Celebrating a Christ-centered Christmas
2003 Advent Series
“A Prophetless Christmas”
Luke 2:1-7
December 21, 2003
Purpose: Christmas is the celebration of the Good News that God loves us and has acted on that love. It is God’s supreme attempt to communicate with his creation through this amazing act of love.
Introduction – sing “Nuttin’ For Christmas” (Roy Bennett & Sid Tepper, © 1955 Intersong Music)
(have congregation join in on “somebody snitched on me” and the chorus)
*****
I broke my back on Johnny’s head; somebody snitched on me. I hid a frog in sister’s bed; somebody snitched on me. I spilled some ink on Mommy’s rug, I made Tommy eat a bug. Bought some gum with a penny slug; somebody snitched on me. Oh…
I’m getting nuttin’ for Christmas. Mommy and Daddy are mad. I’m getting nuttin’ for Christmas.
‘Cause I ain’t been nuttin’ but bad.
I won’t be seeing Santa Claus; somebody snitched on me. He won’t come visit me because; somebody snitched on me. Next year I’ll be going straight, next year I’ll be good, just wait. I’d start now, but it’s too late; somebody snitched on me. Oh…
I’m getting nuttin’ for Christmas. Mommy and Daddy are mad. I’m getting nuttin’ for Christmas.
‘Cause I ain’t been nuttin’ but bad.
*****
For some, this is the theme song of their Christmas season. In it we find the theology of Santa Claus, the practice commercialism, and the system of rewards instead of giving that this holiday is all about. But it doesn’t make it any less fun to sing!
Michael Martin from the Christian Century tells of a friend who is fed up with this type of Christmas-thinking…
“Scrooge was right! Christmas is humbug!” shouted a friend of mine. “I can’t stand this commercialize excuse for a religious holiday.” He growled with a grinch-like grimace that I fear at any moment he would rush down to Santa’s village in the nearest shopping center, push his way through the line of mothers with their sticky little children, accost Santa Claus, rip the fake beard right off his face and, holding it high in the air, shout at the terrified children, “He’s a fake! A shill for merchants exploiting Christmas!”
In retaliation, no doubt, the mothers would hold him down, while their enraged preschoolers stoned him with half-eaten lollipops and candy canes. As the paramedics carry his candy-coated body away, he would be heard to mutter, “There is no profit in being a Christmas prophet.”
I believe that this is how some Christians feel about Christmas. Can anyone see yourself doing it? Just as there are those so wrapped up into the Santa Claus thing, I think that they’re are as many Christians fed up with it! In short, we need a prophet.
What questions would this prophet ask? Well...
What if most of what people knew of Christmas was what they heard in Santa songs and in what people who want our money will do for us in order to get it?
Worst of all, what if all they knew about the Christmas celebration is how we, as Christians, followers of this little babe in the manger, actually live it out?
What would happen if we all became prophets and told the whole word through our thoughts, words, and deeds that Christmas is the celebration of the Good News. It’s the celebration that God loves us and has acted on that love. It is God’s supreme attempt to communicate with his creation that, because of His Son, born to Mary and Joseph in Bethlehem, the world has been changed.
Isn’t that the prophetic proclamation found in Luke 2?
I. The text – Luke 2:1-7
In our text this morning, I am always amazed that the calm nature of Mary. Now, granted I will never be pregnant, but even if I could, I cannot begin to imagine riding a donkey from Nazareth to Bethlehem only to find that the only place available to rest, the only place for me to have this child, was in a barn. Talk about simple living.
But in all the Christmas texts, we never see Mary upset. She is never anxious. She doesn’t complain. As Joseph moves from inn to inn, house to house, trying to find a place, we never see Mary throwing a hissy-fit because Joseph didn’t bother to call ahead.
Our Bibles tell us that once Jesus was born, Mary “pondered all these things in her heart.” In many ways, I see her as our first Christmas prophet.
Instead of being wrapped up by the events surrounding her, instead of being fed up with it all, Mary sang a spiritual song, which I am sure, calmed the nerves of many present. She knew of the blessing that was occurring. She was not poor in Spirit, but rich in Spirit. She’s a great prophet...
Michele T. Huey wrote a poem that was recently featured in the Chicken Soul Daily Serving email I receive. It’s entitled “I’m Not Poor At All”
Dear Lord, I’m feeling down today, The bills are stacked up high; With Christmas just two weeks away, our bank account’s run dry.
The kids have all presented lists of things they want to see; I hope and pray there’s nothing missed beneath our Christmas tree.
But I don’t have the money for expensive clothes and toys; My credit card can’t take much more, Lord, where is my Christmas joy?
Perhaps it’s wrapped up in that hug my daughter gave this morn; Or stacked with wood my son did lug to keep us nice and warm.
Perhaps it’s in my oldest’s eyes when he comes home on break, And sees I’ve baked those pumpkin pies he wanted me to make.
Perhaps it’s in the tired lines around my husband’s eyes. Perhaps in love that’s grown with time, I’ve found the greater prize.
A friend who gives a hearty smile, and cupboards that aren’t bare; And, even if they aren’t in style, I have some clothes to wear.
A family who believes in me, in all things great and small; Dear God, I think I finally see, I am not that poor at all!
For Mary, she knew that she was not poor, but blessed. Even in the midst of what had to be horrendous circumstances, she became a prophet for the world, as she played the crucial part in bringing God’s gift of love to a people who needed it.
II. God’s gift of love
And isn’t that really what Christmas is supposed to be about. Sometimes instead of celebrating the love of God brought to us in the form of a human child, we become wrapped up in just about everything else.
Quoting again from Martin…
What we see happening around us in November and December of each year could alternately be described as the “Celebration of Santa Christ,” “the Sweet Baby Syndrome,” or possibly the “Mercantile Messiah Motif.” There are problems with all three.
The Santa Christ, is, of course, the jolly god-like being, who lives far, far away but not so far as too not know whether we’ve been good or bad, and rewards us accordingly.
The Sweet Baby Syndrome celebrates the lovable infant in his crib, smiling and cooing. He’s comfortable to us because he doesn’t make any demands on anyone. He just lies there and looks sweet. Most of the year he just sits in the closet with the rest of the Nativity scene stuff, and every year when we bring him out, we say “oh, how cute.”
But worst yet, is the Mercantile Messiah message. While it proclaims that Christmas is all about giving, what it actually proclaims is “let us sell you something that you can give to somebody else, otherwise, you are not in the good Christmas-giving spirit.”
Each year these three come and go, but everything seems to remain the same.
This morning, instead of living through another Christmas that doesn’t change anything, that doesn’t reveal anything about God, or make any demands leaving you with that “humbug” feeling inside…I hope that this Christmas will made made more meaningful to you when you hear these prophetic words.
God does not care how bad you’ve been, or how many times someone snitched on you, you will get something this Christmas.
God does not care how many presents are or are not under tree, everyone will get a gift this Christmas.
God is not a god that lives at the North Pole, he is not just some Nativity scene ornament, nor he is at Walmart, Target, or Meijers offering us a bunch of stuff at a low, low price, so we can buy more gifts and relieve our consciounces
…My God, our God, wants to give us something far beyond what any merchant can offer.
Even though he knew, that his Son would live the life of a poor man and not that of the king he deserved…
Even though he knew, that his Son would eventually be brutally beaten and hung on that cross in agony...
Even though he knew, that his Son would have to suffer death for three days before coming out of that tomb, ultimately defeating death itself…
God loved us so much. That he decided it was necessary to share His Son with us anyway.
In a way, Christmas is God’s supreme attempt to communicate with his creation through this amazing act of sending his Son to save humankind.
Bill Gaither’s song “Redeeming Love.” shares this setiment...
"From God’s heaven to a manger, from great riches to the poor,
Came the holy Son of God, a little Child:
From the azure halls of heaven, to a lowly manger stall,
Jesus came, and here He gave His life for all.
Redeeming love, a love that knows no limit. Redeeming love, a love that never dies. My soul shall sing throughout the endless ages, the adoration of this great love on high."
Let’s be the prophets this Christmas that tell that world that, more than the commercialism and the Santa Claus hype, Christmas is about the fact that God loves us and that he has acted on that love by sharing his Son with us.
I haven’t been perfect...we haven’t been perfect...but we’re still getting something for Christmas...
Praise be to God!
Closing Prayer
Will you join me in prayer?
Heavenly Father,
As we try to keep your Son at the center of our Christmas experience, we’re finding it difficult. Sitting in our living rooms, watching our televisions, we see everyone competing for our attention, even to the point of making us feel guilty if we don’t act in the way they say we should.
This year, O Lord, help us to be prophets in another prophetless Christmas. Help us to share the gift of your Son as we marvel at the tremendous love. Help us to be like Mary…to ponder all of these things in our hearts…and then help us to act on what we find there.
We realize that Christmas is the celebration of the Good News that you do love us, and that you have acted on that love. Help us to share that love with others.
In the name of Christ we pray…Amen.
#238 – Angels We Have Heard on High
Benediction
As we leave this place,
May our Christmas be one of faith,
May our Christmas be one of hope,
But most importantly, may our Christmas share God’s love,
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, this is our prayer. Amen.
Note: If for any reason you did not find this sermon helpful, please let me know by contacting me at gb@clergy.net. Your input will help me personally and my congregation as I learn professionally.
