My friend, Craig Williams, is the pastor of Trabuco Presbyterian Church, in Orange County, CA. His pre-December 26 service blog offers this gem for our continued Christmas consideration. Thanks Craig.
One of my favorite Christmas poems comes from W.H. Auden, For the Time Being. It is a fantastic narrative poem that moves through the story of Christmas at many different levels. One of the lines towards the end suggests that what we have done is tried too hard to make Christmas live up to our expectations. Many times I feel that is what I try to do. Whether it is family or church or culture, I have high hopes of what Christmas will bring.
Christmas isn't about our expectations. This morning I will preach on the story of Simeon and Anna in the temple, blessing the young boy Jesus. These two old saints are a model of what Christian discipleship is all about. Diligently these two pray and fast and watch. What all Israel is supposed to do is embodied in these two. The text in Luke 2 says of Simeon that he "lived in the prayerful expectancy of help for Israel." (Peterson's translation in The Message) Of Anna the text says that she never left the temple, worshipping and praying and fasting, day and night.
This persistent lifestyle of hope pays off. They see God's salvation in person.
Christmas isn't about our expectations. I believe my expectations are too low. I'm not cut of the same faithful cloth as Simeon and Anna. I'm not sure I'd last a lifetime waiting and hoping. My expectations are probably too low. They're probably low so I won't be disappointed. I can hear the echo of phrases like "make sure you have realistic expectations." I believe that means "don't hope for too much." I suppose it is a way of bringing solace to children when they don't get what they want. But it's bad advice.
Christmas is about meeting God in the person of Jesus. Anna and Simeon's expectations were very high. And God went beyond even what they could hope for by sending his Son.
As you can see, Craig's website Tabletalk is worthy of regular reading.
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