Month: December 2013

Keeping Christ in Christmas

On By Rev. Dr. Jarrett BanksIn Advent and Christmas, Short ArticlesLeave a comment

a war on christmasChristmas means that God humbly lowered God’s self, emptied God’s self, poured God’s self out by becoming flesh and dwelling among us and among others.

Christmas means that God came to us and others, met us and others, and loved us and others where we are and where they are. Christmas is undeserved and unearned by all. Christmas is grace for all. Christmas is gift for all.

God did not wait for humankind to come to God. God did not wait until we got ourselves right or our religion right. God did not wait until we had the right faith, enough faith or any faith. God came in spite of ourselves and accepted us and loved us nonetheless.

Then tell me why—why anytime, but why especially this time of the year—why would anyone who claims to celebrate the true meaning of Christmas treat others (those with other beliefs, other faiths and other religions) with condemnation, arrogance and disrespect.

And why would anyone who truly wants to keep “Christ” in Christmas become so angry as to declare “war” against anyone who treats others with grace, humility, and respect.

For more see: There’s a War on Christmas – Just Not the One You Think

World-Affirming Christmas

On By Rev. Dr. Jarrett BanksIn Advent and Christmas, Short ArticlesLeave a comment

star-of-bethlehemExcerpt from  Heaven Can Wait

British scholar Lesslie Newbigin once looked at our dark world and the state of the Church and made the following assessment: “In an age of impending ecological crises,” with the “threat of nuclear war and a biological holocaust” many Christians have retreated into a “privatized eschatology.”  That means, that the only hope many Christians possess is “their vision of personal blessedness for the soul after death.”

Christians everywhere, in the words of Newbigin, have “sounded the trumpet of retreat.” They have thrown their hands in the air and have given up on the world. Their faith in Jesus has become solely and merely a private matter. Faith is only something they possess, something they hold on to, that they can someday use as their ticket out this God-forsaken place. In the meantime, they withdraw into safe sanctuaries and look forward to that day “the roll is called up yonder.”  And they listen to angry sermons by angry preachers condemning the world to Hell in a hand basket.

Giving up on the world is really nothing new.  At the turn of the first century, Jews called Gnostics had a similar view of the world.  Everything worldly, even the human body itself, was regarded as evil.  And maybe, they too, had some pretty good reasons to believe that way, because regardless of what some may believe, the world did not start growing dark when Kennedy was assassinated or when the Trade Center Towers fell. The truth is: This world has been dark ever since that serpent showed up in the garden.

At the turn of the first century, Jews were a conquered, depressed people, occupied the Romans.  They were terrorized daily by a ruthless, pro-Roman King named Herod—a king who would murder innocent children to have his way.  The Gnostics looked at the world and their situation and came to the conclusion that they were divine souls trapped in evil bodies living in a very dark, God-forsaken, God-despised world.

In this season of Advent, we remember that it was into a very dark world that something mysterious happened that we call Christmas. A light shone in that darkness proving in the most incredible and inexplicable way that this world is anything but God-forsaken or God-despised!

God loves this world so much that God emptied God’s self and poured God’s self into the world. God came and affirmed, even our fleshly existence as God, God’s self, became flesh. And God came into the world not to condemn the world, but to save the world. For so God loved the world that God came into the world and died for the world.

Thus, the message that we all need to hear today and hear often is NOT that God believes the world is worth forsaking, but God believes this world is worth saving! God believes the world is still worth fighting for! God still believes that this world is worth dying for!

As the body of Christ in this world, we as the church are not called to retreat or withdraw from the world and its troubles, but are called to love this world, to do battle for this world, to even die for this world.  We are called to be a selfless community of faith in this broken world. And, no matter the cost, we are called to share this good news of Christmas all year long!

The Christmas Disparity

On By Rev. Dr. Jarrett BanksIn Advent and Christmas, Short ArticlesLeave a comment

baby-jesus-christmas-nativity-wallpapers-1024x768Have you ever thought about the stark disparity of the first Christmas and the way our culture celebrates Christmas?

Stockings hung on the fireplace; a wreath on the door, presents wrapped under a tree—A baby born in a stable and placed in a feeding troth; homeless refugees fleeing to a foreign land; the slaughter of the innocent.

The scent of fresh-cut cedar and fir; the aroma of warm gingerbread; the smell of candy canes and tangerines—the stench of animal waste; the smell of wet straw; the repugnant odor of poor, unbathed shepherds.

Jingle Bells, Rudolph, and Frosty the Snowman; the tolling of church bells; the laughter of children playing—The disappointment in an innkeeper’s voice; the painful cries of a night of labor; the wails of grief from parents holding their dead babies.

Why the disparity?

Could it possibly be because we are frightened by who true Christmas calls us to be and where true Christmas calls us to go?

Perhaps this is why we go to great lengths every year to cover it up. This is why we decorate it. This is why we tie a bow around it and string it with lights.

True Christmas looks more like the rejected homeless sleeping on the street, the grief-stricken eyes of mourners, and the wearied and anxious faces of refugees.

True Christmas smells more like the stench of a dank prison cell, the foul odor of a nursing home, and the uncleanliness of the very poor.

True Christmas sounds more like the cries of a distraught Alzheimer’s patient, the moaning of an AIDS patient, and the sobbing heard at a funeral.

This year, may we see through the wrappings, glitter and lights and BE the people that Christmas calls us to be and GO to the places Christmas calls us to go.

Seeing the World Through the Eyes of Christmas

On By Rev. Dr. Jarrett BanksIn Advent and Christmas, Short ArticlesLeave a comment

christmas eye chartMy graying hair is not the only thing that tells my age. If there is not a considerable amount of light in a room, my vision is significantly impaired. And trying to read something in the dark? Forget about it! Eating out the other night, I picked up a lighted candle that was on my table and nearly burned down the restaurant trying to read the menu! I charred part of the menu, but thankfully, there were no flames.

So to prevent the pastor of First Christian Church from one day being arrested for arson, I have decided to keep a little pocket-light on my key chain at all times. Because looking at the dark world through 47 year-old eyes is becoming more difficult by the day, and especially by the night.

Figuratively speaking, looking at our dark world with frail, finite eyes can sometimes be even more difficult. Some days, everywhere we look, we only see darkness and despair.

On Christmas Eve churches all over the world will gather together to celebrate Christmas by lighting candles to celebrate the Light of the World who has come to shine light into our darkness. This Light has changed the way we see ourselves and this world forever. Instead of looking at the world with frail, finite eyes, with faith we are able to look at the world with the eyes of Christmas.

Looking at the world with the eyes of Christmas means believing God is here with us and has identified with us. God knows what it is like to be a human being. God shares in our joy, but God also shares in our suffering. God doesn’t cause our misery; God feels our misery.

Looking at the world with the eyes of Christmas also means believing that God is working in the world bringing order out of the chaos, triumph out of defeat, and life out of death.

Looking at the world with the eyes of Christmas means believing that God is very much a part of our world and our lives, shining light in the darkness, giving joy where there is sorrow, bringing peace where there is confusion, granting forgiveness where there are mistakes, sharing love where there is hate, and giving hope where there is despair.

Like a 47 year-old turning on a pocket light to read a menu, Christmas adjusts our focus and sharpens our vision, and we begin to see the whole creation in a brand new Light. Misery becomes opportunity. Strangers become family. Enemies become friends. Everyday becomes gift.

Christmas Born in Straw

On By Rev. Dr. Jarrett BanksIn Advent and Christmas, Farmville Enterprise, Short ArticlesLeave a comment

7352204-baby-jesus-asleep-in-the-manger

John Scott once wrote: “We are not to picture Jesus as a modern baby lying with nothing on but a diaper…but as a baby in ‘swaddling cloths,’ the long narrow strips of bandage wrapped round his limbs and body making free movement impossible…Is it not almost unbelievable that the Creator, on whose freedom and power we all depend, should allow himself to be bound, and to lie in helpless weakness in the straw?”

The true message of Christmas is that God was born into our world naked, defenseless, and vulnerable. How ironic then is our consumeristic perversion of it!

The Messiah, bound in a feeding troth—while December shopping malls exhibit a celebration of our capitalistic freedom to make and spend as much money as we desire.

The Savior of the World, born in a barn to peasants—while our homes and tables exhibit an extravagant excessiveness associated with royalty.

God, humbled, emptied and poured out—while Christians use Christmas to exert their power, control and authority, especially over others who have different faiths.

Christmas challenges us to acknowledge that God’s ways are not our ways. While we perceive Christmas as an opportunity to get our own way, through the true message of Christmas I believe God is trying to show us another way.

This is why I believe it is so important to attend and invite others to our worship services and activities during Advent and Christmas. For amid the clamor of consumerism and selfishness, in our worship we will hear a call to sacrifice and selflessness. Amid the noise of narcissism and pride, through our acts servitude we will sing carols of humility and sharing.

And may the world look at us and see not a Crusader born with a silver spoon in his mouth and a sword in his hand, but a baby whose limbs were bound and whose bed was straw.

Holiday Party Pooper

On By Rev. Dr. Jarrett BanksIn Advent and Christmas, Sermons Year ALeave a comment

christmas_invitationMatthew 3:1-12 NRSV

One of the greatest things about this time of year is all of the Christmas parties.

Now, generally speaking, there two kinds of guests we invite to these parties.  First, there are the people that we gladly invite.  Guests we want to invite.  Guests we look forward to inviting.   These are the people we enjoy being around.  You know, people that are fun, the folks who know how to have a good time.

Then, there are those people that we have to invite: those extended members of the family, maybe a coworker, or maybe the pastor.  We don’t really enjoy being around them, we would prefer not being around them, but we know their feelings will be hurt if we do not invite them, so because we are Christian, and because it is Christmas, we reluctantly invite them to our party.

And besides, these folks, well, they are like family.  Sometimes they are family.  Christmas parties have guests we want to invite and they have guests that we just have to invite.

My good friend and pastor Nathan Parrish has said that he is quite certain that John the Baptist would be on our “have to invite’ list.  John the Baptist is that strange character that no one really enjoys having around, especially at Christmas.  Just look at him!

He just doesn’t seem to fit into the mood of the season.  He doesn’t know how to have a good time.  Everyone remembers the way he behaved last Christmas.  While everyone else wore festive clothing, had on their red and their green, had on their Christmas sweaters with Santas and reindeer and snowmen and Christmas trees and wreaths, John the Baptist had the nerve to show up in an old camel hair robe with a worn leather belt.  John the Baptist simply doesn’t know how to dress for such gatherings.

Do you remember what happened at last year’s Christmas Dinner when someone offered him some a slice of roast pork and a warm glass of apple cider?  He said he was on this ridiculous diet. He said he only ate locusts and wild honey!  John the Baptist just doesn’t know how to enjoy himself at these functions.

And while everyone at the a party was simply trying to enjoy Christmas and each other by exchanging warm, friendly conversation, John stalked around the room shouting, “Repent, for the Kingdom of God is at hand!”  He doesn’t seem to realize that a Christmas party is no place for a sermon…especially a sermon on repentance.

So year after year, after every Christmas party, we say to ourselves that this is the last time we invite this character to our party.  For every year, no matter how hard we try, he always seems to ruin the perfect holiday season.

Oh this year, wouldn’t it be nice we could just leave John the Baptist out?  Forget him this year.  Ignore him.  Avoid him.  Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we did not have to put up with his bizarre outfit, his strange diet and his somber message?

We don’t want to invite him this year, but we have to, don’t we?

Because after all it’s Christmas and we are Christians and he, well, he is family—he’s Jesus’ family anyway.  And besides that, he belongs to the Christmas story.

His appearance in the Christmas drama was no accident.  He did not choose to be a part of salvation history.  God chose him.  His appearing was prophesied through the prophet Isaiah.  Whose words we find in the fortieth chapter: “A voice cries out: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.  Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground should become level, and the rough places a plain.  Then the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all the people shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

So, even if we do not want to have John the Baptist around this Advent season, we do not have much of a choice.  After all he’s family, and he is part of the story.

But if he is part of the Christmas story, why do we find him so offensive?  Why does his weird dress, bazaar diet and somber message turn us off this time of year?  Why do we find him so embarrassing and regard him as our annual holiday party pooper?

Because, when we think about it, we realize that John the Baptist is the exact opposite of how our culture defines Christmas.  Just look at him!  Nothing about him, the way he looks the way he eats the way he talks says:  “Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!”   And when we really think about it, we realize that John the Baptist is the antithesis of our beloved Santa Claus.  Just look at Santa.  Santa Claus always dresses in a very festive manner.  Santa has never been on a strict diet in his life. There is no telling how many cookies and glasses of milk he consumes on Christmas Eve.  Yes, Santa knows something about having a good time!  And Santa’s message is anything but harsh or somber.

And think of how Santa operates.  He operates and acts like all human beings operate and act.  He rewards the good, and punishes the bad.  “He’s making a list, he’s checking it twice. He’s going to find out who’s naughty or nice.  He sees you when you’re sleeping.  He knows when you’re awake.  He knows if you have been bad or good, so be good for goodness sake!”

Now, think about what John the Baptist says.  Repent.  You need to change the way you do things.  You need to change the way you see things.  You need to see the world in a brand new way. And there is one coming, John says, who is going to show us the way. And his name is Jesus.

Now, think of how Jesus operates. How does Jesus relate to the ones his culture defined as the bad?  To half-breed Samaritans?  The woman caught in the act of adultery that the religious people wanted to stone to death?  To the sinful, abusive, greedy, to the Tax collectors who he not only ate and drank with, but made them his disciples? To the woman at the well who was having an affair?  To one of the bandits who was being crucified alongside of Jesus?  Instead of punishing the bad, cursing the wicked, Jesus oftentimes blesses them.

And how does Jesus relate to the good, the religious, to the Pharisees and Sadducees?  Well, much in the same what that John the Baptist related to them.  “But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, ‘you brood of vipers!’”  You bunch of poisonous snakes!

Instead of blessing the good, Jesus often cursed them.  The antithesis of Santa Claus.  Valleys lifted up.  Mountains made low.  Uneven ground, level.  Rough places a plain.

Maybe this is why we have so much trouble inviting this John the Baptist to our parties.  Because he reminds of something that we do not like to be reminded of— That we don’t see the world the way God sees it.  That we, every one of us, need to repent.  We need a change of mind.  A change of heart.  We need to see the world in a completely different way.

The truth is, and all who are honest will admit it, we need John the Baptist around.  Because he, no matter how harsh and how somber and how disturbing, is the key to experiencing the hope that is Christmas, hope that we too often miss every year.

Christmas, the gift of Jesus Christ.  The gift of salvation is just that—a gift.  Christmas is all about grace.  And, when we are completely honest with our sinful selves, we realize that that is our only hope.  Because no matter what Santa teaches us, true Christmas is not deserved.

We have a lot to learn, don’t we?  For even when we try to be charitable at Christmas, we want to make sure that the people who are receiving our charity deserve it, have somehow earned it.

When charitable organizations make their plea to the public for help, have you noticed how they are in choosing their words?  “Please give so we can assist several deserving families this Christmas.”

These organizations realize that people in this country have been influenced more by culture than by Christianity—more by Santa Claus than by Jesus.  They realize that many people are afraid to give charity fearing that their donation might go to someone who has failed to earn it.  They realize that for most people the concept of grace is completely foreign.

To experience the true hope of Christmas, John the Baptist says we must change our hearts and minds and attitudes and live a life of grace.  It’s not a pleasant thing to hear, and it’s not a pleasant thing to do.  Giving love to someone who in no way deserves it never brings a good time.  But by the grace of God, it does bring hope.

Visiting the prisons, spending time with folks who deserve absolutely nothing, giving to a family at Christmas that has in no way earned our gift, buying a gift for someone we don’t even know, offering forgiveness to someone who has wronged us, truly loving our neighbors as ourselves, these things are not having a good time, but these things do miraculously bring hope, for both the giver and receiver.

How are your Christmas preparations coming this year?  Are you having a party?  Have you made your guest list?  This year, I hope you will gladly include John the Baptist.  He may not wish you a Merry Christmas, but he will be sure that you will a very hopeful Christmas.