Wednesday, December 28, 2011

What Christmas is NOT about!

Everyone once is a while our world just needs to be shaken.

We had gathered for our Christmas gathering with our family at my parents.  The agenda for the day was food, more food, and Christmas joy.   About the time I get too comfortable, God interrupts my world.
Her hair was covered with stains of  blood.  Her cheeks were swollen.  Her foot was in a brace.  She still had on the clothes cove rd with blood.  She was watching the police search her house.  Her spouse had been carried off in handcuffs hollering vulgarities at her.  Her children were in the car.  She was the new neighbor whom mom  had already befriended
This is NOT how a Christmas morning is supposed to be for any child of God regardless of age.

The words she said seemed so strange to hear.  "Jesus did this to me to...."  I did not even hear the rest of it.  My brother, who is also a pastor, would not let those words be the last thing she heard.  "Jesus did NOT do this to you...." He was quite sure of that and wanted her to know it.

Domestic violence rises during the holiday season.  It is bad enough during the ordinary days of life.  However, during economic stress combined with holiday consumption of everything that is legal or illegal, children of God--big and little--spend their holiday in the tragedy of abuse.  The saddest part and the part hardest for me to understand is that it normally is not the first offense.

The world twists the concept of love and peace into something that God never intended.  Love does not allow anyone to abuse you physically or emotionally.  Peace is not living in the secrecy of such abuse.  The birth of Jesus says something quite differently.  Life can be better.  Life is intended to be better!

If you are in an abusive relationship, get out!  Shred the veil of secrecy that could take your life or the life of those around you.  If you know of someone in such a relationship, do all you can to get them out!  If you are person who is abusing another, seek help.   You are not well.  Your world will fall.  It may seem secure but it is not.
And for those who are like me,  Lord, continue to shake our world so that we cannot ignore the places in our world where Christmas is far from silent or far from peace.  Do this for the sake of all Your children--young or old. 

Pray for me as I pray for you.

In the Master's Name,

Rev. Dr. M. Jack O'Dell

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Celebrate Christmas with Holy Anticipation

As a little boy, I remember the anticipation and wonder of the Christmas season.  I would watch the tree to see if there were new packages with my name of them.  When the catalogues arrived at the house, I would look at all the new stuff wondering and wishing.  I can remember visiting Santa and watching him.  I would watch his every move trying to figure out more about him.

On Christmas eve, our church took center stage.  I was given the job at the church of handing out all the candles for the Christmas Eve service.  I was picked to be one of four people who would have a "big" candle.  During the service, we would make our way to the front of the overflowing church.  The pastor would light our candle.  We would then light the candles of the persons sitting on the end of the pew.  Gradually the candle light grew to fill the room.   As the candles were lit, a baritone voice sang, "Jesu Bambino" and there appeared a woman dressed as Mary holding a child.   When all candles were lit, everyone sang "Silent Night"  Holy anticipation filled my world.

Do you have a sense of Holy Anticipation in your world?

Holy Anticipation is the knowledge, not just belief, but the knowledge that God is present and at work.  It goes against the grain of our world of doubt and despair.  Holy Anticipation is faith with deepest conviction and belief that will not be denied.  It has become the ground of our being that leads us into the mystery of God.  Holy Anticipation sees the world filled with the wonder and awe of a redemptive God present and seen.

This concept of Holy Anticipation is what led Mary and Joseph to allow God to redirect their lives to be the parents of the Son of God.  It is what led the shepherd from the hillside into the city of Bethlehem to find the baby Jesus.  This knowledge of God present directed the Wise Men miles and miles away from their home base in search of a new king and a new kingdom.  

You can fill your world with Holy Anticipation this Christmas.  Begin by placing yourself in the hands of God.  Come to know that Christ is born for you!  Make room this weekend for worship.  Find a place of worship and enter there with wonder and awe much like a child.  Be still and hear what God is saying to you in your journey.  Anticipate  God's presence and work in your life.

An old man beaten down by life was walking down the streets of a busy city.  Admittedly he had become a Scrooge because of the hard knocks of life.  He found himself alone, tired, and weary.  The nonsense of  the season had become his focus.  But then something strange happened.

He found himself in a large store filled with people busy buying last minute gifts.   There was a small child standing so very still in all the hurried motion.  The child caught his attention.  Finally as he walked closer to the little child, he heard the child's voice saying, "It's almost time!  It's almost time!"   The child was looking at a small snow globe that pictured the traditional manger scene.  The child realized that he was no longer alone and looked into the eyes of the weary stranger.

"It's almost time!" the child said again directing his words to the old man.  The old man looked at the little boy and said, "For Santa?"    

"Oh no!  For Jesus!" answered the little boy with joy and then he ran away.

The old man gazed into the snow globe and for the first time saw something he had long forgotten.  He saw Jesus!  

May your weekend be filled with holy anticipation---may you see Jesus through the eyes of a child.


Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Give Gifts That Always Fit

Do you remember the worst gift you ever gave to someone?  I do.

I trusted the sales lady.  I should have known better.  It was a day when I was obviously distracted.  And worst of all, it was a gift for my wife, Mandy.
I know somewhere in the backrooms of the busy stores, there is a pot of money set aside each year.  To obtain the pot, the salesperson must get some innocent gift buyer to buy the worst gift possible.  As the person checks out, they gather all the other people and brag, "You won't guess what that poor guy just bought!"

So one Christmas early in our marriage, my darling wife, Mandy, wants a new coat for Christmas.  I make my way through the coat section knowing that the odds of me picking out a coat that she will not return are pretty much like the odds of me making a hole in one on the golf course.  But that will never stop me from trying.   I pick out a coat that I like.  It is then that I make the mistake.
I ask the saleslady to help me select the size of the coat.  You see, like most men, I have no idea what size clothes my wife wears.  My size knowledge is a limited vocabulary--small, medium, and large.  So I spend the next few seconds describing my beautiful wife with my vocabulary--small.  I know she would smile to hear me say this as she, like most women, does not view herself as small anymore.  After a woman has a child, this word seems to disappear from their vocabulary.
I like to think the coat was just missized on the tag rather than thinking of the saleslady out to claim the big jackpot in the back room.  Or maybe she got distracted.  Or perhaps she too had forgotten what the meaning of the word, small.  She gives me a size 12 coat.  To this day, I promise I heard it was a size 2.  Or at least that is my story!
Needless to say, my wife loved the coat until she saw ALL of the coat--it was not small.  In fact, we could have taken a family photo with all the family in it.   She was NOT amused.  Finally on New Year's day, I could return from the couch.
With this in mind, let me offer some gift suggestions that ALWAYS fit.  You might want to consider  these gifts!
A Letter of Appreciation or Thanks--spend time writing personal words of gratitude.  Make it deeply personal.  Attach a Hershey's kiss if it is for a family member.
Spend the Afternoon Together--pick a place where they like to go or do.  Make it clear that you are present in every way.
Do that which you have been putting off--surely in your life there are things you said you would do if you had the time.  Make the time.  Life is shorter than you think.
Visit the Nursing home--take a checkers game, an instrument if you play, or just a wonderful smile.  Walk the halls and hold a hand or two.  Someone's grandmother/grandfather would love to see you.
These gifts will cost you little but will give great rewards.  They will always fit.  More importantly, they are gifts that the Christ child loves to see given.
And finally to the lady that sold me the coat, I hope you at least gave a tithe to your church  from winnings!

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Christmas is a time for broken hearts

There is a line in a song we sing that captures me more than I want to admit.  It says, "Break my heart for what breaks yours...." 

Think of all the broken hearts around us--families in distress, children who live in an unsafe environment, tragedies, and the list goes on.   Most of the time the only time many of us are affected by broken hearts is when it is someone near or dear to us.   All the other times, it is just life.  Life goes on.
There are times when I have a hard time sleeping.  I think I have the gene that keeps you awake (it was just discovered).  I fall asleep easily.  My wife, Mandy, is amazed at how quickly I can do this.  But staying asleep is another thing.  Usually about 3:30 or 4 a.m., I am up--not social, but up!  And usually this is the time of prayer that broken hearts captures me.
I find myself thinking about families that are struggling.  I find that God turns my heart towards the suffering of the world.  It is during this time that I do some writing about God's presence in life.  Sometimes I will write a prayer to a particular family or individual that I send to them for encouragement.   It is during this time that sometimes I am confronted with my own suffering--my own stuff.
Many mornings I will take the time to write an email to one of my grand kids--I have four.  I write them an individual letter.  In that letter, I try to share some nuggets of wisdom and faith.  I share stories of our family and faith.  It is a time that I am preparing my grandchildren to meet the brokenness of life that I am sure they will confront.  I close that letter with the affirmation of prayer and hope.  Then I attach a funny picture that unique to each grandchild.
Why do I do this?  It's my heart that is moved.  During this season of Advent, we begin to see the heart of God coming in flesh to humanity.  God speaks to the heart of Mary.  God speaks to the heart of Joseph.  God speaks to their hearts about the brokenness of the world--the needs of the world.
So my invitation to you is to let this season be about the birth of Christ in your heart.  Let this season move you to pray, share, and encourage those whose lives are filled with anxiety and pain.  Join me in early morning prayers or late evening prayers for peace.
 
And on Christmas eve, light will be born.  Hope will come.