And as David and his men went by the way, Shimei went along on the hill’s side over against him, and cursed as he went, and threw stones at him, and cast dust. – 2 Samuel 16:13 

This thought for the day is taken from a sermon entitled, “After the Dust Settles” delivered by G.E. Patterson, former Presiding Bishop of the Church of God in Christ.  If you’re interested in some of the context of the scripture I recommend that you read verses 5-13. 

The part I’d like to explore is the final line in which Shimei curses, throws stones and kicks up dust. Sounds a lot like 2020 to me. Lots of cursing, stones being thrown at one another, and dust everywhere as a result.  Well we can begin to see glimmers of hope in the distance. The most contentious election cycle of my lifetime has just ended. Vaccines are finally going into arms around the country and it looks like Congress may soon agree on some type of stimulus for Americans who are truly suffering during this season.

I’m beginning to feel like there is light at the end of the tunnel, even though the  tunnel seems to be long and dark. The dust is settling with people beginning to wear masks and understanding that we might have to sacrifice this years Christmas gathering so that we can really be together next year.  I am looking forward to having the choir back together again during worship with people in the pews. 

Yes, the dust is beginning to settle. What does it take to settle the dust? Just a little rain to refresh and cleanse. I can feel the rain coming in the distance. 

James Calhoun

               O Holy Night (Verse 3)

Truly He taught us to love one another;

His law is love and His gospel is peace.

Chains shall He break for the slave is our brother:

And in His name all oppression shall cease.

Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we;

Let all within us praise His  holy name.

Christ is the Lord! O praise His name forever!

His power and glory evermore proclaim!

His power and glory evermore proclaim!

Amen

And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. – 2 Corinthians 12:9

Last Christmas, we were honored with the privilege of Atton portraying Jesus in the Family Service at CUMC. When Marty asked us, we were overjoyed. What she doesn’t know (and is likely reading for the first time), her request brought me to tears.

We knew early on in my pregnancy that Atton would be born with a cleft lip and palate. We had time to grieve, research, prepare, and find joy again. Marty asked us to have Atton play Jesus fairly early on in this grieving process, and long before she saw Atton’s darling face. She didn’t even mention the cleft and was one of my first experiences with anyone treating my son as a “traditional” baby. We are truly grateful.

Of course, as an expecting parent, I was worried about how appearances might affect how people treated Atton. We have been amazingly blessed that our interactions with people have been overwhelmingly positive and people have spoken only the kindest words to our son.

Marty did another powerful thing by asking us to have Atton portray Jesus. She introduced “imperfection” to the cradle, and welcomed us all (well, at least me) right there with it. We know Jesus as absolutely perfect, divine. Sometimes, this perfection is hard to grasp, and even harder to feel connected to. I don’t mean to demean my reverence to the divine here. I’m simply talking about relatability.

Sure, we strive to think about what would Jesus do, and try our best in our daily interactions to act in a Christian manner, but it’s awfully easy to admit that we’re not God and we do fall short, and we don’t always have the best path. Parables can be confusing. Jesus must have come off to people of his day as self-centered before they really knew who he was.

Atton’s cleft brought some humanness to the divine, even more than any other roly-poly baby has for me.  It allowed me to have a greater connection with God in his human form, perhaps with some human flaws and all.

As we approach Christmas Eve once more, I wanted to share this story, get you thinking, and perhaps remind you of the human in the divine.

Emalee Sugano

Lord, May we find you amongst our daily lives, blessings, people, and flaws. May we embrace your humanness amongst your divine, as we welcome you in the cradle once more. 

“Then there appeared to him an angel of the Lord, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. When Zechariah saw him, he was terrified; and fear overwhelmed him. But the angel said to him, ‘Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will name him John. You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth…” – Luke 1:11-14

”The angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God…’” — Luke 1:30

“…an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.’ All this took place to fulfil what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet” — Matthew 1:20b-22

“In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord.” Luke 2:8-11

—

Do you notice how the angels keep telling the people in the Christmas story to not be afraid?  It makes me think of a parent telling a child to stop crying, or a friend saying “I want to tell you something, but you gotta promise not to get angry.” Simply saying “do not be afraid” is not going to change the reality that being visited by an angel is some pretty scary stuff!

Of course the angel isn’t simply saying “stop feeling!” The angel is recognizing that this is a disturbing experience, and saying “do not be afraid” is a way of acknowledging the frightening nature of this encounter. The angel follows these words with an explanation of WHY they might not need to fear. God is doing a new thing!  It is a good thing! And you can be a part of it!

But… new things ARE scary. Change is hard. Once again, in this season, we are having to do things in new ways. When we remember what God wants to do through us, however, we can be feel the assurance of the angel, “Do not be afraid, God is with you!”  God is doing things in a new way, through us.

Some have suggested that the wearing of masks, washing of hands, keeping of distance, and gathering online are signs that people are living in fear. I think it is just the opposite: putting others first can be scary if it is a new concept. I am not afraid of God doing a new thing in us, nor of God working through us in new ways. I wear my mask, keep my distance, and wash my hands, as a bold statement of my love. “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”  (Philippians 4:13) Surely that means I can endure the inconvenience of doing the things that promote health and wholeness.

Bless us O God, with wisdom. Help us to learn how to care for others. Teach us your new ways of being one body. Calm our fear of the new by showing us how we can be a part of your new works of love. We pray this in the name of Jesus, our rock and our redeemer. Amen.

—

We will continue to hold outdoor services at 9:30 AM on Sunday mornings. Even so, please consider your own well-being and that of others. If at all possible, please join us for streaming or online worship. Of course, please do not attend if you have any symptoms or have been exposed to someone who has been diagnosed with Covid-19.

All of our Christmas Eve services will be online-only: 5:30 on YouTube, 7:00 on Facebook, and 11 PM on Zoom. 

Your questions for this Sunday in Worship:

1. When have you experienced infectious joy?
2. What does it mean to be chosen?
3. How is the Spirit of the Lord upon you?

Pastor George