article number 2
I am preaching this morning, but have a couple of minutes to pass before I have to go to worship. I thought it would be a good time to post another column.
This column ran in the Mount Airy News on Friday, December 8, 2006. Enjoy!
Anybody Ready?
Everyday I hear people claim that the holidays show up faster and faster each year. As I grow older, I find that the Christmas season sneaks up on me and I am a little less ready for things this year than I was last year. There are, of course, people who are always ready for the holidays, but remember that the Bree Hodges of the world find their places as characters on television shows. (If you didn’t catch the Desperate Housewives reference, you are not missing much.)
However, being prepared for the Advent and Christmas seasons is something we should turn our attention towards. I do not know a single person who wants to miss something special God has for them, but if scripture is any indication, some of us might. As you may well know, the story of Jesus’ birth is recorded in the Gospel of Luke. Inseparable from the birth of Jesus is the birth of his cousin, John the Baptist, whose birth narrative is woven through Jesus’ Nativity story in chapters 1 and 2 of Luke.
John the Baptist’s birth story begins with an angel appearing to his would-be father, Zechariah. The angel appeared while he was on his temple duties, so an out of the ordinary occurrence should have been no surprise. It turns out the angel was foretelling the birth of Zechariah’s son and when he did not believe the angel’s prophesy, he was silenced (unable to speak) until after his son would be born. In fairness to Zechariah, his disbelief was legitimate. He and his wife were quite old and they had assumed she was barren. Zechariah was not ready for this particular word from God and the consequences were significant. We all can think of times when we heard news that left us speechless, but nine months is quite a period of silence.
Following the birth of John, Jesus’ Nativity Story goes on…
After Jesus’ birth the shepherds and angels dropped by to offer their praise. Eight days later it was time for the child’s presentation in the temple according to the law. Upon arriving at the temple for the presentation and the accompanying sacrifice, they handed the child to a man from Jerusalem named Simeon. Simeon then offered a prayer to the Lord which amounted to: “This is the Messiah! Now that I have seen it all, Lord, you may take your servant in peace.” Simeon was ready when this child was handed to him and he recognized Jesus right away as the Messiah. His response was an offering of praise, far from the silence of Zechariah.
There is cause for blessing and caution in the stories of these two men who frame the birth of Jesus. Zechariah teaches that we must be ready for a word from God to come at any time. Simeon shows us that being prepared for a word from God to come is quite a blessing.
This Advent season, we all will make preparations for Christmas. Trees will be moved into the house, baking will occupy the kitchen, the stockings will be hung over the fireplaces, and we will attend family and work Christmas gatherings. In the “hustle and bustle” of this season, we may put off preparing spiritually. Though this would likly be unintentional, it could cause us to miss a word from God. I encourage us all to take time daily to pray and ask God’s wisdom and blessing for this holiday season. Then, be ready. You never know what word God might bring and it would be a shame for one of us to hear such great news as Zechariah did but not be able to talk about it.
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This column ran in the Mount Airy News on Friday, December 8, 2006. Enjoy!
Anybody Ready?
Everyday I hear people claim that the holidays show up faster and faster each year. As I grow older, I find that the Christmas season sneaks up on me and I am a little less ready for things this year than I was last year. There are, of course, people who are always ready for the holidays, but remember that the Bree Hodges of the world find their places as characters on television shows. (If you didn’t catch the Desperate Housewives reference, you are not missing much.)
However, being prepared for the Advent and Christmas seasons is something we should turn our attention towards. I do not know a single person who wants to miss something special God has for them, but if scripture is any indication, some of us might. As you may well know, the story of Jesus’ birth is recorded in the Gospel of Luke. Inseparable from the birth of Jesus is the birth of his cousin, John the Baptist, whose birth narrative is woven through Jesus’ Nativity story in chapters 1 and 2 of Luke.
John the Baptist’s birth story begins with an angel appearing to his would-be father, Zechariah. The angel appeared while he was on his temple duties, so an out of the ordinary occurrence should have been no surprise. It turns out the angel was foretelling the birth of Zechariah’s son and when he did not believe the angel’s prophesy, he was silenced (unable to speak) until after his son would be born. In fairness to Zechariah, his disbelief was legitimate. He and his wife were quite old and they had assumed she was barren. Zechariah was not ready for this particular word from God and the consequences were significant. We all can think of times when we heard news that left us speechless, but nine months is quite a period of silence.
Following the birth of John, Jesus’ Nativity Story goes on…
After Jesus’ birth the shepherds and angels dropped by to offer their praise. Eight days later it was time for the child’s presentation in the temple according to the law. Upon arriving at the temple for the presentation and the accompanying sacrifice, they handed the child to a man from Jerusalem named Simeon. Simeon then offered a prayer to the Lord which amounted to: “This is the Messiah! Now that I have seen it all, Lord, you may take your servant in peace.” Simeon was ready when this child was handed to him and he recognized Jesus right away as the Messiah. His response was an offering of praise, far from the silence of Zechariah.
There is cause for blessing and caution in the stories of these two men who frame the birth of Jesus. Zechariah teaches that we must be ready for a word from God to come at any time. Simeon shows us that being prepared for a word from God to come is quite a blessing.
This Advent season, we all will make preparations for Christmas. Trees will be moved into the house, baking will occupy the kitchen, the stockings will be hung over the fireplaces, and we will attend family and work Christmas gatherings. In the “hustle and bustle” of this season, we may put off preparing spiritually. Though this would likly be unintentional, it could cause us to miss a word from God. I encourage us all to take time daily to pray and ask God’s wisdom and blessing for this holiday season. Then, be ready. You never know what word God might bring and it would be a shame for one of us to hear such great news as Zechariah did but not be able to talk about it.
