{"id":883,"date":"2009-12-14T09:27:58","date_gmt":"2009-12-14T14:27:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.elca.org\/faithlens\/?p=883"},"modified":"2009-12-20T14:59:08","modified_gmt":"2009-12-20T19:59:08","slug":"christmas-greetings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.elca.org\/faithlens\/christmas-greetings\/","title":{"rendered":"December 16-23, 2009–Christmas Greetings"},"content":{"rendered":"

Contributed by Jay McDivitt<\/p>\n

Warm-up question:<\/h3>\n

What things bring you joy during this time of year? What things irritate you during the holiday season?<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Story: Congress Wages War\u2026over Christmas<\/h3>\n

\"capitolRepresentative Henry Brown, Jr. (R-South Carolina), has introduced a bill in the House which, if passed, would make it clear that Congress \u201cstrongly disapproves of attempts to ban references to Christmas\u201d and \u201cexpresses support for the use of\u2026 symbols and traditions by those who celebrate Christmas.” Brown believes that it is important for him to have \u201cthe right to celebrate Christmas\u201d and that \u201cwishing someone \u2018Merry Christmas\u2019 should never be met with disapproval.\u201d<\/p>\n

Although this is the first time that the so-called \u201cWar over Christmas\u201d has been discussed in Congress, it has become a regular feature of the holiday season to debate how people\u2014especially retail employees and public leaders\u2014should greet one another during this festivetime. As the U.S. becomes increasingly diverse, the growing presence of non-Christian neighbors poses the question of whether \u201cMerry Christmas\u201d is a meaningful, appropriate, or insensitive way to greet strangers who may celebrate something else\u2014or nothing at all\u2014rather than the birth of Christ. \u201cHappy Holidays\u201d is a commonly used alternative.<\/p>\n

Opinions vary widely, among Christians and non-Christians alike, about this question of decorum and etiquette. Some think this is an example of \u201cpolitical correctness\u201d gone wild; others think it is a meaningful way to acknowledge religious diversity and offer a gesture of hospitality to non-Christian neighbors.\u00a0 Still others think this conversation is simply a silly way to bring the \u201cculture wars\u201d into a season that should be filled with peace and good will.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Discussion questions:<\/h3>\n
    \n
  1. What do you think about Rep. Brown\u2019s proposed bill? Would you vote for it?<\/li>\n
  2. How do you greet people during this season? Do you have friends or neighbors who you know are non-Christian? Do you treat them differently from your Christian friends during the Christmas season?<\/li>\n
  3. Whether \u201cHappy Holidays\u201d or \u201cMerry Christmas,\u201d the greeting implies that this season is joyful. How joyful are you? How do you express joy during this season?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    \u00a0<\/p>\n

    Scripture Texts (NRSV) for Sunday, December 20, 2009 (Fourth Sunday in Advent)<\/p>\n

    (Text links are to Oremus Bible Browser<\/a>. Oremus Bible Browser is not affiliated with or supported by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. You can find the calendar of readings for Year C at Lectionary Readings<\/a>.)<\/p>\n

    \u00a0<\/p>\n

    For lectionary humor and insight, check the weekly comic Agnus Day.<\/a><\/p>\n

    Micah 5:2-5a<\/a><\/p>\n

    Hebrews 10:5-10<\/a><\/p>\n

    Luke 1:39-45 (46-56)<\/a><\/p>\n

    Gospel Reflection:<\/h3>\n

    \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The season of Advent belongs, for the most part, to John the Baptist. This year, we have three weeks in a row where John plays an important role. Today, however, his name doesn\u2019t even appear in the text\u2014but he\u2019s there. John is the baby who jumps for joy inside of Elizabeth\u2019s tummy. Talk about a Christmas greeting!<\/p>\n

    \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 John\u2019s main job was to prepare the way for the Messiah\u2014to point out the Christ; and today we learn that even while he was in utero<\/em>, he was doing his job. Elizabeth is six months pregnant with John when Mary shows up.\u00a0 All Mary has to say is \u201chello,\u201d and John does cartwheels in Elizabeth\u2019s womb: \u201cThis is it! Pay attention to this one, Mom!\u201d And Elizabeth, rubbing her belly, looks Mary in the eyes and calls her blessed; she recognizes Mary as the mother of her Lord.<\/p>\n

    \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 And anyone watching this scene unfold would have been very surprised. Mary? Her?<\/em> This poor, unmarried girl carrying an \u201cillegitimate child\u201d is blessed<\/em>? Cursed is more like it. At least embarrassed or ashamed\u2026 but blessed<\/em>? The mother of the Lord?<\/p>\n

    \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 But Elizabeth knows\u2014deep inside her own body\u2014that something special is happening in Mary. This child is, indeed, the Messiah. John said so\u2014long before John could even speak.<\/p>\n

    \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 And if you\u2019ve been paying attention in Sunday School, you shouldn\u2019t be all that surprised. Everywhere you turn in the Bible, God is doing wild and holy things with unexpected people. In God\u2019s strange way, it makes sense that God would choose to bring the Messiah into the world through the womb of an unremarkable girl, a poor girl who probably wouldn\u2019t have been noticed. Makes sense, of course, if you\u2019re prepared to look in ordinary places for extraordinary things.<\/p>\n

    \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 And that\u2019s what John prepares us to do. That\u2019s his job. This important prophet, son of an important priest in the Jerusalem Temple, is only a signpost, pointing to the amazing thing that God is doing in this illegitimate child born to a homely girl from a good-for-nothing corner of Israel. So John points. And Elizabeth blesses. And Mary sings.<\/p>\n

    And that\u2019s what we do, too.<\/p>\n

    We point\u2014we look for signs of God\u2019s grace and love in unexpected places.<\/p>\n

    We bless\u2014we call things \u201choly\u201d when they remind us of God among us.<\/p>\n

    And we sing\u2014we greet Jesus with songs of joy and sing those songs in the midst of a world in fear.<\/p>\n

    We do this, not because we want to shove Jesus down peoples\u2019 throats or to make people uncomfortable. We do it, even if we don\u2019t always use words\u2014even if we find other ways to share joy and life with people who do not share our faith in Christ. We do it, not because we have to or because God tells us to. We do it because we, like John, Mary, and Elizabeth, simply can\u2019t help it<\/em>. This news is too good not<\/em> to make us jump for joy\u2014to point, bless, and sing out the good news that God is coming, Christ is here<\/em>, and joy is real\u2014today and always. And thanks be to God for that. Amen.<\/p>\n

    \u00a0<\/p>\n

    Questions:<\/h3>\n
      \n
    1. Where do you see signs of joy in the world around you? Where do you see the \u201cChrist\u201d in all the Christmas stuff that is happening during this season?<\/li>\n
    2. Does everything that says \u201cMerry Christmas\u201d on it have something to do with Jesus? What are some parts of the Christmas season that aren\u2019t all that connected to the birth of Christ?<\/li>\n
    3. What would be a meaningful way to share the joy of Christmas with people who don\u2019t know or worship Christ? What are some ways you can spread the joy of Christmas with people who aren\u2019t feeling joyful?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      \u00a0<\/p>\n

      Activities:<\/h3>\n
        \n
      1. Go through the Christmas section of the hymnal you use in worship and count all the references to \u201cjoy.\u201d What do these hymns say about the reason for joy? What do these hymns say about the reason for Christ\u2019s birth\u2014what it is all about or what it accomplishes? Finish by singing Joy to the World<\/em> together (ELW 267). Notice that this is in the \u201cAdvent\u201d section of the hymnal. Why do you think that is?<\/li>\n
      2. Depending on who you ask, either the Third or the Fourth Sunday in Advent is gaudete<\/em> Sunday\u2014the day when some folks light a pink candle on the Advent wreath. Gaudete<\/em> means \u201cjoy\u201d in Latin, and it traditionally was celebrated on the Third Sunday of Adventwhen the readings were about Mary\u2019s pregnancy and the joyful announcement of Christ\u2019s coming birth. In recent years, those readings now fall on the Fourth Sunday of Advent, leading to some confusion about when it would be appropriate to light the pink candle. Nevertheless, sometime around this day, the church celebrates Joy with a little pink flare\u2014a break from the more solemn, blue season with its focus on repentance.\u00a0 Introduce the theme of \u201cjoy\u201d and gaudete<\/em> Sunday to the youth and then make something pink\u2014a stole\/scarf, banner, t-shirt, etc. Invite the youth to adorn cloth with signs and symbols of things that bring them joy, things they are hopeful for, things they are waiting for in their lives. Invite them to share these projects with each other.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        \u00a0<\/p>\n

        Prayer:<\/h3>\n

        \u00a0O God for whom we wait: Fill us with joy as we celebrate your birth among us. Help us to see the joy you are bringing into the world and point it out to those around us. Open our hearts and minds to see your blessings and open our mouths to sing for joy. In the name of Christ we pray. Amen<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

        Contributed by Jay McDivitt Warm-up question: What things bring you joy during this time of year? What things irritate you during the holiday season? \u00a0 Story: Congress Wages War\u2026over Christmas Representative Henry Brown, Jr. (R-South Carolina), has introduced a bill in the House which, if passed, would make it clear that Congress \u201cstrongly disapproves of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1400],"tags":[465,194,1348,1347,319,425,1349,1350,434,1351,472,510,397,76,513,331,418],"class_list":["post-883","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-post","tag-advent","tag-christmas","tag-culture-war","tag-elizabeth","tag-faith","tag-faithfulness-to-god","tag-happy-holidays","tag-henry-brown","tag-humility","tag-john","tag-mary","tag-miracle","tag-obedience","tag-poverty","tag-servant","tag-witness","tag-witnessing"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nDecember 16-23, 2009-Christmas Greetings - Faith Lens<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.elca.org\/faithlens\/christmas-greetings\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"December 16-23, 2009-Christmas Greetings - Faith Lens\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Contributed by Jay McDivitt Warm-up question: What things bring you joy during this time of year? What things irritate you during the holiday season? \u00a0 Story: Congress Wages War\u2026over Christmas Representative Henry Brown, Jr. (R-South Carolina), has introduced a bill in the House which, if passed, would make it clear that Congress \u201cstrongly disapproves of […]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/blogs.elca.org\/faithlens\/christmas-greetings\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Faith Lens\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2009-12-14T14:27:58+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2009-12-20T19:59:08+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"faithlens\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"faithlens\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.elca.org\\\/faithlens\\\/christmas-greetings\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.elca.org\\\/faithlens\\\/christmas-greetings\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"faithlens\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.elca.org\\\/faithlens\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/b8300066980f72581b618e79dbe972e7\"},\"headline\":\"December 16-23, 2009–Christmas Greetings\",\"datePublished\":\"2009-12-14T14:27:58+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2009-12-20T19:59:08+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.elca.org\\\/faithlens\\\/christmas-greetings\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1386,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.elca.org\\\/faithlens\\\/christmas-greetings\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.elca.org\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/15\\\/2009\\\/12\\\/capitol-and-creche2-150x150.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Advent\",\"Christmas\",\"culture war\",\"elizabeth\",\"faith\",\"faithfulness to God\",\"happy holidays\",\"Henry Brown\",\"humility\",\"John\",\"Mary\",\"miracle\",\"obedience\",\"poverty\",\"servant\",\"witness\",\"witnessing\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Post\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.elca.org\\\/faithlens\\\/christmas-greetings\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.elca.org\\\/faithlens\\\/christmas-greetings\\\/\",\"name\":\"December 16-23, 2009-Christmas Greetings - 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