Christmas Sermon
December 24, 2019
5 PM
So, we have just put the nativity scene together. It looks really pretty doesn’t it? What do you notice about it? Who was there? And if we believe the carol “Silent Night” – all was calm, and all was bright.
Do you think it was really like that? What do you think the real nativity scene was like? If the cattle were lowing – it would have been pretty noisy. Lowing is just a charming word for mooing. And have you ever tried to keep a donkey quiet? We had a donkey inside the church for a pageant at one of my former parishes. That donkey was noisy and messy. Thank goodness we had a stone floor. And what about all the people who showed up – shepherds, their noisy smelly sheep? And loud angels singing Glorias and Hosannahs? And Mary gave birth in a barn and laid her baby in a feeding trough – which is called a manger? It was a pretty scruffy affair. I am sure that this was not Mary’s idea of a perfect birthplace. I am sure that the world did not expect for one minute to have the Savior of the World born among livestock and hay. And what this teaches us is that God is in the midst of all that is imperfect and scruffy in our lives.
Sometimes we get the impression that the church expects us to be perfect.
But what the nativity teaches us is that Jesus doesn’t need us to be perfect, Jesus wants to just be with us. Jesus does not need us to declutter our house and fill it with things that only spark joy. Jesus doesn’t need us serving up a Whole30-vegan-locally-sourced-non-GMO-farm-to-table menu to be served on artisan pottery and locally sourced and upcycled linens. I mean if you like that sort of thing great – but the main point is that Jesus wants to be with you – even if it means eating ramen out of the plastic bowl sitting on a beanbag chair. Jesus does not need your aspirational self; Jesus wants your wonderful authentic self.
And you know what? That’s what we need most from each other. We just need each other in all our imperfection. We are closest to those who know our true selves – our imperfections, our fears, our failings, our foibles, and our vulnerable points.
So, this year, think about the ways that scruffy hospitality opens up our walk with Christ. What ways can you invite Jesus into your life? You do not need to be perfect and have just the perfect window of time to pray, to study the scriptures, and to serve the people Jesus loves like the lonely, sick, oppressed, marginalized, imprisoned, the scared. Just showing up to pray, to worship and to serve is the most important thing to Jesus.
The other thing scruffy hospitality invites us to do, is to invite people into our lives and our homes just as we are. What we need is to surround ourselves with people who love us so much, and we love them so much that we don’t need to wait until everything is perfect and put together to invite them in.
I hope you have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year – in all its scruffiness.
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