Sermon: Don't Keep Christ is Christmas?

 CHILDREN's TIME

7 pm, Christmas Eve, 2022 - J G White / FBCA

Welcome. Did you take a long journey to get here?

Where did you come from to be here now?

We have been following a young shepherd named Leon, all month. He was here, there, and now got to this little barn. He found Mary and Joseph and their baby, Jesus.

Some of you came a long way to worship Jesus. Some people are still travelling.

Look around... can you see any other people, or animals, on their way to Jesus, who did not get there yet?

Those very wise people are still a ways off. It will take them a while to get close to Jesus.

That’s the way it is for a lot of us in life. We wander and search, we do our work, we try to be smart and wise. Some of us get to Jesus before others. Some will be on their spiritual journey for a long time.

Tonight, you may be like young Leon the shepherd – you feel very close to Jesus.

You might be like those Wise people, the Magi, and their camel – it might take you a couple more years before you meet up with Jesus. But you keep on.

It is more than two thousand years ago this child was born. And still, we can seek and find Jesus – our great way of seeing God as one of us.

Merry Christmas!

SERMON: Don't Keep Christ in Christmas?

(Is 9:2-7; Titus 2:11-14; Luke 2:1-20)

 Most of you here tonight do not know me. Yet. You might guess that I love Church, and you’d be right. So a service like this one is a real joy for me. And not simply because of the crowd: you, my captive audience. I was thoroughly pleased with the Longest Night Service two evenings ago, next door, at Christ Church Anglican: there were six people there, in total (including minister and organist).

I am simply hooked on singing hymns, pipe organ music, reading from the Bible out loud, speeches about life and the Bible, and the eyes-closed talking we call prayers. When we get to light candles too, that’s great! Taking up an offering: that’s not my favourite part. (This is the first time in at least twenty years, for me, that I host a Xmas Eve service where we take up an offering.)

As I considered the traditional scripture readings for tonight, over the past couple weeks, I started to get excited. Excited because I wanted to celebrate the fact that all this birth of Jesus, Xmas stuff is for our lives, yours & mine, now. It is not for Church only; it ain’t just for Xmas Eve; it’s for day-to-day life, mainly.

What we have read is timeless, be it from 2,800 years ago – The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light – or from 2,025 years ago – to you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is the Messiah, the Lord – or from 1,950 years ago – For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all.

So, I thought, my message for tonight is simply this: the stories of Jesus’ birth, and our service here and now, are not an escape from reality, or the troubles of life. The Christmas story is good being born into our reality, our lives. There is good in this life; Jesus is a bright light of goodness the breaks into our lives. And like the candles we each get to light in a few minutes, the light of goodness from God can shine out from each of our lives, today. I believe this.

It must be twenty years ago that the signs saying, “Keep Christ in Christmas” became popular and started popping up all over the place. Signs on churches and in people’s front yards still carry the message – to remember Jesus, and not make it all about Frosty and Santa and Rudolph and the Grinch. I was given a magnet version to use as a bumper sticker on my car, in December. “Keep Christ in Christmas.”

And then, this past Wednesday, I happened upon something posted online, from a minister in greater Toronto. Fr. Daniel’s annual reminder is called “Don’t Keep Christ in Christmas,” first posted in 2018.

 

Don’t keep Christ in Christmas.

Let him out.

Let him out of the box of decorations stored in the attic

Let him out of prayers you only say at Midnight Mass

Let him out of carols as background to your shopping.

Let him out of a sentimental story cleansed of

violence and pain

Let him out of the creche, where he remains

a helpless infant

… where the only woman present is silent and meek

… where poverty is romanticized with no threat and no smell

… and shepherds are cuddly and everyone is white

… and there is no messiness to obscure the miracle

Let him out of December’s candle-lit coziness

… where his heat melts the wintry ice of our selfishness

… and his buds unfold amidst the mud of injustice

… and his flowers overtake the borders of

manicured gardens

… and his harvest fills barns with fruits we never knew

existed

Don’t keep Christ in Christmas.

Let him out.

And then, when Christmas comes ’round again,

We won’t have to “keep him in it”,

For how could he not be “in Christmas” when he has been here, the whole time,

Keeping us?              (Rev. Daniel Brereton, St. John's Dixie

  Anglican Church, Mississauga, ON)

 

SILENCE

PRAYER: Look upon the candles, & pray with me.

God of light, God of the silence, God who comes near: open our eyes to Your real presence with us, seen in Jesus, known in Spirit. Again, may the light of Christ overwhelm the world. In sadness let there be joy. In war and violence, let there be freedom and peace. In sickness and hurt deep inside, let there be healing and growth. In confusion and fear, let there be courage and guidance. In discouragement and loss let there be new hope and lovingkindness. In isolation and acrimony let there be friendship and reconciliation.

Holy One among us, make us wise in seeking You, give us joy in celebrating Christmas, and lead us clearly into the year of our Lord 2023. In Jesus’ name. AMEN.

Christmas Bird Count, Amherst 2022

Since about 1900, Christmas Bird Counts have been made in North America. I have been hearing about them for thirty years. This week, I finally got in on one. I joined Kerry Lee and Bruce, from the Chignecto Naturalists Club, to survey the town of Amherst for every bird we could find. It was a beautiful morning to start the day.

KL and B birded from 9 until 3:30, at least; I got to join them for quite a few hours, but not the whole day. We saw about twenty five species. 

red breasted merganser

ring necked pheasant

bald eagle

sharp shinned hawk

ring billed gull

herring gull

Iceland gull

gull sp.

rock pigeon

mourning dove

downy woodpecker

hairy woodpecker

blue jay

American crow

common raven

black capped chickadee

red breasted nuthatch

white breasted nuthatch

European starling

cedar waxwing

American tree sparrow

song sparrow

sparrow sp.

dark eyed junco

northern cardinal

American goldfinch

evening grosbeak

It was nice to drive all around the town, and stop just to look and look and look, in a few places.  We were happy about our day. 

It was after B and I left, when KL saw northern cardinals in her yard. This is a bird I was used to seeing frequently in Digby County; it is much less common up here in Cumberland. Thanks for the photo, Kerry Lee.

SERMON: The Lord Will Give You a Sign

 

10:30 am, 4^th Sun of Advent, Dec 18, 2022 - J G White / FBCA

(Is 7:10-16; Rom 1:1-6; Mtt 1:18-25)

I have a few signs. Some of them I use. I have this sign that shows my mood. I have this sign for my study door when it is time for weekly staff devotion and meeting. One of the things Donnie Miller left with me when he moved out of here was this sign: QUIET.

“The Lord himself will give you a sign,” preached Isaiah to King Ahaz of Judah, in about the year 735 BCE. Ahaz had refused to ask for a sign that he need not fear the opposing kings to the north; Ahaz had acted so pious about it.  In fact, he was proud and self-sufficient. Then the promise came anyway, through prophet Isaiah, that Yahweh would save the nation.

Oh, for a sign from God, when we need it, want it. How do we get divine signals about things? The stories of the nativity of Jesus seem filled with ‘signs from above.’ Angels, a star, prophecies, dreams. What special messages can we take seriously?

The seven mentioned in our ‘carol of the month’ might be good candidates. Starting with the Bible.

Matthew quotes the Greek version of what we call Isaiah chapter 7. The Lord Himself will give you a sign. Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel. Narrator Matthew puts a new twist on that sentence as it gets applied to Mary, who births the Messiah.

It is no simple matter to find scriptures to apply to our own lives today. Yet you may have found times when a phrase, a chapter, a whole saga in the Bible pointed you to a good path.

1. And this shall be a sign: A virgin shall conceive

And bear the Son of God And He will bring you love. (Moira Crawford, 1993)

Matthew is the Gospel writer who tells of a star that guides magi to the newborn King in Israel. Many a time, things in the natural world seem to speak, and guide. We humans are meaning makers, I’ll admit. We put purpose on all sorts of things we see and little events that happen. Occasionally, there can be a real sign in the world around us.

The scriptures tell over and over of people who were inspired by something ordinary, or slightly out of the ordinary. Moses had his burning bush out in the desert. Jeremiah watched the local potter create from clay. Amos was inspired by the plumb line a construction worker used.

Sharon and I were spoken to by a pair of great horned owls.

Yes. Now, the full story is for another day. But nine years ago, as we were interviewed by a Church in Digby, had meetings, talked things over, and all: one night we awoke to hear a great horned owl calling. It must have been right on the rooftop of our home. And then there was a second one – they had a conversation.

Why did this seem like a confirmation to us that we should say ‘yes’ to Digby? I don’t know. It was one of many other signals we detected. One of many.

2 And this shall be a sign: A star shines in the east

And guides you to the crib; His smile is blessing you.

A third way we could get a sign from God is thanks to some wise and faithful people we meet. The Gospel of Luke tells us of Jesus’ traditional Jewish dedication in the Jerusalem Temple, when He is eight days old. It is there an old man named Simeon is prayerfully waiting for a promised Messiah. (So was a prophet woman named Anna.) When Simeon met Joseph and Mary and their baby, he knew, he KNEW, this was the One. Then Simeon we ready, ready to die and be at peace. He had lived to see the Messiah.

We must remember that ‘signs from God’ are needed by us as a group, in the actions we take together. We wonder about a next Assistant Minister – there will be wisdom from some people to help point the way. We consider if and how we could be a warming centre regularly, in the winter, for homeless people in our town – there might be an inspired word from someone in our midst about this. Should my overarching theme for the year 2023 be ‘teach us to pray?’ Perhaps this will become clear when we hear from some prayerful person.

3 And this shall be a sign: That Simeon lives to see,

And Lazarus will rise; He will bring life to all.

Another signpost for us can simply be praying and receiving answers, of course. Not that prayer is always simple – or hearing the answers. Somewhere along the way, I lost one of my favourite books. So I have ordered a new copy: Dallas Willard’s Hearing God. He describes so beautifully the ways we recognize the voice of our Good Shepherd, even in our own tangle of thoughts. And sometimes, when we become the answers to our own prayers, and good things happen, we get confirmation of being on the right path.

Last Sunday here we noticed how Jesus, at age thirty, let his cousin John the Baptizer know that the Messiah had arrived. ‘Are you the One?’ John’s messengers asked. Jesus said to tell John, the blind receive their sign, the lame walk, …the poor have good news preached to them.

4. And this shall be a sign: the blind are blessed with sight

The lame will walk with joy; His power is healing you.

A fifth sign from God can be those hard-to-pin-down experiences of the Holy Spirit, being filled with the Spirit, simply knowing the Divine is within.

It was about fifty days after Jesus arose from the dead, that the promised Spirit of God infused a group of disciples gathered in Jerusalem. The Comforter had come. I have not been a Christian who is strong in the ‘charismatic tradition,’ so called. But I have had my moments. And I have heard many a personal story from those who have had special experiences of God. God with us: Immanuel.

5. And this shall be a sign: the Spirit dwells on earth

With rushing wind and fire; His breath will comfort you.

Two weeks from today will be January first, and we will celebrate the Lord’s Supper, with bits of bread and ‘the fruit of the vine.’ We Baptists traditionally say this is 1 of 2 rituals which Jesus said, ‘do, do this.’ The other is the baptism of believers, which we plan to celebrate in three weeks time here, on Jan. 8^th.  

To share in some activities with God can be markers, signposts for us. Such as worship together, with all its different parts. Or working in a group on knowing our Bible, and our faith. Or sharing a feast together (such as turkey and the trimmings); this can be a ‘love feast.’

6. And this shall be a sign: That in the breaking of bread,

And in the Holy Grail  He will commune with you.

A seventh sign from God comes to us in the longing and hunger of the human soul. A highly esteemed Baptist Minister, back in Windsor, wrote a book in his retirement. “What Means This Longing.” In it, Dr. John Bartol claims, the longing for a personal relationship with the One in whose image we were created, is a fact that cannot be denied.

It is that longing for connection, for a Higher Power, for God, that can be the greatest sign. The yearning leads us forward. Augustine was a Church leader in the fourth and fifth centuries, who was very influential. He is oft quoted for writing this prayer, “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in You.”

7 And this shall be a sign: You’ll yearn to glorify Him

The Spirit, Father, Son, And He will dwell with you.

SERMON: What Are You Looking At?

 10:30 am, 3^rd Sun of Advent, Dec 11, 2022 - J G White / FBCA

(Is 35:1-10; Luke 1:46-55; Mtt 11:2-11)

What are you looking at?

I mean, there is a lot to see, everywhere you go, in December. And hear. And taste and smell. Last night, we went to Port Greville to a concert of the annual Living Christmas Tree. This afternoon, we go to the Lessons and Carols Service at Trinity – St. Stephen’s. Later on, I will hear Jason Morrison practicing here for his mini-concert, Noontime Noels (which has been moved to Thursday).

Back at the house Sharon and I have, on Clinton St, there is something new every day. Walls have been ripped open, doorways moved, openings walled up.

What are you looking at, in this room? There is a little something different here each week, including the location of Leon, the shepherd on the search. One more candle is lit. And this is the Sunday of Joy.

Almost two thousand years ago, Jesus of Nazareth was just beginning his speaking and healing tour. His cousin, John, had been arrested, at this point. When Jesus spoke to the people gathered around, he asked them about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to look at? A prophet? Yes, and more than a prophet.” John was the messenger who prepared the way for the Messiah, the Anointed One, to arrive.

John had kept the attention of many people. He was what me could call a ‘fire and brimstone’ preacher. Then, he stepped back, as he knew he would, to let Jesus take centre stage. Jesus keeps the people’s attention, with a rather different style. He turns out to be very generous and kind – especially to the neediest people and those on the fringes. He does grind against many of the most religious of the people. He attracts a lot of attention.

What get’s your attention now? What do we look at that keeps us looking at it?

There are ways that ‘bad news’ gets our attention.

But what about ‘good news?’ Some things that happen are too good to be true – and that can keep us looking, and wondering, and sometimes waiting for it to be proved not real after all.

Yet the good things of life point to Christ Jesus. Breakthroughs are true. God with us is not a dream, but reality.

We keep reading this Bible material about dry wildernesses become green and lush, oppressed people finally getting the good things they need, and the sick becoming well, as well as can be. Isaiah 35 said it. Matthew 11 has Jesus quoting this for cousin John.

‘Are you really The ONE,’ John wonders, from his prison cell. His disciples ask Jesus, who does not give a straight answer, but it is an obvious answer. As Frederick Buechner put it,

Jesus said, “You go tell John what you’ve seen around here. Tell him there are people who have sold their seeing-eye dogs and taken up bird-watching. Tell him there are people who’ve traded in aluminum walkers for hiking boots. Tell him the down-and-out have turned into the up-and-coming and a lot of deadbeats are living it up for the first time in their lives. And three cheers for the one who can swallow all this without gagging.” (Peculiar Treasures, 1979, p. 79)

Too good to be true? To believe? Some of us were wondering about this at Monday’s Bible study. At least, wondering about how to see and tell and share the special moments, the blessings and good that does happen, in this world of fear and bad news. And, as disciples of Christ, do we sense the good moments are actually ‘God moments?’

In December we are head-over-heels into the story of God coming for a visit, as one of us. Our world – and we ourselves – need an inspired reminder that God is with us: Emmanuel. He came once; He is with us now in Spirit; He will return.

In the ninth century, a Christian monk (Paschasius Radbertus) wrote, “we must always be on the lookout for Christ’s twofold coming, the one when he comes day after day to stir our consciences, and the other when we shall have to give an account of everything we have done. He comes to us now in order that his future coming may find us prepared.” (Claiborne et al, Common Prayer: A Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals, 2010, p. 63)

Jesus lives in us as we prepare all our Christmas cheer boxes, as we donate $800 to the food bank after we cancelled a concert, as we get ready for the baptism of someone among us in the new year. We can see good; we can see God at work.

A priest and author of our day and age, Richard Rohr, told of a chance encounter with a recluse near the Abbey of Our Lady of Gethsemani in Kentucky, when I did a retreat at Thomas Merton's hermitage in 1985. A recluse is a hermit's hermit. Recluses come into the community only for Christmas and Easter. The rest of the time, they stay in the forest alone with God and themselves.

I was walking down a little trail when I saw this recluse coming toward me. Not wanting to interfere, I bowed my head and moved to the side of the path, intending to walk past him. But as we neared each other, he said, "Richard!" That surprised me. He was supposed to be a recluse. How did he know I was there? Or who I was?

He said, "Richard, you get chances to preach and I don't. When you're preaching, just tell the people one thing: God is not 'out there'! God bless you." And he abruptly continued down the path. (Richard Rohr, 2015)

There is lots of joy and rejoicing when people see God nearby. We read this from thousands of years ago in Isaiah 35. Be strong, do not fear! Here is your God. We hear this from the time of Jesus’ birth, when his mother sang: Tell out my soul the greatness of the Lord; unnumbered blessings give my spirit voice. Thirty years later, grown-up Jesus claims the words of Isaiah, and adds to them: the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them.

What are you looking at? Are you seeing God?

Dallas Willard said, Jesus’ good news about the kingdom can be an effective guide for our lives only if we share his view of the world in which we live. To his eyes this is a God-bathed and God-permeated world. (The Divine Conspiracy, 1997, p 61)

Thirteen days from now, there will likely be a few hundred people gathered here, in the evening. What will they be looking at? Why will they have come here? Seeking something good, wonderful, beautiful, inspiring, traditional, meaningful, hopeful? Looking for good news? Let’s give it to them. We have already prepared our décor. Music and words are being prepared, already. Let us prepare to be among them, in our pews, as people of hope and joy, peace and love. People of faith.

And this is also our mission on the streets, in the shops, in our homes and neighbourhoods. You and I have our moments of being messengers of God, preparing the way. You are John the Baptist. Or Ken the Baptist. Or Barb the Baptist. Or Joyce the Baptist.

Give out some everlasting joy.