Christmas Living
Isaiah 62:10-12
Go through, go through the gates, prepare the way for the people; build up, build up the highway, clear it of stones, lift up an ensign over the peoples. 11The Lord has proclaimed to the end of the earth: Say to daughter Zion, “See, your salvation comes; his reward is with him, and his recompense before him.” 12They shall be called, “The Holy People, The Redeemed of the Lord”; and you shall be called, “Sought Out, A City Not Forsaken.”
***********************************************************
My family received a fantastic early Christmas gift this year. My daughter gave birth to our new grandchild, Natalie Eve. Her name means, "Christmas Living." Although I knew that the name "Natalie" means "Christmas," I hadn’t known that the name "Eve" meant “living", and it gave me a new way of looking at and thinking about the creation story- I knew that the name Adam means “earth.” But add Eve on to that… Adam and Eve means Earth Living…
And from that perspective the creation story makes so much sense.
God created the heavens and the earth and put all things in place; all of nature was prepared… and God created man- Adam- earth… and breath filled his lungs, hope filled the air and all of nature rejoiced! Earth was complete. But then God echoes in the distance...
“It is not good for Man (Earth) to be alone,”
and God took the rib of the Man, and with it created “Woman” (coming from man)… Eve…Living…
With a hopeful smile and a joyful tear, God took something out of the man and brought the earth life! Adam & Eve… Earth Living!
So when I started thinking about the name "Natalie Eve"- "Christmas Eve"… "Christmas Living," it began also to take on new connotations- not so much for my grand daughter, but rather how the name “Christmas Living” relates to our holiday. What is the "Eve" in our Christmas? What it is that brings our Christmas to life and makes it living?
If the birth of Christ truly begins something new; if the birth of this baby who will be king really ushers in an era of justice; where stones are removed and highways are made straight and valleys exalted and mountains made low… if this savior who is Christ the Lord brings with him shalom (peace)... and hope and joy and love… then shouldn’t Christmas be something that is a “beginning,” “genesis,” a new way of living- instead of something that comes once a year and disappears on December 26th?
It's interesting that Christmas Story begins in the same way as in the story of creation: Luke opens his narrative with the phrase “and it came to pass”- translated from the Greek, “And it came to be.” The verb ginomai, means 'to transition,' 'to become,' 'to happen'… and because of the verb tense (aorist) it stresses that "it" in "it came to pass", was intentional. So the events that led up to an surrounded the birth were on purpose- designed- planned.
Think about it, the reign of King Herod; the census, Mary being visited by an angel- her physical body being prepared- The birthplace... Did you know Bethlehem originally belonged to the Canaanites and was dedicated to their god of war... “Laham.” Originally, the city’s name meant “the house of Laham.” “After the conquest of Palestine, the Jews revocalized the name Laham to make it read lehem which means “Bread.””[i] So Bethlehem, formerly the place dedicated to war and chaos, became a place of peace and sharing…“House of bread." What better place for the birthplace of the bread of life?
So when all things were in place, and all of nature prepared, the child; the new Adam… the Christ, was born… and breath filled his lungs, hope filled the air, and all of nature rejoiced…
In a nearby field, shepherds, watching their flocks by night bear witness to the celestial celebration, as the star lit sky burst open with the voices of a thousand angels- singing “Glory to God in the Highest- and on earth, peace!”
And the shepherds run to the stable where the child breathes and hope rests and they begin to tell everyone what they have seen and heard- and their words dart and wheel about the room like glitter in a snow globe…
Mary is still… She listens to them breathlessly tell their story and watches the fluttering shiny flecks glisten in the starlight before they float gently down to rest on her newborn son. And she remembers her own visit from an angel…
and she ponders these things in her heart…
“MY Son”… her instinct is to brush away the sparkling tinsel from His blanket, to clutch and cradle her baby… “No… You can’t have Him…”
But then the voice of God echoes in the distance…
“It is not good for earth to be alone…”
SO with a hopeful smile and a joyful tear, Mary looked at this child God brought out of her which would bring the earth life!
Because this child- the beautiful Christmas Child, was the new beginning, the genesis… from out of this child would come the way to wholeness and holiness… This is the child of whom the prophet’s foretold, saying, ““See, your salvation comes; his reward is with him, and his recompense before him.”
This Adam that would be the beginning of a new creation; and out of him would come Eve… living… life. Not life as we know it but life as He knows it! Just as in the creation story, just as it took Eve, someone to love, someone to share, for Earth to come to life… so out of the new Adam, Jesus Christ, would come the way of love, and sharing… and so much more.
Through the giving of himself, he would give life to the world in a way not imagined before… that earth and its people would not ever be alone; the people would be reconciled to God and to each other… in a world formerly known for war and chaos would become a place of peace and promise… a place of God.
This Christmas, God has put all things in place. All of nature has been prepared… this year; if you do nothing else… let something new be born in you. The love of God is waiting for you to accept it. The peace of God waits for you to embrace it.
And I know what you’re thinking… "Not me... I only half believe… I’m not religious… I’m not a saint and I don’t want to be one either…" Well join the club.
But I will tell you this truth. That whether you believe it or not, or whether you think you’re religious or not, or good enough or not… God has already prepared this time for you to be right here,exactly for this moment… because despite what you may think of yourself, God has already found you acceptable, and God has already found you good enough, and religious enough and holy enough.
Do you know what it is that comes out of the birth of the Christ Child… what comes out of Christmas that makes Christmas Living?
It’s you! YOU! The most wondrous of all of creation… You, are what makes Christmas 'Living'… and I promise you, if you let God in tonight, you won’t have to wait a whole year for Christmas to come again. Go back to the words of Isaiah, “See, your salvation comes; his reward is with him, You shall be called, “The Holy People, The Redeemed of the Lord”; and you shall be called, “Sought Out… Not Forsaken.”
And if you still don't believe me, just look at the glitter on your shoulders!
Let the breath of God fill your lungs… hope fill the air… and all of nature rejoice! Merry Christmas!
[i] http://bible.org/article/acclamations-birth-christ-luke-21-20
Go through, go through the gates, prepare the way for the people; build up, build up the highway, clear it of stones, lift up an ensign over the peoples. 11The Lord has proclaimed to the end of the earth: Say to daughter Zion, “See, your salvation comes; his reward is with him, and his recompense before him.” 12They shall be called, “The Holy People, The Redeemed of the Lord”; and you shall be called, “Sought Out, A City Not Forsaken.”
***********************************************************
My family received a fantastic early Christmas gift this year. My daughter gave birth to our new grandchild, Natalie Eve. Her name means, "Christmas Living." Although I knew that the name "Natalie" means "Christmas," I hadn’t known that the name "Eve" meant “living", and it gave me a new way of looking at and thinking about the creation story- I knew that the name Adam means “earth.” But add Eve on to that… Adam and Eve means Earth Living…
And from that perspective the creation story makes so much sense.
God created the heavens and the earth and put all things in place; all of nature was prepared… and God created man- Adam- earth… and breath filled his lungs, hope filled the air and all of nature rejoiced! Earth was complete. But then God echoes in the distance...
“It is not good for Man (Earth) to be alone,”
and God took the rib of the Man, and with it created “Woman” (coming from man)… Eve…Living…
With a hopeful smile and a joyful tear, God took something out of the man and brought the earth life! Adam & Eve… Earth Living!
So when I started thinking about the name "Natalie Eve"- "Christmas Eve"… "Christmas Living," it began also to take on new connotations- not so much for my grand daughter, but rather how the name “Christmas Living” relates to our holiday. What is the "Eve" in our Christmas? What it is that brings our Christmas to life and makes it living?
If the birth of Christ truly begins something new; if the birth of this baby who will be king really ushers in an era of justice; where stones are removed and highways are made straight and valleys exalted and mountains made low… if this savior who is Christ the Lord brings with him shalom (peace)... and hope and joy and love… then shouldn’t Christmas be something that is a “beginning,” “genesis,” a new way of living- instead of something that comes once a year and disappears on December 26th?
It's interesting that Christmas Story begins in the same way as in the story of creation: Luke opens his narrative with the phrase “and it came to pass”- translated from the Greek, “And it came to be.” The verb ginomai, means 'to transition,' 'to become,' 'to happen'… and because of the verb tense (aorist) it stresses that "it" in "it came to pass", was intentional. So the events that led up to an surrounded the birth were on purpose- designed- planned.
Think about it, the reign of King Herod; the census, Mary being visited by an angel- her physical body being prepared- The birthplace... Did you know Bethlehem originally belonged to the Canaanites and was dedicated to their god of war... “Laham.” Originally, the city’s name meant “the house of Laham.” “After the conquest of Palestine, the Jews revocalized the name Laham to make it read lehem which means “Bread.””[i] So Bethlehem, formerly the place dedicated to war and chaos, became a place of peace and sharing…“House of bread." What better place for the birthplace of the bread of life?
So when all things were in place, and all of nature prepared, the child; the new Adam… the Christ, was born… and breath filled his lungs, hope filled the air, and all of nature rejoiced…
In a nearby field, shepherds, watching their flocks by night bear witness to the celestial celebration, as the star lit sky burst open with the voices of a thousand angels- singing “Glory to God in the Highest- and on earth, peace!”
And the shepherds run to the stable where the child breathes and hope rests and they begin to tell everyone what they have seen and heard- and their words dart and wheel about the room like glitter in a snow globe…
Mary is still… She listens to them breathlessly tell their story and watches the fluttering shiny flecks glisten in the starlight before they float gently down to rest on her newborn son. And she remembers her own visit from an angel…
and she ponders these things in her heart…
“MY Son”… her instinct is to brush away the sparkling tinsel from His blanket, to clutch and cradle her baby… “No… You can’t have Him…”
But then the voice of God echoes in the distance…
“It is not good for earth to be alone…”
SO with a hopeful smile and a joyful tear, Mary looked at this child God brought out of her which would bring the earth life!
Because this child- the beautiful Christmas Child, was the new beginning, the genesis… from out of this child would come the way to wholeness and holiness… This is the child of whom the prophet’s foretold, saying, ““See, your salvation comes; his reward is with him, and his recompense before him.”
This Adam that would be the beginning of a new creation; and out of him would come Eve… living… life. Not life as we know it but life as He knows it! Just as in the creation story, just as it took Eve, someone to love, someone to share, for Earth to come to life… so out of the new Adam, Jesus Christ, would come the way of love, and sharing… and so much more.
Through the giving of himself, he would give life to the world in a way not imagined before… that earth and its people would not ever be alone; the people would be reconciled to God and to each other… in a world formerly known for war and chaos would become a place of peace and promise… a place of God.
This Christmas, God has put all things in place. All of nature has been prepared… this year; if you do nothing else… let something new be born in you. The love of God is waiting for you to accept it. The peace of God waits for you to embrace it.
And I know what you’re thinking… "Not me... I only half believe… I’m not religious… I’m not a saint and I don’t want to be one either…" Well join the club.
But I will tell you this truth. That whether you believe it or not, or whether you think you’re religious or not, or good enough or not… God has already prepared this time for you to be right here,exactly for this moment… because despite what you may think of yourself, God has already found you acceptable, and God has already found you good enough, and religious enough and holy enough.
Do you know what it is that comes out of the birth of the Christ Child… what comes out of Christmas that makes Christmas Living?
It’s you! YOU! The most wondrous of all of creation… You, are what makes Christmas 'Living'… and I promise you, if you let God in tonight, you won’t have to wait a whole year for Christmas to come again. Go back to the words of Isaiah, “See, your salvation comes; his reward is with him, You shall be called, “The Holy People, The Redeemed of the Lord”; and you shall be called, “Sought Out… Not Forsaken.”
And if you still don't believe me, just look at the glitter on your shoulders!
Let the breath of God fill your lungs… hope fill the air… and all of nature rejoice! Merry Christmas!
[i] http://bible.org/article/acclamations-birth-christ-luke-21-20