Discover the Liberating Christ: A Faith That Questions

Merry Christmas! As we come together on this second day of Christmas, it seems appropriate to remember that the Christmas season begins on Christmas day and continues for twelve days to end just before Epiphany. And so we continue to celebrate the gift of Christmas today.

Over the last few weeks, we have heard stories anticipating Jesus coming into the world. We have heard the visions of the prophets, and we have heard the stories of the angels appearing to Zechariah and Mary. We have heard the stories about John, the forerunner along the way. And we have been told about the shepherds who were tending their flocks when the angels appeared to announce Jesus’ birth. Now on this first Sunday after Christmas, we find a scene of Jesus as a youth (see Luke 2:41-52; cf. 1 Samuel 2:18-20, 26).

One of the reasons I like this first Sunday after Christmas is because it is a reminder that Jesus, God in the flesh, lived a real life here on earth. So often, we read stories of the baby at Christmas and then jump right to full-grown Jesus starting his ministry in the world. We forget sometimes that Jesus lived a life in between.

Discover the Liberating Christ: Revolutionary Good News

Today we celebrate the Revolutionary Good News that is the birth of Jesus and the messengers who make God's presence known in the world. Foretold in the prophets and shared in the Gospels, the story came to those most in need of Good News (see Isaiah 9:2-7 and Luke 2:1-20). But why was this story such good news to those who heard it, and how does it remain good news to us today?

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“Don’t be afraid! Look! I bring good news to you…”

We have all heard this story. Many of us could likely recite the words by heart much as Linus does in ‘A Charlie Brown Christmas.’ The angel appears to the shepherds watching over the flocks at night, announcing the gift that is Jesus come into the world. 

I know it can be difficult for those of us so steeped in these stories to consider how the angel’s words would have been received. What is so revolutionary about the Good News that the angel proclaims? What made this news so compelling to those who heard it?

Discover the Liberating Christ: Believing in Everyday Love

Our season of waiting and expectation is almost done. The final Sunday of Advent. The final Sunday before Christmas. The next time we gather together, it will be to celebrate the birth of Christ. We gather at Christmas to celebrate God coming into the world, tearing down the ultimate barrier between us. But we’ll get to that next time.

Today, we continue to think about what it is that we are waiting for. What is it that we are hoping for? What does God coming into the world mean to us? 

Our readings for today paint a certain picture for us (see Micah 5:2-5a and Luke 1:39-55). In today’s readings, we see God choosing the least likely. Our readings show God choosing those who would be considered weak, outcast, marginalized as those most deserving of honor. Our readings show God giving preferential treatment to those most in need. Our readings show us that God does not choose the ones that our culture tends to tell us we are supposed to value.

Discover the Liberating Christ: The Work of Joy

 Advent is a season of many themes and many layers. We know that Advent is our season of expectation and waiting for the in-breaking of God in our lives and in our world. For those of us who feel assured in our faith, this can be a season of excitement as we experience the familiar stories, the memories of holiday seasons past, and the joy of lights and decorations and gatherings. We await with anticipation the baby in the manger and the goodness that means for our world.

At the same time, there are those on the margins, those who feel less certain about their faith, those who feel less certain about their lives, their ability to make it to the next paycheck, the likelihood they will see another day. Where is the joy of the season for those who are oppressed, forced to the margins, and living in precarious circumstances?

Discover the Liberating Christ: Shaking the Foundations of the World

Advent is our season of waiting and expectation for the coming of Jesus. We anticipate again the birth of the Christ-child at the same time as we look for his return in glory. The readings for the first Sunday of Advent, which we read last week, most explicitly call to mind Jesus coming into the world again. Reading several verses from late in the Gospel of Luke, we heard Jesus’ vision of the future, a future when the Human One would come in power and splendor.

This week, we turn primarily to the early chapters of Luke as we consider the initial coming of Jesus and all that would mean for the world. Even so, you may have noticed that Jesus doesn’t even get an explicit mention this week. As we consider the theme of peace, our focus is actually on Jesus’ cousin, John (see Malachi 3:1-4; Luke 1:68-79; Luke 3:1-6).