By Rev. Debra Jene Collum
Chatfield United Methodist
In my Christian tradition it is generally thought that singing Christmas hymns should wait until the day of Christmas Eve. Most of us in mainline Protestant churches fudge on that a little. We recognize that banning Christmas carols until Christmas Eve isn’t practical or even good practice. So in my congregational worship services you will hear an occasional Christmas Carol intermixed with the Advent Hymns during the month of December. For don’t you think it is true that we need to sing “Joy to the world, the lord has come” as often as possible in this world of ours. And to not hear children sing “Silent Night” or “Away in a Manger” before Christmas Eve just isn’t helpful to our spirits in the deep cold and dark of winter.
I have been experiencing even more musical disharmony this year. I have been “Dreaming of a White Christmas” since mid September. It has been my pleasure and privilege to work with the cast and crew of “White Christmas” through Wit’s End Theatre in Chatfield. My excellent team of costume builders and I have been sewing and building Christmas attire for a cast of 30 people. This has meant hours sitting through rehearsals of “Snow,” “White Christmas” and “Happy Holidays” for months now.
We even opened the show on the same weekend that Advent began.
I was watching the stage at Potter Auditorium light up with Christmas trees while I was preparing the first Sunday of Advent service for my congregation.
So when we gathered on December 1, I wondered if it would be too strange. Would I feel as if Christmas had already come?
But as soon as the organist began playing “People Look East, The Time is Near for the crowning of the year…” I was swept immediately backwards into the time of waiting for the Christ Child.
Sure, Christmas trees were up all over the place. On the stage at Potter, in the malls and grocery stores, in Central Park, but that didn’t mean that Christmas had arrived. Not yet. We may sing “Joy to the world the lord is come,” but we all know that we are waiting in anticipation of the great incarnation of God into the world.
You see, it doesn’t matter how much we rush the holiday season, because the truth of the matter is that we all know that what we are really doing is waiting. Every single day of our lives, we are waiting. Waiting to see where Christ will show up in our lives next.
The Season of Advent waiting simply gives us practice in what we are called to do every day of our lives. Advent gives us practice and a focus for being ready each time the great Reveal of God With Us happens. Because God does Reveal God’s Self. God does show up.
It doesn’t really matter what else we are singing, or doing or celebrating; God will always show up.
This is really the promise and hope and joy and love of the Advent Season, God shows up. And shows UP as ONE of US. Completely and utterly as one of us.
That baby in a manger was born just like every person on the face of this earth was born. He grew just as every person on the face of this earth grew. He ate, slept, laughed, cried, yawned and lived, just like every person on the face of this earth lived.
I’m not sure what other god has ever wanted to do that, let alone done that. But God, The Creator of the Universe, The Sustainer of all Life, and The One Who Can Bring All Back Together in Harmony, did. And because God did, we now know how to recognize God in everything and everyone on the face of this earth of ours. We just have to stay in practice to be able to see God, to recognize God. Because we expect God to show up more fancy than God actually does. A baby in a manger helps us see that. And observing Advent during the month of December helps us practice so that we can be ready for the rest of the year. Joy to the World the Lord is Come would be a good morning song each day of our lives, actually. Just as “People Look East the Time is Near” would be a good practice song for us to sing.
While we may not have a white Christmas, we will always have Christmas. Every day. God shows up every day. Let’s keep practicing so that we will see God when God is revealed.
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