“But Mary held on to all of these words, and reflected upon them deeply, with all her heart and mind.” (Luke 2:19)And so we come to the end of this “Advent Conspiracy.” That was the name of the adult education program we worked through in November, in the hope that we could make our Advent truly a preparation for Christmas, and not get sucked into that “Christmas” season that begins on “Black Friday,” in which it almost becomes one’s patriotic duty to spend more than we have on presents and parties. Here at Christ Church, we kept Advent as that season in which we prepare the way of the Lord and make his paths straight. We fed some 40 families with beans and rice and other fixings for their Christmas dinner. Today we delivered over 150 meals to shut-ins. I personally delivered two space heaters to a mother of five, with a newborn, living in a trailer.
As wonderful works as those were, as peaceful as our Advent suppers and devotions were, I can’t help but wonder if, in asking all this of you, the Church also added to your endless to-do list. The Church tries to create times and spaces for us to reconnect with the Spirit that leads you here. But do those opportunities risk becoming just one more thing you have to do? How do we actually find the time to reflect on what the Spirit might be saying to us on this Holy Night?
Was anyone more exhausted that first Christmas night than she endured the long trip from Nazareth to Bethlehem: who endured the stress of not knowing where she would undergo childbirth? And yet, Jesus’ mother “held on to all of these words, and reflected upon them deeply, with all her heart and mind.” Let Jesus’ mother be your consolation, and guide into that deeper Christmas which is only beginning tonight.
As Mary holds on to all the words she hears about her son, she begins a lifetime of reflection and learning. It will take her that long to fully understand all of these words. Along the way, there will be other words: harder words than those she has already heard --
--Her 12-year old son reacting to her astonishment that he would wander off from them in Jerusalem for three days with the shoulder-shrugging reply, “Didn’t you know that I would be in my father’s house?”
--Jesus’ mother and brothers trying to reach her son through the crowds. Someone told him, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to see you.” But her son replied, “My mother and brothers are those who listen to God’s word and do it.”
Did Mary ever get it? Did her years of reflection give her any purpose and peace? Yes they did, for in Luke’s sequel, at the beginning of Acts, we read that Mary was there with the 120 others who were the first witnesses of her risen son.
And so Mary holds on to all the words she has heard so far about this baby, and begins this night her lifetime of reflection upon words that raise as many questions as answers. God promised King David that his descendants, one after the other, would rule over God’s kingdom forever. How can my son reign over Israel forever? How can I have a son without having sexual relations with my husband? What does it mean to call him the Son of God? How will any of this be possible if I am stoned to death on an accusation of adultery? Why should my newborn son the future king be laid in the trough where the animals feed? Why are the first courtiers to this future king one of the most dishonest groups of people in society, shepherds? Why did God’s angels appear to them first?
And so have the questions, and answers, and more questions, continued for 2,000 years. It would take nearly three centuries before Christians fully agreed that Jesus Christ is “of one Being with God.” And today we ask questions. How does Jesus reign as a king in this world of economic uncertainty, poverty, war and the threat of terror? How does God forgive us through his son Jesus Christ when we remain stuck in those sins that cling to our mind and flesh? How do we find the time to connect with the Spirit of this living God when I can’t find the time to connect with my own family?
But because Jesus Christ is fully God, and fully human, God knows the same uncertainties of life in this uncertain world. Because Jesus Christ is fully God and fully human, God knows what it is to be tired, in desperate need of rest. Because Jesus Christ is fully God and fully human, God knows what it is to fail at one’s mission, to be rejected, and to die. Because Jesus Christ is fully God and fully human, God’s patience with us in our questioning is infinite, and his joy at the answers we find is boundless.
In the name of the Church, therefore, I invite you to a Christmastide of reflection. Twelve days free of Christmas advertising, parties and present wrapping. You don’t need to do anymore to celebrate this holy season. Let Jesus’ mother be your guide. Hold on to the words you hear this night. Reflect on them. Ask the questions that they raise. See what answers you hear in our worship this Sunday, and the next. Soon enough, the season of Epiphany will be upon us, that time when we see Jesus begin his proclamation of Good News. Then will come the season of Lent, that time of preparation, and self-emptying, so that the risen Christ may enter our hearts. Soon enough, we the Church will need to think about the answers we have to give to the people of Sand Mountain.
But for this night, and the next 12, just hold all of these words in your heart and mind. And the Son of God will be born again in your hearts, just as he was born of Mary. Let the newborn Christ child hold you as close to him as you hold him to yourselves.
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