CHRISTMAS AT 50% OFF

                 

On Christmas morning, I went with friends to Mass at a nearby Roman Catholic Church.  In his homily, the priest noted that  "tomorrow Christmas will be 50% off and likely by Friday, it will be 90% off."  He went on to predict that

soon we will be seeing Valentine cards and candy. 

As a commentary on our commercialization of the season, he was spot on.  (And lest this seem self-righteous  carping, I acknowledge that I found a couple of sweaters at a 'bargain' yesterday ,December 26.)  A widespread

awareness of the Christmas Season has little resonance in our Western culture. "The Twelve Days of Christmas" is a catchy tune (played interminably pre-December 25) but the liturgical observance is a religious relic.

Whether one's understanding of 'religious' Christmas (separate from 'cultural' Christmas) is that of an historical narrative or as 'Parabolic Overture' (to use Marcus Borg's phrase), it seems to me that  fair questions become "What comes next?" or "What difference does it make?" And, news reports of violence yesterday in shopping malls across the United States can add to the erosion of 'joy to the world'.

CHRISTMAS, then, is counter-cultural. Rather than railing against the "Christmas at 50%", there remains that which the late Rev. Dr. Howard Thurman called The Work of Christmas : 

When the song of the angels is stilled,

When the star in the sky is gone,

When the kings and princes are home,

When the shepherds are back with their flocks,

The work of Christmas begins:

To find the lost,

To heal the broken,

To feed the hungry,

To release the prisoner,

To rebuild the nation,

To bring peace among people,

To make music in the heart.

Satchel

WHEN CHRISTMAS COMES ON SUNDAY

     O.K., it's not a Biblical era manger; but there is a story here.

     As you likely know, Christmas is on Sunday this year.  That confluence occurred twice when I was a parish minister.  Both times I heard something like, "Preacher, Christmas is on Sunday this year. Are we going to have church? [If that phrase sounds foreign, it translates "have worship service".]  And, each year, we did indeed 'have church'.  The first time was in 1988  and I have scant memory of that one.  The service of 1994 in another parish still resonates.  It happened this way:

    I was 'Senior Minister' . . . alright, 'only minister' . . . of a three-church United Methodist parish in central North Carolina.  Throughout the year, each congregation had a Sunday morning worship service - - - one place at 9, another at 10, and the third at 11, on an annual rotation.  The churches were several miles apart so my inter-church travels were often 'fast'.  Our tradition of 11 p.m. Christmas Eve joint service had been established and always filled the largest sanctuary among the three. 

   While some Christian denominations have a Christmas Day worship service regardless of the day of the week, that had not been our tradition.  Well ahead of December 25th, I announced that we would have a joint Sunday morning service at another of the churches at 10 o'clock. I do not remember whether I announced that we would also observe the Eucharist but that became the plan early on.  

    Avoiding gimmickry (always antithetical to worship services), the service was designed to incorporate all five senses.  We sang many of the traditional hymns and I preached a brief homily whose title and content are long forgotten.  It was  the Eucharist that remains memorable.  After consecration of the elements, the chalice and paten were placed in the cradle much like the one pictured above.  As each communicant approached the elements, it was necessary to lean or bow to reach the  bread and cup.  Several persons later noted the theological appropriateness of the gesture.  At a slight distance, an offering plate was set.  Ahead of the liturgy, I clearly indicated that this was not to "pay" for the gift  received; rather, a response.  The offering was made to a single Benevolence rather than be divided
among individual church budgets.

     That same service could have occurred on any day of the week.  But I remain convinced that its being on Sunday made its symbolism and significance even stronger. 

    Satchel