Monday, December 24, 2012

christmas sermon 2012

As a little girl, I thought Christmas was perfect the year I got my doll house. 
I had slipped out of bed on Christmas Eve night to sneak a peek at gifts under the tree 
But I remember getting to the bedroom door,
stopping, and turning going back to bed. 
Something stopped me from spoiling the surprise,
and what a great one it was the next morning! 
Christmas felt perfect

As a young teen, I thought the perfect Christmas
was one where we didnt have to go to my aunt and uncles house in St. Catherines! 
I didnt have to sleep on the floor in the basement bedroom
with the old blue shag carpet that smelled strongly of moth balls. 
I didnt have to watch my cousins play with all their friends on Christmas day,
instead, I got to call all of mine and talk for hours on the pink phone
I got from the Esso Christmas party,
laying upside down over the edge of my bed. 
Rousing myself for yet another Clementine and some homemade treats.

As a young adult, I remember the adventure of my first Christmas working retail!
hardly a perfect start!
I was exhausted at the end of the day,
filled to the brim with cheesy Christmas carols
like grandma got run over by a reindeer and the like. 
But when I got home, things were different. 
Things were peaceful. 
There was a roaring fire burning up all the scrap wood from Dads latest project,
actual choral Christmas music playing on the stereo.
I got to spend it at home, with grandma and papa and nana,
mum, dad and my sister Laura round the fire, roasting chestnuts,
and burning all the coloured wrapping paper
and watching the flames turn the loveliest shade of blue or
the most shocking shade of green! 
That felt like a perfect Christmas.

What I realize now, is that none of those Christmases were perfect.
The year I got my dolls house, Im sure something went wrong in the kitchen
family was late,
there were arguments usually petty ones,
Somebody probably broke something, either a dish or a toe!
and all those years family came to stay,
I was off ousted from my nice comfy bed and forced to slept on a too short couch
but I'd take all the petty arguments broken dishes and couch surfing to have those days back
its very different without my grandparents and my dad.
I know that the naivety of youth has faded, and I see the reality
I can see the darknesses
as well as the light
Sometimes it would be nice to just have the fantasy though
Maybe thats what we strive for when we try to have the perfect christmas
the perfectly set table
the perfectly adorned tree, the right music
enough candles and a roaring fire.

Maybe we want to have a moment of perfection.
because maybe then it would feel like everything in the world made sense
the illusion that we are completely in control!
But it never quite lives up to our imaginations does it.
There is always something missing. 

What I think we are trying to do is turn off the dark

but as much as we try, I don't think that's possible.

We can't stop the sadnesses in our world
we can't stop the tragedies
we can't stop missing those we love but see no longer
Sometimes the darkness seems overwhelming
We have seen tragedies this past week with murders
and horrors and much darkness
debates over how to solve the problems of gun violence
how to address the problems of mental health
and keeping society safe.
and we each have our own darknesses
things that hide deep within our souls
--------------
It's not possible to turn off the dark

we never know what someone is going through.
You cant tell by looking at someone if theyve just lost their job
You cant tell by looking at someone if theyve just had a fight with their spouse and are afraid of the future
You cant tell if someone is angry at their kids
Saddened by a sick friend
Hurt by a lie
Blaming themselves for hurting someone else because of their carelessness
Grieving the sudden death of a loved one.

YOU JUST CANT TELL.

We dont often let others into our world of
Hurts, pains, fears, "unforgiveness", lies, sorrows
We dont let them into the cracks that life has etched into our beings

But these cracks, these places of vulnerability have amazing potential
They have the potential to let the light in if we only have the courage to let it.

Its like Leonard Cohen said,
Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your perfect offering
There is a crack in everything
That's how the light gets in.

It's not possible to turn off the dark
But it is possible to turn on a light
--------------

Isaiah tells us "The people who walked in darkness
have seen a great light;
those who lived in a land of deep darkness
on them light has shined."

Christ is our light in the darkness
Christ reminds us that we don't have to take the world as we see it
that we can change it,
that we can change us
We can choose to walk in this light that Christ promises us

It's not possible to turn off the dark
But it is possible to turn on a light

light dispels the darkness
They say in perfect darkness the human eye can see a single candle flame several miles away
which is good because sometimes all we can muster within ourselves is the light of a candle
Christ breaks down those boundaries where only a single candle burns
and makes us realize that even though all I can do is be the light of a lone candle
When two or three of us are together,
we are bright enough to eat by
bring in a few more and we're bright enough to read by
bring together a whole community
and we're bright enough to live by
On this, the eve of Christmas,
When we prepare to welcome Christ,
the light of the world back into our midst, into our hearts and lives

Give some time to think about where the cracks are in your life.
In your relationships
In your families
In your friendships?
Who is it you need to forgive?
Who is it you need to hug
Who is it you need to laugh with
Who is it you need to reach out to?

So even if one of our candles is burning a little lower today
with your help
with all your help
and through the light of God who loves us more than we can ask or imagine.....
we are not only bright enough to live by,
we have the love and hope and joy of this little baby of light
born within us over and over
giving us courage and compassion
For the light does shine in the darkness
and the darkness has not..... will not.... and CANNOT overcome it

Thanks be to God