The Mainline Minister

In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. All went to their own towns to be registered. 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. He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. 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. In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news o...

I'm listening to the live broadcast of the King's Chapel service of Nine Lessons and Carols; in Cambridgeshire, it's already Christmas Eve.  The weather here in the Upper Valley is unusually warm.  Here it feels like it's already springtime.  So while my clock and calendar tell me it's still morning time on December 24 Christmas Eve Day, my senses and experiences are telling me otherwise.  Time seems to be in flux.  And on this of all days, that is apt.  On this day, we celebrate the moment when God enters into our world, defying all of our expectations; overturning all of our preconceptions; restoring, renewing, redeeming creation.  This is the hour when God scrambles everything, all in the name of God's love for us. What time is it? What a silly question. It's God's time.

This is it: the last full day of Advent.  How are you spending your time?  If you're like me, you're heading off in multiple directions, trying to get any number of things done before Christmas.  That's fine.  I guess.  But in the midst of all of this last minute busyness, it's important, no, I think it's our vocation as Christians to take a moment to just stop.  And do nothing.  That's right.  Nothing.  Just sit there.  Let the silence, the stillness approach, then envelop you.  Let it shape you, if only for a moment.  Catch your breath.  Then say a prayer.  Do this, and you'll receive the last full measure of Advent, something that doesn't require us to commit all of our time, just all of our being.

Winter's here!  So what if it's going to be 60 degrees on Christmas Eve?  My calendar tells me that this is the first full day of winter and that's that.  Wintertime, after all, is not just a manifestation of meteorological conditions, it's also a state of mind. Wintertime as a mood can be depressing.  We can feel burdened by ice, snow, and unrelenting cold.  But it can also be freeing.  The time to hunker down, to cocoon, can be an opportunity to rest, to reflect, to be quiet and still.  We should take the chance when it arrives because before we know it, wintertime will give way to spring, bringing new life, new activity, new demands.  So, too, Christmas will arrive soon.  Soon but not yet.  Take these last moments of Advent to prepare, to pray, to get ready. It's wintertime.  Thanks be to God!

Tonight is the longest night of the year.  For most of us, that just means more darkness -- and the knowledge that nights will grow shorter from here on out.  But for some of our neighbors, this is the night in which they are homeless in the dark the longest.  As Advent comes to a close and we ready ourselves to hear the story of a baby born in a manger because there was no room at the inn, let us not forget all those in this day, in our community, for whom there is no room at the inn - those without jobs, those without homes, those without hope, those without prospects.  Let us remember these brothers and sisters, and let us commit ourselves to helping them find places they can call their own.

Later in church this morning we'll read Mary's song of praise, the Magnificat.  Can you think of something that has caused you to want to shout out how awesome and amazing you believe God to be?  This day, take a moment to reflect on such a thing: it could be a person, an event, an experience, and idea.  Then, give thanks to God, offering up your own Magnifcat.

Today I ran the clock for Chip's basketball game.  Though I dutifully followed the action on the court and listened carefully for the referee's whistles, it occurred to me that I could stop the clock.  Anytime I wanted.  I.  Controlled. Time. If only. Just imagine what I could get done at this time of year if I could stop time.  More time to prepare for worship.  More time to shop for gifts.  More time to socialize.  More time to slow down.  It would be grand and glorious! But that's not the way the world works.  I cannot stop the clock.  The minutes will pass by, the hours march on relentlessly.  I do not control time. Of course, the time we know is not the only time there is.  There's also God's time.  And if I am not in control of our human clocks, I am most definitely in charge of God's clock.  Yes, the calendar tells me that Christmas Eve will arrive on the 24th of December.  But no human-m...