Author: lakewooducc

In the Christmas story in Luke, the shepherds abruptly head to Bethlehem to see this new born baby. They leave the sheep. They drop everything. They walk off the job. They clock out.

I am thinking about this sudden response. In what circumstances do we walk off the job? Drop everything? What is so important that we simply stop what we are doing and address ourselves to a new, unexpected situation?

Maybe this happens when the school calls and a child is sick and needs to be picked up. Maybe it happens when we are called from a hospital and informed that a loved one was in an accident and we are needed. Maybe we get up and leave work for a crisis or tragedy. It seems that it is even difficult these days to leave work to attend a memorial service.

All the things I think of that we would drop everything for are “bad.” An accident. A sickness. A sudden death. Some kind of catastrophe.

I am wondering when we would leave work, abruptly, suddenly, for something “good.” The shepherds in the story are told of something wonderful happening and they respond right away. They make the trek to the town of Bethlehem to see this thing which has been made known to them. When might we do something like that? What is so wonderfully compelling that we would drop everything and go? I can’t think of much. And I don’t think it happens very often.

Is it because we place too high an importance on work? We need our jobs. We need to make money. We can’t “afford” to leave abruptly and expect to come back. Is it that money, work, and a job are given too much significance? Is work running our lives instead of we running our work? Is work a tool for making a contribution and feeling worthwhile and providing for our needs? Or has work become a tyrant, and we more like indentured servants?

Again, in thinking about what we would walk off work for, is it also possible that we are not tuned in to being surprised by wonder? Is our capacity for being stunned by something wonderful diminishing? Are we so busy and so scheduled that we will only notice something remarkable on cue? Are we losing our openness to being knocked down in our tracks by something amazing?

Would “shepherds” today, say factory workers or field hands, walk off the job, risk the boss’s ire and being fired, in response to an angel chorus? Would you? Are we being offered good news that we are ignoring or not tuned in to see?

May we see the light shining this Christmas. May we hear the angel’s song. May we be caught utterly unawares.

Prayer: May we welcome the Light of the Divine and let it show us the way. Amen.

Here’s hoping that The Micah Center will be stunned by the generosity of our giving this Christmas season!

The last time I went to my doctor, a new doctor, I mentioned something about church. She asked me about it. I told her I was the pastor. Then she asked me, “So, are you a Jesus follower?” Well, typically, if someone asks about my religion, I would say that I am a Christian. In today’s social climate, that could be taken many ways. So, it may actually be a response that creates confusion rather than clarity. Maybe that is why the doctor asked if I was a Jesus follower. My first thought was, I just told you I am a pastor. I have already answered your question, haven’t I? Evidently not. But as a pastor, what could I say? No. I am not a follower of Jesus. There was only one answer I could give to this question. The doctor seemed very excited about this. She followed up to confirm my response. She was beaming. In the course of the appointment, I had also mentioned that I go to a doctor of Eastern medicine for acupuncture and Qi Dong. At the end of the appointment, she said, “Don’t worry about anything. With me, your Chinese medicine doctor, and Jesus, we will take care of you.” There you have it!

Are you a Jesus follower? In this time of varying expressions of Christianity, expressions which are very much at odds, maybe a better way to describe our religious identity is to say, “I am a follower of Jesus” than to say, “I am a Christian.” What does it mean to be a Christian? Some Christians are decrying homosexuality and abortion and defending corporate America and promoting getting rich, while other Christians are working for gay rights, respecting the rights of women, decrying corporate greed, and promoting material simplicity. You’re Christian? What does that mean? Which team are you on? The media has taken the default definition of Christianity to be the conservative/fundamentalist version and that hasn’t helped matters.

To say, “I am a follower of Jesus” sends a completely different message than “I’m a Christian.” And perhaps the message is more accurate. Our expression of Christianity is more about following Jesus, behavior and action, than it is about theological propositions and doctrine. To say you are a follower of Jesus implies certain behavior and attitudes. People think of Jesus as loving, compassionate, and forgiving. He is concerned with “the least of these.” He is dedicated to serving, especially those most in need. To say you are a follower of Jesus implies that you are trying to make the world a better place for everyone and that you are willing to be helpful and compassionate.

To say, “I am a follower of Jesus” means that we are committed to shining the Light of universal love, justice, peace, and healing. Are you a Jesus follower? What is your response?

Prayer: May we welcome the Light of the Divine and let it show us the way. Amen.

In your journal, maybe you want to cite an instance in which you felt you being a “Jesus follower.”

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