Saturday, November 19, 2016

"Centering"

            This Sunday, November 20th, we enter a special six-week period for both cultural and religious holidays.  It all starts this coming Thursday with Thanksgiving Day, and then ends with New Year’s Day. 

This six-week period is a fun time within secular culture.  It is a time for shopping and preparation; a time for decorating our homes; a time for holiday concerts and programs; a time for holiday parties at the office, and among neighbors, and with family and friends.  For some of us, this is a special time for sporting events; for others it will be a time for travel to see friends or enjoy a vacation. 

In addition to all of the festivities and merriment, this is also a special time to encounter the Divine from a Christian perspective.  Thanksgiving is an opportunity for gratitude to God for all of the blessings which God gives us.  Christmas offers the celebration of Jesus’ birth and God’s love for all of us.  New Year’s Day offers the opportunity to make a new beginning and be mindful of all the opportunities which God offers us as we move into the future. 

The next six weeks are, indeed, a special time during the year.  But, this coming Sunday, November 20th, we will be asking a very foundational question of ourselves:  “How do we intend to celebrate during this special time?  Will we focus on our opportunities to encounter the Divine?  Or, will we be so dazed by many distractions so that we miss the opportunity to encounter the Divine?”

Our anchoring scripture illustrates two very different approaches to these next weeks.  It tells the story of two women and how they responded to an opportunity to meet and welcome Jesus:

“Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a certain village, where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home.  She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to what he was saying.  But Martha was distracted by her many tasks; so she came to him and asked, ‘Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself?  Tell her then to help me.’  But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing.  Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.’” (Luke 10:  38-42)
Martha and Mary present two polar opposite approaches to encountering the Divine in Jesus.  On the one hand, Martha focuses on being the perfect hostess.  She works to insure that her house was clean and refreshments were prepared.  She wants everything to be just right for her guests, especially Jesus.  So, she became distracted by all of the details of hosting people. And, she lost sight of the most important thing:  to meet and engage with the Divine.

            By contrast, her sister Mary sat down at Jesus’ feet and listened intently as he began to teach his disciples and others visiting in Mary and Martha’s house.  Mary kept the most important thing, the most important thing.  She met and engaged with the Divine through Jesus Christ and his teachings.

            As we stand on the cusp of this six-week special time of the year, we must decide how we will approach this time and the opportunities for encountering the Divine.  All of us will embrace and claim Mary’s approach to meet and engage the Divine in Jesus the Christ.  However, the truth is that each of us has a healthy streak of Martha within ourselves, as well.  We can be easily distracted during this period and lose contact with the Divine.  We can become easily distracted and lose our balance.
 
            To guard against this tendency to become distracted, we must learn to keep our balance by being centered.  In my proclamation, I will suggest that there are several practices which we can follow to stay centered during the next six weeks.  These practices include:

1.  Being intentionally grateful for all that God has already given us.

2.  Being generous, by investing time and money on those who are most needy:  the hungry, the homeless, the lonely, the imprisoned, the sick.

3.  Spending some time in corporate worship, celebrating the birth of Christ and the new
     possibilities inherent in new beginnings.

4.  Spending some time appreciating Creation, and actively seeking God within Creation.

This perspective is beautifully summarized in the anthem, which our Chancel Choir will sing during the 11 am service on December 20th:

“Lord, before this fleeting season is upon us,
let me remember to walk slowly.
Lord, bless my heart with Love and with quiet.
Give my heart a leaning to hear carols.
Grace our family with contentment,
and the peace that comes only from You.
Lord, help us to do less this busy season;
Go less; stay closer to home; kneel more.
May our hearts be Your heart.
May we simply, peacefully, celebrate You.”

If you live in the Lincoln, Nebraska area, come, join us this Sunday, November 20th, at Christ United Methodist Church, as we worship and center ourselves for the start of the holiday season.  Our church is located at 4530 A Street in Lincoln, and our traditional worship services are at 8:30 and 11:00 on Sunday mornings. 


Everyone is welcome and accepted because God loves us all.

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