Tod Bolsinger

Skipping Christmas Worship

My worship director sent me an email a few weeks back telling me that he asked all of the worship directors that he knows in larger independent churches and found out that NONE of their churches were having a service on Christmas Day (for the first time since 1994, Christmas day is a Sunday).  He wasn't suggesting we do likewise, just the opposite, but he was bemused, "Is this worship on Christmas Sunday just a Presbyterian thing?" he asked.

Well, no.  It's a...worship thing, I'd say.  Now, because I grew up Catholic where many people go to church both on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day I hadn't thought much about the idea of "canceling church" until the idea was raised.  But now it's even national news.  My blogging friend Mark Daniels has written his take here about it and he and I come to the same conclusion: It's Sunday and Christmas, so let's worship God together. 

But I do understand the argument for canceling the services that day:  We're going to have four services on Christmas Eve, the staff and crew will be wiped out, we all have Christmas day traditions, etc. etc. 

But still we decided to plan to worship.  Yes, we scaled back a bit.  One service (instead of our usual Sunday morning three), pretty low-key, simple, even quaint, I'd guess.  We're going to have nursery care, but no Sunday School.  Gave most of the Sunday morning crew off, but we'll still ask some folks to be ushers and greeters, to help us in the sound both.  One of my worship leaders and one of the pianists will assist me.  I'll give a children's message and we'll focus our attention on a scripture and carols morning of worship.  I have a brief message planned on Joseph (Jesus' earthly father) and we'll have one solo.  The afterward we'll have some Christmas cookies and go home. I am actually really looking forward to it.  (I'll undoubtedly take a Santa-like "long winter's nap" that afternoon.)

Some of the argument for "skipping Christmas Worship" are about mission and "target audience" and resources.  And I affirm both mission and stewardship at every turn.  But perhaps the best reinforcement that worship is primarily for God is to worship more simply, with fewer people who have all decided to make a point to do so, for no reason than God deserves us to be faithful to the Lord's day.   I understand why some would want to skip worship that morning and (honestly, if I wasn't on the payroll, I might be tempted also).  But I am glad that I won't be.  Worship on Christmas day seems, well, right. 

O Come Let us Adore Him...   

 

What Kind of Christmas do you want?

There is no ideal Christmas; only the one Christmas you decide to make as a reflection of your values, desires, affections, traditions.
--Bill McKibben, Author, Hundred Dollar Holiday: The Case For a More Joyful Christmas

The Message of the Angels Today

  For the last few posts I have been discussing Angels.  Of course they are everywhere in our culture, but they probably never had as much attention as during the old television show, "Touched by an Angel." If you have seen it, then you probably have an expectation of what angels would communicate to humans if given half a chance. 

It happens basically every show.  After a long trial where a confused human has been accompanied by an angel disguised as Roma Downey or Della Reese, a very touching moment occurs.  A soft glow appears around the angels face, the eyes sparkle and then the message is given.  "I have come to tell you that God loves you." 

It is a powerful moment, something that everyone needs to hear.  It is also true.  God does love us.  Deeply, tenderly, intimately. 

The only problem is that not once in the Bible does an angel deliver that message. Not one place in all the Scriptures, does an angel say: "God loves you." 

The message of the angels is NOT “God loves you.” 

Now let's be clear here.  God does love you.  Absolutely.  He didn't send an angel to say it, because, frankly he came himself.  That incredible message was personally delivered by Jesus, inspired by the Spirit and spoken over and again to the church in the letters of the New Testament.

But “God loves you” is not the message that the angels ever bring.  What do they point to with all their radiance and awesomeness?  It is not that God loves us, but that you and I should pay attention, be sure not to miss, to dedicate our lives to recognizing ourselves and revealing to others:

That the God who loves us is HERE!  “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to all whom God favors.”

A God who is good, even a God who loves, but who stays at a distance is not worthy of our love and devotion, our praise and adoration.  Respect and fear? Certainly.  But love and devotion, dedication and trust? Probably not. 

When the Angels sing “Glory to God in the highest heaven” they are proclaiming that God deserves to be seen, honored and praised, because the great, all powerful and awesome God left his throne to bring peace to his creation.  That God took on human flesh to become the suffering King, that the great God became like you and me, so that we could become like him. That God is worthy of glory because he has come as a child "wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger." (Luke 2)

And when God sent the angels to appear first to the shepherds, they made it perfectly clear that no one, no one, would be excluded from experiencing the favor and peace of God if they sought his son, Jesus.

The Message of the Angels is NOT that they are watching over you and it’s NOT that God loves, you, their message is that GOD is worthy of praise, God is worthy of our devotion, that God is worthy of all glory in all of the universe, because God is watching over you (not just an angel!), and that the God who loves you is here.

While the world finds comfort that there are heavenly messengers (which is what the world “angel” means), the messengers want us to get the message that Jesus the King is now amongst us (which is the ultimate comfort, is it not?). 

“Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to all whom God favors.”

P.S. These are my two favorite screen angels: Clarence and Michael

Angels and Us

Angels are in.  And they seem to be everywhere. 

(No, for once, I am not referring to my favorite Major League Baseball club).  Angels appear in pins and playing cards, posters and wall paper; people wear angels and find comfort in knowing that “there are angels watching over me.” 

Certainly the Bible teaches us something of God’s care for us through angels (Ex 23:20, Ps 34:7, Ps 91:11, Heb 1:14).  And even if we can’t place the verse (Matthew 18:10), we find great comfort in the reference t something of “guardian angels” for children.  But the main point and purpose of Angels is not about their “looking over” us, but the way that they teach us to “look to” God and specifically to notice, pay attention to and prepare for the presence of Jesus.   

As one scholar puts it:

“(In the Gospels) the functions of angels relate directly to the life and ministry of Jesus. Specifically, angels mediate direct revelation from God only at two moments: Jesus’ birth and his resurrection. In the interim, he himself is the pre-eminent disclosure of God.” , J. B., McKnight, S., & Marshall, I. H. (1992). Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels (Page 11, elec. ed.). 

While the world finds comfort that there are heavenly messengers (which is what the world “angel” means), the messengers want us to get the message that Jesus the King is amongst us (which is the ultimate comfort, is it not?). 

The Angels are not meant to draw attention to themselves, but to Jesus.  They are the heavenly choir (Is 6:3, Rev 5:12), not the leader of the band.  They are not the stars of the show, but the announcers.

Oh yeah, one more thing.  Angels are NOT the souls of deceased loved ones.  While many of us have heard well-meaning people talk about God taking a loved one to heaven, because “he needed another angel”, angels are unique created spiritual beings who exist to do God’s bidding, send God’s messages, and encourage God’s highest creature—humans.  Next time you call someone an “angel” consider that you are actually putting them down a bit! (See the NRSV version of Psalm 8:5 for a more accurate translation of a text that has often confused people.)

Narnia is Coming, so read this!

  My friend, Craig Williams went on a sabbatical two summers ago and spent basically the whole time reading C.S. Lewis (which I believe is a completely commendable way to spend a sabbatical).  What that means for you and me is that we have, in Craig, a quite reliable docent for preparing us for the long awaited Narnia film that is coming in less than a week.  So, my "gift" to you, my readers is to point you to Craig's blog and his wonderful posts on C.S. Lewis (especially the posts related to readying for the Narnia film.) 

But, as Craig would say, far better than reading the blog is reading the book.  (And if you want to read it before the film comes out, you better get going.)

Here's to Christmas interrupting winter. And thanks Craig.

Mary And the Mission of the Church

Came across this gem in my Advent sermon prep that helps us see Mary as the model of mission in the church.

John Macquarrie regards the annunciation to Mary as a helpful illustration in the understanding of the church.  He sees a parallel between the original bringing to birth of Christ and the responsibility of the church to, as it were, bring Christ to birth in the world.

“Just as she was the bearer of the Christ, so the Church his body, brings christhood into the world. But this takes place through the action of the Spirit in the Church which again is the community of the Spirit” (Macquarrie, 354).

Thus the annunciation reminds us of the involvement of God in providing his power and his grace, of the way in which he comes to human beings, conveying to them his purposes and allowing or calling them to have a part in carrying out those purposes. Dictionary of biblical imagery (electronic ed. “annunciation”)