Joyful, Incomprehensible, Gift

 

Christmas 2c, John 1:1-18

 

MT – Verse 16 – From his fullness we have all received grace upon grace.

 

This morning is the 2^nd Sunday of Christmas – I know that most of the world has moved on – but we are still celebrating, pondering what the Incarnation, this reality of God becoming vulnerable flesh means. And today we hear that this God/Word becomes flesh. What does that mean for us and for the world, what does that Word do to us – and what will we do with this Word which wills to inhabit us?

 

I want you either to identify – 2 or 3 gifts that you have been given or 2 or 3 gifts of someone beside you that you know well. These gifts must be specific – not I am nice – or even I am musical, but much more specific – I am kind and give of my time, my possessions, to others in this way. I want you to hear them – and then we will name them together.

 

b) Name them – we are a people of many gifts – grace upon grace.

 

c) What shall we do, what might God be calling us to do with this grace in 2010?

 

 

Now I want you to hold what we have just talked about – close to your being. I want to share a story with you.

 

Yesterday I was in Vernon. I was leading a memorial service for one of my closest friends aged 50 who died of cancer on Christmas Day evening. He had coached literally hundreds of young people in soccer over the years. Between 400 and 500 people attended the service. After the service over tea, coffee, and sandwiches we all milled around, to be near each other, to perhaps touch for just a moment my friend Andy's wife and children and his extended family who had flown in from London England. During that time I was able to see many people that I hadn't seen in a number of years. I share two of those encounters with you.

 

The first was with 2 young women – now aged 16 and 14. They are amazing people. I first began to know them when they were 3 and 5 years old. How they have grown since then. I didn't notice them at first in the masses of people. But the younger one, Candice, she or short stature and the deepest blue eyes, literally drew near to me and said, "Hi, Tim. We hard you were coming today. At first we thought it was a misprint, but we wanted to come to Andy's service and to hear you."

 

I have to tell you- that my heart sang, firstly that they recognized me, that they even remembered their old pastor, but then that they called out to me in such a personal loving way. We still have a bond that goes back to when they were much younger and they would sit or lay on the couch in my office while their mother or father worked around the church. Then I would listen to them talk and be caught up by their wonder of the world.

 

The second encounter I tell you about is with an older woman, now in her 90's. I have known her for over 20 years and love her deeply. I was privileged to walk awhile with she and her husband as he struggled for mental health. I walked with them when he was placed in a care facility. And I was privileged to accompany she and her family as he died and was buried. Together we journeyed through some of life's significant events. In some ways she knows me better than I know myself. But in these last years she has been suffering from dementia. Her children reminded me that each time I saw her, I needed to tell her who I was. Something then would click and we could visit in the reality of our relationship. But if I didn't do that – if I didn't in some way announce who I am – she would likely smile but not realize who I was or in some ways then, even who she is.

 

I share these stories, these realities of life because John's prologue speaks about these realities on a much deeper level. We have gifts – the gifts we mentioned earlier. But before and under all of our gifts comes the most incredible gift: God reaches out to us, even though we can't see God or fathom or begin to fully comprehend God. God reaches out to us with this incarnate Word, this Word made flesh in Jesus. In doing so God begins to give us even more gifts. God loves us! God loves the world! God does not abandon us to anything or anyone including the power of death or evil.

 

But this reality is not welcomed nor understood, nor even recognized by many, including ourselves. Sometimes we are like my older friend. We need to hear God's love for us announced, proclaimed, given again and again and again so that we may recognize it, trust God, receive God's gifts. You see that incredible reality must flow/filter/eke from our heads into our hearts so that we know, that we realize, we are children of God even with all our frailties, failings and shortcomings.

 

At the same time we need to become like my 2 young friends Candice and Jennifer – absolutely delighted to share our gifts, particularly the love of God held up in this amazing Word from God, whom we call Jesus. We can share Him, His love – our gifts  with others. For this particular Word is not just a message – that should cause us to think, although hopefully He will do that too. Rather, this Word is a message that is meant to change us bit by bit, lot by lot, moving us from within ourselves of fear and hesitancy, to  a love that wills to be part of this Word's working to save the world, to deliver her, her people and creatures from the power of death and evil.

 

Yes, we have received grace upon grace – 'tis true, 'tis true. May we delight in that grace. May we welcome that grace. May we by God's grace share the amazing love, forgiveness and hope of that Word made flesh joyfully with others.

 

How's that for a wonderful New Years resolution! Amen. 

 

Pondering Hearts

 

Christmas 1c, Luke 2:41-52 with Colossians 3:12-17 in the b.g.

 

I love this Gospel story. It is the only Gospel story in the entire canon, (that which Christians call the Bible) that speaks of an event in Jesus' life which occurs sometime between his being circumcised at 8 days of age and his public ministry which began probably around his 30^th year. However, I am also troubled by this story.

 

Let me say more. These past few days my family has been looking for one of our daughter's VISA card and license. She thought she had it when she boarded her plane Wednesday night –but she hasn't been able to find it since. We turned our home upside down. Never mind that someone may be spending using her VISA, the real crux of the matter is that she wants to go out on New Year's Eve. To do that she needs photo ID. There's the rub. Although we may chuckle at it, if you have ever lost something that's valuable, you will know that feeling of angst that grabs hold of you until you find it. I once lost my wedding ring for a number of weeks only to find it in a pair of board shorts early on a summer's Sunday morning while out for a walk.  The relief was palpable.

 

But if that which is lost is not a thing – even a ring or a VISA card or a family heirloom, but rather a person, can you imagine the anxiety? I have watched some of my parishioner's agonize over their spouse as he or she suffers from Alzheimer's disease. The disease often progresses to the point where the person has no idea whether it is 2 o'clock in the afternoon or 2'oclock in the morning. And in these still somewhat early stages of the disease that person may decide to get up and go outside for a walk. The problem is that once they have walked a little ways they no longer know their way home. They are truly lost. On occasion at this stage of their illness they may remember their first or last name. They are extremely vulnerable. As their spouse wakes to find them missing, panic sets in.

 

Similarly mounting anxiety rises when a young child wanders away from a campsite or from his or her parent in the mall. That parent may have looked away for only a moment – but presto their child is gone. Can you imagine a more horrifying experience? Yes, the child may only have wandered over to the toy section or the candy bar shelf. But that child may also have been taken by some person who wills to do them untold harm. The depth of such foreboding is unimaginable unless you have experienced it.

 

Mary and Joseph were small town people. But once a year, since they were pious Jews, they would travel to the big city of Jerusalem for Passover. This time since their eldest son Jesus has turned 12, they are bringing him with them. It's quite the journey. There are the 4 or 5 days to walk with family and friends from their hometown of Nazareth. Then there are also the 2 or 3 days in Jerusalem at and around the temple. Then there is the return journey home.

 

But this year, something horrible happens on the way home. They are with family and friends including numerous young children. They assume that Jesus is with their kin, cousins and friends. But that first night as they go find him, he IS MISSING. They look everywhere. A number of people join in the search. But Jesus is not there. So, they detach themselves from everyone they know and love. Then Joseph and Mary race back to Jerusalem, literally as fast as their feet can carry them. They search all the likely places in Jerusalem where a 12 year-old boy might be – extended family, friends.

 

But do you know where they find him. That's right -at the temple precincts! Thank God. But yet – how could he do this to them? Didn't he know that they would be worried sick? Mary confronts him.

 

Now Jesus asks her a question. How could she not know that he would be about his father's business, in a very real sense at his father's house, the temple? It's an important question. But obviously Mary doesn't understand.

 

Once before in Luke's Gospel, on the day or evening of Jesus' birth, Luke tells us that Mary pondered things in her heart. Then it was what those mangy shepherd's had told her about the message they had received via an angel from God. This child, her baby, Jesus, would bring good news of great joy for all the people. He was, he would be the Savior, the Messiah, the one who would somehow deliver his people.

 

Now, again, listening to her 12 year old's words – how could she not know that he would at such a tender age be about his father's business? Unable to comprehend this, she has no recourse but to stop and ponder – indeed to wonder. Who is He? How can any of this be? Where will it end?

 

Here we are only 2 days after Christmas Day when we celebrated in such grand fashion Jesus' birth. Our celebration was wonderful. Jesus' birth is marvelous for the world. But now, as we are beginning to head back down to more "normalcy" or at the very least, to what we perceive as being "normal" what might Jesus' birth mean for us now? 

 

In the midst of all the things that are going on in our lives – in terms of money, work/school, expectations, hopes and dreams, fears and losses, births and deaths, our relationships – what does Jesus' birth and life mean for us and for the world?

 

This Jesus is certainly human in defying as a 12 year old his parent's wishes. Yet the reason that he defies his parent's wishes is unique – that he might be about his father's, that is God's business. This Jesus is also divine. And yet that day he leaves the temple to go back to that small town of Nazareth. He does this to obey his earthly parents. Years later Jesus leavrd Nazareth to proclaim far and near that God's kingdom is near. For Luke Jesus' ministry begins with his proclamation in his hometown synagogue that he is the One who has come to fulfill the ancient promise of bearing good news to the poor, proclaiming release to the captives, recovery of sight to the blind, and HEAR THIS, to let the oppressed go free. That would be the year of the Lord. Then all debts would be forgiven.

 

This Christmas what does it mean for us that Jesus comes to bring good news to the poor – those who are poor in any way, man, woman, child, creature? What does it mean that Jesus comes to bring release to the captives – to those enslaved to addictions, to low self esteem, to pride, to fear, to apathy? What can these promises, His life mean now? Certainly the fullness of his all encompassing work is beyond our understanding.

 

Perhaps then we do well to join Mary. Would we watch, pray, even yearn to see Jesus grow, live, suffer and die? Truly, some of our hopes may well be dashed. Dare we with Mary ponder all these things in our hearts?

 

Such "pondering" will not eliminate our losses nor the losses of the world. These all continue, even grow. But such pondering Jesus' presence and action may enable us as it did Mary to keep on keeping on, hoping against hope that because of Jesus' living, loving, suffering, dying and being raised, the losses of life are not the last things nor even the lasting or defining words of our lives or the lives of others. To be sure, much of this exceeds logical explanation. But so much of life, particularly that which is good, transcends our understanding. 

 

Let us pray: Oh God, may we ponder and hold your Jesus in our hearts so that we can be amongst those whom he frees to live, to love, to risk, even to die - for the sake of your love for the world. Amen.