121202 Rekindle Christmas

Remember that song, The Twelve Days of Christmas? When that song was penned, would anyone have guessed that by 2012, the Twelve Days would have grown to twelve weeks? It seems to me that every year, Advent has begun earlier. Nothing has changed in the liturgical calendar that has guided the Church and its faithful for generations. The season of anticipation which once donned our lives for four weeks has stretched now to more like twelve. It used to be that we would think little of Christmas until after Thanksgiving. Now, as we all know, Christmas for Wal-Mart, Costco, and most of retail begins in early October (even late September in some corners of the stores), long before Halloween. Our culture has stretched – tripled – our season of anticipation.

Can we get too much of a good thing? Christmas is certainly a favorite holiday for many people, so is it so bad to have more than less Christmas in our lives? I think so. I think Christmas can get overwhelming. What is meant to be a season of joy and giving can becoming over stimulating. The pressure to give more and more and more and more drains our resources. I think we can actually get a little burned out on Christmas – I love holiday food, but twelve weeks of it would get old. How is your passion for Christmas this year? A robust flame, or a diminishing flicker?

How our culture approaches Christmas bleeds into our spiritual life, too. I think that all the commercial noise makes it harder to really spend time reflecting on what this season is all about. It’s not just about buying stuff – our desire to celebrate in this season means TV schedules are packed with favorite movies that I don’t want to miss, and a plethora of Christmas Season festivities can easily crowd our calendar. Maybe we all suffer from Advent-induced ADHD?

This is a problem because there are some deep things to think about at Christmas. Big questions that go unattended because we don’t have time. Left on their own, the questions churn away in our consciousness. As we grow in our intellectual capacity, we naturally wonder about the credibility of the Christmas story itself. Nobody of any academic merit denies that Jesus was an historical person. But conceived by the Holy Spirit to a virgin teenager? A journey to Bethlehem for a census that doesn’t make sense? A host of angels singing to some half-asleep shepherds? Wise men from a distant land following a star that marks the spot where Jesus was born? Herod killing innocent toddlers to protect his throne? These credibility questions beg to be addressed. The meaning of the story regardless of historicity longs to be the subject of deep dialogue. But to do so requires time and attention, which are both in short supply this time of year. Instead of being a season aflame with beauty and mystery and awe and joy and reverence, it can be reduced to just a flicker of faith, filled with doubt and disconnect.

It is kind of like booking a trip to hike Yosemite's Half Dome without thinking of the implications. You just show up in your Converse All Stars and get moving. At some point, you are bound to wonder if you really though it through. Even though you had your heart set on peering over the cliff, you realize that this hike is going to require more time and thought. Christmas is like that. We just jump into it unprepared, and we miss some of the beauty because we wear down sooner than we thought we would.

As we come within view of Christmas, how bright is your faith’s flame?

A word of hope for Christmas skeptics… If you find yourself struggling to get on board with Christmas theologically, it may be challenging for you to connect with God during this season when so much attention is given to the in-question birth narratives. Go ahead and doubt. You are in good company. The historical accuracy of the birth narratives have been debated by God-loving, academic-oriented Jesus fans for a long time. One of the most revered and published biblical scholars of our time, N.T. Wright, is open to the possibility of the birth narratives happening as Matthew and Luke portray. But, he writes, if the first two chapters of Matthew and the first two of Luke had never existed, I do not suppose that my own Christian faith, or that of my church to which I belong, would have been very different (The Meaning of Jesus, by N.T. Wright and Marcus Borg, p. 164). If one of the most respected scholars has serious questions, then you can, too. At the same time, however, realize that these question need not impact your flame’s strength.

I think focusing on the historical part too much can be as blinding and deafening as doubting it all. We miss some themes that the writers wanted us to see when we don't step back and take a look at the bigger picture.

The Christmas Stories are replete with beauty, symbol, and meat for any stage of a spiritual seeker’s journey. We don’t have to have all the answers to appreciate the depths of the story or apply its principles. As we move forward in this series, I think you might find yourself thoroughly impressed with the message Matthew and Luke worked hard to share. I think your appreciation for Jesus will increase if you listen carefully to what they have experienced and feel compelled to share.

Christmas can be overwhelming theologically. Our flame can be reduced to a flicker.

Is there a way to rekindle Christmas? Yes, there is. But it won't happen quickly. To get to the heights we have to use tools that are available to use. We have to pace ourselves, too, realizing that we are talking about more than a 30-minutes cardio walk. We are talking about a trek that is unbelievably challenging yet profoundly inspiring.

How will we choose to approach Advent this year? Will we simply let it pass by? Or will we choose to ask ourselves if there might be more to discover here? Will we slow down enough to breathe? Will we quiet ourselves long enough to ask the writers what their intent was when they put their stories together?

This truly is where discovery begins: when we choose to admit that there is more to see, and are willing to take the time to look. Let's rekindle Christmas together over the next few weeks.

Homework: read Luke's first and second chapter in preparation for next Sunday.