The Mainline Minister

Luke 2:1-20 In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 All went to their own towns to be registered. 4 Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. 5 He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. 8  In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; for see

Well, it's been a weird Advent, a now seemingly normal feature of this strange year.  Yet despite the upheavals, the inconveniences, the protocols, the dissension, we have arrived at a safe harbor.  Today is Christmas Eve and for the moment we will celebrate our Lord's birth.  Services might be different, gatherings altered, but still we celebrate that miraculous night in Bethlehem long ago.  This day let us focus on the peace, the joy, and the wonder of this day, of what happened 2,000 years ago and is happening this night.  Let us give thanks that Jesus is born and we are safe in God's loving arms.    

Everything is out of sync this year.  Tomorrow is Christmas Eve and we'll be doing two services live, but our third one will be recorded and we're doing that today.  And then there's Sunday's service, which we've also been working on today and will record tomorrow.  At moments it feels as if everything is spinning out of control - the schedule, the technology. And then I remember I'm not alone.  I've got colleagues with which to work, a family that's supportive, and a God who is with me at every moment. So even though things may seem like they're out of control and not in sync, I know that ultimately everything is where and when it should be, thanks to the One who comes to us in Jesus.

Today is the day after the winter solstice.  That means that every day between now and late June will be longer than its predecessor!  Sure, it seems gray and gloomy this morning and we didn't get to see the conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn yesterday and the pandemic is still raging and, and, and ... Time out.  Advent is coming to an end.  During this season of anticipation and repentance, we have hopefully regained our perspective.  We choose whether to focus on the light or the dark.  We know that Jesus will soon be born.  I prefer to focus on light.  I hope you do, too.

Today is the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year.  You've probably heard by now about the conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter, which should be quite a sight.  Of course, this being 2020, the sky will probably be overcast obscuring this celestial event. But rather than be pessimistic, I will indulge in some optimism, some hope, that we will be able to see what has been dubbed "The Christmas Star" - even though Christmas isn't until the 25th and Jesus was likely born in March.  Still, it's the thought that counts, right?  Advent is all about hopeful anticipation, and we're coming to its glorious conclusion. I choose to welcome Christ with an open heart.  What about you?  Will you join me?  Will you look heavenward, confident that, clouds or no clouds, Our Lord is coming to be with us?

I honestly don't know whether referring to "girl power" is, as they now say, "problematic."  I use it with reference to today's Scripture readings with only the greatest of respect.  The stories of Scripture are as much about women as they are men.  Consider Hannah, mother of Samuel, and Mary, mother of Jesus, who were two strong, empowered women whose faith guided their lives, example and morals shaped their sons, and witness that inspired the faithful for generations.  As we approach Christmas, let us remember these two women who have done so much to shape the faith through their commitment, grit, and love.

  This morning I checked the temperature, and it was -11 degree.  Yes, eleven below 0.  That's cold, very cold. It's days like this that I'm especially grateful for shelter.  We all take a roof over our heads for granted.  But not everyone is so fortunate and as we are reminded at this time of year, the Holy Family, including the Baby Jesus, were homeless. We should give thanks for a place to be on a cold winter's night and work for a world in which all are similarly blessed.

I've had two experiences in the last 24 hours that exemplified grace, which is the unwarranted, unexpected gifts we receive from God. The first was the surprise that somebody, I still do not know who, plowed our driveway.  For those of you not who do not live in the Upper Valley, we received two feet of snow.  Somebody spared me hours of shoveling. The other was that the person ahead of me in the drive-through line, identity unknown, at Dunkin' Donuts paid for my order this morning. My response was one of gratitude and, frankly, surprise.  This is what grace is like and these acts were a wonderful Advent gift. In the coming days we will celebrate Christmas and the greatest act of grace of all time: the blessing of Jesus.  For this, we should all say thanks and express our gratitude, and perhaps do things that will seem like acts of grace to others.

  Well, the big snow is here, falling fast and piling up.  It's just like snows of past years -- with one big ex ception: no snow days.  School is in session, thanks to remote learning.  This is another thing that we can comment on with the hoary words: "Back when I was a kid ..." Change is always with us, sometimes it's welcome , sometimes not.  But with all that is shifting around us, with all the dizzying disruptions in our lives, this remains true: God is with us and God is coming to us.  In just one week we will celebrate Christmas Eve together, remotely.  But we will be together and God, Immanuel, will be right there by our sides. Enjoy the snow today, if you can.  Be safe if you have to drive.  And make the most of these last days of Advent!

We're supposedly going to have our first big snowstorm of the winter.  Of course, we thought that a couple of weeks ago, and rather than six inches of powder, we got a lot of rain.  Still, it always makes sense to prepare.  So, we hear alerts on the radio, see foreboding images on our smartphones, and make sure that rock salt and shovels are deployed.  For the moment, though, we wait.  We can see something on the horizon and so we are mentally prepared. Something else is on the horizon: Christmas.  This time of Advent is when we can sense its impending arrival.  We don't know exactly what will happen, but we know it's big, frankly much bigger than a snowstorm.  Let's use these final days of preparation to ready ourselves for the arrival of the Christ-child - he's just over the horizon and he's coming!

I had planned on writing and sending this to all of you at 8:30 this morning.  That obviously did not happen, as one thing led to another.  I'm not complaining - it's been a productive day and it's not yet over.  And waiting until now afforded me the opportunity to participate in my weekly sermon preparation group and reflect on what I learned - and how it might be applicable to my devotional writing. Each week we discuss the readings in the Revised Common Lectionary, which is the cycle of readings we follow at our church.  That in itself is kind of neat as this discussion group originates at a parish of the Church of England.  Right there, we see the striving for the universality of the Christian faith put into practice.  This morning, one of the facilitators noted of the Epistle reading that there was a lot there in its three short verses but it wasn't the right passage for this coming Sunday, just before Christmas.  He thought the proper preaching text

This morning I had this sudden realization that Christmas is almost here.  With it came a brief twinge of panic.  Now, it's not as if I've been ignoring Christmas.  I've known all along when it was going to happen.  And I've even tried to live into Advent.  But there was that sudden frisson of time running out that I couldn't shake.  Services to prepare, meetings to attend, other things that need to be by a date certain.  So, what to do? One option is to procrastinate.  As my first boss used to say, "There's nothing you can do today that won't wait until tomorrow." Another option would be to run around in a frenzy. And then there's the Advent option.  Take a moment to pray, to sit with God, to get ready and then attack the work that needs to be done.  Christmas is coming!  But not for a week and a half ...

  I recently saw a meme on Facebook that had been reposted by someone I know.  No cats, no gags using a picture of that dashing rum pitchman whose name I don't recall.  Instead, it said that back when people had H1N1 flu, if they felt sick, they stayed home, and nobody had to wear a mask, and wondered why we can't just do that again?  Aside from the willful ignorance comparing the two, the fantasy that one would somehow just "know" they were infected with the coronavirus, was the blatant selfishness that underlay the whole message. There's this weird notion abroad in the land that my liberty means nobody can expect me to do anything for anyone else, that freedom means I won't be inconvenienced in any way.  These ideas have nothing to do with any reasonable way of thinking.  John Donne, the great English poet and cleric, penned the immortal words, "No man is an island."  He is lifting up a very Christian idea, that we are interconnected,

Saturday has long been a day to rest.  Rooted in the Jewish tradition of a sabbath on the seventh day of the week, we have long seen the need for a day to catch up, take a break, relax.  For most of history, this was aspirational.  The day off in the Christian world was Sunday, the Christian sabbath.  But society ultimately came to appreciate the need for a weekend, and while this is not universally observed, even here in the United States, it's something worth recognizing and appreciating. We in the church should acknowledge this as a holy thing.  We take a break each week not because of fair labor legislation but because God took one and ordained that we should, too.  So, if you kick back and put up your feet today, remember that what you are doing is sacred and treat that time appropriately.

  Witness When we hear the word 'witness' we most likely think of someone who has seen something, perhaps a crime being committed.  The witness is in all likelihood a passive observer.  That's true as far as it goes - but the meaning of this word can go so much further.  Think of John the Baptist. We will meet this austere figure once again this Sunday and what stands out about him is that he testifies to the one who is coming.  He witnesses to the pending arrival of Christ.  Here, being a witness doesn't so much involve seeing something but telling others about something that has happened, or will happen. Will you witness to what God has done, is doing, and will do in your life and in the world? It's something to pray on and think about during this Advent season.

Does the title seem random?  I hope not.  As Christians, we are called to give thanks to God unceasingly.  While there may be times when we have nothing to give thanks for, I would be got to differ.  Just think of this season of the church year - Advent - and who we are awaiting: the baby Jesus.  The Christchild, it goes without saying, is definitely worthy of our gratitude.  So take a moment for thanksgiving today!

I just found myself staring at a blank screen, unsure of what to write today.  This has happened to me in the past.  Have you had a similar experience?  Are there times when you aren't sure what to say, or to write, or to do, or to pray?  With prayer we at least know God will pay attention, even if we're feeling inarticulate or unsure of how we should pray.  If we pay attention in those moments, we may see our sense of being lost is an illusion and something like the writing of today's message unfolds.  Before we know it, we have a prayer, or a devotional.  God does indeed work in mysterious ways.

If any word describes this year, I think it might be "weird".  Seeing people on Zoom, talking to people while wearing a mask, worrying about spreading or catching the virus has upended our routines.  Yet all the while some things stay the same - including Advent.  We still expect Baby Jesus to "arrive" on the evening of December 24, no matter what it is going on.  That reminder of God's ever-present faithfulness will help us get through this weird season and through all the times that follow.

I'm off to a later than usual start today, but it's not because I've been loafing.  Really, This morning I went to drop off a few things at the Listen store on the Miracle Mile.  When I got there, there was a line of cars, which I joined.  Eventually, it was my turn to make a donation.  The staff were helpful as always and took my things away. Now, I'm grateful we have the Listen store here in the Upper Valley.  No-longer-needed items get a second life with somebody else.  But what does it say about our region that we can support a huge thrift store?  Something is not right here.  I think that this may be a situation where we need to look to the personal and the societal.  We should all be ready to give away that which we don't need, to make somebody else's day brighter and easier.  We should all give thanks for organizations like Listen.  But we should not be content with the status quo.  We should want, and work, for a world where everybody is p

Nevermind? My first instinct this morning was to say "nevermind".  We in the Upper Valley were spared the heap of snow that fell on other parts of New England.  A dusting, a little ice and that was it for the Nor'easter in my part of the world.  But the news reported heavy snow in other parts of the region and some 200,000 people without power at one point. So nevermind the nevermind.  During Advent we prepare for Jesus' coming.  But as the Gospel tells us we know not the time or hour when he will return.  So we keep alert and make ready, for God may come anywhere. With a winter storm, we make community-wide or regional preparations, not just plans for our individual homes because we can't know everything.  Now, we also prepare for Jesus birth and Christ's coming, acknowledging our own finitude and grateful for God's grace.  

We're supposed to be hit by a Nor'easter this afternoon and tonight.  Some 10" of snow could fall but past experience suggests that total may vary.  Still, I ran around this morning bringing things inside and running errands so I don't have to be outside when the nasty weather arrives.  All of this, of course, is very much in the spirit of Advent.  We may not know exactly what is going to happen when Jesus arrives but we know it will be a big deal -- so, we get ready. Enjoy the snow, stay warm, and be prepared - a big storm is coming and so is the Christ-child!

Who or what do you pray for?  How do you pray?  When do you pray?  To whom do you pray? That last question may seem a bit surprising, since we will all probably say "God".  But we often live our lives as if our ultimate trust is placed not in the Almighty but someone or something else.  I don't know that this is all that unusual - we're all fallible humans, after all. Advent is a good time to take a step back, to refocus our attention, and our energies on the One who made us, who loves us, and who came to us in Jesus.  I invite you to join me in thinking and praying about this in the days ahead.

Charitably put, things are a mess right now.  I'll let you assemble a list of all that's wrong in the world right now.  We'll probably cite some of the same things and differ on others.  But during this season of Advent, we shouldn't focus so much on the past as on what comes next, particularly the question of "now what?" Now what are we going to do to draw closer to God? Now what are we going to do grow deeper in faith? Now what are we going to do to make God's world a better place? Not to minimize our problems, but we have more agency to clean up the mess we're in than we might at first see.  This season, leading up to Christmas, is a great time to fix things, or to at least make them less difficult. So let's get to work.  Jesus is coming!

Do you have a discipline that you follow in your life?  Perhaps you follow a diet or go for a walk every day.  Maybe you read or knit.  Disciplines take work, but they also can have big payoffs.  Now let's focus on our faith.  Do we have religious disciplines?  Do we pray, or read the Bible, or serve others intentionally, each day?  Advent is a good time to take up or to renew or to redouble a discipline.  For what we do in faith will bring us closer to God.  And that will help to prepare us for the arrival of the Christ-child later this month.

We often hear about how we should be leaders, in both secular and religious settings.  But if everybody leads, who will follow?  And what does this mean for our relationship with Jesus?  Should we be leading Jesus and expect him to follow us?  Of course not.  Sometimes, we need to follow. Figuring out when we should lead and when we should follow is the work of discernment.  We pray, we listen, and hopefully, we are open to the promptings of the holy spirit.  During Advent, let's remember the Star of Bethlehem - the one the magi followed to the stable and the Christ-child, to hope, and grace, and peace.