What is your idea
of a perfect Christmas?
Presents beautifully
wrapped, sizes all fit, no burnt
cookies, carols playing softly, no stress, no disagreements, everyone gathered
in a happy celebration.
Well... “perfect” is probably not going to
happen!
Life has it's unhappy times
and they don't disappear at Christmas. There is still sickness, conflict,
sadness, broken relationships. When Mary and Joseph began their life together,
they also did not have a perfect beginning. Unexpectedly ,they became new
parents facing sleepless nights, and a
little person who made many demands.
I have enjoyed a children's
story entitled The Christmas Cat
. It begins with describing baby Jesus
this way: “Like all babies, he cried.”
Mary wrapped him in a warm
blanket,fed him, rocked him, and still
he kept crying. Until a little kitten came close... The cat's purring was
comforting to Jesus, and he slept.
Jesus and the little kitten grew together
becoming inseparable.
The story concludes with the cat calming Jesus as the
trio makes their hurried escape to Egypt
avoiding Herod's soldiers. This
winsome story emphasizes that Jesus' family had their share of stress: caring
for a new baby far from home in a
dangerous situation. In their midst of troubles, God's presence and comfort was with them.
Our lives have demands and
cares as we journey through this Advent season. Sometimes we do not feel like
celebrating . Joanne Smith was a writer for a Dayton newspaper; she and her
husband had three kids ( ages 10-17) and a good life together. In the fall of 1999, her husband died suddenly.
She was left to keep the family going. Their grief was overwhelming, and none
of them wanted to face the holidays.
13 days before Christmas, a gift appeared on
their front porch: a small poinsettia.
Who could have brought it? The next day there was another small gift.
And the next day.
At first, these gifts
seemed intrusive. There was no reason to
celebrate this year, or to be reminded of Christmas. But as the days passed, their curiosity and
expectation rose. Try as they might,
Joanne and her children could not catch
the person who was leaving the gifts.
Each day, the arrival of a gift became
something to look forward to. By the time Christmas came, this family was a
little closer to finding peace, a little closer to having hope that they would
survive their loss.
The last gift was a small
tree with 12 bells. The givers, still
anonymous ,explained in a note that they too had been in a hurting situation,
and someone had reached out to them.
Joanne realized that you don't have to have it all together in order to share care with someone
else. After receiving this care from
strangers,
she affirmed that “ it is more
important than ever to step outside of my own world and consider those
around me, open my heart, reach out my hand, and engage.”
Christmas is not for perfect people, or perfect lives.
Christmas is a joyous recognition that even in the darkest times,the love of
God somehow can reach us.
Through the ages, many people
have traveled to the town of
Bethlehem to see the traditional site of Jesus' birth. Scott Hahn took his twelve year old daughter
Hannah on such a pilgrimage. When they came to the Church of the Nativity
, they descended to a lower level where
there was an ancient cave. The star in
the floor marks the site of the manger. Hannah however was not impressed with this
holy space.
After hours of going into old churches and
listening to guides, Hannah had reached
her limit. But then the guide announced
that they were going next to an Palestinian orphanage in Bethlehem. When they
arrived, Hannah started to smile. Hannah was experienced with children:she has
three younger brothers and sisters.
The caregivers at the orphanage brought baby after baby for Hannah to hold.
These children became younger brothers ans sisters to her. She talked and cooed and rocked and loved the
little ones who have lived lives touched by war and loss. For Hannah, the joy
of Christ being born, Emmanuel, (God is with us ) became real for her when she held the babies.
What babies can we hold? What
good news can we share? How can we reclaim Christmas? Pastor Robert challenged
us last week to consider our Christmas Offering and the many lives it will
touch in Lithuania, Africa, and in Ohio.
A young girl or boy can sleep well because
they are protected by a $10 net from
insects that carry malaria. How many
children can we help tuck in at night?
Good Works in Athens, Ohio, (
another recipient of our offering)
provides the only homeless shelter in an 8 county area of southeastern
Ohio. Last year, 150-200 homeless men, women
and children had a warm meal, a decent
place to stay and supportive friends because of Good Works.
Clean water, medical care,
fields with growing crops, these are wonderful gifts for Christmas and any day
of the year to our friends in Africa.
Our sister churches in
Lithuania are growing in a country once held by a communist regime; our support of their ministry is a great
encouragement to them.
The possibility of Christmas
joy keeps spreading!
There is a slogan that goes
“What happened in Bethlehem doesn't stay in Bethlehem.”
The wonder of God's love is
to be passed on.
Even in our own struggles and
difficulties, we can shine some light and hope.
How can we help others
celebrate Jesus birth?
How can we demonstrate to
someone else that they matter to God?
Through small acts of
kindness, through compassionate love, through outlandish generosity, let's
together tell the story of the One who came to love each of us!
