Noise, noise, noise, NOISE!

The Holy Gospel According to St. Luke, the 2nd Chapter

In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. All went to their own towns to be registered. Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors!” When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.” 

So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

In my family I’m known at this time of year as Scroogy McGrinchypants.  You may call me either Pastor Scroogy or Father McGrinchypants!  Another priest recently asked why I didn’t get excited for Christmas?  Ironically, I think it’s one of the things that drove the original Grinch over the edge as well.  It’s the noise… the noise, noise, noise, NOISE!  Now, the original Grinch’s reaction was admittedly, pretty harsh… stealing all their wandanglers and who-whoolers and not leaving even one can of Who Hash, but I think, in his own, twisted, green and grinchy way, the Grinch can teach us something important about Christmas that is often lost.  

Take a look again at the original Christmas story we just read from Luke’s Gospel.  The first part has Joseph and Mary traveling from Nazareth to Bethlehem.  It’s not a parade with giant inflatables, marching bands and singing sensations sponsored by Macy’s.  It’s Joseph, Mary, their unborn child and I’ll even throw in a donkey if you want.  But that's it!  The point is, it’s quiet.  No lights, bands or music and their journey happens at the exact opposite of a manic pace, and yet, God is present.  God is with them in the quiet, as they walk, every step of the way.  

Then the time comes and Mary delivers her baby in a barn.  No bright lights, doctors or nurses.  No Facebook announcements or fireworks.  I’m guessing there was some noise when Mary gave birth and I’m sure Joseph got blamed, because whatever guy is in the room always gets blamed whether they had anything to do with it or not!  But largely it was quiet, small and intimate…and yet, God was with them… right there in the quiet, through every breath and push, every step of the way.  

The Shepherds hear of the birth of Jesus, out in the quiet of the pastures of the countryside.  At first it’s only a single angel giving them the news in the quiet of the night.  It’s dark and quiet and intimate and personal and yet, God was present with them through it all.  They go and visit the Holy Family in the quiet of the noiseless night, free from the sounds of motors and traffic and the rest of the world’s noise and they tell them what they have seen and heard, not with a crazy display of manic excess and wildness, but in wonder and mystery and awe and yet, God is present in that as well.  

Now, I’ll give you that sandwiched in between all that calm, quiet, small and intimate, there was a moment where the multitude of the Heavenly Host sang “Glory to God in the Highest” and that was clearly a “pull out all the stops” moment with lights, music, the Heavenly Host band and all the rest.  But when you look at the whole story.  The Heavenly Host are the exception, not the rule.  They are one course in a many course meal, one chapter in a story that is mostly small, quiet and intimate.   

So much of Christmas in our world has become all Heavenly Host all the time…  everything turned up to eleven, with all the stops pulled out and every light blazing away continually since Halloween!  That becomes the only way God comes to us and turned up to eleven is the only way to be in the Christmas spirit.  It’s true, God is present in the lights and the sounds and in the breaking into the world with the Heavenly Host in tow.  But I think the Grinch unintentionally helped the Who’s recapture a larger truth… that when Christmas is ONLY lights, parades, and life lived at a frenetic pace we miss something important about the way God comes to us.  

God does come with the heavens breaking open and with the singing of a heavenly host… but God also comes quietly in Joseph’s dreams and along a slow and winding road as that little family travels from one little town to the next.  God comes in a field in the quiet countryside and in the birth of a child in a hotel barn and to all of us, even now, in the quiet words “the Body of Christ, given for you” at the Eucharist.  

God does come to us with trumpet sounds and choirs of Heavenly Host, but God also comes to us in a still small voice bringing an inextinguishable light into the quiet, dark places of our regular, everyday lives as well.  It’s a part of how God comes to us that I think is worth remembering.  We do give a nod to that truth now and again and tonight we’ll do that as we extinguish the lights and sing Silent Night by candle light.  But even here we’ll quickly turn the lights back on and belt out Joy to the World!  

The message of Christmas is that God is with us.  God is with us in the times of our lives that are wild, bright, frantic and filled with noise, noise, noise, NOISE!  But the message of Christmas is that God is ALSO with us in the quiet, the dark, the still and the small as well.  God is with us… holding us in an infinite love that will never be broken, in the noise and in the quiet... In every moment of our lives.  So in amongst the noise, noise, noise, NOISE of this Christmas, take a moment today and maybe even take a moment every day of this coming year to simply be still and know that God is with you, loving you beyond measure… always.  Amen.