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Sunday, December 20, 2009
COME ANY WAY THAT YOU ARE
Fourth Sunday of Advent
By Rev. Dr. Harvey C. Martz
Luke 2:1-20 New Revised Standard Version
1 In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 All went to their own towns to be registered. 4 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. 5 He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. 7 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. 8 In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 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: 11 to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger." 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, 14 "Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors!" 15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us." 16 So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. 17 When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. 19 But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.
Every once in a while I have talked with people who have not come to church for a long, long time, or who grew up in church but feel guilty about their life and they say the same thing: “Oh, if I ever came to church again, the roof would probably fall in on me.”
The stories of Christ’s birth in the gospel of Luke will dispute that silly notion. The message in the gospel of Luke is that this Savior is for everybody. Every person is invited to gather at the manger and bring whatever mixed parts of life they have lived and to receive the good news and the grace that is offered in the one who is the Prince of Peace.
Luke tells us that when he draws us a picture of the construction worker father, Joseph, who was a builder/carpenter, and a humble 14 year old mother Mary, to whom Joseph was engaged, and a mixed crowd of angels and scruffy shepherds. I wonder if any of the shepherds had tattoos?
And we said two weeks ago, just a little later in the story, that Luke tells us about two really old people, Simeon with his scraggly beard and Anna who is 84 years old, meeting Mary and Joseph in the temple when Jesus is just six weeks old.
This savior is for everyone and all are welcome in the Good News in the Gospel of Luke. It is made even clearer in the stories Luke tells us next. People can come to Christ any way that they are; the outcasts, misfits, lepers, prostitutes, sick people who were thought to be inferior because of their illness, a Roman soldier (the enemy), and even the tax collectors like little Zaccheus. And only in Luke does Jesus tell about a gracious father who welcomes back, with grace, his wayward son who has wasted his life, and only in Luke does Jesus tell a story which makes a hated Samaritan a hero.
Everyone is welcome at the manger, this gospel tells us, and everyone is welcomed by this savior, so the gospel tells us. Come any way that you are.
There is a haunting song on Mary Chapin Carpenter’s Christmas album that makes this clear. The song is Come Darkness, Come Light.
I don’t know much about Mary Chapin Carpenter’s faith but the message this song offers is the one in the Gospel of Luke: Come broken, come whole, come any way that you know, alleluia. Come doubting, come sure, come fearful to this door, come see what love is for. Come running, come walking slow, come weary on your broken road, come see him and shed your heavy load.
Do you feel included in that invitation yet? Do you feel welcome enough yet? You are. This savior is for everyone.
Cindy Bates read a poem about this on Monday for the funeral, here at St. Andrew, for Jan Davidson’s sister Jackie. This poem was important to Jackie. It is about who is welcomed by the savior who is the prince of peace.
I dreamed death came the other night
And heaven’s gate swung wide
A glorious angel soon appeared and ushered me inside.
And there to my astonishment were folks I’d known on earth
Some I’d judged and found unfit
And some of little worth
Indignant words rose to my lips but never were set free
For every face showed stunned surprise
No one expected me!
Here is what I like about that poem. It fits with the all are welcome message of Christ as we meet him, especially in Luke’s gospel. All are welcome, and the people that you and I make narrow judgments about-easy to be a Pharisee and not a follower of Christ-the people you and I make narrow judgments about are welcome also. That is the reason Jesus had his most intense arguments with the religious people. He wanted to welcome people who were not welcome.
We see this same picture of grace and forgiveness in the surprisingly popular novel, The Shack, where a very non traditional image of God is offered along with surprising images of Christ and the Holy Spirit. It offers a message that is one of grace and forgiveness, and really the message of, open hearts, open minds, and open doors!
This welcoming image of Jesus of Nazareth is one of the reasons I am passionate about every person getting a chance to know and follow Jesus the Christ. Most people don’t know Jesus. They think of Jesus as other worldly, meek and mild, only concerned about the next life and not this life. Jesus talks a lot more about helping us fully and abundantly in this life, to love one another, learn to serve, and to treat others the way you want to be treated, than he does about getting people to the next life.
Most folks are surprised by that. This is a very earthy gospel and this Jesus is very human. He gets tired, angry, and he has his harshest words for religious leaders who have forgotten their purpose and become legalistic. He took on the powerful who were misusing their power. He stood up for and welcomed the outcasts and the poor. He was able to see what was in each person’s heart. He made people whole and still does that, thanks be to God. He accepted people where they are and loved them too much to just leave them there.
He said that he had come so that every person could have ABUNDANT LIFE, a life centered in God, the good life, the best life possible by following him and his teachings. He has come to be Savior, not just to get us to be with God after we die. This is not his emphasis at all. His emphasis is to save us from our greed, our selfishness, and our narrowness. He has come to help us see that the best things in life are not things. He has come to save us from the little gods of this world and to help us into the presence of THE God, right now. He always points us beyond himself to that God. Jesus does not want people to worship him but to follow him, to let him save us from what is slowly killing our spirits and eating us up inside.
His invitation is for everyone. No one gets left out. All are welcome. All are welcome at the manger and at the cross that symbolizes service and sacrifice and all are welcome as we celebrate the birth of the Prince of Peace and Savior of the World.
We will close with the words from Mary Chapin Carpenter’s song that are on your bulletin cover.
Come Darkness, Come Light
Come darkness, come light; Come new star shining bright
Come love to this world tonight; Alleluia
Come broken, come whole; Come wounded in your soul
Come any way that you know; Alleluia
There’s a humble stable and a light within
There’s an angel hovering and three wise men
Today the baby’s born in Bethlehem; Alleluia
Come doubting, come sure; Come fearful to this door
Come see what love is for; Alleluia
Come running, come walking slow; Come weary on your broken road
Come see him, Shed your heavy load; Alleluia.