First Presbyterian Church of Alabaster (Cumberland)
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NOV 8 2005 Let the celebration begin! PDF Print E-mail
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Thursday, 17 November 2005
Wow! It’s hard to believe it’s November already. As this is written, we are only 53 days away from welcoming 2006. Perhaps, more importantly, and certainly more pressing, we only have 46 shopping days until Christmas morning dawns. And, in a couple of weeks or so many of our people will be scattering here and there or gathering into their homes here in our communities for Thanksgiving. This time of year is a wonderful time. Busy as it is or as we make it – November and December are wonderful times.
     The life of the church will express this wonder in many celebrations. Here’s a few: Thanksgiving dinner this Sunday at 6:00 PM, the Hanging of the Greens on November 27th at 5:30 PM, the Christmas Cantata on December 11th at ???, the Christmas Dinner on December 21st at 7:00 PM, the Christmas Eve Candlelight Service on the 24th at ????, and finally, we will gather for worship on Christmas morning. That’s a busy schedule. And, you add in all the trips and parties and get -  togethers that will be planned in neighborhoods and work – well, there’s no getting around the fact that by the end of the month of December all of us will be looking for a little down time.
     I like all the busyness. Especially, the busyness at the church. I think it helps keep us focused on the center of the celebration, which we usually describe in rather plain, simple terms: the birth of baby Jesus. Indeed, that’s true. But, sometimes I wonder if we sell our celebration short by using those terms. Birth is so commonplace. It happens everyday. The word doesn’t shock us or cause great suspense to well up in us. Now, in hospitals there are birthing suites and entire wings devoted only to babies and mommas and daddies. Tracy and I have experienced those settings, and they are nice. The moms and dads are more relaxed, more assured of their surroundings, and if there isn’t any complications with the birth – well, everything is so neat and calm and prepared that, with the exception of the immediate family – it’s just another birth. Routine. Expected.
     The church could fall captive to that lack of drama, too. Especially, if at Christmas time the only words we use to describe what is going on is the birth of a baby, Jesus. The church has a word for what God is doing. We don’t use it all that much. It’s a formal sounding word. A thinking word. It is incarnation. Not just a birth, but an offering of the Divine God in the form of human life so that the grace, mercy, hope, and love of God would be seen and understood. All of our celebrations of this Christmas season are guided by that wonderful, gracious act of God. Yes, the birth of a baby. But, much more. Much more. The Word became flesh. And lived among us. And taught us. And changed us. Never, ever to be the same again. Only God could do that! Only God!
     Charles Wesley penned these words, and we will sing them this Christmas season, “ Veiled in flesh the God head see!/ Hail the Incarnate Deity!/ Pleased as Man with man to dwell,/ Jesus, our Immanuel./ Hark! The Herald Angels sing/ Glory to the new - born King!. ” The word is incarnation. And, the gift is God. Among us. Within us. Let the celebration begin!

     Grace and peace
Last Updated ( Thursday, 17 November 2005 )
 
 
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