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‘Twas the night before Christmas . . . So the famous poem by Clement C. Moore begins with all of its magic. Visions of sugar plums. The clatter on the lawn. The lustre of the moon on the snow. A miniature sleigh and eight tiny reindeer. The prancing and pawing on the roof. St. Nick with his dimples and cherry nose. The poem is magical and is credited with making Christmas into the widespread holiday celebrated today with Santa and reindeer and stockings and all.

So, it is the eve before Christmas and, yes, children may have a hard time sleeping tonight after they put out the milk and cookies for Santa. But underlying those traditions of Santa, behind the presents and the bows, there is another Present. The gift of love given to the world by God in Jesus. There is the birth of light and hope into the world. There is the dawning of justice and peace. There is the inception of expansive community and compassion. There is nascent joy. All this and more is birthed into the world through Jesus.

Though Jesus was born some 2,000 years ago, his life continues to impact the world. His message continues to transform hearts. His teachings continue to spur compassion and justice. There is no “undoing” the effects of his life and ministry. And the power of that witness, the salvation in those teachings, the wholeness in that life path are available to us each and every day, not just at Christmas. So, really, every day is the eve of new hope and joy being born into the world with all of its magic and promise!

“Do not be afraid; for see – I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people. . .”
Luke 2:10

Prayer: We have such high expectations for Christmas. We forget that the hope and promise of this season is waiting for us each and every day. The holy day is simply a reminder of all God intends for us and for this precious world all 365 days of the year. May we expect the fulfillment of God’s hopes and dreams each and every day. Amen.

Fiat is not just a car. It is the Latin summary for Mary’s response to the angel Gabriel in the story of the annunciation. When he comes to tell her about being the mother of Jesus, we are told that she responds, “I am a servant of God. Let it be done to me as you say.” [Luke 1:38] The word, fiat, the phrase, let it be, encompass the attitude of Mary. She completely submits to God’s will. She is trusting and obedient. She agrees without a fight, making no excuses or objections (unlike Moses and the prophets).

Mary is known for being a model of submissive humility. She is praised for being pure and lowly of heart. She is honored for being humble and willing. She seeks no glory, honor, or fame. And for all of this, she is highly esteemed. In some expressions of Christianity, she is revered over Jesus and even over God! I have been in churches in Mexico where there is a statue of Jesus in the front of the church, and a statue of God over him, and a statue of Mary over God beaming down on the congregation.

Mary is a prominent figure in the Christian faith. She is clearly the most prominent woman of our tradition. She is the primary role model for Jesus who is also known for submitting to God’s will for his life. If Mary was good enough to be the example for Jesus, then she really should be a role model for all people of faith. She exhibits what all believers aspire to: Self giving service to God with complete trust. Her example was not lost on Jesus. And it is encouraged and lifted up for women. But I am not sure that the church has promoted the example of Mary as much for men. Instead, a common message has been that women should submit to men as Mary submits to God.

I think the church would be stronger and more faithful if men were taught to submit to God as Mary (and Jesus) did. We need to follow Mary in training our sons to be submissive, obedient, trusting, humble, pure, and lowly of heart. We need to raise boys and girls not to seek glory, honor, or fame, but to be self giving servants fully submitting to God’s will for their lives and for the world. In the interests of equality, there has been an effort to have girls keep up with boys and achieve more. There hasn’t been the balance of having boys learn to be more humble, obedient, and self giving.

For Christians, anyway, the ideal might be to inculcate service and submission to God and to the common good for all people equally. Parents could be encouraged: “This is what Mary was like and this is how she raised Jesus, so this is how we will raise our children. And we, parents, fathers and mothers, will be examples for our children like Mary.”

Are we going to confine Mary to the role of mother of Jesus, or are we going to submit to her parenting, too?

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the realm of heaven.
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
Matthew 5: 3, 5, 8

Prayer: It is not easy to give up our selfish desires and our willfulness. Yet all spiritual traditions encourage submission. May we cultivate submission to God so that we might know our deepest worth and highest good. It is in giving that we receive the prayer of St. Francis reminds us. May we be willing to model our lives on Mary’s so that we may be more like Jesus. Amen.

Can you imagine Christmas without carols? No “O Come, All You Faithful”? No “Joy to the World”? No “Silent Night”? No “Away in a Manger”? No “We Three Kings”? The list could go on and on and on and we haven’t even gotten to songs like “White Christmas” and “Sleigh Ride” and “Chestnuts Roasting on An Open Fire” and “Jingle Bells”! No other holiday has as much music specifically associated with its celebration. And that music is ubiquitous this time of year. You would have to try pretty hard to go through a day in December without hearing any Christmas music.

The songs of Christmas carry our feelings and our memories and our hopes for this season. They take us beyond the Biblical story to our story. To our stories. Many of the pop songs associated with Christmas hearken back to World War II and families separated with loved ones serving in the military. The traditions, the experiences, the associations that we have with Christmas are often poignant and beg to be shared. This sharing happens so readily through music.

Each year, a group from the church goes caroling to homebound people of the congregation and to several nursing homes in the area. It is amazing to see the laughter and the tears evoked by the music. The people simply come alive through the singing however out of tune or raggedy the performance may be! The message still shines through.

Try to imagine a Christmas without music. With no carols. With no songs. It’s impossible. The joy, the fun, the delight, the depth of this holiday simply cannot be held in. The Spirit of this season bursts forth – in song. Bringing us together. Which is where we should be.

Praise God with trumpet sound;
praise God with lute and harp!
Praise God with tambourine and dance;
praise God with strings and pipe!
Praise God with clanging cymbals;
praise God with loud clashing cymbals!
Let everything that breathes praise God!
Psalm 150: 3-5a

Prayer: We are grateful for the gift of music. Music conveys what words alone cannot convey. The rhythm, the beat, the words, the melody all combine to express what is in our spirits. In this Advent season, we are especially grateful for the music of Christmas and how it stirs our hearts bringing us joy and bringing us together. Amen.

December 21 marks the winter solstice; the shortest day of the year in terms of day light hours. It is not too severe here in Florida, but at points further north on the globe, the day is noticeably short. Growing up in Minneapolis, I remember that it felt like it was starting to get dark when we got out of school at 3 in the afternoon!

People of all times and all cultures have found ways to mark the seasons, the turning of the sun, and the cycles of the moon. Celebrations of light, the importance of light, the end of the shortening of days and the beginning of the lengthening of days, have been part of human observance for millennia. There were winter solstice festivals in ancient Rome. It is easy to see how early Christians used solstice themes to celebrate the coming of Jesus. He was seen as the light of the world. He was not only the “son” but the “sun” of life. His coming was akin to the calling forth of light in the creation story. How beautifully these themes blend with the solstice. And while everyone else was having their pagan celebration of the solstice, the Christians created a holiday for themselves: The celebration of the natal day of Jesus Christ, the light of the world. Christianity appropriated the festival of the cultural setting and gave it religious dimensions.

Today Christmas has become the most celebrated holiday in the world. It is celebrated by people who know nothing of Jesus. It is a holiday of Santa and reindeer, and Christmas trees, and lights, and presents. It has become a universal celebration at a time of year when it is needed most – in the middle of the dark, cold days of winter. As Christmas has spread, it has lost much of its religious associations. In some ways, it seems like Christmas is going back to its pre Christian roots.

It used to bother me that Christmas was becoming all about Santa with only an occasional nod to Jesus. But then I found out where Christmas came from in the first place: co-opted from the non-Christians. Now, it seems to be everybody’s holiday. And so be it. God’s love is for everyone. Christ’s light is in everyone. And we need all the “peace on earth and good will to all” that we can muster.

You have made the moon to mark the seasons;
the sun knows its time for setting.
Psalm 104:19

Prayer: In this season of darkness, we more deeply appreciate the light. In our increasingly mechanized life, may we still look for signs of divinity in the natural world. May we more deeply appreciate our place within the vast scope of the cosmos and the light that shines within us. Amen.

What are the biggest problems facing our country and our culture? We may have many different responses to this query. There are lots of things to choose from.

In the book, An Unfinished Life: John F. Kennedy 1917-1963 by Robert Dallek, there are comments about the state of US society in the late ’50’s. What were perceived as some of the biggest problems? Literary critic Dwight Macdonald is cited as referring to the “terrible shapelessness of American life.” [p. 229] Macdonald describes Americans as “an unhappy people, a people without style, without a sense of what is humanly satisfying.” Editor of Commentary, Norman Podhoretz complained of the “boredom one senses on all sides, the torpor, the anxiety, the listlessness.” [p. 274] These perspectives are echoed in the sentiments of Kennedy. Dallek tells us, “He shared a belief with most commentators and analysts that America had lost its sense of national purpose, that the material well-being of the 1950’s had translated into a ‘bland, vapid, self-satisfied, banal’ society lacking the moral resolve to meet domestic and world problems.” [p. 274]

I wasn’t alive in the ’50’s, so I can’t comment on the accuracy of these impressions. But in thinking about our situation today, I think we have slipped from boredom, torpor, and shapelessness, to self gratification and self obsession. What’s in it for me? What do I get? What do I want? And how can I get it? NOW! There’s a lot of self gratification and spoiling that goes on at Christmas that stems from just this kind of self absorption.

But at Christmas time, we also see an enormous swell in generosity, charity, giving, and sharing. After all, it’s Christmas. I was in a produce store last week, and a customer was short on cash and could not pay her whole bill. Someone else in line called out to the clerk, “Let her go. Add it to my bill. It’s Christmas.” Every day in the paper we see pictures and stories of people giving food and toys and gifts to those in need. This morning on the radio there was a story about a Mexican woman who has started a tradition of cooking Christmas dinner for homeless people. She had no family here, so she decided to make dinner for some homeless men and invite them over to be with her for Christmas. At this time of year, there is a crack in self obsession and generosity and good will come pouring out. The best thing we can do for ourselves this season and every season is to help someone else. That is what rescues us from the tyranny of selfishness. Thank goodness for this season that shows us who we can be and gives us a sense of what actually is “humanly satisfying.”

Give justice to the weak and the orphan;
maintain the right of the lowly and the destitute.
Rescue the weak and the needy;
deliver them from the hand of the wicked.
Psalm 82:3-4

Prayer: We give thanks for this season of giving which takes us outside of ourselves and helps us to see the needs of others. We pray that the spark of generosity lit these holy days may burn year round bringing comfort and joy to all. Amen.