A Whole Christmas

Luke 2:1-14

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!”

Christmas for me includes a Swedish Julbord... a Christmas table with Köttbullar, potatismos, gravlax, three kinds of herring, salads, limpa bread… the works! Christmas as it should be! Christmas as it has always been! Well… except for the part of it that’s not like it’s always been. You see, my Swedish mom grew up with a Julbord which included lutefisk. Lutefisk is salt cod rehydrated with a lye solution in a giant, smelly tub in the basement. After that, the water is changed over and over and over for several more days until the lye is gone. In the end you’re left with a jellied, jiggling, mostly flavorless mass to be boiled and served with a white sauce. When my mom makes a Julbord, it NEVER includes lutefisk because, to quote my Swedish mom, in her native language... “It’s nasty!”

Christmas is rightly about tradition! Mine includes a Julbord. Yours might have a feast of seven fishes or maybe tamales or stollen or pierogis! Whatever beloved traditions you have from the past SHOULD continue! If Christmas Eve means hearing and remembering the Christmas Gospel story once again, that should continue!  If it means a candlelit worship with carols and a choir in a little stone church in Sheffield, who am I to say that’s wrong!? In my opinion, you’d be hard pressed to get it much more right!

So those traditions (minus the lutefisk) ARE important. They ARE good. They are, I would say, even HOLY! They are exactly one amazingly beautiful HALF of a WHOLE Christmas. Now, don’t get me wrong. They aren’t the “wrong” half by any means! They are one wonderful, priceless, beautiful half and I’m not giving up my herring, candlelight, or little stone Sheffield church for anything and you shouldn’t give up your traditions either! But as good and priceless and holy as that half is… it’s still only HALF of a WHOLE Christmas and the last thing I want for you tonight, is for you to leave here this evening with only HALF a Christmas!

That first half of Christmas lovingly turns our heads to see the past. In that direction we see the Christ child born in a manger… the shepherds out in their fields and the hosts of heaven singing! That half helps us look back and see again God’s gift of unconditional love and inclusion given in the person of Jesus 2000 years ago to all of creation. That half sings the carols, hangs the stockings, and helps us see that our own family members, long since gone, are still standing behind us from throughout the ages, reminding us always that we are each the product of a love passed down through countless generations. Looking back is the first beautiful, precious and holy half of Christmas.

Just as that first half of Christmas gently and lovingly turns us to look to the past to see all that God has done, the other half of Christmas just as lovingly turns our heads so we might look to the future and see hope for the days to come. When we are turned in the direction of what is to come, Christmas helps us to see that the same loving God who was there in Bethlehem, is still present with us now and will be into the days to come as well. This other half of Christmas shows us that God continues to shine light into the dark places of our lives. This other half of Christmas allows us to see, even though the world says it’s impossible, that God is even now bringing each of us the gift of JOY! The kind of joy that comes with “enough”… enough to eat, enough shelter, enough dignity, enough justice, enough purpose and enough meaning for our lives and for all people. In this other half of Christmas we begin to hear the new song that God has written for each of us.  A song we can sing into the darkness... a song with the power to give hope to the hopeless! In this half of Christmas we see that God is not only back then, but here now… pulling for us and pulling ON us with a strong and unflinching love… nudging, coaxing, and maybe sometimes, even being a little bit tricksy with us, in order to keep us walking and growing toward the new creation God knows each of us are meant be!

My wish for you this Christmas Eve is for a WHOLE Christmas! A Christmas that includes  the beauty of the past where we hear again the ancient story of Emmanuel… God with us and enjoy the foods and traditions passed down in love by our families. And also a Christmas  that allows you to see a path toward abundant life reaching out into the future… a path of REALLY LIVING life and not just trudging through it day after day. A path of light, not darkness. A path of kindness, not greed. A path of compassion, generosity and love… not a path of fear, anger or hate. A path of hope and not worry. A path of community, lifting one another up, not tearing one another down.  A path for all people.  A path with every step lit with the love of God. My wish for you this Christmas Eve is that you might embrace a WHOLE Christmas this year, and live into the love, hope and fullness of that Christmas light all year long.  Amen.