I.N.I.
In C.S. Lewis’ The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe it is always winter with no Christmas. The White Witch has cast her spell on Narnia as if it is an eternal Advent. How can one live with no hope? The animal creatures waited for Sons of Adam and Daughters of Eve to come, and as they looked for the return of Aslan, the ice began to melt. Father Christmas came to strengthen Peter, Susan, and Lucy with a Spirit of promise. In time, through great suffering, Narnia would feast in new life.
The celebration of the Incarnation today is a feast, second in the church only to the Pasch, Easter’s celebration of new life in the midst of death. Jesus’ purposes in birth are joined quickly and intentionally toward his future work of redemption.
It is a luxury for us who are here to have this day and twelve in all to live in a festive time, against others who take down the trees and lights tomorrow.
It is a joy for us today to be marking new beginnings in Christ who came to make all things new.
We welcome Matt Regis as child of God, brother in Christ, himself born again by water and the Spirit.
Jesus’ birthday is Matt’s rebirthday.
Christ is the one whom we with Matt give acclaim as John’s poem reaches its climax: “And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth.”
God makes a home with us. That’s what has caught my attention this year, what I’ve been preaching about each Christmas service.
John makes it clear how close God wants to be with us. Here is Eugene Peterson’s version:
“The Word became flesh and blood,
and moved into the neighborhood.
We saw the glory with our own eyes,
the one-of-a-kind glory,
like Father, like Son,
Generous inside and out,
true from start to finish.”
--The Message
Millie, my secretary, jokes that she knows when my mother’s coming to visit, because I go to great lengths to make my office presentable.
Kari, my wife, and I joke that we like to have company over because it gives us an excuse to clean.
Think of Christ as the company that’s coming, to stay.
We might like to think of Advent as a time to have done some spiritual housecleaning.
And if we have done anything to spruce up our willingness to let Christ in, our openness to his being born in us today, we probably would protest, would say we are not ready, would ask for more time to clean one more room that is the hidden mess of our resentment or buried hatred.
And Christ would ask to come in, still.
Into our sorry world, and our less-than-perfect Advents and Christmasses, Christ still is born, and lives, and redeems, and will claim again at the end of all time.
Today is a day for feasting, for drinking up Christ who became one like us.
In our time, in our world, in our lives, in the mess of a stable in the uncertainty of taxation W.H. Auden writes “for once in our Lives Everything became a You and nothing was an It.”
Matt, wherever you are, wherever you go, as today you put on Christ, and in a ritual bath and anointing welcome God into your life, you are loved, you are offered new life, you will have God pitching a tent by your tent.
Feast now, friends and family, while you can. Pray that God’s filling the world with glory will turn enemies into friends, and hallow the earth. Share love freely, be intentional about bring God’s justice to birth. And sing and make merry, because today Christ is born. Hodie Christus Natus est.
I.N.I.
The Rev. Timothy J. Keyl, Pastor
Christ the King Lutheran Church
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