Saturday, December 29, 2012

Bringing in the New Year

The end of one period of 365 or 366 days and the start of another is a time for looking back and for looking forward. The looking back has its own therapeutic value, considering the good, positive, and beneficial moments and giving thoughtful meditation on those moments that would be considered negative.  The looking forward and the resolution process has fewer benefits, especially when any "goal" setting is limited to the "goal" with no consideration given to the "means" to achieve that goal.

So why does this day of the year get more attention than any other day?  Does the increase of a single integer hold such influential power? The biblical perspective would challenge this social practice. Matthew 6:34 records the word of Jesus saying, "do not be anxious for tomorrow, for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." (NASB)  Is it possible that the current focus on the past and on the future is an attempt to forget about today?

I have heard Kingdom living described as living each day fully in the present.  The failure of individual believers to live in the present culture where God has placed him or her prevents the Kingdom from influencing their culture.  Perhaps the best New Year's Resolution should be focused on living today within the kingdom and allowing tomorrow to care for itself.  This is not a denial of goals coupled with means, but it is an affirmation of living fully in the present with the God of yesterday, today, and tomorrow.

For a modern philosopher's take on the new year see:
http://www.arcamax.com/thefunnies/pickles/s-1249770

Monday, December 24, 2012

Luke's Christmas Story

During the time following John’s birth these things took place.  The emperor of Rome, Augustus, declared that all the inhabitants of the empire should be counted.  This was the first census that occurred while Quirinius was ruling the province of Syria.  Now all the inhabitants went forth to be counted, each one going to his own city.  Joseph, departing the town of Nazareth in Galilee, went up to Judea to the town of Bethlehem, the city of David, because he was from the household and lineage of David, and he took with him Mary, who had been promised to him as a wife, who was now pregnant.
         While they were there in Bethlehem her time came and she gave birth to her first-born son, and she wrapped him in cloths and laid him down in a feeding crib because there was no room in the place of lodging for them.
         In the same region there were shepherds outside of town guarding their sheep during the night watch.  An angel of the Lord stood over them and the glory of the Lord illuminated them and they were tremendously scared.  Then the angel said:
“Do not be scared! See! I am proclaiming to you a tremendous joy which will be joy for all people: A Savior has been born today in the city of David, the Lord’s anointed, the Messiah!  This is how you will know, you will find a newborn wrapped in cloths and lying in a feeding crib.”
Suddenly, a heavenly army appeared with the angel praising God while saying:
         “Glory be to God in the highest places
         Peace be to those whom God favors on earth.”
As the angels departed from them into heaven, the shepherds were talking among themselves:
“Let us go quickly as far as Bethlehem and let us see the word of the event that the Lord made known to us.”
Going with all haste they looked for it, even Mary and Joseph, but especially the newborn lying in the feeding crib. Upon seeing this they made known the message spoken to them concerning this infant.  Everyone hearing these words was amazed at the reports by the shepherds.  But Mary treasured all these words, pondering them in her heart.  Then the shepherds returned glorifying and praising God for everything they heard and saw, because it was just like they had been told.

Stan Harstine Translation

Monday, December 10, 2012

Expecting Advent to Reshape our Thinking

During the Advent Season, many church attendees are confronted with the idea that Christmas is more than a single day holiday celebration: like Independence Day, Memorial Day, and Labor Day  to name a few, and more than an extended buffet of shopping excursions into the commercial establishments screaming, "stuff, stuff, stuff your home with our stuff".  Instead these attendants to Christian Church worship services are encouraged to anticipate, to actually expect the coming of the Christ Mass, the celebration of incarnation. Thus in one fashion or another a local congregation accentuates the regularly scheduled worship with something more, the Advent reading and Advent candle lighting.

The most popular quad-diurnal theme focuses on Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love.  However, the website faithandworship.com provides an additional fourteen possible combinations. I remember vaguely from my childhood three from a fourplex of Prophets, Angels, and Shepherds. The churchofengland.org website states that the Four Last Things, Death, Judgment, Heaven, and Hell are traditional themes. What to make of the variety?  That is the real questions.

Does the celebration of advent and the selected themes speak to our human condition? Does the selection from the CoE speak about the focus of our celebration differently from the selection of Hope-Love?  I would say that the choice does speak about our human condition, but even more it speaks about our human focus.

Take for example the popular Hope-Love advent topics.  Are these something we possess already or something we look to receive at this time of year?  Is our focus on receiving from God?  Then shift to those from my memory, Prophets-Shepherds.  These represent those who proclaimed the coming of the messiah.  Does our selection reflect an emphasis on proclamation?

Symbolism is powerful. It not only reflects our thinking, it in turn shapes our thinking.  Be careful what you wish for, you may actually receive the same!