Pastor Karen Crawford
Tina Johnson, Newsletter Editor
You Shall Go, You Shall Speak, Do Not Be Afraid
Meditation on Jeremiah 1: 4–10.
Pastor Karen Crawford
Jan. 30, 2022
Link to livestream: https://fb.watch/aSLH3d68wO/
Link to bulletin:
So, I finally figured out Ohio weather. It only took me 3 years!
In the summer, it’s Florida. In the winter, it’s Minnesota.
Aren’t you glad I served churches in Florida and Minnesota before coming here? God was preparing me for Coshocton!
Today is Jim’s last day as interim at Northminster Presbyterian Church in N. Canton. He has been there a year. He has served as an interim for a number of congregations since I was ordained and installed in Minnesota in 2011.
What do you know of Jim’s call story? His parents nurtured his Presbyterian faith since he was born. They were charter members of Eastchester Presbyterian, which started as a little storefront church next to a bar in the Bronx. This is what it looks like today.
And Jim’s parents weren’t just the kind of people who showed up on Sunday morning. His father was the superintendent of the Sunday school, among other things. Jim and his sister, Mary, always knew that they would be in church and Sunday school every Sunday, no matter how tired they might be from whatever they were doing on Saturday with their friends.
Jim’s parents chose to send him to Missouri Synod Lutheran schools beginning in 4th grade. This must have been a sacrifice for them! They were Irish immigrants; his Dad drove a bakery truck and his mom cleaned offices at night. They lived in a rented apartment. They didn’t own a car. But they were willing to pay for a religious education.
Jim has served in a variety of vocations—not just parish ministry, which he did right out of seminary, but also 25 years in healthcare administration. During that time, he stayed active in church, serving in adult Christian education and preaching occasionally, attending worship, as his parents had modeled for him.
Then one day, when Jim was in his 50s, he was asked by his pastor, “Why don’t you come back to the parish? Serve as a pastor, again.” This was the Rev. Dr. Dick Sheffield of Market Street Presbyterian Church in Lima, Ohio. Dick kept on asking him. When the associate position opened at his church, Dick urged him to apply for the position.
When I met Jim around 2004, he had come to York, PA, to be the pastor, head of staff, of Eastminster Presbyterian Church.
One person spoke into his life—and then other voices confirmed it.
But the call originated with the Lord, who not only claimed Jim in his baptism, but had plans for him since before he was born.
Jim didn’t hear an audible voice like the Old Testament prophets. Nevertheless, the Lord was calling him to follow in the way he should go. The call required a faithful response.
God was saying, slide “You shall go. You shall speak. Do not be afraid.”
***
Just how young Jeremiah was when he heard the Lord speak to him, we don’t know. Many think that when Jeremiah heard from God, his cry of, “I do not know how to speak, for I am only a boy,” was really him saying, “I am not qualified for this! I am inexperienced. I don’t know what I am doing. I am unworthy.”
He answers the call with anxiety and trepidation, not enthusiastically like Isaiah, “Here am I. Send me!” Jeremiah lives from around 650 BC to 570 BC. His prophetic ministry begins around 609-598 BC, in the reign of Josiah.
Scholars say that Jeremiah was sensitive, introspective, and possibly shy. His calling would lead to physical and emotional suffering. He would be arrested and imprisoned. He would struggle with doubts and loneliness.
The Lord sensed his fear at the time of his call, and said, “Do not be afraid of them.” God was speaking of those who would be shaken up by his preaching and oppose him. Jeremiah would preach against the people’s insincere worship of the One True God and their idolatry, worshiping Baal with burnt offerings. He preached against social injustice. He urged the people to repent and trust in God and reveal their trust through how they lived their lives in community and in national affairs. He warned of God’s judgement as they faced drought, famine, pestilence, and war.
The Babylonians would attack and conquer the Kingdom of Judah and Jerusalem. Many people would die; many others would be deported to Babylon and forced into exile in 597 and 587/86 BCE.
The Holy City and Solomon’s Temple were destroyed.
But the predominant message of Jeremiah is HOPE. In the darkest days in the history of God’s people, God always proves to be faithful. The love and mercy of God is always stronger than the forces of evil and hatred. Restoration would come after the Babylonian Exile, and God would do a great work. God’s people must be patient, Jeremiah says, and persevere in faithfulness.
In chapter 29, beginning at verse 5, Jeremiah writes to encourage the exiles living as strangers in a foreign land:
5 Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat what they produce. 6 Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; slide multiply there, and do not decrease. 7 But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare….
10 For thus says the Lord: Only when Babylon’s seventy years are completed will I visit you, and I will fulfill to you my promise and bring you back to this place. 11 For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope. 12 Then when you call upon me and come and pray to me, I will hear you. 13 When you search for me, you will find me; if you seek me with all your heart…”
Jeremiah has no idea what’s in store for him at the beginning of prophetic ministry, when God says, “Now I have put my words in your mouth. 10 See, today I appoint you over nations and over kingdoms, to pluck up and to pull down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant.”
Still, he obeys, blank slide believing the one who calls him will strengthen him to do his will. After all, the Lord says you SHALL go (meaning there’s no question about it) to all to whom I send you. You SHALL speak whatever I command you.Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you.”
Sometimes, it hits me—just how mysterious and amazing God’s plans are. It’s probably a good thing that we don’t know God’s plans until we are looking back and marveling at what God has done. Just think how scary that might be if we knew ahead of time.
I know that I would not be a pastor if I hadn’t married Jim. That wasn’t the path I was walking and I didn’t have a thought in my mind, when I met Jim, that I should be a preacher. Jim told me that I already was a pastor. If we hadn’t met, I would probably still be a religion writer with The York Daily Record/Sunday News in York, PA.
But there’s no use wondering what might have been. For we know, now, that it has been God’s intention for us—to serve as pastors and be husband and wife.
It wasn’t easy or comfortable. It still isn’t easy or comfortable—learning to trust in God, wait on Him, seek His will, and serve Him, daily.
In time, God placed people around us who spoke into our lives at the moments we needed to hear. Things started happening. Doors opened, confirming our calls and guiding us in certain directions. More and more, God was shaping us so that we could fulfill the specific ministries God had ordained for us. God is still working on us!
But this message isn’t about my call or Jim’s call. There’s nothing special about Jim and me—at least there’s nothing more special about us than you. Your gifts are just as valuable as ours! Everyone’s gifts are needed for the Body of Christ to function and serve God and neighbor well.
This is what I hope you will take from this message. Three things. Here we go.
One: The Christian calling is not just for prophets, preachers, or teachers. It’s not just reserved for those who do mighty things that are loud and public and capture people’s attention. The greatest gift—Love—leads us to do quiet acts of kindness that have the power to heal and change hearts and lives forever!
Two: The Christian calling doesn’t originate with us or depend on us. God, with his plans for us since before we were born, is the source. It’s not a reward for what we have achieved. And it’s not our confidence in whatever act God is calling us to do that qualifies us to answer the call of God. Jeremiah’s story reminds us that God is the one who prepares us to live out the vocation for which we were created and gives us what we need to fulfill that calling daily.
And three: The Christian calling requires a faithful response—obedience. If you know God is calling you to serve and you haven’t answered the call to serve, yet, what are you waiting for?????
Listen to the promise in God’s Word to each of us, the Body of Christ, with all our gifts and talents.
You SHALL go.
You SHALL speak.
Do NOT be afraid.
Let us pray.
Holy One, thank you for knowing us so intimately, just as you knew Jeremiah, your prophet long ago, before he was in his mother’s womb. Let us always worship you with our whole heart and not turn and worship idols, as we are sometimes tempted to do. Thank you for having a plan for each of us and giving us unique personalities, talents, and passions to accomplish your will for the world with us because you love us. Help us, dear Lord, to obey. Take away our fear of failure and what others might think of us. Let us quickly respond in faith when you say to us this day, You shall go. You shall speak. Do not be afraid! In your Son’s name we pray. Amen.
E-News with The Presbyterian Church
E-News with The Presbyterian Church
The Faith of Mary
Meditation on John 2:1-11
The Presbyterian Church, Coshocton, OH
Pastor Karen Crawford
Jan. 16, 2022
Link to livestream of the service and my meditation: https://fb.watch/aAhHszOnjW/
Downloadable bulletin:
It wasn’t the week that I expected.
A couple days before I left for my week for my first intensive class with Austin Seminary’s D.Min. program, we received an email that our in-person class was cancelled because of COVID. Suddenly, we were switching gears—canceling our flights and preparing for a week of online, Zoom classes.
All of us had to get over that disappointment of not meeting after all the anticipation of the trip. We would not have the opportunity to be together, not just during class, but before and after, sharing meals, talking and laughing, and worshiping together in the beautiful chapel.
All of us felt dry and parched after nearly two years of ministry during the pandemic. We were thirsty for companionship with our pastoral colleagues. We came not just to learn about God and how to be better ministers and church leaders. We came to drink from the well that never runs dry!
All of us were longing for God to fill our spiritual cups!
***
Have you ever noticed that the wedding of Cana in John comes right after the calling of the first disciples? In John, Jesus doesn’t call the disciples from the seashore; and there’s no mention of fishing.
Jesus decides to go to Galilee, finds Philip, and says, “Follow me.” Then Philip goes and finds his friend Nathaniel. The short discussion ends with Philip inviting him to meet Jesus, “Come and see.”
There’s mystery and wonder with those invitations. “Follow me. Come and see.”
Nathaniel is impressed by Jesus, though not so impressed by his hometown of Nazareth—but especially that Jesus seems to know him before they ever met.
Other people in John’s gospel will have that experience with Jesus—the feeling that he knows them before they have met. That feeling of being known and understood will lead to their believing in him. I am thinking of the Samaritan woman at the well in John 4. Before they engage in a long theological discussion, Jesus will ask for a drink of water, to which she responds, “How is it that you, a Jew, ask a drink of me, a woman of Samaria?” Soon, he will offer her, “living water” so she may never thirst again. She will leave her water jar at the well that day and run back to the city to tell everyone she meets, “Come and see a man who told me everything I have ever done! He cannot be the Messiah, can he?” Many Samaritans will believe in Jesus that day because of the woman’s testimony.
Now back to John 2—the wedding at Cana. Whose wedding is it? We don’t know. What is Jesus’ relationship to the bride and groom? We don’t know. Only that Jesus and the disciples have been invited—and they actually attend. There’s something wonderfully domestic and ordinary in imagining Jesus and his disciples, dancing, eating, and drinking at a wedding. Jesus taking time to celebrate a wedding—and having this account in one of our gospels—speaks of a God who comes to us truly as one of us, a God who cares about human relationships, growing families and the rituals and rites of passage that are meaningful to us. Wedding celebrations in Jesus’ time could go on for a week, and the whole community would be invited. The expectation would be that the food and drink would hold out for the entire celebration or else this would reflect badly on the hosting families, especially the bridegroom.
Who else is there at the wedding? The mother of Jesus—not “Mary” in John’s gospel, just simply “the mother of Jesus.” She will play an important role in the miracle at Cana. You might even say, without Mary, there would only be, well, jars of water.
Mary sees that the wine has given out and turns to her son, Jesus, for help. Who would ultimately be blamed and disciplined for this disaster? The ones responsible for monitoring the supply of food and drink and providing the wine are the servants.
What’s interesting is that the Greek word used for the servants who are providing food and drink are diakonoi, where we get our word “deacon.” These diakonoi may also be slaves, as was the chief steward managing the feast. All would be concerned about keeping their jobs and avoiding punishment.
So, it is easy to understand why Mary is concerned about the well-being of the slaves and avoiding the crisis that would have inevitably come HAD they actually run out of wine. What’s a little harder to understand is why Jesus doesn’t seem to care when Mary tells him, “They have no wine.” And I stress “ doesn’t seem” to care.
Jesus says, “Woman (he doesn’t even call her mother!) what concern is that to you and to me? My hour has not yet come.” Meaning, it’s not yet time for the glory of the Lord to be revealed to the world.
Mary thinks differently. Jesus, the dutiful son, will obey. She tells the servants to do what he says—unquestionably believing that Jesus can and will do this miracle.
He doesn’t do it alone. It really takes a village for this miracle—each working together, doing their part. But it starts with Mary’s faith, which puts in action the servants who gather the rainwater or running water in special, carved limestone jars that are used strictly for purification rituals—up to now. The people would wash themselves in this water so they would be spiritually clean or holy, according to the requirements of Leviticus 11:36 and 15:13. Then the servants draw out the water (now wine) and take it to the chief steward. He tastes the wine before serving it to the guests, without knowing where the wine has come from.
He responds in wonder, without knowing the true miracle. For this is what happens when we experience the abundance of God. For the wine that was only water is a finer wine than what was served at first. This stirs the chief steward to remark to the bridegroom, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and then the inferior wine after the guests have become drunk. But you have kept the good wine until now.”
This miracle, at the time, isn’t made known beyond Mary, the disciples, and the servants—who are never going to tell what really happened, for fear of being punished for letting the wine run out. But this miracle serves its true purpose. It reveals Christ’s glory to those whom he had first invited to “Follow me” and “Come and see.” And they immediately believe.
This miracle continues to serve a divine purpose—in revealing the glory to God to everyone who listens, who has ears to hear. It is a reminder to all of us in the abundant life promised to those who respond joyfully, faithfully, fearlessly, to Christ’s invitation to “Follow me.” And, “Come and see.”
And the miracle all started with the faith of Mary.
***
Friends, I need to tell you what happened at the end of my first intensive week of classes. Those of us who were dry and parched, longing for our thirst for spiritual nourishment to be quenched, were in for a big surprise.
It was on Zoom, after all. Aren’t we all weary of virtual classes, visits, and committee or Session meetings? So what good can happen in a Zoom meeting, right?
On Friday afternoon, one of the students, a pastor, was presenting his part of the reading. We had just worshiped together for 90 minutes with the written and sung liturgy of the Easter Vigil, written by our professor. The Easter Vigil is held on Holy Saturday. It is the Second Day, the day before Easter, when Jesus is still in the tomb.
The one who was leading the discussion asked us what keeps us connected to the Lord during times of grief and struggle. We hadn’t talked about the difficulties of ministry during the pandemic up to then. And suddenly the floodgates opened wide. Out poured the pent up grief and pain, disappointment and loss.
At that moment, we were caught up in an indescribable wave of love. It was so powerful. It was like a Pentecost—a mighty wind rushed through us and the flames lit on each of us, stirring us to tears that were, for me, an ever-flowing stream. We were each moved to share how God had reached down to us, through our pain, and helped us weather the storms. For me, I remembered how gardening in the spring and summer of 2020—planting flowers and shrubs, digging with my shovel in the soil while the church was closed to in-person worship—was what saved me from utter desolation! My neighbor kept bringing me flowers from her yard for me to plant in my yard—and this is what brought me joy and strengthened me to carry on.
The one regret I have from last week is that I felt any anxiety leading up to the class. I regret that I fretted over getting the reading, papers, and project done, and could only hope for a blessing of a cup of water for my dry, parched spirit.
If only I had hoped for what we DID receive. If only I had believed in the abundance God had planned for His weary servants, seeking him with all our heart, soul, mind and might, seeking to serve Him more and more with our lives.
If only we had believed in God’s abundance, rather than settling for dwelling on human scarcities. Because that’s what we do as human beings. We always worry we won’t have enough. And what do we do when we are worried we might run out? We cling to what we have. We hoard it!
Friends, there’s oh so much more of everything we will ever need. For with God, nothing is impossible, Amen??????
What did worry or hoarding ever do for us?
What a blessing to open up our hands and hearts, and give generously of all that God has made us and given us.
Sisters and brothers, our cups are overflowing with an abundance of fine wine! May we all have eyes to see the abundance of the Kingdom, breaking in right now!
We are no longer people of scarcity. That is the past! That’s history. We are they who live in freedom! We are they who have been redeemed by the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. We are they who say “yes” to Christ’s invitation, “Follow me!” and “Come and see!”
But if only we had the faith of Mary!
Let us pray.
Divine Love, Lamb of God, Creator and Redeemer, thank you for your abundance, shown in the miracle at the wedding at Cana in Galilee. You turned water meant for purification rites into fine wine, better than the first wine that was served. Help us to believe, dear Lord, in your abundance. Help us to live as if we are the people of abundance and not dwell in scarcity, fear and envy. Strengthen us, those who have said yes to Christ’s invitation, “Follow me” and “Come and see,” to have the faith of Mary. In the name of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit we pray. Amen.
E-News with The Presbyterian Church
Jan. 6, 2022: The Epiphany of the Lord
Pastor Karen Crawford
Journey to Bethlehem
Meditation on Matthew 2:1–12
Pastor Karen Crawford
The Presbyterian Church, Coshocton, OH
Epiphany: Jan. 2, 2022
Link to a recording of the live-streamed service: https://fb.watch/ahDjcSZfyC/
Link to downloadable bulletin:
On New Year’s Day, I got a call from my aunt, uncle, and sister, who live in Maryland. They live in a suburb of Washington, D.C., where I am from originally.
Uncle Mel and I were talking about journeys—figurative and real ones. We talked about the journey that the pandemic has taken us on. We have all had different experiences, but there are patterns and similarities. He shared how he missed many of the activities he used to do, the people he used to see, and the conversations he used to have before the pandemic. What did we talk about before we talked about the virus?
He misses the Israeli dancing he used to do once a week and his volunteer work as a docent in two historic homes in his area. While he used to attend Shabbat services at his local synagogue, the rabbi now leads them for worship on Zoom.
The four of us marvel at how different our lives and routines are since the pandemic began—almost 2 years ago now. We spend a lot more time at home than we used to, though we are vaccinated and boosted. We are more careful of where we go, what we do. The world seems to us to be a more dangerous place.
And yet, we journey on. We journey on to a new year with hope and anticipation of the goodness of God in 2022.
***
The wise men in our reading in Matthew today are led to take a dangerous journey, although just how dangerous, they haven’t a clue. They are magi, a word that shares the same Greek root as our English word magic. Other magi show up in Acts 8 with Simon the sorcerer, who amazes the people of Samaria with his magic tricks until they hear the testimony of Philip, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus. Then,“ Even Simon himself believed. After being baptized, he stayed constantly with Philip and was amazed when he saw the signs and great miracles that took place.” (Acts 8:13)
But the magi in Matthew aren’t so much magicians like Simon. They are astrologers, those who practice an ancient pseudo-science—studying the night sky for signs and portents of significant events. From what they see, the magi are stirred to travel weeks if not months to look for the child born king of the Jews.
Why do they care at all, some of us might wonder? They aren’t Jewish!
God has chosen them. These Gentiles, says one theologian, are the first ones “to recognize the coming of the Messiah and to foreshadow the comprehensiveness of the coming kingdom he will one day proclaim.” (Barbara Brown Taylor.)
“The magi’s journey to Bethlehem,” says another theologian, “exposes God’s intention to welcome everyone ‘into the joy of God’s home not made with hands, but eternal in the heavens,’ and remarkably, on earth as well.” (Stephen Bauman)
This passage makes me think of modern-day seekers. People try out all sorts of churches, denominations, and religions, but still, they aren’t satisfied. There will always be seekers—until Christ comes again. As Augustine of Hippo said in his book, Confessions, “Our hearts are restless until they find their rest in Thee, O Lord.”
The startling thing about the wise men’s journey is that they go to Bethlehem by way of Jerusalem—to Herod, of all people! The wise men’s arrival in Jerusalem frightens Herod and ALL Jerusalem with him. Jerusalem is right to be afraid, for Herod will call for the slaughter of all male children in the region, aged 2 and younger, to ensure the death of the one Herod fears would replace him and his heirs as the Jewish king.
The arrival of the wise men in Jerusalem signals the declaration of the fulfillment of the prophecy of Micah 5:2 of a ruler being born in Bethlehem and the fulfillment of NT prophecy, as well. For Simeon told Mary in Luke 2:34-35, “This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposedso that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed—and a sword will pierce your own soul too.”
What would become of the wise men who were drawn to embark on such a dangerous journey? Leaving Herod, they set out to Bethlehem and, once again, see the star they had seen at its rising. It leads them to Jesus and Mary. They are “overwhelmed with joy.” They kneel down and worship him. Opening their treasure chests, they present gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Some believe these gifts are symbolic—gold for a king; frankincense, an incense, a symbol of his divinity; and myrrh, an oil used for embalming, a sign of his death. For the Son of Man came to give his life as a ransom for many.
Miraculously, the wise men evade Herod. They are warned in a dream not to return to the king. They go home a different road. Changed in the presence of Christ and by their journey seeking him, they carry with them the good news that will transform hearts and lives for centuries to come: Christ the Savior is born!
We, each of us, my friends, are on a lifelong journey to Bethlehem—drawing nearer to the only one who will give us peace, a peace not like the world gives.
On my New Year’s Day call with my family in Maryland, we talked about figurative and real journeys of the past, present, and future. I shared with them that I am leaving for another journey, a week from today. I am flying to Austin, TX, to begin a part-time program of study leading to a doctor of ministry degree. For the next 3 years, I will be traveling two weeks a year for seminars in January and June. In the final year, I will be working on an integrative project in my own congregation.
These next 4 years will be, for me, a journey of formation and transformation, enrichment and discovery. My hope is that I will learn and grow and be strengthened and equipped for the next 10 to 20 years of parish ministry—so that I can help the Church become all that God wants us to be.
I am tempted to dwell on fearful possibilities as I prepare for this particular journey: my flights could be delayed or cancelled. I could be exposed to the virus and bring it home. May the Lord grant me patience, peace, and grace as I step outside my comfort zone, once again.
You know that when I go to Austin, I take you with me in my heart and hold you in my thoughts and prayers?
We are on this journey together—a modern day journey to Bethlehem, seeking our Savior, drawing ever nearer to him, wanting to know and love him more.
Listen to the promise for those who seek him. “Ask, and it will be given to you,” Jesus says in Matthew 7:7, the Sermon on the Mount. “Seek and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you.”
The one thing I am sure about for our future is that it will be full of surprises.
Yes, the world is a dangerous place. But the Light of the Risen Christ still shines for us, drawing us to take faithful journeys, knowing that God is with us wherever we go.
And the Light of Christ shines through us, proclaiming with words and the witness of our lives the good news of the kingdom and the Savior, Jesus Christ.
Let us pray. Holy One, thank you for drawing the magi to Bethlehem to the Christ child, foreshadowing the door opening wide to salvation to the Gentiles, as well as the Jews. Thank you for all the gifts of the Spirit you lavish on us as we seek to follow your Light in our modern-day journeys to Bethlehem. Help us to keep on seeking you, knocking on the door that will be opened to you, seeking to be obedient to you, to be transformed in your presence. Give us courage, peace, and patience throughout this new year, Lord, with all its surprises and challenges, but also many blessings of love and joy. Help us to see your goodness and shine the light of Christ through our words and the witness of our lives. In the name of our Savior, Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.
Christmas Eve Worship
The Presbyterian Church, Coshocton, Ohio
Pastor Karen Crawford
Malik Khalfani, Director of Music
Alice Hoover, Organist
We Have Seen His Glory
Meditation on John 1:1-14
Pastor Karen Crawford
Christmas Eve 2021
The Presbyterian Church, Coshocton, OH
Link to livestream of the Christmas Eve service: https://fb.watch/a78FTMJAPZ/
Link to Christmas Eve bulletin:
Do any of you have any last-minute Christmas shopping to do? Maybe, like me, you have a few presents to wrap? Stockings to stuff? Cards to write? OK, we’re going to be up all night, aren’t we?
It always makes me feel better to know that Christmas isn’t just one day. It is the beginning of a 12-day season. You know that, right? In other words, you and me—we’ve got some time!
My husband finished his sermon yesterday before I had written the first word of mine. I had read all the commentaries. They weren’t inspiring.
So, I took a break and watched Charlie Brown Christmas.
A materialistic Snoopy wins a decorating contest by covering his doghouse with flashing lights. Little Sally asks big brother Charlie to write a Christmas list for Santa. She has been especially good this year, she says, so it’s a long list. Or, Santa can make it easy on himself by just giving money—10s and 20s!
Lucy never gets what she really wants for Christmas. She gets stupid toys, clothes, bicycles and other stuff.
“What do you really want?” Charlie asks.
“Real estate,” she says.
Charlie is persuaded to direct the Christmas pageant as a cure for his depression. “You need involvement,” Lucy says in her 5-cent psychiatrist role. “And we need a director.”
When the cast refuses to cooperate and chaos ensues, a frustrated Charlie asks what Christmas is all about.
Linus drops his blanket, goes center stage, asks for a spotlight, and recites Luke 2:1-14:
“And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, 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, And on earth peace, good will toward men.”
“That’s what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown.”
“What’s Christmas about to you?” My husband asks after the movie. “It’s not a birthday party for baby Jesus.”
It’s about hope. Peace. Love.
Love has come through a humble child in a manger.
Light is shining in the darkness and the darkness will not overcome it.
***
I have wonderful memories of childhood Christmases. Baking cookies with Mom. Decorating the tree after my Dad put it in the stand and wrapped the strings of lights. Mom would start Christmas shopping weeks, sometimes months, ahead. She was so organized. She stored the gifts in closets. I helped wrap the presents. That was my job. One time, we ran out of Scotch tape, so I used Elmer’s glue. It didn’t work so well! But it gave us something to smile about.
The one memory that stands out to me this year as particularly meaningful was going shopping every Christmas Eve with my dad.
This is how it worked. On Christmas Eve, in the afternoon, I would ask Dad if he had bought a present for my mom. “No,” he would say, shaking his head. And I would feign surprise, and we would bundle up in coats, hats, and gloves and go to Lake Forest Mall. Hardly anyone was at the mall on Christmas Eve. Most people were already finished their shopping by then. We had no trouble finding a parking space. There were never any lines at the registers.
We would go to every department store looking for a gift for Mom. J.C. Penney’s. Hecht’s. Sears. Macys. We would go from store to store but Dad was never pleased with what he saw. He would touch all the fabrics and shake his head. He’d wonder about sizes and colors. Finally, we would find the perfect nightgown, robe and slippers for my mom. We’d go home and I’d wrap the gifts and put them under the tree.
We did this every Christmas Eve.
Year later, we lived in different states, and I stopped traveling at Christmas because I was a minister; my flock became my extended family. That’s when I figured out why Dad and I had done this every Christmas Eve for years. And why it took so long to buy essentially the same gifts every year.
My dad didn’t really care about the gift. My mom didn’t care about it, either. She thought the whole thing was ridiculous. It was something Dad and I did together. It was about spending time together. It was about love.
And here it is—another Christmas Eve—and I would give anything to go shopping with my father one more time. Or even just to be able to call him up and laugh about how we used to go to Lake Forest Mall every year on Christmas Eve to buy my mom a nightgown.
I would give anything to have a few more precious moments with him. To hear his voice calling my name. I’m sure you feel the same way about your loved ones who are no longer with you.
***
Christmas is about Love.
God so loved the world that he became one of us. A child in the manger would become our Savior, suffering on the cross, and being raised from the tomb. The Word of God that was with God from the beginning, and WAS God, the One through whom all things were made, is the greatest gift of all.
Through Christ, God and human beings are reconciled. Through Christ, we have new, abundant and eternal life with our Heavenly Father.
The Word became flesh and lived among us. And we have seen his glory! You’ve seen it! I’ve seen it!
Let us share our hope, Christ’s peace, God’s love— on Christmas and every day.
The Light is shining in the darkness and the darkness will never overcome it.
We have seen the glory of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth.
Let us pray.
Heavenly Father, thank you for sending your Son to be one of us and lead us back to You. Help us to love as you love and testify to the Light that shines in the darkness. Help us to see and be the reflection of your glory, dear Lord, the Word made flesh, and to reveal your Only Son, full of grace and truth. In the name of Emmanuel we pray. Amen.
Sharing God's Love and Grace 