
You have multiplied the nation,
you have increased its joy; 
they rejoice before you
as with joy at the harvest, 
as people exult when dividing plunder. 
For the yoke of their burden,
and the bar across their shoulders, 
the rod of their oppressor, 
you have broken as on the day of Midian. 
For all the boots of the tramping warriors
and all the garments rolled in blood 
shall be burned as fuel for the fire. 
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. 
His authority shall grow continually,
and there shall be endless peace 
for the throne of David and his kingdom.
He will establish and uphold it 
with justice and with righteousness
from this time onward and forevermore. 
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this. 


New Testament Titus 2:11-14

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all, training us to renounce impiety and worldly passions, and in the present age to live lives that are self-controlled, upright, and godly, while we wait for the blessed hope and the manifestation of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. He it is who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purify for himself a people of his own who are zealous for good deeds.


The Gospel Luke 2:1-14-20

In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. All went to their own towns to be registered. Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 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. This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger." And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying,

"Glory to God in the highest heaven,

and on earth peace among those whom he favors!" 

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us." So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.


We have arrived at Christmas! All the joys and all the excitement culminates tonight! 

The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; 

those who lived in a land of deep darkness– on them light has shined. 

You have multiplied the nation, you have increased its joy; 

We celebrate the coming of the long-awaited Messiah, prophesied about for centuries and millennia before his birth, Jesus came quietly into a scared and hurting world.

One of the great gifts of Jesus coming was that we could broaden our horizons, gain a greater view of what life is about, and make our families bigger by bringing in those that used to be strangers or even enemies. Thanks be to God!

In our Gospel reading you hear a story you know well. We hear about Joseph and Mary having to go 90 miles from Nazareth to Bethlehem. With Mary being so very pregnant we tend to tell the story with her riding a donkey, but that is never mentioned. She may have; I hope she did, but we have no way of knowing. 90 miles is a long way on or without a donkey for anyone, especially someone about to give birth. So this couple, alone, vulnerable, and far from home, are in a stable with a newborn. How desperate they were.  


And then the story takes a turn. We are introduced to some who God wanted to be a part of this singular event.

…there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 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. This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger." 

God sent an invitation. God sent it to those who were so low they were the only ones who might look up. Now you need to erase the pictures in your heads of beautiful kids dressed in bathrobes and towels wrapped around their heads in our Christmas pageants.

In the faith of the Hebrews, being spiritually clean was tied to physical cleanliness. That is probably where we got the phrase, “Cleanliness is next to godliness.” And these shepherds were some of the lowest paid in their society, and they were unclean. Spiritually and physically, because of what they were doing when Jesus was born. That funny little phrase, “keeping watch over their flock by night” means something. This was when the ewes, the mommy sheep, were giving birth to the lambs. The shepherds were there, all day and all night, to assist in the births of the lambs. The mud and muck, the filth and the blood, all the messiness of the birthing of the animals covered them, and they would have been seen as Unclean. They would have to bathe and cleanse themselves before they would be allowed back into normal society. Which makes this whole story more miraculous. No one on earth would pick them, but God in heaven most certainly did!

God wanted to make sure that the ones NO ONE ELSE WOULD INVITE were specifically invited. He had a choir of angels proclaim to people that would never have been on anybody else’s list for any party. God wanted them at the party. God still does.

Friends, Jesus was born not to make good people feel better about themselves. God sent Jesus, his only begotten son, because he loved us, all of us, and wanted us to be with him forever.

Jesus came to take away any excuses, to take away any barriers. Those who are seen as Outsiders, unclean, messed up, sinful, despised, anyone can find a way in. Jesus even called himself the Open Door. (John 10:7, Revelation 3:7-8) He is the one who lets in who he lets in, no matter what anyone else says. Thanks be to God!

In our reading from the letter to Titus, a line affirming this jumped out at me…

[Jesus Christ] it is who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purify for himself a people of his own who are zealous for good deeds.

Jesus came to take away any possible reason for anyone to not come in, or as Paul said to Titus, “redeem US from all iniquity and purify for himself a people…”

Jesus came to make a people for himself. Jesus came to bring us home, all of us who would follow him and be, as St. Paul put it, “zealous for good deeds.”

Over my life I have been so blessed. I have been able to travel three continents working and being blessed with relationships with other brothers and sisters in Christ. I have been welcomed into homes to break bread or have a cup of tea. I have been welcomed into pulpits at some rows of log benches at camps and in glorious cathedrals to share the word of God. I have been cared for when I was sick. I have been celebrated when good things happened. But it is not about me.

And who am I? A child of a humble, widowed school teacher, who am I to have had the experiences I have been gifted with? On my own I am nothing. In Christ, I have everything!

The last few weeks we have welcomed bishops and guests from Europe and Africa. Our new bishop even declared that he would want to be a part of this community if he did not have to care for a whole diocesan community. Many of you fell in love with our dear brother in Christ, Father Nana Kessie from Kumasi, Ghana. You welcomed him into our church, he preached from our pulpit, some of you broke bread with him and heard and shared stories. I even heard the words “We adopted him!” from more than one mouth. 

This is what we are talking about. Nations when they began to be formed were different. Groups used to be seen as a singular tribe, people bonded by blood and culture. Tribes would band together to make peoples, and peoples became nations. There would be cultural and biological similarities that became most important.

But Jesus came to erase all that. Of all the world religions, Christianity is the only one which does not require its adherents to worship in the language of its founder or founders. As clergy, I have taken Greek and Hebrew to help us all understand and follow Jesus better, but it is not requisite. Jesus came to make a people, a nation, an ethnos, of his people. People he claimed, not claimed by some grouping of tribe, people, or nation. 

The Church, literally the “called-out ones,” have been “Called Out” to be a people separate of culture, unrelated by blood. We have been bound together by Jesus’ blood, not our own. He redeemed us to make us one. One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism. We are called to let go of the binding of our cultures and our bloodlines, to cherish them but not to be bound exclusively to them.


When I am in Liverpool next summer, or Ghana the summer after that, I am first a follower of Christ and a priest in his Church, though my passport says I am a United States citizen. I know my first allegiance is to Christ, and any other tie is secondary.


Nana Kessie is my brother, and together we relished our commonalities and our differences. He joined with my family, and we hung ornaments on our Christmas tree. He had never done that. And we gave him the joy and the honor of putting our angel atop our tree. The smile on his face said everything. He LOVED it. We took a picture together, him in his new Santa hat, smiling from ear to ear. We do not become less of who we are, but we broaden our horizon, we expand our worldview, and our family increases beautifully as we grow in Christ. 

We are a people of Christ’s own. And it is a beautiful thing.

Shepherds, unclean and covered in filth are invited in by angel choirs.

Kings bow their heads in honor to him, bearing gifts fit for royalty.

The wretched refuse on so many teeming shores are brought into homes they never knew they had.

The mighty are humbled, and the humble lifted up.

Christ came to bring a great reversal, an upturning of the way things have been, an invitation to the way God wants things to be. 

The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; 

those who lived in a land of deep darkness– on them light has shined. 

You have multiplied the nation, you have increased its joy.

The lowly, the wise, the poor, the rich, the big, the small, each every one, God loves us all and claims us as his own. And that, simply, is the message of Christmas. Amen

Wednesday, December 21, 2022

Year A Advent 4 WED 2022 St Thomas

 Year A Advent 4 WEDNESDAY, 21 December 2022

St. James the Less Episcopal, Ashland, VA

“St. Thomas”


I served my diaconal placement and my first position as a priest for over three years at St. Thomas’ here in Richmond. I was ordained there, and St. Thomas and I have had a special bond since then. Far from belittling him from the moniker Doubting Thomas, I see someone who had a resounding faith. And only got labeled when he said aloud the thing most of us would have thought in that instance. Faithful Thomas sums he up better, for me.


If nothing else, my hero Thomas shows one things, ALWAYS BE HONEST TO GOD. That for me is the stance of prayer. Always bring what is on your heart, whatever that is, to God. God knows anyway, what sense does it make to play games and say what is expected or polite. If you cannot be honest with God, you cannot be honest with yourself. 

  • Express your doubts. Get them out there. God is not troubled by them, and it helps clear the air.

  • Express your fears. That way God can help you get to “Fear Not! For I am with you always!”

  • Express your hopes. God may show you something even bigger, and grander, and better.

  • Express your wants and desires. If they are not in line with what God wants for you this is a way for you to be turned and converted to God’s better way.


When Thomas was honest, Jesus met him where he was. Maybe we need to be more like Thomas. Here is a short summation of what we actually know about Thomas from James Kiefer. (Source: http://satucket.com/lectionary/Thomas.htm)


THOMAS THE APOSTLE

(21 DEC)


The Apostle Thomas (Hebrew or Aramaic for "twin") was also called "Didymus" (Greek for "twin"). He was absent when the Risen Lord appeared to the other apostles on the evening of Easter Day, and refused to believe that Christ had indeed risen until he had seen him for himself, but when he had seen Him, he said to Him, "My Lord and My God." (John 20:19-29) Because of this episode, he has been known ever since as "Doubting Thomas." But we ought also to remember his earlier words, when Jesus announced His intention of going to the Jerusalem area, brushing aside the protests of His disciples that His life was in danger there, at which Thomas said to the others: "Let us also go, that we may die with him." (John 11:7,8,16) If Thomas was pessimistic, he was also sturdily loyal. At the Last Supper, Jesus said: "I go to prepare a place for you.... And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know." Thomas replied: "Lord, we know not whither thou goest, and how can we know the way?" To this Jesus answered: "I am the way, the truth and the life." (John 14:1-6) Thomas is mentioned again (John 21) as one of the seven disciples who were fishing on the Sea of Galilee (Sea of Tiberias) when the Risen Lord appeared to them. Aside from this he appears in the New Testament only as a name on lists of the Apostles. A couple of centuries later a story was circulating in the Mediterranean world that he had gone to preach in India; and there is a Christian community in India (the Kerala district) that claims descent from Christians converted by the the preaching of Thomas. The tradition among Christians in India is that Thomas was speared to death near Madras, and accordingly he is often pictured holding a spear. Paintings of martyrs often show them holding or accompanied by the instruments with which they were put to death. A recently discovered work called the Gospel of Thomas is a collection of sayings attributed to Jesus. I know of no scholarly support for the notion that it is the work of the Apostle Thomas, but some scholars think that some of the sayings in it may be authentic sayings of Jesus.


POEM

These things did Thomas hold for real: the warmth of blood, the chill of steel, 

the grain of wood, the heft of stone, the last frail twitch of blood and bone.


His brittle certainties denied that one could live when one had died, 

until his fingers read like Braille the markings of the spear and nail.


May we, O God, by grace believe and, in believing, still receive 

the Christ who held His raw palms out and beckoned Thomas from his doubt.


(Thomas Troeger, 1984, Psalter/Hymnal of the Christian Reformed Church)


by James Kiefer