The sermon for the fourth Sunday of Advent is getting kind of interesting to work on. I began thinking with Harper Lee and her book The Kill a Mockingbird and had identified, with her, the importance of wanting to be home for Christmas.
That has now taken a very different turn. One of the readings for Sunday is 2 Samuel 7 where God is telling David to build God a house. What seems to be going on here is the longing of the God we worship to be home. Abraham Heschel has written an entire theology that begins with the premise that God is not at home in the world God has created. The ethic of that theology implies that if God is not at home in the world our job is to build a world in which God is at home. We are God's stake in the universe. What we do with creation can bring the Creator into harmony with it.
When we think of the importance of Christmas and the reason so many people find themselves in churches on Christmas Eve is the impulse to find a home. Christmas Eve is a time for people to act out the need to be at home and the church is a place where we can find a home.
It could be a vestige of some past sense of security that brings us to church. We remember how it was in the past when we were children and we would like to replicate that feeling.
What brings you to church on Christmas Eve if not that? Once you are here at church on Christmas Eve what are we to do here?
What do you think? If you have some thoughts on this write me at charlesschuster@fcfumc.net. If you are willing to share your ideas click on the box below.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Charles
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment