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Sermons & Writings |
Loree Penner
Saint James, Monkton
December 28, 2008
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I hope you will forgive me for being rather "Dickensian" today; but our Monday book study just finished reading "A Christmas Carol." Dickens' classic has been made into a movie more times than any other book in history, and no doubt, Each of us has a favorite for who plays the irascible character of Ebenezer Scrooge: Alastair Sim? George C. Scott? Michael Caine? Patrick Stewart? Even Jim Carrey… Ebenezer Scrooge is an icon of everything that is wrong with humanity. His very name, Ebenezer, means rock, and his heart is like flint. And yet, even for a person like Ebenezer Scrooge, salvation is possible. Indeed, at the end of the book, after Scrooge had had his encounters with past and present human miseries, and with the vision of his own death, Scrooge reformed. He laughed. He cried. He celebrated Christ on Christmas. And he became, overnight, a human being. it was said that after this life-changing event, Scrooge knew how to keep Christmas well. He knew how to keep Christmas well. For Dickens, that phrase meant Scrooge had learned that each person was responsible for the welfare of the other human beings that occupied this earth. Each person, As much as it was possible, was responsible to do what he or she could to combat the ignorance and want, the sorrow, and misfortunes that were all around them. To keep Christmas well was, then, to be about the business of the Kingdom of God, remembering, as Charlie said on Christmas Eve, that the Birth of our Savior is the main event, and to celebrate that birth with acts of charity, peace, and good will. Dickens' book, "A Christmas Carol" was in part responsible for a revival of celebrating Christmas in Victorian England. The Calvinists had almost wiped out its celebration, being more concerned with the holiday's pagan roots than for what Christmas stood for in the Church's long memory. And the poor in London could barely eke out food for their table, much less have time and money for a celebration. But with "A Christmas Carol," the celebration of Christmas revived. Prince Albert introduced The Christmas Tree from Germany, Father Christmas came once again, and in time the celebration of the Christ Mass revived in the churches. Christmas has always been a combination of sacred and secular forces, working to shape the hearts of society. The celebration of Christmas began in the 4th century, and was placed on December 25 in order to have a Christian Celebration to overcome the many pagan celebrations having to do with Winter. Since then, Christmas has been the dominant force, although its meaning has been shaped as more traditions have been added along the way. Most of that shaping has been good, since most of the later secular celebrations came from our church traditions. But over time some of our images of Christmas have separated themselves from their Christian Roots Santa Claus, for example, no longer resembles St. Nicholas. As Bishop of Myra, Nicholas was more concerned with human misery than with material possession. He did indeed place gold coins in the stockings of three girls, according to legend, but he did so to keep them from a life of slavery. Santa, on the other hand, is more concerned with giving joy through material possessions than through human dignity. And oftentimes, the holiday of Christmas itself has become the main event, rather than the birth of Christ. So, in this mix of sacred and secular that has become our Christmas tradition, what does it mean for US to keep Christmas well? Perhaps it begins with allowing the traditions and symbols of Christmas to tell their story. In our gospel reading today, the prologue to the 4th gospel, the writer says "we beheld his glory, the glory as of a father's only son, full of grace and truth." For centuries the church has used symbolic language to help us behold God's glory. Sometimes, we are unable to see God's hand at work in the world, for one reason or another. So we have symbols, beginning with the sacraments Baptism, to experience the wonder of new birth. Eucharist the outward sign of Christ's incarnation God with and within us. Look around you and the symbols will help you take in God's grace and truth. Our windows tell the story of our faith, just as stained glass and other art forms have told the story for centuries Much of our history occurred when the majority of the population could not read; and these visual storytellers helped them understand Christ's coming, his salvation, and his love. The poinsettias on the altar became part of the Christmas celebration when someone noticed that their blooms and the fiery red leaves looked like a star and they remind us of the star of Bethlehem to this day. The tradition of the Christmas tree began in Germany in the 16th century when Martin Luther, on his way home late in the day, noticed light piercing the darkness through the branches of an evergreen. He began a tradition of placing lighted candles in an evergreen tree, to remind us of Jesus, the Light of the World. And the crèche well you heard the sad truth from Art last week that there is no donkey found in either of the Birth narratives in Matthew or Luke. The tradition began with St. Francis in the 13th century. Francis wanted to inspire people with a vision of the birth of Christ, so he created a live manger scene, complete with Mary and Joseph, Shepherds, a manger with hay, holding a wax replica of the Christ child, and yes, an ox, and a donkey. People came from miles around, and a new devotion to the Babe of Bethlehem began. Soon other places were putting up crèches, and creating small ones for inside people's homes. And don't forget the 12 days of Christmas, which stretch from Christmas Day to Epiphany. Each day's symbol reminds us of a Christian doctrine or virtue. Today, day three, the three French hens tell us to remember to Keep Christmas well, through the virtues of faith, hope, and charity. And perhaps, beyond the symbols, that is the best way for us to keep Christmas well. With faith, hope, and Charity. To take action, remembering, that we, as children of God are responsible for those nearby that we have both a faithful and moral responsibility to continue to work toward peace on earth, and good will among all people. We do this through acts of charity, through seeing Christ in those around us, each day. Not just on Christmas Day, or through the 12 days of Christmas, but all year long. That we might honor the Babe of Bethlehem by seeking each day to make his Light shine brighter. |
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