Advent 4 Love
“The Good News of Love”
REFLECTION ADVENT IV: LOVE
Christmas Eve Day Gilford December 24 23 and The Annunciation of Gabriel to the Virgin Mary
Luke 1:26-38 for Churchill and Gilford United Churches
Krista Moore Introduction to the Scriptures:
Mary wasn’t expecting it.
She was too young – betrothed but not yet married.
She was a poor, young girl living in Nazareth.
No one would believe her.
People don’t expect a miracle.
We don’t expect the unexpected.
It may shock or even terrify us. (if we choose not to believe it.) The Good News is like that.
SERMON
What is the Good News? Does anyone remember?
I had to think about this myself,
as I was scrambling around getting ready for Christmas.
Has anyone else gotten lost in the scramble?
– shopping, cooking, cleaning, or baking?...
It is very easy to forget what all the fuss is about.
I had a moment, where I came home with bags in my arms and felt empty and drained.
I knew that I had done a wrong thing.
I had tried too hard to buy Christmas!
and nothing in there mattered.
Not a single thing.
I felt forlorn.
It took me awhile to regain myself and step away from the physical objects and be restored.
I spent some time alone.
I heard Jesus say to me, “You are loved. I am with you.” And I felt it, I felt consoled, like Christmas was not ruined by my silly efforts. Jesus was still there – my reason for it all.
STORY – WHEN I WAS A KID – MY COUSIN AND HER MOM
When I was a kid Christmas used to be about SANTA. The excitement of gifts, but also the magic of a sleigh flying through the air and trying to spot him at night…
My cousin and I once thought we saw Santa, and ran to the window, it was cold and dark out there and the moon was bright. We were having a sleepover at Christmas, and as little kids do, we didn’t sleep much. We laughed and giggled all night.
Our joy was in the togetherness, the mayhem of laughter, and trying to catch Santa in the act. And of course, Christmas morning, and all that wrapping paper.
We were fortunate. We got most of our Christmas wishes.
STORY: DEATH OF MY AUNT
Until one Christmas a few years later, it was the week before Christmas, and my cousin’s mom, my aunt, suddenly died. She was only 33, leaving my cousin who was 7.
It was devastating.
We couldn’t imagine what had just happened.
I remember Christmas day, receiving a present my aunt had already purchased and wrapped for us. It was a flag memory game, and my brother and I played it trying to guess where the matching flag was…
But my aunt was gone… it was so strange.
It didn’t feel like Christmas at all.
CHRISTMAS FOR US: MIXED, SHOCK, LOSS
Christmas can be like that too, sometimes things happen that shock or surprise us. We aren’t expecting them.
We can have positive memories, and ones that shock, disappoint, or sadden us.
Maybe we have lost a loved one or couldn’t be with loved ones at Christmas.
Or had financial difficulties and
couldn’t have the glorious Christmas advertised on TV.
Or Maybe we’re alone
or stressed out
or not feeling as well as we wish.
But the Good News still comes, whether we are ready for it or not… but what is the Good News?
It doesn’t come from how perfectly our house is cleaned, or how well our turkey is cooked,
or how much money we spent on gifts.
It comes from above, to comfort or console us,
or cause us to celebrate…
or even change our lives in some unexpected way.
Giving us a feeling of LOVE and meaning or purpose we can’t get from this world.
We can’t buy Christmas.
Christmas comes to us, it’s a gift from God.
It comes like a knock on our internal door – the angel speaking to us saying,
“Pay attention – here is the Good News you’ve been waiting for.”
SCRIPTURE: MARY’S SACRIFICE – THE GOOD NEWS
Mary was terrified at first, very troubled. She was engaged to a
man she had not yet lived with; she was still living with her parents.
What would he think? What would her family think? Would anyone believe her? Would she be outcast?
But Mary was humble. She accepted it, willingly.
The angel Gabriel said she is greatly favoured by God, that this child will be a great blessing. The One promised to all the earth.
This is Good News.
The Good News can be shocking or terrifying
because it forces us out of our comfort zones
to see what is IMPORTANT.
LOVE IS IMPORTANT.
PEOPLE ARE IMPORTANT.
YOU ARE IMPORTANT.
The GOOD NEWS is not a gift that comes in ribbons and bows.
You can’t lay it under a tree.
But you can lay it in a manger.
There were no Christmas presents, just a living human being, a divine spark of God come down to earth to give hope to the poor, the unfortunate, those who mourn, those who were lost, … and all people seeking God’s love in unexpected ways.
STORY: WHEN WE GROW UP
The Good News is easy to forget when we get busy…
I know I forgot. I swore to myself this year would be different. I’m a minister after all. Ministers are supposed to be pious and perfect, right?
We never get upset, forget to do a load of laundry, clean our house to perfection, or buy the perfect gift for everyone.
And finish the sermon on time!
But I got lost in the Christmas shuffle.
DOING Christmas (like excessive shopping, worrying about how much we spent on people, or how much other people will spend on us, what we will eat, are the beds ready??)
– VERSUS –
BEING open to the true gift of Christmas:
LOVING BEING together, remembering why we gather. The reason for the season.
God’s LOVE which came unexpectedly as a baby to a young woman who found herself expecting God’s child.
Christmas comes upon us and disrupts our routines and expectations. It demands that we pay attention to the right things.
STORY: DAUGHTER AND FRIEND
For example, my daughter showed up on Friday, and my friend Elizabeth on Saturday. (She had driven all night).
Did I fly around trying to make everything perfect?
Of course I did!
Did I succeed?
Not so much, but it was pretty good.
The truth is, once I saw their faces and embraced them, and spent time with them, it made all the other STUFF go away. Getting the house ready, the gifts.
They appreciated my efforts but didn’t need it.
We just wanted to be together and share LOVE and laughter.
We laughed about all the stress we cause ourselves trying to make Christmas perfect – and making ourselves miserable in the process. We laughed and laughed!
I felt the joy like I did when I was a kid with my cousin – that little child who felt the spark of Christmas.
And that spark comes when we spend time together away from the shopping malls, sharing the Good News of LOVE, amidst the messiness of life.
Like right now, being together here in worship, sharing the Christmas story and songs, remembering the Good News of Christ.
LESSON:
What if we all stop and remember why we’re here?
And realize the angel was speaking to us, too, reminding us:
“Favoured one, I have a great gift for you.”
What if we SLOW DOWN and take it all in and listen to the story and remember – no matter what is happening – good or bad, happy, or sad…
Jesus was born for us, to save us and show us God’s LOVE,
so that we could LOVE each other more and more.
Jesus was not born into a perfect world. He came to lift us and LOVE us, to shock us out of our miserable ways.
MARY: OUR RESPONSE
I’m sure Mary had her moments of overwhelm, too.
She had no time to prepare for the big announcement.
She didn’t take the Good News perfectly.
She probably had to SIT down after the angel left.
She was greatly troubled at first, confused.
But later, she realized how great it was, and sang the Song of Mary, the Magnificat, praising God.
Maybe Christmas isn’t always what we expect either.
Sometimes we have to sit down and take it all in…
realize what we are here for.
Or Who is here with us…
What REALLY MATTERS.
CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS
Like in the Charlie Brown Christmas story – Charlie Brown was trying to make Christmas perfect, and he didn’t even know what Christmas was all about;
He got this little stupid tree and Lucy yelled at him, “you blockhead!”
Charlie Brown thought he had ruined Christmas.
But Linus stepped in and told Charlie Brown what Christmas is all about. And he stepped into the spotlight and said:
“10 For, behold, I bring you glad tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
Charlie Brown finally realized what Christmas is all about. And everyone gathered around him and they worked together to decorate the tree. And EVERYONE realized the true meaning of Christmas: LOVE.
CLOSING
Today my Christmas is very different than when I was a kid. I am not playing to my heart’s content,
waiting for the magic of Santa to come over the rooftop or stealing all the cookies (well I still do that!)
or peaking at the freshly wrapped toys.
I’m not watching the adults for signs of surprises to come. I’m waiting expectantly for something quite different. For God to shake me awake and stop me from overdoing.
For the adult in me to step back – and the little child to step in and expect miracles again.
For the Good News to come, to each soul, and to our world. For people to receive what they’ve been praying for.
To hear Jesus telling us everything is going to be alright. That we don’t have to do everything perfectly.
We don’t have to do more or buy more.
We already know the perfect give to give is LOVE.
MEDITATION
Let us take a moment to receive the Good News,
to make room for Christ and hear his messages of love… You can close your eyes if you feel comfortable,
or just listen and meditate on these words….
JESUS:
I will honour you.
I am with you.
You are my beloved child in whom I am well pleased. You are the apple of my eye.
You are a gift to me and all
Let go your petty thoughts
Your fears and anxieties
I have loved you so long…
I am giving you all you need..
Take me.
Take me in.
And feel my presence.
I will lift you high above the mayhem And you will be as I am
You will be the Love
Your friends need
The love that will heal all wounds
Think of me
I was born for you.
I am the gift you need.
The perfect gift of love.
Amen.