The Pastor’s Pen

Greetings, Beloved of God,

Sunday, December 1 marks the beginning of the season of Advent, a season of preparing to celebrate the birth of Christ. I am reminded of the classic television special, “A Charlie Brown Christmas.” There is a scene where Charlie is obviously overwhelmed by all the activity around the holiday. In rehearsal at the school auditorium, Charlie shouts out, “Isn’t there anyone who knows what Christmas is all about?” Linus, steps up to the microphone and quotes Luke 2:8-14:

^“In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night.  Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for see-- I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and  lying in a manger." And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors!"

For some reason, that scene chokes me up every time, partly out of nostalgia (I grew up on Charlie Brown specials), but mostly because the fact of the Incarnation just blows me away.

Jesus is the incarnation of the invisible God. This means that if you want to know what God is like, look at Jesus. God puts away all power and privilege to become a defenseless human child. The child grows and learns and becomes an unofficial religious and faith leader. The human person, Jesus, wins people back to God by loving them as unselfishly as God does; by forgiving them as unstintingly as God does; by serving them as humbly as God does. The Incarnation, therefore, is for showing us humans how we can be the most human we can be. This, it turns out to be, is very much like the God in whose image we are made.

We look to the Prophets of Israel during Advent to remind us why God needed to come as a child, grow to an adult, and lead by serving. But we can look around at the world today and see that we need the Incarnation in our own time. There is much need for love, forgiveness, and service in our time. There is much need for selflessness and putting aside of power and privilege.

I pray your Advent and Christmas are filled with the good things of God and that you will share those things as you are able. Elsewhere in this Newsletter and calendar please find all the ways we are preparing at BUCC. Come and enjoy any or all of these activities with your church family. And remember how much you are loved and the gift that love has provided – Jesus Christ: child, man, teacher, sacrifice, savior, and incarnation of God.

Blessings,