ExtraChristy

My two brothers flew in for a visit this month. It was great being together especially when I let them take me out dinner. I was the designated driver for airport pick ups, it gave me more time to be with my brothers, and, of course, the dinners. Coming and going on four flights over four days meant four trips to the Cleveland Airport, and not once getting on the plane. Each time I went back home.

Airports are amazing places. They take people all over the world. I went their four times but didn't go anywhere. I didn't buy a ticket and get on a plane. Folks were flying but I stayed on the ground.

Churches are amazing places. People all over the world go to services in them. Some go on amazing journeys. Others just go back home. The same church, same service takes some to a different place, but leaves others where they are. The difference is the choice to go or stay, to be a traveler or a spectator.

Hope you get off the ground next Sunday.

Getting on Board

As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” Jesus replied, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”

He said to another man, “Follow me.”

But the man replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”
Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”

Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say good-by to my family.”

Jesus replied, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”- Luke 9:57-62 (NIV)

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Matthew 1:18-25 (not lectionary)

Now in its 32nd year, the Robb Report is the international authority on the luxury lifestyle. Each December they publish the ultimate gift guide. Among this year's 21 ultimate gifts are:

The ultimate model train set. The quintessential holiday gift, this $2 million model railroad features four iconic American trains from the golden age of railroading as well as re-creations of landmarks, major cities, and stations on the trains' routes from New York to Los Angeles. Pieces include at least 32 train cars and 30 automated features that span a 2,500-square-foot layout (about half a football field). The set also includes a control center equipped with four flat-screen televisions displaying each train's journey.

The world's first individually owned zeppelin. Valued at more than $17 million, this zeppelin–to be built by Airship Ventures in collaboration with Zeppelin Luftschifftechnik –will be only one of four in existence. The craft will measure 246 feet long and will have a range of 500 miles, a minimum cruising altitude of 1,000 feet, and seating capacity for 12. It will include personalized exterior design, a customized cabin interior, and zeppelin-pilot training and certification.

A $300 million, 328-foot yacht to be developed by internationally acclaimed designer Ken Freivokh. With an estimated 5,000-mile range and a top speed of 23.4 knots, the four-deck vessel will feature a disco, a sundeck, and a fitness center that wraps around an open-air swimming pool and waterfall. The craft will also house a 12-seat cinema, a wine cellar, a master bedroom, two VIP suites, and stowage for two tenders. —Robb Report News Release

This year especially such gifts may seem absurd. Yet the emphasis on spending and getting are real, now even a matter of national interest. But the idea that the ultimate gift is a material thing of great monetary value is the opposite of the coming of Jesus, the first and greatest Christmas gift.

Before the visit of the spirits, Scrooge gets a visit from his nephew, Fred, who invites his Uncle Scrooge to their family Christmas dinner year after year. Scrooge cannot see the value in the invitation nor any profit in the holiday that prompts it. His nephew responds:

“There are many things from which I might have derived good, by which I have not profited, I dare say, “returned the nephew, “Christmas among the rest. But I am sure I have always thought of Christmas time, when it has come round—apart from the veneration due to its sacred name and origin, if anything belonging to it can be apart from that—as a good time ; a kind, forgiving, charitable, pleasant time; the only time I know of, in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely, and to think of people below them as if they really were fellow-passengers to the grave, and not another race of creatures bound on other journeys. And therefore, uncle, though it has never put a scrap of gold or silver in my pocket, I believe that it has done me good, and will do me good; and I say, God bless it! ” — Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol

Scrooge is taken by ghost of Christmas Present to his employee's home, Bob Cratchit. There is genuine warmth around the family Christmas table. Scrooge even finds himself included as Bob Cratchit gives thanks to his miserly employer over the objections of his wife. Gold is mentioned in this poor house when Mrs. Crachit asks how Tiny Tim, their crippled son, behaved at church.

As good as gold, and better. Somehow he gets thoughtful, sitting by himself so much, and thinks the strangest things you ever heard. He told me, coming home, that he hoped the people saw him in the church because he was a cripple, and it might be pleasant to them to remember upon Christmas Day, who made lame beggars walk, and blind men see. — Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol

Tiny Tim was thinking in terms of relationships. Not just his relationship with others, but how his relationship witness to the most important relationship celebrated at Christmas: the one with Jesus Christ, who made lame beggars walk and blind men see.

Our scripture story to day is about Joseph and Mary. They are at once poor in funds and relationship. Did you catch the poverty of the relationship in the reading? The phrase is “put her away ”or “call off the wedding ”or “dismiss ”in various translations, but “divorce ”appears in the New International Version. Joseph could have accused the pregnant Mary of adultery and had her stoned to death. Some would say that divorce is even worse than stoning, at least stoning is over in a day, while divorce is like a little death every day.

Yet God intervenes. By an angel messenger, God tells Joseph not to fear, and reverses Joseph plans to sever the relationship. From the threat of private divorce to the promise of humankind's reconciliation: “God with us ”the greatest gift is the relationship of God with us, Emmanuel.

Nephew Fred had no money, Scrooge calls him poor enough, but knows the value of Christmas is not profit but men and women opening their hearts to one another as fellow travelers on this earth. Tiny Tim didn't look for a Christmas miracle healing for himself, but to encourage the walk of others following in the footsteps of the Lord. Joseph thought the best reaction to scandal was to sever relationships in private, but the angel put him into relationship with Mary which brought the whole world in the relationship with God.

Fred valued his relationship with Scrooge, not sliver or gold, and gave himself to him year after year offering relationship and hospitality. Tiny Tim gave himself as an encouragement to others. Joseph gave his good name and forgiveness to Mary his pregnant fiancée. Relationships with others valued over personal profit.

Understanding the concepts that are invested in words can aid us in our own lives. As an interesting example, the word “love”which is thrown about so freely in English, has a special meaning in Hebrew. Love in Hebrew is “Ahava”, which is made up of three basic Hebrew letters, (aleph, hey, bet). These three letters actually are broken down into two parts: a two letter base or root, , (hey, bet) and the first letter, , (aleph) which is a modifier. The meaning of the two letter base, , (hey, bet) is “to give”. The letter “aleph ” , which precedes these two letters comes to modify the meaning of the base word, “give”. The meaning of , is “I give” and also “love”. — “Love, Jewish Style ”By Ahuva Bloomfield, Jewish Magazine Web Site

Value relationships this Christmas. Give yourself, which is love, as God gave himself in love in the Christ child. Every family has a Scrooge, let's make that every family has two Scrooges, so even if you are one…you still can reach out to the other. Invite them into relationship by giving yourself in them, that is the way to love, not by giving things, but by giving yourself in relationship.

God's ultimate personal name is “I AM”. Now we learn that Love is “I Give”. The “I Am” giving himself to us in the form of a baby in Bethlehem is the foundation of Love, the establishment of a loving relationship with humanity we celebrate as Christmas. Beating out The Robb Report, The God Report has the ultimate gift this Christmas with the highest value: Loving relationship which gives our very selves to the other as God gave us Jesus on the first Christmas.

(Click on the Related Link below for an mp3 recording of this message.)

The Kiwanis President in Akron gets to give the invocation at the monthly Akron Roundtable meeting. It is a tricky thing to pray authentically in the midst of so many religious traditions, including none at all! President Kurt Winebrenner had an especially good one this month:

Creator of us all, as we near the end of another year, help us to strive for peace in the world and the pursuit of humanity and understanding in our dealings with other people, other communities, and other governments.

Bless the food and the fellowship that we enjoy today and keep peace, joy, and compassion in our hearts throughout the coming year. Amen.

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I recently tag teamed with a friend's son helping set up his father's new computer. The son is a Mac person. (Not that there is anything wrong with that.) In following his work I had to think, “Now how would a Mac user do this?” For example, when the speakers and microphone didn't work after his work, I first checked the connections, and sure enough, the Mac Fan had logically matched the color of the plugs to the color of the sockets, just like a Mac user would. A PC user, on the other hand, is suspicious of anything that looks that simple. (After switching the connections, the clashing plugs/sockets work fine now.)

When folks find out I'm a pastor, the talk often turns to matters of the spirit. After listening just a few minutes, I often surprise people by telling them what religious tradition they are from. Just like Mac users reveal themselves in how they relate to computers, one can tell what celestial operating system a person is used to using by their assumptions, questions, and expectations.

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Luke 1:39-55 (not lectionary)

Our Joy Job
Scrooge in A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens considers Christmas festivities a waste, “a time for finding yourself a year older and not an hour richer.” He is angry with Bob Crachet wanting the whole of Christmas Day off, calling it “A poor excuse for picking a man's pocket every twenty-fifth of December!” It is to an invitation to a Christmas dinner that we hear Scrooge deliver is famous oath, of “Humbug!” dismissing the idea of a celebration.

Christianity is far from Dickens' tale, but helps us with the problem of not doing enough to earn the right to be happy. Joy is given to us by God sending Christ into the world. We did not earn it, nor can we. It would be like trying to work extra hard for more sunshine, tip the weather forecaster for a white Christmas, or buy true love.

Sometimes we feel we do not deserve joy. Scrooge wanted another day of business, not a day off to waste with in unprofitable activities. Barak Obama was in a close race for president. There was months of non-stop work: fund raising, meetings, speeches, traveling, interviews, writing. Just 55 days before the election, he was asked what his main priority would be during the final two months of the campaign. He could have said a lot of things, meet more people, travel to states where the election was close, gather more allies, have another debate, the demands of a nationwide campaign are endless. Without hesitation, he said his job was to keep his wife Michelle and his two daughters happy and told a story about embarrassing his 5th grader by taking her to school on the first day. No matter your politics, if the winning presidential candidate can make time for happiness in the middle of a campaign, we have no excuse for not making time for happiness in our lives.

Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, said, “Joy is the surest sign of the presence of God”. And Christmas is when we welcome Emmanuel, which means “God with Us”. Presbyterians have long known this. Hundreds of years ago, the Westminster divines stated the answer to the first question of faith, What is humanity's chief end, was “glorify God and enjoy God forever!” Bruce Larson reminds us that there are no sad saints.

If something or someone tells you that you do not deserve joy. Think of it as a gift from God, more than a gift, a job, a duty to God, to enjoy! For if God is the center of your life, so is joy.

Joy Comes in All Sizes
The Ghost of Christmas Past takes Scrooge back into his past and a time when he was able to find joy. A party at Fezziwig his employer's brings the memory of joy back to Scrooge. The Ghost teases Scrooge, challenges his judgment that Fezziwig was worthy of praise for throwing a party for his employees.

“A small matter,” said the Ghost, “to make these silly folks so full of gratitude…He has spent but a few pounds of your mortal money: three or four perhaps. Is that so much that he deserves this praise?”

“It isn't that, Spirit. He has the power to render us happy or unhappy; to make our service light or burdensome; a pleasure or a toil. Say that his power lies in words and looks; in things so slight and insignificant that it is impossible to add and count them up: what then? The happiness he gives, is quite as great as if it cost a fortune.”

Even if we cannot do everything, we can still do something to bring joy. The Angel Tree cannot fix all the problems and hurts of families with a parent in prison, but we can bring some joy by making sure there is a present for the children on Christmas morning. If you remember the best times in your life, or better yet ask those around you for the best time in theirs, you will find most did not cost years of effort or millions of dollars, but in small acts of kindness and moments of thoughtfulness.

Maybe you went out today and found your windows scrapped free of ice. Maybe it was an uncle delivering hot chocolate to bottom of a sledding hill on a cold winter day. Singing carols with friends to neighbors. A hug when you thought you were invisible. Even an unexpected smile can deliver joy.

Listen to our scripture. A hymn to joy from a kick of baby yet to be born. What a strange place to find joy! Yet it is as biblical as any moral standard or theological principle. When God is with us there is great joy in even in the smallest events. Do not miss joy that comes in small packages, for a tiny baby brought joy to the entire world.

Joy Comes With Others
Scrooge also sees the joy he missed by choosing the security of money over the embrace of love. His fiancée, Belle, knows he has made this choice and tells him…

“Another idol has displaced me; and if it can cheer and comfort you in time to come, as I would have tried to do, I have no just cause to grieve.”
“What Idol has displaced you?” he rejoined.
“A golden one.”

Scrooge choose profit over people and finds himself alone and grief stricken for what might have been, for gold does not cheer and comfort as a lover does. One can love money, but money will not love us back.

Emmanuel is “God with Us” not “God with Me”. Even our scripture, the most intimate relationship between mother and unborn child is magnified by Mary into good news for all the people. Joy comes with others attached.

A new study by sociologists at the University of Maryland concludes that unhappy people watch more TV, while people who describe themselves as “very happy” spend more time reading newspapers, attending religious activities and socializing. The study appears in the December issue of the journal Social Indicators Research. Folks who want friends are encouraged by counselors to read newspaper because it connects them with the community and gives them entry to talk with people.

Religious activities with its eternal focus and a shared community with God in control is the opposite of television's sound bites and individual remote control. Religion leads to greater happiness as we connect with God and each other, while television projects the pretense of connection, the illusion of life that quickly fades.

Joy is our job from God who is Joy to the World.
Joy comes in small packages.
A baby's kick can move the world to joy.
Joy is found with others as God is with us, Emmauel.