God With Us
“Now all this happened
in order to make come true what the Lord had said through the prophet, ‘A
virgin will become pregnant and have a son, and he will be called Immanuel’
(which means, ‘God with us’)." - Matthew 1:22-23
That wonderful season is upon us again, that time when we
gather together with our family and friends to celebrate the birth of our Lord,
Jesus. And although our traditions may
differ, during this special holiday we seem to make an extra effort to be near
those who are important to us. Airports
are crowded, mail is slowed, and highways are packed as we try our best to
share the beauty of this time.
We often see those things as trials we have to endure in
order for Christmas to come. And from
time to time we may even get angry that they are distracting us from the real
reason for the season. I’m not so
sure. You see, just as we long to be
close to our loved ones now, so God longed to be close to the ones he
loved. That’s us. And because he loved us so much, he sent his
only son to be near us. The first
chapter of John tells us that in the person of Jesus, God became human and
lived among us. That’s the kind of love
we celebrate this month.
Of all the names we use to refer to Jesus, the one we use at
Christmas is perhaps the most appropriate.
For as Matthew told us above, Immanuel means, “God with us.” Now that’s not just a catchy phrase or a line
from your favorite Christmas carol, for when Jesus was born, God was truly with
us. He was with us way back then and he
is still here with us today. And that’s
important to each of us as we try our best to live our lives of faith. But this time of year it is easy to remember
that. As we sing our songs and exchange
our gifts and enjoy our families, reminders of God’s presence are all around
us. But what about later, after the tree
is down, the decorations are put away, and the family has all gone home? Do we remember God’s presence then?
We should. For the
promise of Immanuel is not just a promise for December. It’s not meant to be celebrated once a year
and then put away in a box in the attic.
For when God came to be with us, he came to be with us forever. And even when our parties have ended and our
packages are all unwrapped, God is still here.
Waiting and wanting to be a part of our life throughout the year. It’s only up to us to make him feel welcome.
This is an incredibly busy time for rural pastors. The
services are numerous, attendance is usually up, and activities abound. We are often challenged and perhaps even a
bit stressed by the many obligations that crowd our calendars and our
perceptions that each activity is essential to providing a meaningful
experience to each of our members. In
the process of doing Advent and Christmas it is actually possible to miss out
on our own celebration of the season. I
have to admit that there have been times when I have come up for air after the
Christmas Eve service and realized that everyone else has been celebrating but
me. And while it is understandable how
we might fall into that trap, it is completely unnecessary. Because the most basic lesson that we learned
in seminary applies to this time as well – it is not about us.
Pastors and church leaders are more than just paid employees
in the Christmas service machine. Like everyone else in the church, this time
is for us as well. When God came to be
with us, he came to be with us, too. Not
just those in the pew, but everyone who calls Jesus Lord. Therefore, it is up
to each one of us, pastors especially, to make an effort to remember that this
season is not about what we do, but what we receive. And the greatest gift of
all was given in the name of the child we celebrate this week. I hope you will
take the time to experience the Christ, not just tell others about him, as you
celebrate the nativity with your family, your church community, and your own
faith.
In the spirit of his love, Merry Christmas!