Christmas thoughts...

After Christmas Eve round one ~ a loving celebrations with children and families ~ there was round two ~ with another 100 people and GREAT songs and scripture (using Brian Wren's new liturgy.) This setting of "lessons and carols" updates the theologies and speaks of God's love conceptually featuring Psalms of grace, prophetic calls for justice and a sense that in Christ God has truly taken up residence within and among us. We left worship feeling fulfilled and nourished ~ and arrived home to a mini-feast of lentil soup, potato pizza and salad greens (prepared by our sweet children!)

This morning, Christmas Day, another 60 souls braved the wilds of downtown Pittsfield to join us for carols and  holy communion.  We talked about the lectionary readings ~ and in particular Isaiah 52 ~ that celebrates God's grace inwardly and outwardly:

How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the messenger who announces peace, who brings good news, who announces salvation, who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.” Listen! Your sentinels lift up their voices, together they sing for joy; for in plain sight they see the return of the Lord to Zion. Break forth together into singing, you ruins of Jerusalem; for the Lord has comforted his people, he has redeemed Jerusalem. The Lord has bared his holy arm before the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.

One commentator has written:

The poet-prophet uses this transferred epithet to express the joy that lies in the message of peace. The prophet’s reference to the feet, rather than the voice or the face, draws attention to the journey of the messenger in two ways. First, the agent of God is on the move, but moves step by step. God’s purposes are slow but sure. The evidence of God’s coming may be lowly, even dirty like human feet walking a dusty road, but still God’s coming is a most beautiful event as is the news of it. These are also aspects of the Christian understanding of the incarnation of God in Jesus.

Secondly, the news of peace is coming from the mountains. The word ‘mountain’ is common in Second-Isaiah, especially as a place of rejoicing (cf. 40:9; 44:23). The levelling of mountains by God is a common metaphor to represent overcoming obstacles especially in a new exodus back from exile to the land (40:4, 12, 15; 42:15). However, the mountains of Isa. 52:7 may have a more literal meaning. Along the eastern flank of Babylonia are the mountains of Persia. It was over these mountains that the liberator of God’s people, God’s ‘anointed’ one, king Cyrus, was to come (45:1).

Cyrus is the only non-Israelite who is given the title meshiach ‘anointed’ (Messiah) in the Bible. News of his advent and his conquests reached the Judean exiles some years before they were finally free to return home. Those in exile could see God’s action unfolding in the context of imminent political events.

We prayed for those who are trapped in violence ~ noting Syria and Iraq ~ lifted up friends and loved ones trapped in addiction or plagued with grief and returned thanks for our blessings. But mostly we sang Christmas carols ~ a liturgical form of stump the band where people call out their favorites and our organist gives them a shot ~ for like the ancient prophet today felt like a day to shout and sing for joy as we celebrated the presence of God who rebuilds what is in ruins in every sense. 

The kids made us breakfast after worship ~ and then it was on to sharing gifts ~ before a short late afternoon nap.  Now there is more food preparation before an early evening feast and a walk about to look at the holiday lights.  It has been a festival of music, joy, feasting, prayer and remembrance ~ and I am grateful.


credits:
1/2: lumsden
3: http://adventdoor.com/