Reno UMC Sermon: 12-20-09

December 20, 2009
Rev. Judith Bither

Blessed

When you think about it every baby is an intrusion. No matter how prepared we believe we are for the birth of our little one, our world will be turned upside down. I remember so well bringing Russell home 30 years ago and trying to figure out how to fold and pin the cloth diaper on this crying infant. And I’ve seen the great changes my grandson has made in my daughter and son-in-laws lives these past almost two years.

Every baby is an intrusion, but this baby, this child born among us, Jesus, is especially intrusive. We heard this today from Luke’s gospel as Mary sang her “Magnificat”; she fore-tells of the advent of a savior who is the cause of the rising up of the oppressed and the falling down of the high and mighty. Her song is one of victory. God is finally getting what God wants and through the miraculous birth of a baby.

During Advent we prepare and wait for the birth of Christ; it is all too easy to forget what an intrusion this birth was and is. “O holy child of Bethlehem, be born in us today” we sing. Shall we be able to really receive the changes this Holy Child will bring into our world and into our lives?

As Mary converses with her kinswoman Elizabeth, we observe two women who are having their worlds rocked by God. They have a choice. They can refuse to receive God who comes to them in an odd way. They can turn their backs on the revolution that God is bringing into the world. Or they can say “yes”, not understanding what God is doing, but willing to be a part of it.

So we gather on this 4^th Sunday of Advent on the basis of nothing more than a baby. We are only three days away from Christmas Eve where we will return to the church to light the Christ candle on our Advent wreath. It is a high holy time in on our church calendar.

As you know from the Christmas story, this baby was not well received by everyone. The angels, who disturbed the heavens with joyous songs, sung of Good News. How was this good news received? The shepherds were filled with fear. King Herod, who was guarded in his palace by many soldiers, was also afraid, seeing the birth as a threat to his empire. Even Joseph, the man engaged to Mary, didn’t readily receive this baby.

A woman who wasn’t married to anyone conceived Jesus. We have names for such babies. Thankfully I don’t hear this word too often any more, though we used to call such babies illegitimate. That is a sad term for anyone, much less the Son of God. Indeed, hundreds of us gather today and more will gather on Christmas Eve to receive the baby, to welcome the Word made flesh. We sing “O Come let us adore him.”

And there is a counter miracle occurring here. We are receiving the babe, and the babe is also receiving us. In the birth of Jesus, because we could not come to God, God came to us. “In many and diverse ways, God spoke to us”, we read in scripture. “And now God has spoken to us with a Son.”

The Word became flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld his glory. God came to us so that we might come to God. Let’s think deeply for a moment about what this really means. God takes on our humanity so that we might assume some of God’s divinity. So much so that we Christians come to speak, almost casually, of a miracle when we say, “I am a child of God.” We have been made children of God by the great grace of our loving God who reaches down to us in the incarnation.

In his wonderful books of church stories, The Good News From Northhaven, and Leaving Northhaven, Pastor Michael Lindval, writes about the small town of Northhaven, Minnesota and its little church. The stories are a little like those told by Garrison Keillor about the fictional Lake Wobegon, Minnesota. Only instead of a Lutheran Church, this is a Presbyterian Church.

In one story it is Thanksgiving weekend and one of the Elders of the church had his grandson baptized. As was the tradition of this particular church, when an infant was baptized the minister would ask the question, “Who stands with this child?”

Then the grandparents and an assortment of other relatives would stand to join the parents holding the baby who was presented for baptism. After this particular baptism, after the service was over, after the congregation had exited for their fellowship time, the pastor was emptying the water from the baptismal bowl when he noticed that one person had remained behind. He commented that she was dressed in “Salvation Army style, clutching a plastic black purse.” He recognized her as someone who always sat in the back pew, closest to the back door. He didn’t even know her name. She seemed at a loss for words. After an awkward silence she commented how lovely the baptism had been; and then, fumbling for words, she said to the pastor, “Tina has had a baby and, well the baby ought to be baptized, shouldn’t it?”

The pastor suggested that Tina should come to see him, along with her husband, and they could discuss the possibility of a baptism. “Tina has no husband. She was confirmed in this church and came to the youth group. But then she got involved with this older boy. And then she got pregnant. She is only 18.”

The pastor awkwardly mumbled that he would bring the request before the church Session. In Presbyterian churches, the Session of Elders make those kinds of decisions.

When the pastor presented the request to baptize Tina’s baby there was some mumbling. Who was the father? The pastor said he didn’t know. How could they be sure Tina would be faithful to the promises that she was making in the baptism? The pastor wondered aloud how they could be sure about anybody’s promise? After some shuffling about, the baptism was approved for the 4^th Sunday of Advent.

When the 4^th Sunday of Advent arrived it was crowded in the sanctuary as it always was just before Christmas. They went through the usual Advent hymns: “O Come, O Come Emmanuel” and “Come Thou Long-Expected Jesus.” And then it was time for the baptism and the pastor invited the family presenting their baby for baptism to come forward.

An Elder of the church stood and read from a 3x5 card “Tina Corey presents her son, James, for baptism.” Tina came down the aisle of the church holding her two-month old son in her arms. The scene was just as awkward as the pastor and elders knew it would be. Tina seemed so young and so alone.

As she stood there they could not help but think of another mother and her son, young and alone so long ago. Then there had also been an unwed mother and few could fail to recognize the similarities between Tina and Mary.

The pastor came to the appointed time when he asked, “And who stands with this child?” He looked at as the mother of Tina dressed in her meager way, came forward to stand with her daughter and grandson. The pastor’s eyes went back to the service book to proceed with the questions to be asked of the parents. He became aware of movement within the congregation. A couple of elders in the church stood up. Then the sixth grade Sunday School teacher stood up. Then a new young couple in the church stood up. And then before the pastor’s astonished eyes, the whole church was standing, moving forward, clustered around the mother and child. Tina was crying. Her mother was gripping the altar rail as if she were clutching on the railing of a tossing ship, “which in a way she was”, a ship in a great wind. It was another step on the journey of faith.

And little James, as the water touched his forehead, grew peaceful and calm as if he could feel this warm embrace. And the whole congregation gathered as if this were their child, as if they were all family.

On Christmas Eve we gather again in the church to celebrate that a wonderful baby has been born into our family. By that baby, that wonderful baby, you have been made family. Maybe you are here today by yourself. Maybe you don’t have much family, maybe you have lost the family you had, or perhaps your family is far away.

But do you hear today that rustling in the pews as your whole family makes its way to the manger? Do you feel these strangers becoming brothers and sisters taking place around the baptismal font and table? The Word has taken flesh and dwelled among us. What is that word?

This is the Word of Life! Thanks be to God! Amen

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