Christmas Eve Meditation 4PM 2013 (notes)

fascinating that it was to shepherds

          that God first announced the birth of Jesus;

                   shepherds were nomads, unimpressive social outcasts

* snapshot of God’s love and favor toward the powerless rejects

 

shepherd is a less familiar image to us in Las Cruces

          Washington State – fences sheep needed little care

in western Washington,

          I would drive past pastures of grazing sheep every day,

                   and not even once did I ever see a shepherd out with them.

In western Washington with its rich soil and plentiful rain,

          the fenced-in pastures were always very green and lush,

                   and the sheep didn't need anyone looking out for them.

 

                   in contrast – Bedouin shepherd girl in the Sinai

In that extreme and rocky terrain – so dry, desolate and barren,

          the sheep could not possibly survive in that place

                   except for the careful attention of the shepherd.

          these sheep were utterly dependent,

                   and could not survive on their own,

                             wonderfully illustrates how God relates to us.

          Ezekiel 34 is a picture of the Christmas story

 

What could matter more, than knowing:

          that we are the loved sheep of God's pasture,

                   that God seeks us out when we are lost,

                             and brings us back when we've strayed,

                                      binding our wounds when we've been hurt?

 

How comforting it is to know,

          that the sheep does nothing to prompt the shepherd's search

                   other than managing to get lost, to stray and get hurt.

 

This is good news and  it does matter to us;

          … because our lives aren't always perfect,

                   because even our Christmas celebration can be flawed,

          because our lives don't match the front of Hallmark cards;

                   in reality, life is a lot more messy and difficult.

 

While we would prefer:

          material security, excellent health & loving relationships;

                    God knows that sometimes what we need,

                             is to learn trust & dependence on our Good Shepherd;

     to know by experience that God is with us amid difficult times.

 

We might prefer,

          success and achievement at every task and goal we encounter

                   but God knows that sometimes, we need to fail;

                      to feel God pick us back up and set us on our feet again.

                            

We would like for life to be easy and simple, no hassles;

          but our Good Shepherd knows that we need to learn to grow;

                   that we prepare for eternal life and heavenly joy

                             by walking through dark valleys & dry wildernesses,

                                      as faithfully sustained by our Good Shepherd.

* snapshot of God’s shepherd-like compassion and care for us

         

shepherds in the field at night, in the darkness

          scene of God’s glory shines around them  vs. 10-12

                   “sign to you”, but sign of what?

I don't think the sign was intended to convince the shepherds,

    I would assume the glory & angel choir already took care of that

                   but rather,  the sign is about humility and low status,

                             about God's favor toward the unwanted & rejected,

                                      sign pointing toward the ministry of Jesus

 

It’s God's delight and purpose in giving hints to the attentive;

          and, how fitting it was to invite shepherds to see first,

                   for the humble shepherds to be the first

                             to  announce the birth of the Good Shepherd.

 

This is a very familiar text, one we hear year after year,

          you may even know it by heart,       but what does it mean?

 

let us go see

          see for ourselves if it’s true, if God’s promises are real

                   can only for sure if we’re willing to ask God in

                             my life experience:

                                      God always comes through better than I hoped,

                                                but you will have to decide for yourself.

 

the shepherds went to Bethlehem and saw for themselves,

          they answered God's call - responding to the announcement,

                   they decided to take a look at what God was doing.

          So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph,

                   and the child lying in the manger, just as God told them.

 

… and when the shepherd left to care for their flocks,

          they returned a different men …

                   amazed, reoriented, renewed toward the Lord.

          So surely it’s time now

                   for us to take a look,  let us join with the shepherds,

                             and consider what God had been doing all along.

 

In the quiet of Christmas eve worship – pause to be still ---

          listen with care,     what is the Good Shepherd calling to you?

 

Are you being called, perhaps to make a new commitment,

          to make a move deepening your faith, drawing nearer to God?

 

                   What is that you hear,

                             what is the Good Shepherd calling to you?

 

After seeing the Christ child,  Luke 2:20

          The shepherds returned,

                   glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, …

 

Let us bask in the comfort and joy at the sure knowledge,

          that we are the sheep in the pasture of our Good Shepherd,

 

                   and then take that Good News

                             out into the world to our friends and neighbors.

………………………………………………………………………………………

Christmas Eve Meditation 7PM 2013

 

One of my favorite toys that I received for Christmas as a little boy

              was a big yellow and blue tractor-trailer truck

                   that launched plastic missiles from the trailer

                             and had a big bright searchlight that swiveled on it.

 

I spent many happy and content hours playing in our basement

          with the lights all turned off,  shining my searchlight,

                   and shooting missiles from my truck   into dark corners.

 

Two of the texts we read tonight,  one from Isaiah and one from John,

          both focus on the contrast between light and darkness.

Isaiah 9:2, John 1:9

          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.  and

          The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.

 

This passage  we read from Isaiah was a word of hope – God’s promise

          written during a very troubled and dark time in Israel.

 

The political leadership was corrupt and unfaithful to God.

          It was a time of immorality, injustice and economic disaster.

                   The nation was bring threatened by powerful enemies,

                             by both the Assyrian and the Babylonian empires.

 

Speaking through the prophet Isaiah, like a beacon of hope,

          God promised that if the nation would be faithful,  and

                   trust God rather than relying on their own military might,

                      then God would protect them from their powerful enemies.

 

Isaiah describes God's promise to resolve their dire situation,

          as being like a great light that would shine in the darkness;

                   as assurance and hope that God would never abandoned them.

 

That is a welcome word of hope and assurance that I too need to hear,

          and tonight you probably need to hear it  as well;

                for we know all too well

                               about scary, dark corners in the basements of life,

                                      and trying to find our way through the darkness…

                 … for these are not the easiest times we are living through.

 

There is terrible and serious upheaval in the world all around us;

          our nation’s politics, the threat of terrorism still remains,

                   and we don’t know what the future may hold for us.

For many, these are very troubling days of darkness & uncertainty.

 

There are also  other more personal dark places closer to home,

          health and emotional issues, employment & financial concerns,

                   or students facing an uncertain future and hard choices.

 

Darkness can come in many forms that can threaten to overwhelm us;

          but from the gospel of John,   we hear promise & hope from Jesus:

John 1:4-5, 8:12

          What came 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.

          Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life."

 

And so looking at our world and life-challenges we may wonder,

          where is this promised light that overcomes the darkness?

                   And how does the coming of Jesus really change anything?

 

Earlier we read the Christmas story as described in Matthew & Luke,

    and heard the many of the details surrounding the birth of Christ;

          Mary, Joseph, Caesar Augustus, Herod, the shepherds & angels.

But John’s gospel looks at it from a more thoughtful perspective,

     trying to explain,   “but what does all that detail really mean?”

 

                   John looks beyond the Hallmark moment of the Nativity

                             and reflects on the wonder and mystery

                                      of God’s love, grace, mercy and saving-purpose.

 

In John’s gospel, the darkness represents spiritual blindness,

          alienation from God, and refusing to believe and follow …

                             … a darkness that is a terrible and frightening place.

 

But like the bright searchlight on my toy truck years ago,

          Jesus is the true light shining into a dark basement corner,

                   Jesus is a light that reveals and guides,  and gives life …

          … enabling us to live beyond mere existence,

                 or just going through the motions of surviving another day.

 

The true light is not just a bright spot in the dark,

          but this Light defies, drives back,   and defeats the darkness;

                   for Jesus is the True Light, greater than the darkness,

                             whose healing is   greater than the disease,

                                      who brings joy   greater than the sorrow or loss

                      and a peace   far greater than our worst fear or anxiety…

 

… which explains why

          our Christmas Eve celebration includes lighting candles…

… for we need to be reminded again and again, year after year,

          of the true light and hope   in this world   so lost in darkness,

                   and that in fact,

                             the deeper the darkness,   the brighter the light…

 

… which means that we can

          step out into the darkness  and face whatever shadows await,

                   and be certain, be absolutely confident that we will

                             never be abandoned or alone, however lost we may feel.

          Jesus will always show us the way, shine into our darkness, 

                   and bring God’s grace as the True Light into our lives.

 

As I reflect on the Christmases of my life,

          by far the most significant, necessary and meaningful

                   was during the worst and most terrible time of my life.

 

It was a time when my life and dreams all seemed to be falling apart,

             and I was truly dreading the whole Christmas scene

               with its joyful celebration and being around other people.

I felt a deep darkness of hopelessness, regret, sorrow and sadness,

          and I wanted nothing of any Christmas spirit or rejoicing.

 

And that year turned out

          to be one of the best and most meaningful Christmases of my life

              as it powerfully changed me  and my understanding of life;

                   for that deep darkness I felt     powerfully stripped away

                      all the unnecessary  clutter & tinsel from my Christmas.

 

It was then and there that I learned

          how precious and utterly reliable God’s gift of grace truly is

                             and that the gracious nature and purpose of God is

                                  perfectly and truthfully revealed in Jesus Christ-

 

--- and I experienced for myself in a new way,   that Jesus truly is

                   the Light that shines through our every darkness,

                             and the Light that keeps us from giving up in despair.

 

Though the difficult situations and trials of our lives

          may not change simply because we celebrate the birth of Christ;

                             yet that coming Light can and does radically change

                                      how we see them, how we react and respond to them…

          …  giving us the hope, will and the courage we need to endure,

                   to trust and wait upon the Lord’s purpose and blessing,

                      the Light that overcomes the darkness that surrounds us…

 

… which is why our Christmas worship and celebration,

          and the joy of this day is so entirely appropriate…

                   … for us to exchange, open and unwrap Christmas presents,

                             to spend time with loved ones and special people.

          In fact, even glitter and tinsel,

                   can express and reflect God’s love and blessings toward us

                      that has the power to heal, restore and change our lives.

 

If we are attentive, there is a moment of Christmas for each of us,

          that comes down to a choice,

                   how will I decide to respond to the Light of God’s love?       

 

The Apostle Paul wrote about the meaning of Christmas,

          and what God had made available to us --   Col. 1:13-14, 2 Cor. 9:15

                   He has rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!

 

          In a few moments, we will begin lighting our candles,

                   as a reminder that Jesus is truly the Light of the world.

 

- a reminder of God's promise

         and the truth that you are precious and deeply loved by God.

 

- to light it as a reminder when we are not alone,

          because Jesus is the light of the world who faithfully shines,

                 and even the deepest darkness cannot overcome his love.

 

- and a light to share and give away

          to someone else in need, sharing with them   your-my story,

                   telling them what you know, your experience with Jesus,

                             who is truly the light who shines in your world.

 

…   and may that Light shine in our hearts, now and always,

            that we may also faithfully reflect that Light out to others.