I am not really sure I like Christmas. I enjoy it, yes, well to a degree. But I am not really sure I like it.
I came to that conclusion as I was trying to get some enthusiasm for worship planning this afternoon. Or maybe it isn't Christ-mass I dislike as much as Christmas You know Christmas and all that it entails. Many years I look around and wonder what is the point? What is spiritually edifying about all this stuff going on in December. Where is what I want to talk about? It isn't about arguing over a Virgin birth, or how many shepherd there were, or what the angel did or didn't say. It isn't about how cute the pageant is, or what carols we have to sing on Christmas Eve. It isn't even really about the story for me. Christmas is in the primal stuff. Life beginning, light in the darkness, hope in the face of nothingness. God breaking into our lives in new and unexpected ways. But so seldom do we get to talk about that.
Then again, it could just be that I am so terribly tired...
You may be overtired. Think about how busy your last few weeks have been...just by reading your blog I can see that you've been on the move and BUSY!
ReplyDeleteTake an extra day off this week. Tell your M&P committee that I said you could. If they don't like it, they can come to town and take on a spunky little red (quickly morphing into grey) head!!
Also, talk about it. That's a sermon waiting to be preached. If it comes as a shock to the hearers, well, so be it.
ReplyDeleteActrually Sue, if we could get the girls to stay asleep that would help with the overtired bit. Well taht and if I remember to do silly things like eat properly (my bad).
ReplyDeleteBut my slight malaise about Christmas isn't new this year. So I think there is something else. Maybe my Advent 4 Sermon will morph into an exploration of waht Christmas does and doesn't mean (and why I'm not sure I like it)
I'm glad you're talkin' about it, Gord. Struggles shared are often struggles halved...
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure whose wise blog I read it on, but I agree with it - so often, I struggle with Christmas because I have lost sight of the wonder, the amazement, the absolute insanity of an Infinite God in a tiny, finite baby. I've always loved the title of Max Lucado's God Came Near - coming to really, really understand Emmanuel as God, fully present and with us in the next crib over.
And I think it's good to consider the sermon as a place to wrestle with your feelings. After all, you might find that more of your congregation identifies with you than you think...
It may be that Christmas is in actuality a pagan-esque holiday, centered on idolizing and worshipping the symbol of baby Jesus.
ReplyDelete