Luke 2:8-14

In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying,

“Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors!”

Some among us tonight watched (and some participated in) the youth Christmas program, “A Charlie Brown Christmas” a week ago Sunday. It is a beautiful Christmas story with a message I’ve never thought needed an explanation. That being said, someone recently clued me into a fascinating detail in the story that I had missed even after having watched the show dozens of times. This subtle detail transforms the show from a heartwarming entertaining story into something even more theologically and practically powerful.

Recall the scene where Charlie Brown returns to the rehearsal after picking a sickly-looking Christmas tree. He’s laughed at, and out of desperation he cries out for someone to teach him the true meaning of Christmas–something more than decoration contests or lists of desired presents. That’s when Linus, the sweet boy who always has his blue blanket clutched tightly to comfort him, tells the story of the angels appearing to the shepherds from the second chapter of Luke. It’s beautiful how Linus is able to pull attention back to scripture; but even more remarkable is what he does while he tells the story -- something that shows how scripture can transform us. Watch him closely and see if you catch what happens.

Did you catch it? What did Linus do? He dropped the blanket as he said “fear not.”

Legend has it that Charles Schultz, the creator and artist of the Peanuts comics and TV shows, demanded this scene be included in the final production or he would not authorize its release. Curiously, he didn’t have Linus recite parts of the Christmas story one would expect. Such as those verses about Mary being a virgin, there being “no room in the inn,” nor the part where the baby Jesus is born and placed in a manger. For Schultz, Christmas is all about the shepherds receiving the angels’ good news of the Savior’s birth and having their fear replaced with joy and peace.

So let’s take the opportunity this Christmas Eve to think about how Jesus’ birth is an invitation to “fear not” and to drop our own security blankets.

Fear is a constant companion in life. For some of us, fear lurks in the shadows so we can never quite make it out or describe it–it’s like a low-grade fever that keeps us from operating at 100%. In other cases, fear is clearly defined. We know exactly what we’re afraid of; however, just being able to name and describe it does not relinquish its power over us. Some of our fears are perfectly reasonable; others are irrational. As for me, I have an irrational fear of sharks and alligators, which is why I live in Indiana.

To be clear, fear serves an important function in our lives. Fear keeps us safe and helps us avoid making decisions that would have negative consequences; however, the perspective our fear brings should always be held in check or else it can paralyze us and keep us from chasing our dreams and experiencing joy. Author Elizabeth Gilbert writes beautifully about the proper role for fear in our lives. In her book about creativity titled Big Magic she writes a letter to fear, which I will share with you.

“Fear: I recognize and respect that you are a part of this family, and so I will never exclude you from our activities, but still–your suggestions will NEVER be followed. You’re allowed to have a voice, but you are not allowed to have a vote. You’re not allowed to touch the road maps; you’re not allowed to suggest detours; you’re not allowed to fiddle with the temperature. Dude, you’re not even allowed to touch the radio. But, above all else, my dear old familiar friend. You are absolutely FORBIDDEN to drive.”

The angelic announcement, “Do not be afraid” is an invitation to kick fear out of the driver’s seat, to reassert control of our lives, and to allow peace and joy to fill in the space that fear previously occupied. However, just telling someone to not be afraid does not do anything to make fear go away. I have been informed, and I intellectually understand, that I will not be attacked by a shark or alligator. Knowing something intellectually is not the same as knowing it in one’s heart or gut. The angels do not communicate merely an intellectual truth, rather they communicate something that is fundamentally true–a truth that changes everything.

Confronting fear means making tough decisions to be brave and vulnerable, to take risks, and to believe in something that stretches the limits of our intellect and emotions. As God’s angelic messengers remind us, our efforts to confront fear can result in good news, glory to God, great joy for all people, and peace on earth.

One of the beautiful parts of tonight’s service is after we light our candles and sing “Silent Night,” we will hear the gospel story of what happens after the shepherds are instructed not to fear.

I’ll go ahead and spoil the rest of the story for you. Those emboldened shepherds go and see the truth for themselves. And once they see Jesus they glorify and praise God, which is exactly how the angels were described in the earlier verses. The shepherds have been entrusted to go and share the good news of great joy; and as they go and share the good news of great joy to the world they become God’s angelic messengers.

Removing fear from the driver’s seat, dropping our security blankets, being filled with peace and joy, praising God, embodying the good news for the sake of the world, letting heaven and nature sing …that’s what Christmas is all about.

So may you have an encounter with God’s word that gives you to courage to put your fear in its proper place. May you be led into peace and joy as you live into God’s good news and share that news with others. And may you become one of the multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth, peace for all people.”

Merry Christmas.

Luke 1:26-38

In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”

Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?”

The angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God. And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.”

Then Mary said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.

I like to refer to John the Baptist as a “seasonal employee of the church” because he only shows up on church radars around this time of year; but he’s not the only one. The same can be said of Mary, the mother of Jesus. She’s not a figure that figures much in the lives of the typical non-Catholic Christians. Mary only makes a liturgical appearance at Jesus’ birth and at his crucifixion. But there is so much more to be said about the mother of Jesus beyond that she was there at the beginning and end of Jesus’ earthly life.

In fact, Trinity Lutheran Seminary professor Mark Allen Powell says that Mary is “the model for Christian discipleship, the person who all people, men and women alike should emulate, especially if they wish to follow her son.”

Mary is selected by God for an important task of literally and figuratively bearing the good news to the world. She is picked because God has found favor in her...but we are not told why. She was not wealthy or famous, so those could not have been the reasons God picked her. There’s nothing to indicate her favor with God was due to her attractiveness, work ethic, intelligence, artistic skill, or her ability to work a room and charm the socks off everyone. Whatever standard we think makes for a successful person today is not attributed to Mary. So, apparently those are not the attributes God looks for in a disciple. All we know is that Mary believed God’s word and said “yes” to God.

God is always the first impulse and the first actor. That is what we mean by grace. God makes the first move. But the powerful stuff happens when we say “yes” to God.” Notably, she is not blessed because she is going to be the physical mother of Jesus, but because she believed God's word. So, whatever blessing Mary enjoys is one we all can share, if we emulate her. We cannot all be physical parents of Jesus, but we can believe God's word will be fulfilled.”

This is a matter of profound practical importance for us today. God is constantly communicating God’s will, much like the invisible radio waves and satellite signals that saturate our atmosphere. Our invitation is to tune our spiritual devices so that we pick up on God’s signal. Blessing comes from our will being in sync with God’s will. It means tuning in and saying yes.

Mary, of course, was not the first person to tune into God’s communication channel. Scripture is full of people’s “call stories” -- those times and spaces where regular people were struck with spiritual inspiration that changed the course of their life and through which the good news was manifest on earth. Moses and Isaiah are two notable examples. And when their call stories are held up alongside Mary’s we notice a pattern that holds true for our lives today.

The pattern goes like this: There’s a greeting (1:28), a startled reaction (1:29), an exhortation not to fear (1:30), a divine commission (1:31-33), an objection (1:34), a reassuring word (1:35), and the offer of a confirming sign (1:36-37).

So how do we know when we have tuned into God’s communication channel? We will encounter God in scripture, worship, study, prayer, or mindfulness and be startled. As quickly as we are startled, we will feel a sense of calm. We will be given an idea that we feel wholly ill-equipped to tackle. God will promise that no task of faith is impossible. And once we say yes, we will find encouragement along the journey. That’s a pattern I hope you will recognize in your life. If you don’t, it is not too late to adjust the dial or change the channel.

Mary exemplifies discipleship in the way she listens and believes. This is not a way of life for the proud or powerful, the self-sufficient or the sanctimonious. As Jesus will later state, the gate is narrow and few will enter. But for those who set themselves to the work of listening to God and saying “yes” to God’s invitations, there are blessings in abundance that the whole world will enjoy.

May you, along with Mary, be bold in your yesses. And may you, along with Mary, be led to proclaim:

“My soul magnifies the Lord,
    and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant.
    Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
for the Mighty One has done great things for me,
    and holy is his name.
His mercy is for those who fear him
    from generation to generation.
He has shown strength with his arm;
    he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.
He has brought down the powerful from their thrones,
    and lifted up the lowly;
he has filled the hungry with good things,
    and sent the rich away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel,
    in remembrance of his mercy,
according to the promise he made to our ancestors,
    to Abraham and to his descendants forever.” (Luke 1:46-56)

Amen.

Linus' Good News

Advent Midweek – Mary's Song