Christmas 2015: This is our story

Christmas 2015

This is a story that we know well—the Christmas story---in fact, many people of all faiths know this story, or at least parts of it.  Is there anything new to hear?  What does it mean for us as individuals, and as a community, in the year 2015? Can Mary, Joseph, the angels, and the shepherds tell us anything that we do not already know?

Let’s begin with those workers who live on the margins, the low men on society’s totem pole, the shepherds.  They are the first to hear this good news that redemption and light, that God’s very self, is born into the world.  Not only are they the first to hear it, but they are the ones entrusted with sharing this good news.  They are the ones encouraged to come near to God---invited into the birth if you will.  Much of the world may have seen them as everyday laborers, those on the fringe, but God uses them in a most important way to be part of this salvation story of ours.  Without them, no one will know, no one will mark this event.  We would not be here tonight, gathered to hear this story one more time, if it weren’t for the shepherds. Maybe tonight we are called to see ourselves as one of this ragtag bunch---this common laborer whom God uses—despite our weaknesses, despite our status or reputation, despite the rough edges of our humanity---God uses these shepherds, God uses us, to tell our story so that others may know and come and see.  God invites us to take part in our Savior’s birth into our world.

The angels, of course, have a slightly higher status---they are the LORD’s messengers after all.  They are so shiny and bright; and apparently, they can sing pretty well. These are not your everyday laborers like the shepherds.  Maybe tonight those among us who have some status in our communities, some influence with others, those among us who have the ability to use our words and our presence to help others to understand---people like teachers, parents, community leaders, supervisors and CEOs---maybe tonight we can identify with those who are charged to use our gifts to spread the good news---especially with others who may be overlooked or frightened or uncertain if they belong.  God uses these messengers, these communicators, to gather others in, bring others to this salvation party and invite them to participate in our Savior’s birth into our world.

Okay, so what do we do with Joseph?  We don’t know much about him.  How can we relate to Joseph?  First of all, Joseph may be quiet and kind of “under the radar,” but he’s obedient.  Joseph’s strength is his trust that God leads him in the right direction---even in a risky direction.  Joseph certainly had the opportunity to walk away from this entire situation---everyone would have understood---but through the angel Gabriel, God asked Joseph to take this risk with God.  And Joseph said yes.  Joseph, in his quiet, obedient way---risked everything he was and everything he had in order to live into God’s call for him—and incidentally, God’s call to the world.  Even though God’s request of Joseph didn’t really make any sense; it didn’t seem plausible; it was pretty outrageous, Joseph said yes.  And Joseph’s yes led to the protection and care of Mary and Jesus---granting them both security and shelter and a future.  Maybe tonight, we are called to see ourselves as the one who trusts in the dream enough to take the risk.  The one who is called to protect, to secure, and to shelter so that others are granted a present and a future.  God uses those who have a quiet, obedient strength to take part in our Savior’s birth into our world.

And then there’s Mary.  For a long time, Mary wasn’t really useful to me.  As a young person, I was taught she was perfect, blameless, submissive.  I don’t know how well you know me, but if you know me at all, you know I am none of those things.  Even though Mary is the woman in this story, for much of my life, I couldn’t identify with her.  But, I no longer believe Mary was perfect; she was human.  Nowhere in Scripture are we told Mary is divine; she is simply human. Like all of us, I am certain she made mistakes, lost her temper, became annoyed with her children, her husband, her neighbors.  But, she was also extraordinary. Not because she was without fault or blameless, but  simply because she said yes.  Like Joseph, she risked her all, her everything, and she responded to God’s call to hand over her life to God’s control and for God’s dream……and Mary said yes.

I wonder how Mary was formed? how she was empowered and equipped to say yes?  What kind of prayer, study, fellowship and service shaped and formed her so that she was open to this request? Nadia Bolz Weber writes: “Mary is what it looks like to believe we already are who God believes we are.” Tonight, maybe we are called to consider how we are making ourselves available to the movement and messengers of God.  Can we live in such ways that when the angels arrive we might be ready to hear and respond to God’s call to participate in this great salvation story of ours---mine, yours, and all of God’s people, all of God’s Creation?  God uses those who are not perfect, but those who are prepared, to take part in our Savior’s birth into our world.

Tonight as we hear this wonderful story of God’s overwhelming and redemptive love yet again---we are invited to place ourselves into the scene.  We are called to not only find our “role” in this great script of Salvation that is ours, but we are also asked to learn our lines, know our blocking, hear our cues.  To prepare ourselves. For we are nothing less than midwives of the Kingdom of God into this world.  As the German mystic Meister Eckart said: We are all called to be mothers of God – for God is always waiting to be born.

O holy Child of Bethlehem, descend to us, we pray;  cast out our sin, and enter in, 
be born in us today.