Blog for Christmas Week
As I sat in the Christmas Eve worship and looked out at the
faces worshiping God with glory, praise and love. I couldn’t help but see and think of the
stories of the year: the people that were lost and no longer celebrating next to
their families, the people who were going into 2014 without jobs and in general
just the life that came to pass in 2013.
It is a very interesting parallel between the bright and awestruck
wonder that our colorful Christmas full of beautiful and richly decorated gifts
brings and the dull poor manger that the infant Jesus slept in on his first
night of humanity. You see, most of our
life is spent in those dull moments – the mundane of the everyday when we are
reminded, especially on the news, of just what kind of society we live in. We live into the ordinary and in the
dull. And yet on Christmas we are
reminded that out of the dull and ordinary God’s only Son was born – that out
of the dull and ordinary God’s grace was revealed to the world. That out of the dull and ordinary
EXTRA-ORDINARY things can happen with God.
I know I have used that phrase in service before, but I
think it is so important for us to remember.
Jesus our Lord and Savior was born on Christmas Day out of the love that
God had for humanity and for offering the amazing gift of grace to ALL (not
just a few, but all).
As we reflect on our past year, as we celebrate the birth of
our Savior let us not let the moments that seem dull or perhaps gloomy define
us but instead remember the moments in which God’s love was felt, in which
God’s grace was known, in which God’s mercy was given and in which God’s
forgiveness was allowed. For these are
the moments in which our lives move out of the ordinary and into the realm of
God’s Kingdom, the extraordinary.
On Christmas Day an infant was born into a dull and ordinary
life and yet from even the beginning hope was brought into the world. Today we continue to celebrate all of his
glory on Christmas. When many put aside
their doubt to spread love. Where it is
more than OK to be Christians. Where
THOUSADNDS pray at the dinner table this ONE time a year. Where Jesus’ name is mention and the infant
baby is remembered. These are pretty
extraordinary things, miracles perhaps.
The spirit of Christmas is nothing more than the Holy Spirit
working within and through us to spread God’s amazing love and grace to
ALL. The Christmas spirit is nothing
more than millions of us being more open to the Spirit that works throughout
the year to spread God’s love to all we meet.
Let us remember this week that the birth of Savior, no
matter how dull it may seem, brought with it miracles and love the continue to
be spread now and every day! Amen.
