A Christmas To-Do List

What’s at the top of your list this season?


In our first week of study, Tony led us as we looked to the story of Zachariah and Elizabeth and the question of how we prepare for Christmas.

Last week, the authors of our series suggested to us an important part of that preparation involves finding the spirit for Christmas. In search of that spirit they led us to the example of Mary who responded to an unexpected crisis in her life with humility …
I am the Lord’s servant, let me serve him in the way that he asks.

Before we leave Mary and her spirit of humility, I want us to hear young Mary in her own words. As the story is told in Luke, after Mary becomes pregnant she goes to visit her relative Elizabeth who she has heard is also expecting an unexpected child. While there, Elizabeth provides Mary with some much needed support. When Mary enters the room, Elizabeth exclaims, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child that you bear.” With this encouragement, Luke records that Mary launched into her own prayer of praise: a verse that became one of the hymns of the early church and is known as the Magnificat. I would like you to read the Magnificat (Luke 1: 46- 55). I want you to again listen to Mary’s humility but I also want you to listen for something else. Our authors say that the theme of this passage is the great reversal. As you read the passage I want you to look for three great reversals.

Barclay’s Versions of the Three Reversals:

He has scattered the proud: Jesus leads a moral revolution. Our prideful visions of ourselves as moral creatures without blemish are destroyed when we examine ourselves by the light that Jesus brings into the world.

He casts down the mighty and exalts the humble: Jesus leads a social revolution …the old labels of class, caste, gender, prestige are rendered moot.

He has filled those who are hungry … those who are rich are sent empty away: Jesus leads an economic revolution.

Our authors: Some have taken this as a political manifesto of liberation for the poor and oppressed of the Earth. It was never meant to be that. The liberation Mary describes is not political or economic, but spiritual. Mary will be called blessed not because she’ll get a new Mercedes, but because her Son will save her and others from sin. The liberation is not for the poor, period—but for the poor who fear God, trust God, and look to God for salvation.
I am not so sure about this as are our authors. As I mentioned in my discussion of stewardship a couple of weeks ago, I think that in any careful reading of the Gospels we come away understanding that Jesus had a special heart in his ministry for the poor --- and that he was not exclusively concerned for their spiritual poverty. I don’t think Jesus special concern for the poor in itself determines our politics or our advocacy on issues. It has never been clear to me what political system or policies best serve the poor. However, the Magnificat and many scriptures like it do mean this: Whatever political system and policies a Christian advocates … we cannot forget the poor in that advocacy.

I want to shift gears now and move into the next lesson. In this lesson, the authors want to talk to us about our to-do list. I don’t know about your house, but my house is littered with them. As we try to remain faithful to obligations of work and family and friends … and execute the plans required by the Christmas season, we compose list after list of things that must be done … and reminders of the deadlines for doing them. In this next lesson, our authors want to add something to our lists. Well, that is not exactly correct, what they want to do is suggest some things that may in fact shorten our lists because they will put all of our other todo’s into perspective.
Our authors remind us that when we read Luke 1 and 2 we are not reading about one birth but two … and they claim that between the two births we get some important insights into things that should come first on our to do list for the Christmas season. They claim that in these chapters we often find the actors involved in these activities:
1. Believe.
2. Obey.
Ed Note: This entry in the list reminds us of a real temptation in the Christmas season, the temptation to keep Jesus in the manger. In the movie Talledega nights, the protagonist offers his dinner time blessing not to God but to the baby Jesus. When his wife protests, Ricky Bobby says, I like him better when I think of him that way, a cute little baby. Who knows what was in Ricky Bobby’s tortured mind, but it may have been the fact that when we let Jesus grow up, he makes more significant calls on our lives … he calls on us to obey him.
3. Tell others

4. Experience holy wonder
Mary: My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices
Mary: Mary treasured up all of these things and pondered them in her heart
Zachariah: The rising sun will come to us from heaven to shine on those living in the darkness to guide our feet to the path of peace

Of four items on the list, the one that was most appealing for me in this Christmas season was the notion of finding time to pause in holy wonder. Our authors suggest the following ways to escape the busyness of the season and experience holy wonder. Can you extend their list?

In the middle of my shopping, stop, pull out my Bible, and read the Christmas story.
Gather your children around a Nativity scene each night to unwrap a different piece, and talk about the role it plays in the Christmas story.
Wake up early one morning and find a place to watch the sun rise and meditate on Zechariah’s words: “The rising sun will come to us from heaven to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace.”
Write the words of the angel on a 3x5 card and pull it out every time I eat: “I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.”