Hip Hip Hooray for Christmas Vacation

-

Hip Hip Hooray for Christmas Vacation

    Clark W. Griswold, after a series of unfortunate and hilarious experiences with his extended family gazes up from his front lawn at the "Christmas star" and opines: "It means something different to everyone." Christmas Vacation is one of my favorite movies of the season and has made it into a couple of Christmas sermons. However, the main character's assessment of the "meaning of Christmas" expresses the cultural spirit of individualism, and so the movie seems to land on the illusion of individualism. 

    Most of the movie and the meaning of Christmas point to a different reality. That is that we are community people. Yes, we are each unique, and each have our own journey to become the people God has created us to become, but we cannot do that without one another. The meaning of Christmas and other winter religious festivals for that matter is about remembering our interdependence. 


    When God became Incarnate in Jesus Christ, it wasn't by riding a lightning bolt all alone, or pulling himself up by the bootstraps out of nowhere. Jesus came into the world by being born by his mother. Jesus was nurtured by Mother Mary, and he was given tools and empowered by his earthly dad Joseph. When we celebrate the birth of Jesus, we remember him not alone, but surrounded by his family, shepherds, the Magi, and animals. God's salvation happens in community, and God sent his Son for the whole world to be rescued from all that destructive forces that would tear us apart. 

    My Grandad looked and sounded old and funny to me when I was a little boy. Sitting by our family Christmas tree, he sang "O Tannenbaum" in his primary language with an Austrian accent. I can remember my dad bringing him to our home, where my sisters and I had been opening presents, and we squeezed around the dining table with our Advent wreath at the center. In the middle of the wreath, the Christ candle was finally lit for Christmas supper. After the late night church of Christmas Eve, and an early morning of gifts beneath the tree, we enjoyed our early supper as a kind-of completion to the celebration of Christmas. The "meaning of Christmas" came to me by the incarnate or embodied love from my family and church. Baby Jesus is born vulnerable and immediately dependent on his family. Later, in his life, he does not begin his ministry alone, but after gathering men and women who will learn to live the way of love together. 

    In the hustle and bustle of a season we have allowed to become over busy, I pray we will take time to recognize those in our lives who have taught us how to love as Christ loved us. No one has been set on this planet alone, and neither did our savior arrive alone. This Christmas, know the meaning isn't something we each individually make up or figure out. It is given through the relationships God has given us. My family and my church taught me how to love by showing me love. Not easy sentimental love, but enduring, empowering, nurturing love that has made me strong, and aware that I am part of something much greater than myself. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

plastic: a spiritual perspective

-
Image
Plastic bag in front of Trinity by the Sea On a recent trip to Austin, I was surprised and delighted not to be handed a plastic bag when I checked out of a grocery store. I wasn't buying much, so I was able to carry out my things without remembering to bring in my reusable bags. For some time now, I've gotten in the habit of turning down plastic bags in convenience stores when they try to put my humble bag of sunflower seeds, lonely, in another bag. The plastic grocery bag has become like a handshake at the end of the deal: it seems to make the shopping experience complete. It is such an ingrained habit, that the person behind the cash register sometimes gets a suspicious look when I ask for no bag, as if thinking, "This yahoo is threatening our way of life!" I think about habits a lot, as a Christian of the Episcopal persuasion. Our practices and our experiences in everyday life shape the way we understand our relationship with God, with others, and with ours...
Read more

Stay Salty Y'all

-
Image
  Sunday, September 29: Be Salty for Jesus! Reflection for church while my back heals.  Welcome everyone to another church on the beach. Fr. James is dealing with his back injury, and sent this reflection to read, so here it goes.  I spent Thursday morning planning for the next two weeks, anticipating that I might need a medical procedure. As I did so, I marveled at how many amazing leaders we have within our church. I was focusing on the worship service, and leading worship on Sundays is a only portion of what we do as a church community, but it is an important part of what we do. It is where we gather together to reorient to God, to open our hearts to the Holy Spirit’s guidance, and to listen for inspiration from Jesus. How fitting that we gather on the beach today to hear Jesus remind us to be salty. Do we have it easier, here beside the sea? We can hardly help but be salty around here. I want to start with that, which is where Jesus lands his somewhat meandering messa...
Read more

Falling out of boats

-
Image
Reflection for Morning Prayer July 28, 2024 Trinity by the Sea Some of you may not remember the first time you stepped onto a boat, or more to the point, the first time you fell out of a boat. Most of my falling-out stories are from the San Marcos River misjudging an eddy around a bend, the bow pulled suddenly in the opposite direction from what I expected, then pushed sideways up against a submerged root that gives loft to the bow sending two paddlers into the drink. Fortunately, all of those occasions eventually ended with laughter. Then there are those moments of non-commitment, like standing one foot on a log that had fallen across the river, foot in the canoe, and quickly realizing the mistake. A similar thing can happen on the docks here, at least with smaller boats. Stepping into a boat takes commitment. One foot on land and one in the vessel is a short-lived exercise in balance and stretching beyond the ability of most yogis. Be on land or in the boat, not in both places at o...
Read more