Sermon Title: Present at Christmas

Luke 1:46-55

46And Mary said:

“My soul glorifies the Lord
47and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
48for he has been mindful
of the humble state of his servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed,
49for the Mighty One has done great thingsfor me—
holy is his name.
50His mercy extends to those who fear him,
from generation to generation.
51He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;
he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
52He has brought down rulers from their thrones
but has lifted up the humble.
53He has filled the hungry with good things
but has sent the rich away empty.
54He has helped his servant Israel,
remembering to be merciful
55to Abraham and his descendantsforever,
just as he promised our ancestors.”

Luke 2:8-14

8And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.9An angelof the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.10But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid.I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.11Today in the town of David a Saviorhas been born to you; he is the Messiah,the Lord.12This will be a signto you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

13Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

14“Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peaceto those on whom his favor rests.”

Our kids, Billy and Elijah, have birthday's that are very close together. Billy's birthday is November 21st and Elijah's is November 16th.
Because of this, Brittany and I thought it would be brilliant to have a combined birthday party for them. We had 40 people over to celebrate our special little guys. Over all, it went well, the kids had a blast and the parents survived! While the whole experience was bedlam perhaps one of the most difficult times was unwrapping gifts. I thought it would be nice if the boys would take turns opening presents. In my mind's eye it was beautiful. The boy's would open a gift. With a glimmer in their eye, they would look at the gift giver they would say "O thank, ever so much, for this gift!" You know, at ages 2 and 4. That's realistic, right?
It didn't quite go that way, it was utter chaos. One of the things that made it that way was, maybe on the third gift Elijah opened, he desperately wanted to play with it. Talk about cruel and unusual punishment for a 2 year old. Show him this epic Paw Patrol toy then say, it's yours, but you can't play with right now! He kept on saying, "No present, Paw Patrol!" Upon reflecting on this, I think we can all learn from Elijah Daniel. You see, I was worried about how long people had been patiently waiting through this madness and how much longer it would take. On the other hand Elijah was not worried about the past, how long people were waiting, or the future, how much longer it might take. Instead, he was fully engaged in the present moment. Particularly during the Christmas season, how often do we miss out on present joy and fullness because of worrying about measuring up to the past and anxiety over how we are going to handle the future.
This morning we are continuing our Advent series entitled "The Redemption of Scrooge." In this series we are considering the four ghosts that visit Ebenezer Scrooge in the Charles Dickens classic "A Christmas Carol." We started by exploring how the ghost of Ebenezer's old partner, Marley, prepared the way for the others and how we can prepare our hearts for the coming of the Christ child. Last week we considered the ghost of Christmas past. It's light reminded us of Christ, the light of the world, redeeming our past, enabling our present to make sense, so our future can be secure. We are continuing this week with the ghost of Christmas present. This ghost is larger than life and when Ebenezer first meets him, the ghost is surrounded by a warm fire, delicious food, and beautiful decorations. This is because this ghost represents abundance, warmth, and joy.
As we prepare to embrace the Christ Child in celebrating Christmas, how can we embrace the present reality of abundant life in Christ? In our hearts, minds and actions, how can we be present at Christmas? To answer this question we are going to consider three other questions. Where are our hearts? Where are our heads? Finally, where are our hands? When our hearts, heads, and hands are present to Christ, by the power of the Holy Spirit, we can embrace the abundant life that the ghost of Christmas present represents.
Who or what has our hearts? Do our hearts ache over past regrets or are they anxious over future worries?
Scrooge's heart was hardened by the past and future. He was haunted by his old partner, literally and figuratively. Rather than engaging in relationship with Bob Cratchet, his clerk, he kept on mulling over the past. In terms of the future, all he worried about was gaining more and more money. C.S. Lewis warns us about giving our hearts to the past or future in his book entitled "The Screw Tape Letters." These are fictional letters that a senior demon, Uncle Screwtape, writes to his junior demon nephew, Wormwood. They are full of satire, and wisdom. In one, Screwtape is encouraging Wormwood to distract the man he is tempting from the present. Distract him using past regrets and future anxieties.
Uncle Screwtape explains why focusing on the present is so damaging in their temptation of humans by writing this "(God), destines them (meaning humans) to eternity. He therefore, I believe, wants them to attend chiefly to two things, to eternity itself, and to that point of time, which they call the Present. For the Present is the point at which time touches eternity. Of the present moment, and of it only, humans have an experience analogous to the experience which [God] has of reality as a whole; in it alone freedom and actuality are offered them. He would therefore have them continually concerned either with eternity or with the Present--either meditating on their eternal union with, or separation from, Himself, or else obeying the present voice of conscience, bearing the present cross, receiving the present grace, giving thanks for the present pleasure.” God wants us to be attentive to the present correction, encouragement, grace, and life transforming love He gives us and to the people He is placed in our lives.
Where are our hearts? Are they with the people God has placed right in front of us, or stuck in the past, or overwhelmed by the future?
To get an idea of who God's heart is present to let's consider our second reading out of Luke this morning. When God made His grand entrance into our world, who did He present Himself to first? Was it the local royalty? The religious leaders? How about the wealthiest and most influential people? On all accounts the answer is no! He appeared to poor, despised, homeless, shepherds! In fact the first time Luke tells us that the 'glory of the Lord' surrounded anyone, it was the shepherds being surrounded! Not Zachariah, a priest, not to Elizabeth, a righteous woman, not even to Mary, a righteous woman and the mother of our Lord. In this we can see that God has a special heart for the poor.
This is why Mary, in her song, says, "God lifts up the lowly and He fills the hungry with good things and sends the rich away empty." When we read things like this it may be a little confusing. In makes sense that God fills the hungry with good things, but does it mean that He loves the rich less because He sends them away hungry? Centrally, God loves all people equally, right? I was puzzling about this, how we might understand it, what it means for us, and I realized something. Brittany and I have two boys, we love them both, deeply and equally. However, when one of them is sick, injured, or in any other kind of distress, our hearts go out to that child in a special way. We want to hold him, comfort him, and help him. In the same way, God loves all people equally. His heart goes out to those who are poor, hurting, and lost in a special way. He wants to hold them, comfort them, and help them. How does He accomplish this, you may ask? He accomplishes it by warming His followers hearts, making their hearts as His heart. We can experience God's presence when our hearts are present to the poor, down trodden, hurting, and lonely!
As our hearts change, what we think about changes as well. To be present at Christmas our hearts need to be transformed and our heads focused on the present time and place.
While the ghost of Christmas present is a hearty, larger than life, figure, at the beginning he ages very quickly. In a short time, he is aged, and becomes feeble. This helps to remind us that the present moment is fleeting, and needs to be embraced wisely. As the ghost ages, Scrooge notices two children under his robe. The ghost tells him that they are ignorance and want, and if he ignores them it spells out doom! Indeed, so often we have a blind spot to where we are ignorant to other's suffering, and our minds are distracted from those who are in want. The world is going on around us, and we just miss it.
The classic example is two people on a date, out to eat, and they spend all their time, not gazing into each other's eyes, but down at their phones! There are real flesh and blood people right in front of us, and God wants to be present to them! Consider the shepherds in our reading out of Luke. They did not complain to the angels about the oppressive rule of the Romans, the evil King Herod, or the gross social injustices they were suffering, instead they were responsive to the angels' message. I want to be very clear here, this does not mean that God does not care about, and call us to change, unjust situations in people's lives. However, He does not call us to spin our wheels about things we cannot control! Particularly in this day and age, we can pull up the most horrific news in the world on our phones.
As many of you know, I 'like' and share things on Facebook not infrequently, sometimes I regret it! However, let us not fool ourselves into thinking that sharing some derisive quote about people we disagree with is somehow is helping people. Of course, we should be informed about what is going on in the world. However, if we spin our wheels, and allow ourselves to be distracted by things we cannot control, we will not be present to the commands, and people God has placed right in front of us! To have our minds present to God, and the people He have placed in our lives, we need to take the serenity prayer more seriously. It says "God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, Courage to change the things I can, and the Wisdom to know the difference." If God is calling us to be a part of injustice being made right, great! However, we cannot allow our consumption of news media to prevent us from being present to the people right in front of us!
As we take the serenity prayer more seriously, our minds will focus on our sphere of influence, what we can actually change, and God will call our hands to act on it! To be present at Christmas, and all other times of the year, to God moving our hearts and minds, it must lead to action.
Who here has seen Monty Python's "Life of Bryan?" It is set in first century Palestine and Bryan joins a group trying to get rid of the Romans. They are having a committee meeting when Bryan is arrested and sentenced to execution. In the meeting, they had just decided that making eloquent speeches, and passing resolutions is doing them no good. They have to get up and act! Right when they decide that, Judith, another member of the group comes in and says, "The Romans have arrested Bryan, they are going to execute him!" To which the leader bravely responds, "Right, this calls for imitate discussion!" Judith says, "You don't get it! It's happening right now! We just have to get up and save him!" The committee says, "Yeah, let's make a whole new motion!" Judith gets frustrated and just storms out.
In order for us to be present to God's will, and the people God has placed in our lives, we need to realize that it is happening right now! Christmas is when we celebrate God coming down to this hurting and broken world in Christ. By the power of the Holy Spirit He continues to come down through us! So what is the next action God is calling us to? What does He want us to do so others may feel His presence in the present moment? Next week, for example, we will have a great opportunity. We are inviting the families from the giving tree in for a Pot Luck lunch right after church. Instead of impersonally giving them stuff, we want to be present with them, enjoy some food, and have Christ be present to them this Christmas through our presence!
So this Christmas season and beyond, Whether it is a zoo of a Birthday party for our kids, or a pot luck after church, let's be present to God's will and those He calls us to love. Present with our hearts engaged, not anxious about the future or dwelling on the past. Present with our heads, focused on what and who is right in front of us, not distracted with things and people we cannot reach. Finally, let's be present with our hands. Not waiting, but participating in the abundant life God has for us. The abundant life of God's love coming down to earth!
Let us pray: Lord help us be present to the wisdom and power of the Holy Spirit so this lost, broken and hurting world can experience Your love through our hearts, heads, and hands. Amen.
Receive this blessing and benediction: Let us go forth open to the Holy Spirit transforming our hearts, heads, and hands into instruments of Christ's presence, healing and wholeness!