Humble Beginnings
December 24, 2006
Luke 2:1-7
I love when advent 4 falls on Christmas Eve. People all week have been asking me, why we are having two services this Sunday. Why wouldn't we? It's Advent 4. We can talk about the birth in isolation from the adoration. We can talk about Jesus arriving, in the stable, before the adoration of the visitors. We can wait a moment there before having to interpret the visitors, the signs, the lording up of the babe. Who wants to miss that? It's juicy, emblematic, exciting!
Another issue that's been flying around here this week is the meaning of a story that's not true. This birth. Did it happen? Literally? Was there really a star, how long were Mary's labor pains, did Joseph help with the delivery? Remember, we are the people of the metaphor. We are the people who read, listen and interpret not the scientific, factual realities but the meaning behind the story. We are smart enough to do our homework and find out that the dates do not line up with this census and these political leaders named. It does not take much digging to find out, it didn't happen this way at all. But, what slowly dawns on us is that Luke needs to get Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem , to the place in which the Messiah was to come from. So, Luke moves the census to the year and eve of Jesus birth. So, what was the meaning for the people to have this story unfold? What was the meaning for the people writing these stories down? What is the meaning for us today? I hope today, each of us will leave this place with a bit more insight and connection to who our God is and the possibility that came into the stable in this story. And, while it's not literally important the meaning is deep and wide enough to support and inspire the church forever more.
I've been sharing portions of the 7 Spiritual Gifts of Waiting from Holly Whitcomb a UCC minister from Wisconsin this Advent season. She reminds us, sometimes we wait because we have no other choice. We are backed into a corner and waiting is all that we can do. And this is when we realize that we are powerless. Powerlessness can be a spiritual opening. A time when we become absolutely vulnerable and recognize that
forces and powers far greater than ourselves have taken over. This is where we learn humility. When,
We can't do anything.
We can't change anything.
We can just get quiet and be a faithful presence
Waiting is then a sanctified act
Waiting can then become grace filled
Mary and Joseph were just living their lives. Trying to be responsible people within their culture, religion and time. They didn't want to start a revolution. Joseph just wanted a wife. Mary just wanted a good husband. And then the angel appeared. The angel appeared, spoke with Mary and she agreed to be a servant of God. And then, the waiting began. Once you've agreed to be open to God's time and agenda all palm piloting is off. Once you've agreed to be pregnant, there is nothing you can do but wait. The ball is in motion. You're totally unsure until the body begins to change. And, once that begins, you are sure but you're always waiting. These two in agreeing to be part of this plan became powerless. They were powerless over what was coming, the child was coming from the moment she agreed. They were powerless over cultural norms and rules. They were powerless over what others would say and think. They were powerless in stopping what had begun. So, in Scripture, they both become quiet. There are no words attributed to the time of waiting. We go right from the conception to the magnificat to the birth story. The lack of space creates a silence around this couple. And, how perfect that seems. In the waiting when we realize we can't do anything, we can't change anything, we get quiet and become a faithful presence. Mary and Joseph recognized this process as a sanctified act. And this is where God's grace showed up because of their humility.
Robert Morris from his book Meek as Moses writes, “ Humility is the fruit of a keen eyed ability to see oneself realistically, as a flawed and gifted creature like all other human beings.” We are quick to point out our flaws and not very willing to proclaim our gifts. Humility allows us to do both. Humility allowed this family to agree to do a new thing in a new way because they had the gifts to pull it off, because they were willing to lean on God, because they were admitted to being in need of Grace to allow it to be.
Second Holly writes about the miracle that when we are forced into waiting and humility emerges we let go of achievement and what we've been pushing for, working for, done, and discover who we are. We settle into our beings. This metaphor happening here is profound for me and I believe for our world. We have a God who is beginning to tell the story of Godself in a new way. And, this time, God is going to come into the world through an unmarried couple, who is forced out of their town for political reasons, while everyone is breathing a sigh of relief to see them go because of the disgrace. God comes into our lonliness, our disgrace, our independence, our choice making, our marginalization, our shame, our vulnerability, our hope, our poverty, our richness. It doesn't matter how we find our being once we throw off achievements. We find out through this nativity story, that God can meet us right here in the stable. The shame of not being at home for a birth, not being able to secure a home for his bethrothed, not having the family around for Mary. The embarrassment of the stable. The exhaustion from the journey, the exclusion from better housing. The lonliness of being cast out, of not knowing why this is happening, of not being able to get anyone else to understand. God comes to us in all of these places by having this metaphor steeped in a stable. I rejoice in the humility of Mary and Joseph who allow me to meet myself in love and acceptance for God meets me in all the emotive spectrum right there in the midst of this stable.
Sometimes the despair of waiting can bring us low. One of the hidden gifts from being dragged low is the change in perspective. From our low point we become aware of those who are struggling around us, who face their own waiting and despair. Think of it as a chance to bow to each other and recognize our common humanity. Look at the worth of each individual. Respect the courage with which each person is facing her struggle. Honor in yourself and those who wait with and around you—the incredible value of the human journey. Holly calls the third gift one of honoring others.
God honored all of us, no matter who we are or where we are on life's journey with this nativity story. God honors the rich and the poor, the kings and the shepherds. God honors the homeless, the wanderers, the inn keeper, the stable owner. God honors the pregnant woman, the man who stands with her, the animals, the night. God honors us young and old, weak and strong, God comes into the stable, weak, frail, powerless through this tender infant Jesus.
We can not tell when God is working on someone. We just don't know. Our personal work with God is often times missed by others in the world. It's private, personal, daily work. It's such a relief to have Joseph in this story, trusting, walking, not asking questions, not hostile, just quiet. Joseph who allows the story to unfold, meeting all in their low, changing his perspective and learning how many wait in despair. God honors everyone, no matter where we are on life's journey, for all of us can find ourselves in this stable.
Holly's forth point is to live without judgment. Many times when people find out what I do they ask me who the real minister is. Sometimes, when I say, I am the minister, they chuckle and say, no, who do you work for, who's the pastor? Who's the leader? I quietly smile and say, “Believe it or not, I am the lead, sole pastor of First congregational United Church of Christ and have the privilege of leading a vibrant, healthy, growing community of faith.” Holly asks in this section of the chapter when the last time was that we had the experience of getting impatient while we were waiting and deem the person who is supposed to be helping us as incompetent? We may feel critical; we may think someone higher up the ladder—someone more skilled, someone more experienced, someone in charge, could fix or implement what we've been waiting for? While this may be accurate at the time, our eagerness to get the best may blind us to the very help that is available to us.
God doesn't follow any of the rules in breaking into the world in this story. Every step of the way is a no no for the culture, the religious, common sense, logic. God moves and the unexpected can and does happen. And, we're powerless in all of it. God has things that will only unfold in God's time. Our waiting gets all wound up in this time. We are enough for God. We have the gifts we need to get the job done. We just have to put our feet on the earth and honor what we can do and not just focus on our faults or flaws. Every human being has flaws and every human being has gifts. We can not get stuck in the flaws we must move beyond them and allow God to do a new thing. When God is moving in unexpected and surprising places we have to make sure we are living without judgment and with humility. Because, God could be the movement we are judging. Humility allows us to throw off judgment and begin owning we are enough and allowing ourselves to open to God's movement in and through us.
Finally, I would like to read the 5 th section of Honoring Others from Holly's Book,
This Jesus came to make real the Glory of God. Let's remember, even in the waiting, we can GLORIFY the holy one. We can celebrate this still speaking God. WE can honor and celebrate our giftedness and our love. God glories in our presence. Let's sing our praises, Let us pray.