Child of Hope - Luke 2:22-40

Sermon Preached, December 31st, 2017
Covenant Presbyterian Church
Fifth Sunday Worship
Simeon's and Anna's Pronouncement in the Temple heard again for each child among us. 

What Does God Want For Christmas?

Sunday, December 13, 2015 - Luke 3:7-18

WHAT DOES GOD WANT FOR CHRISTMAS?

   Adapted from a Sermon by the Rev. Dr. Robert A. Chesnut

                             for Commerce Presbyterian Church

                                 

Slide: Title

Do you think Christmas is more for children or for adults?

I think Christmas for children is wonderful.

I think it’s great for adults to relive that magical experience through children. The sugar plum fairies, letters to Santa, and the Christmas Eve anticipations -Twas the night before Christmas--can reawaken our sense of imagination and delight.

Christmas for adults, however, is another matter.

I hope there are not small children in the room, because my sermon may not seem very Christmasy :)

I don’t know about any of you, but as Trasie is my witness, I have a hard time getting into the Christmas spirit.

I relate more to four characters who tend to emerge this time of year...

Slide: What do they have in common--Grinch, Darius Rucker, Charlie Brown, John the Baptist?

In their own way all four challenge what seems to be the modern day way we observe Christmas.

Dr. Seuss’ reviled character, the Grinch,

But, really was actually onto something. He may have seen the early signs of what Christmas was becoming … people are headed in a direction of hyper consumerism, which misses the spirit of Christmas--so he tried to steal Christmas in order to preserve Christmas…

And he’s still at it.  The AJC reported he was arrested  in Moultre yesterday!

The Christmas Story

Wheaton College certainly shaped my life as a Christian in many ways during the three years I attended there from the age of 19 to 21.  In some aspects, I have had to undo some of my learnings, but for the most part, it helped with a character formation of which I am proud.

Wheaton sent alumni this creative Christmas greeting.  I like the idea and hope to do something similar one day. Maybe with my session!

Merry Christmas!
Peace has come into the world.
Peace be with you

Christmas Eve Highlights 2009!

Last night's Christmas eve service left me with lots to be thankful for and was very meaningful.
Highlights to remember (in chonological order):
-My parents, wife and I playing Barbara Medina's (a 70+ year-old spring chicken) Wii until 1 pm that day then having to frantically try to get everything done before the service, including having my chickens checked on by hermano Cruz, getting the parking lot cleaned of snow
-Chris Graeser supplying not only his 3 year old son Theodore, but also his 12 year old nephew to fill in as shepherds since we are so short on boys.  The nephew said my favorite line of the drama: "Let us go now even unto bethleham to see this thing which has come to pass which the Lord has made known to us." (but not in King James, and he missed it just a bit).  Chris almost stole the show with his ad-lib commentary on Theodore protesting his role as shepherd: "One of the shepherds didn't get his nap."  Which was followed by Theodore saying a few moments later: "I don't want to go see Jesus... I don't want to go see Jesus"
- Libby Naranjo played an excellent Grandma.
- Maya, Megan, and Isabel were wonderful grandchildren, really had their parts down well.
-Ruby, in her first pageant ever, also was in a star role, playing one of the younger grandchildren at the feet of grandmother Libby; about half way through the scene, she saw her daddy "back stage" and she "exited the stage" by crawling to me.
- Michael and Keri Brinegar on cello and violin.
- Milee unintentionally blowing her candle out (her only light) while reading her line during the advent wreath lighting before she was able to read the last word she was to read ("Child").  Another reminder not to necessarily give a relatively serious role to her, these things just kind of happen :).
- No one able to light the advent wreath candle with the candles they were carrying....
- Andrew Black celebrating communion with Charles Georgia and me.
- A packed house
- Avery Marsh song: "tell the story" and "Mary Mary"
- Farolitos by Ytuartes
- Seeing Harold and his kids
- During the benediction when all the lights were down and everyone had their candles lit, I said: "Light has shined in the darkness" and one of the women who had turned off the lights thought that was her cue to turn the lights back on, killing a very tranquil and surreal moment.  I said, calmly, "Oh, don't turn the lights back on yet please." as I smiled, then said: "No one can ever accuse us of being an organized religion." to which everyone laughed.
- Play on Light and Darkness with lighting, but it was hard to pull this off in our church...
- My folks there

WHAT DOES GOD WANT FOR CHRISTMAS?

                                   A Sermon by the Rev. Dr. Robert A. Chesnut

                                         Westminster Presbyterian Church

                                                  Santa Fe, New Mexico

                                                     December 13, 2009

  

A question for the congregation: Do you think Christmas is more for children or for adults?

I think Christmas for children is wonderful. And I think it’s great for adults to relive that magical experience through children. We stodgy grownups sometimes forget or repress the child within us and Christmas can help us welcome that child back into our lives. The sugar plum ferries and the Christmas Eve anticipations can reawaken our sense of imagination and delight.

Christmas for adults, however, is another matter—maybe a kind of Christmas we’d really rather avoid. What do I mean? Well, the lessons assigned in the church’s lectionary for the Advent season to not give us very Christmasy stuff when you consider it.

Here’s John the Baptist—not much sugarcoating with that fellow. But John is front and center in the Advent readings for two Sundays. He’s a rough and ready guy who minces no words. I imagine he wouldn’t be very welcome at any of our Christmas parties or celebrations—probably not even in most churches. You surely well never find John in any Christmas display windows at Lord and Taylors or Macys. What a contrast between Santa Claus and John the Baptist.

Another question for you: What does John the Baptist have to do with this season anyway? Why do you think this quite difficult fellow has such a prominent role in our Advent readings?

When there is no money what kind of gift would you give?

I met with a man my age this evening.  He has had two days work in the last two weeks.  He lives in a trailer with his young wife and two twin girls 4 months old. He's behind on his rent.  Were it not for WIC and food stamps he's sure he'd be out robbing or he'd have already "put a bullet in his head."

His wife wants a Christmas tree.  "We don't have money," he told her and me.  I had just paid $40 for a tree Trasie carried home on her car right before I went to his place.

I could tell he wanted to be able to get her something.  I could tell that he wanted to have a tree.
"Maybe you could make her something...maybe write a poem?"
"I don't know how to write in English." (We were speaking in spanish and his wife doesn't know Spanish).
"Do you draw?" I was really taking a leap in the dark.
"Yeah, I can draw." And he began to tell me about his style of drawing, like the kinds of drawing designs seen on a number of tatoos.
I think he liked the idea of drawing...we even talked about him drawing a tree...with presents underniegth.  "If I had money, this would be the present you would be opening dear...these would be the presents for our kids."

Our church, through Trasie's work, is buying gift certificates and presents for several families with young kids who are in a similar situation. It's called Christmas angels.  Unfortunately, we don't really know the families we are buying for, but Trasie and her co-workers do.  And now I do. I don't know if this man's family will be the recipient of any of our gifts, but I'm sure the families we are getting gifts for are in similar dire straights. 

I don't like the pressure our consumerist materialistic society places on families and individuals this time of year.  As I was talking with this guy, we reflected on the life of his great-grandparents, whom he had mentioned earlier in our conversation.  I wondered what kinds of gifts they exchanged (he reminded me that gifts in Mexico are exchanged on the 6th of January, not Dec 25).  I also thought about the Spanish speaking church, Iglesia Betesda, which uses the church building for worship and other activities.  At first I thought a strict interpretation of the Bible informed them not to celebrate Christmas; but after talking with this man and hearing of his plight, I wondered if it was to ease any anxiety members of their congregation may be having around this time of year in a similar financial situation as this man's family.  Their practice is even powerfully counter-cultural and stands up to the powers that would tell us to buy buy buy during this time of year (and always). 

What would happen if we who can buy too said no?
What would we do if we had no money with which to buy gifts? How would our faith inform our actions...how would our socio-economic situation inform our understanding of the bible and Christmas?