Merry Christmas!

Can we wish someone "Merry Christmas" even if they are going through a major upheaval in their life; or is it just a phrase to use when everything is rosy? There is a way that we can wish "Merry Christmas" to someone no matter what their life circumstances may be! If you aren't sure what I mean, read on...

Merry Christmas! How many times have I said that during the past few weeks? At least a hundred times. How about you? Probably about the same. I will confess that I enjoy this time of year when I can wish sales clerks and grocery store checkers something more meaningful than “Have a good day.” “Have a good day” is a very generic phrase, while “Merry Christmas” is packed with all kinds of heart-warming images: gathering with friends to celebrate the season, enjoying holiday meals with loved ones, and watching the eyes of children sparkle as they empty their stockings and tear open their gifts.

But as much as I love saying “Merry Christmas” to people, there are times when I feel guilty for saying it. I know that I will have a merry Christmas, as I do most years; and this year was no exception. One of our children who lives near us visited with our grandchildren on Christmas afternoon, and the other one phoned us on Christmas morning. I have a comfortable home and enough money to buy gifts for all the people that I love. I have good friends who are kind enough to invite me to their homes to celebrate the season. My holidays are always full of joy!

But I know that there are people who won’t have a joyous holiday no matter how many times I wish them “Merry Christmas.” That phrase rings hollow to anyone who is grieving the loss of a loved one, or who has lost all their possessions in a fire, or who is a caregiver to a spouse whose health is steadily declining. Have a merry Christmas? You must be kidding! But I’m not ready to throw the phrase “Merry Christmas” out in the trash with the torn wrapping paper and shredded bows. There is a way that we can reclaim this phrase so that we can wish it to anyone, no matter how difficult their circumstances might be.

To do that, though, we need to get into a time machine and return to 18th century England. It was a time when many poorer people were still illiterate; so at Christmas time, roaming carolers proclaimed the message of Christ’s birth in song so that everyone could learn it, whether or not they could read or had ever been inside a church. One of the songs that those carolers sang is one that we know, too: “God rest ye merry, gentlemen.” That opening phrase – “God rest ye merry” – is widely misunderstood today, because the meanings of the words have changed. It would have been crystal clear to listeners of 200 years ago, though. The word “rest” had nothing to do with stopping work, but meant “keep” or “continue.” And “merry” might mean “happy,” but it could also mean “brave” or “courageous.” (Remember Robin Hood’s “merry men”? They weren’t stand-up comedians; they were brave men who fought courageously.) Any 18^th century person hearing the phrase “God rest ye merry” would have instantly understood that it meant “God keep you brave and courageous.”

Now, that’s a way that I can honestly wish everyone “Merry Christmas” without feeling guilty about it! Do I wish courage to every single person on earth? I certainly do! I wish courage to everyone who is suffering from an illness, and to all their caregivers. “God’s presence is with all of you,” I want to say, “and God isn’t going anywhere.” I wish courage to everyone who doesn’t have enough money to make ends meet. “Hang in there!” I want to tell them. “Jesus cares for you, and there are lots of folks who want to help you out in his name.” I wish courage to every person who lives on the street, or in a car, or in a cardboard box under an overpass. I want to tell them “People run food pantries and soup kitchens and homeless shelters to help you get back on your feet.” I wish courage to everyone who is dealing with grief, whether it is due to the loss of a loved one. or the loss of a pet. or the loss of a home, or the loss of possessions. “You can’t lose God’s love,” I want to tell them; “so if you can hang on to anything, hang on to that; and be brave.”

And all those people I’ve just mentioned only scratches the surface of the huge iceberg of the people who need courage! We all need courage at one time or another. We all know that life isn’t fair, and that very bad things happen to very good people all the time. Sometimes we even wonder whether God is really out there caring for us or not. I don’t know a whole lot, but I know the answer to that question! Yes, God is out there; God loves you very, very much; and God will never, ever leave you, even though life is sometimes so hard that we can’t feel God with us at all. Maybe those are the very times that we need to hear the wish “Merry Christmas!” Have courage! God is still with us.

In the future, when you sing that old hymn “God rest ye merry, gentlemen,” listen to its message with the ears of our 18th century ancestors. “God keep you brave and courageous; don’t be dismayed about anything!” The message of the angels brings us “comfort and joy” not because we sit by a crackling fire surrounded by lots of gifts from family and friends; but because God has come to us in the Christ child whose birth we celebrate; and that same loving God will be with us forever. What wonderful news! Merry Christmas to all of you.

Expecting

When Mary and Elizabeth, her cousin, were pregnant, the whole town must have talked about it. After all, "expecting" encourages all of us to talk about what might happen...

What do you suppose the folks who knew Mary and Elizabeth said when they found out that the women were expecting (Luke 1:26-38)? I imagine that there were quite a few conversations about it in the town square! Let’s listen in to one of their friends who has just heard the news.

“Have you heard? Elizabeth is expecting!

Yes, Elizabeth! Old Zechariah’s wife!

No, I haven’t seen her myself. She won’t let anybody see her. But she sends Zechariah to the store with lists of things to buy.

Oh, she wants their usual groceries – milk and bread and peanut butter – but she wants other things, too… things like pickles and ice cream. Pickles and ice cream! And I saw the delivery truck from the furniture store at their house just last week. They carried in a crib. A crib! Now, I don’t think that she’s going to plant flowers in that crib, do you? Of course, she’s pregnant.

Well, you don’t have to believe me if you don’t want to. I guess I can’t blame you for that. As old as she is, that baby is a miracle!

And have you heard that Mary is expecting, too?

Yes, Mary… Joseph’s fiancée. But she says that Joseph isn’t the father. She claims that an angel visited her and told her that God would be the father!

I don’t know if she’s delusional. She seems sane enough to me! But that’s quite a story, isn’t it? God fathering a baby. That’s as unbelievable as Elizabeth getting pregnant at her age!

You don’t think that baby will be the Messiah, do you? That would be a miracle, too! I’ve seen a lot in my day, but these pregnancies make me wonder whether I’ve seen anything at all. Elizabeth and Mary are expecting. Will wonders never cease?!”

Well, I don’t know if anyone said exactly those things, but they might have! We all like to discuss it when someone that we know is expecting. That’s because when someone is expecting, the world is full of possibility! “Expecting” moves us beyond hope to preparation. After all, when we hope, we’re not really sure of anything. When we hope for something, we trust that it will happen someday; but the details aren’t clear. When will it happen? Where will it happen; and how? Hope looks forward into the future; but it can’t see clearly. But expectation – that’s a different kettle of fish! Expectation has a face, a name, sometimes even a timetable! We can actually do some things when we are expecting. We may hope for snow and dream about walking through a winter wonderland; but when we expect snow, we get out the snow shovel.

When parents are expecting a baby, like Elizabeth and Mary were, they know what kinds of preparations need to be made. They need to provide a crib for the new baby so that she can sleep safely, clothing to keep him warm, and opportunities for play so that she can grow and learn and mature. Nine months pass quickly with all the preparation that accompanies expecting a child. But new parents also need to prepare to be flexible. They need to prepare for the unexpected. After all, each baby is different. Some are quiet, and some are… not so quiet. Some babies are shy, while others are outgoing. Some babies are easy to care for; while others will push every limit that you try to set for them. Any new parents who believe that they are absolutely ready for that new baby are kidding themselves!

As we expect the birth of the Messiah, we’re just like new parents. We know that he’s coming; and we’re getting everything ready. The sanctuary is decorated; the candles are in the windows; many of us are reading Advent meditations each day. But exactly what will happen when he gets here… We don’t know that just yet. Just like new parents, we only know what’s going to happen in very general terms. We know that the Messiah is coming to save us; to bring us good news of God’s love; and to offer us peace beyond our wildest expectations. But exactly how we will experience those things… Well, that’s usually a big surprise.

This baby turned out to be a big surprise to the people who lived in his day. When he grew up and told them that he was the Messiah, they expected him to set up the Kingdom of God by force. They expected him to become a king just like the kings that they had known in the past. They expected him to dress in royal robes, eliminate all his enemies, and judge from a golden throne. Instead, he dressed in what the common people wore, he loved his enemies, and he told us not to judge at all, but to show mercy. Oh, this Messiah conquered, all right, but not by making war. He conquered by rising from the dead after he had allowed his enemies to kill him. Sometimes – especially where God is concerned – our expectations don’t match the reality that God has planned for us.

As we expect the birth of the Christ child again this year, maybe we should add something to our preparations of greenery, wreaths, trees, and candles. Maybe we should get ready for something else: something new that will change our lives. Maybe we should get ready to be encountered by a Messiah that defies our expectations. Maybe we should get ready not only to be comforted, but also to be challenged. Maybe we should get ready not only to receive God’s love, but also to show it to others. Maybe we should get ready not only to talk about the peace that Jesus offers us as citizens of the Kingdom of God, but also to live it.

“Have you heard? We’re expecting – expecting, just like Mary and Elizabeth! Oh, I know that it’s unbelievable; but it’s true! Will wonders never cease?!”

Turning

What are we supposed to do during the season of Advent? Oh, I know, it's a time of waiting. But is waiting all we're supposed to do? Isn't there something else? John the Baptist tells us to repent. Maybe we should take him more seriously than we usually do.

Repent! Repent!

I don’t know what image the word “repent” brings to your mind, but I can tell you what it brings to mine. I imagine a Bible-waving, pulpit-thumping, hellfire and damnation preacher who reminds his congregation week after week how terrible they are, and how they need to change their ways if they want to escape the wrath of God. John the Baptist from this morning’s reading (Matthew 3:1-6) fits that image very nicely. Wearing clothing made of camel’s hair and eating nothing but locusts and wild honey, he is the very picture of one of those Bible-thumpers. “Repent!” he tells his audience. “The kingdom of heaven is nearly here!”

So, what is this text doing in Advent? It seems to fit much better into Lent than into Advent! Lent is, after all, the time to examine our lives; to discover how far we have strayed from what God wants of us. Advent isn’t the time for that, is it? Advent is the time of waiting for the Messiah to arrive, the One who will heal the sick, mend the broken, and bring hope to the hopeless. So… what does repentance have to do with Advent?

Before I can answer that question, we need to take a closer look at what repentance really is. Many people understand “repentance” as being sorry for something. If Chuck whacks little Susie because she made fun of him, and Chuck’s mother finds out, she will certainly make sure that he is sorry for what he did! But Chuck hasn’t necessarily repented. Chuck only repents if he vows not to hit Susie again in the future, no matter how obnoxious she may be! Repentance isn’t merely being sorry; it’s changing our behavior. The New Testament Greek word that we translate into English as “repent” actually means “to change your mind.” That’s what John the Baptist is telling his audience to do: change their minds! Change your mind, Chuck, about what to do when Susie is her little obnoxious self! Don’t just be sorry about hitting her; do things differently in the future! Looking back even farther, the Old Testament Hebrew word that we translate as “repent” means “to turn.” When we truly repent, we go in a different direction. Don’t keep following the path of violence, Chuck! You don’t even have to be sorry about hitting Susie in the past; it’s avoiding that path in the future that really counts.

Now I can start to answer the question: “What does repentance have to do with Advent?” We know that Advent is the time that we recognize that the world is broken, and that we need a Messiah to help us fix things. It should be painfully obvious that the way we live isn’t working! Like little Chuck, we are violent; and we are jealous, greedy, and hateful, too. Oh, we may not have murdered anybody recently; but didn’t you want to smack that guy who cut you off in traffic this morning? But all the while, in our heart of hearts, we know that kind of behavior is counter-productive! Jealously breeds greed; greed breeds hate; hate breeds violence; and violence breeds death. Surely, no one wants to live that way! But to be able to welcome the Messiah, we need to turn from those paths onto a new path. We need to repent.

And there is another, even more deadly consequence if we insist on walking in these ancient paths. If we don’t turn from our ways, we won’t even see the Messiah; because he isn’t arriving on the path of power or violence or greed or hate. the path of power is ultimately futile, so he comes walking on the path of humility; the path of greed leads nowhere, so he comes walking on the path of generosity; the path of hate isn’t in God’s nature, so he comes walking on the path of love; and the path of violence is evil, so he comes walking on the path of peace. If we continue to look for him where he will never be, we aren’t likely to see him, let alone recognize him, when he breaks into our lives!

“But pastor,” you may say, “when the Messiah comes, he will bring us all those things: humility, generosity, love, and peace. Why does it matter which path we are on now?” Early in the last century, A. J. Muste, a Congregationalist clergyman, gave the answer to that question briefly and honestly. “There is no way to peace,” he said. “Peace is the way.” We will only be able to receive what the Messiah has to offer us if we turn to the paths that he walks himself. “There is no way to peace. Peace is the way.” We might have also add: there is no way to humility; humility is the way. There is no way to generosity; generosity is the way. And there is no way to love; love is the way. If we focus only on the place that we want to end up, we will miss the truth that the Messiah’s healing takes place on our journey.

So, during this Advent season, repent! Change your mind! As we wait for the Messiah to arrive among us, turn away from the paths of death toward the paths of life! And when our humble, generous, loving, peaceful Messiah is born in a barn to peasant parents, you will recognize him right away for the Savior that he is.