Come all ye shepherds – see, consider, and share the Good News

Good Christmas morning to you all.  Welcome to St. Paul’s.  How many of you were also at the services here last night (note that I was presiding in Junction City)?  Let’s hear a little more about where we’ve come from to be here gathered in Christ’s name this morning (discussion).

DECEMBER 25.  As some of you know, the winter solstice occurred this past week, a moment for us in the northern hemisphere when the sun in lowest in the sky because of the tilt and orbit of earth.  This occurrence essentially marks the darkest day of the year - the shortest day and longest night.  Across various cultures, there are special traditions that mark this time when we’re furthest from the sun and we begin to anticipate the return of more light into our daily routines as we tilt back toward its radiant, warm beams.  Soltice ceremonies have included the initiation of the season of light and the worship of son gods.  About 50 years before the birth of Jesus, Julius Caesar, in what came to be known as the Julian calendar, marked December 25 as the occasion of the winter solstice.  And, by the 2^nd Century in Roman culture, there was an annual festival on Dec 25 to honor Sol Invictus (invincible sun). 

Now, whether or not our Christmas celebration was intentionally placed on December 25 to challenge or co-opt such pagan celebration is a matter of debate.  It’s not clear from the earliest writings we know of in our tradition (e.g., Paul’s letters and the Gospel of Mark, neither of which present birth narratives for Jesus) that the specifics of Jesus’s birth were of any concern; rather, the emphasis is on his ministry, teachings, death, and resurrection.  As interest grew in elaborating on the nature of who/what Jesus was, more attention was paid to a birth narrative that would emphasize an evolving understanding of Christ.  It wasn’t until the mid-4^th Century – three hundred years after the blessed birth - that we find references to birthdates of either December 25 (in the western regions) or January 6 (in the east).  Some Christian theologians have said that December 25 was eventually favored because it is nine months after when tradition says Jesus was conceived. 

12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS: Over time, the Western (Roman) tradition overshadowed the Eastern traditions and most Christians (the Greek Orthodox and Armenians being the main exception) now observe Christmas on December 25, Epiphany on January 6 (also a reflection on part of the Nativity story), and the twelve days between as the “12 Days of Christmas” (known also as Christmastide or even Yuletide, harkening back to Celtic solstice observances).  The important point here is that Christmas doesn’t end today (like Easter doesn’t end on Easter Sunday), we celebrate it for twelve more days.  So, yes, you can leave those trees and decorations up for almost two more weeks!

WHAT MIGHT WE HEAR IN TODAY’S READINGS:

Isaiah 62:6-12

• (v12) They shall be called, "The Holy People, The Redeemed of the LORD"; and you shall be called, "Sought Out, A City Not Forsaken.
• (v10) Go through, go through the gates, prepare the way for the people; build up, build up the highway, clear it of stones, lift up an ensign over the peoples.
• Historical context is more tribal re: chosen people (Israel) will soon be out of exile and lead by God victoriously back into their iconic center of Jerusalem
• Yet, we might also hear that we are not forsaken and that we are to prepare our church as a place of hospitality, removing obstacles from the path of exiled travelers and seekers, and raise a clear flag of welcome

Psalm 97

•  with potentially frightening and militant imagery, in direct contrast to the tender image of God in the form of a vulnerable baby (from Christmas Eve), we’re reminded that our God is mighty and ultimately victorious over all evil and darkness in the world
• (v11) “Light has sprung up for the righteous, * and joyful gladness for those who are truehearted.”

Titus 3:4-7

• Perhaps the key word is “but” in verse 4: “God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of [our works]… but according to his mercy…
• Our salvation comes from God who came to be like one of us so that we’ve had a model to become more like God

Luke 2:(1-7) 8-20

• Perhaps you heard this read last night as well – this morning, we focus on verses 8-20
• Shepherds: Kind David began his life as a lowly shepherd; they were considered unsavory and dirty; near bottom of the social classes
• Angels – not just one saying do not be afraid, but a multitude offering glory to God
• When they show up unexpectedly, this rag-tag group from the fields with their enthusiastic witness and desire to ‘see’, Mary treasurers their words and ponders their meaning (a faithful response of discernment, not dismissiveness)
• Then, almost as quickly as they rushed in, the shepherds now go back at as our essentially our first evangelists of the Good News

Themes:

• supernatural messages into our daily routine
• delightful belief and action-oriented curiosity
• dwelling on meaning and significance
• (Sam Portaro from Brightest and Best) “Those who lingered around the manger in Bethlehem knew somehow that God was present, that a powerful reconciliation was beginning, a gap bridged between what has been and is yet to be."
• enthusiastic sharing of the Good News 

 QUESTIONS (for discussion): 

1. Who might our contemporary shepherds be? 
2. How should we be prepared to receive them and discern with them? 
3. As they head back out into the world, what do we want to help them be able to articulate with enthusiasm?

Let's conclude with some words from Pope St. Leo I (Leo the Great).  Leo was a leader at a time that the church faced great challenges of adaptation and survival during the increasing disintegration of the Roman empire.  He sought to preserve unity, integrity, and fidelity of the universal church.  He’s even said to have personally thwarted attacks from invading barbarians, including when he approached Attila the Hun, successfully convincing Attila not to invade Italy.  These words are from one of his sermons about Christmas:

Dearly beloved, today our Savior was born; let us rejoice!  This is not season for sadness – it is the birthday of Life!  It is a life that annihilates the fear of death; a life that brings us joy with the promise of eternal happiness. 

Nobody is an outsider to this happiness; we all have common cause for rejoicing.  Our Lord, the victor over sin and death, finding no one free from guilt, has come to free us all….

In the fullness of time, chosen in the unfathomable depths of God’s wisdom, the Son of God took on himself our human nature in order to reconcile us with our Creator… clothed not in his own majesty, but in our weakness.  In Christ majesty has taken on humility….

That is why at the birth of our Lord the angels sang for joy: ‘Glory to God in the highest,’ and proclaimed the message ‘peace to his people on earth’.  For they see the heavenly Jerusalem being constructed out of all the nations of the world….

Let us throw off our old nature and all its habits… we have come to birth in Christ….

Christian, acknowledge your own dignity; and now that you share in God’s own nature… Bear in mind who is your head and of whose body you are a member.

From: Celebrating the Seasons: Daily spiritual readings for the Christian year. (Norwich, U.K.: Canterbury Press, 1999) p. 48.

AMEN.