Christmas 2012

Lectionary #15

Abundance

When the kindness and generous love
of God our savior appeared,
not because of any righteous deeds we had done
but because of his mercy,
He saved us through the bath of rebirth
and renewal by the Holy Spirit,
whom he richly poured out on us
through Jesus Christ our savior,
so that we might be justified by his grace
and become heirs in hope of eternal life.

At Christmas we love to give gifts. That is a most appropriate gesture because Christmas celebrates the enormous gift that God has given to us.

1.       So what is it about gift you don’t understand?

a.       It is freely given. Sometimes, when receiving a gift, people say, “Oh you didn’t have to do that?”

b.      (You’re right, I didn’t have to. I wanted to.) 
c.       Or they say, “I don’t deserve this!”  (Right again. You don’t deserve it.)

d.      It’s a gift I choose to give to you! I am the one who has taken the initiative; I am the one who decides to whom I will give my gifts, and I have chosen to give you this because I love you.

e.      Y­ours is to receive the gift.

f.        This gift is a grace, a word meaning free. I don’t have to give you anything. I owe you nothing. But I freely give you this gift out of my love for you.

i.      Although so much of our training is about earning, deserving and even fighting to get ahead, Christmas is about receiving the free gift of Jesus.

2.       So what is it about gift you don’t understand?

a.       We should try to prove ourselves worthy of the gift.

 i.      If you give a boy a powerful sport car and he tears out of the driveway, burns rubber up the street and the police come by a half-hour later to take you to the hospital, he was not worthy of the gift.

 ii.      I know a woman who was given a graduation gift of a wonderful car, but her aunt had only made the down payment on it. The new graduate had to finish the payments over the next several years.
She loved that car and she respected her aunt and she learned the discipline of huge monthly payments.  She said it was one of the best gifts she ever received because it taught a flighty young woman maturity.

iii.      We can grow into worthiness.

1.       A young couple getting married will have to prove their worthiness as they work out their relationship.

2.       New parents will have to prove their worthiness as they learn to make habitual, daily sacrifices for their children without complaining!

3.       I was certainly not worthy of the priesthood when I was ordained; I only hope that I am growing and maturing toward worthiness.
4. Although I don't think I am worthy, and I am convinced I am not worthy, I let God make that decision. God is the judge who decides my worth.

3.       So what is it about gift you don’t understand?

a.       Finally, gift is about “Thank you.” Until you say thanks, you have not received the gift. You’ve only taken something from someone. It’s more like a theft than a gift.

b.      But, we freely give thanks. Gratitude comes from the same root as grace; it is something we freely do.

c.       Living our lives in grateful obedience to God’s mercy, we are not driven by fear. Rather, we are moved by joyous, energetic gratitude. We can never do enough -- but we try!

d.      With gratitude we prove our worthiness.

4.       So what is it about gift you don’t understand? To summarize...

a.       A gift is freely given although we have neither earned it nor deserved it.

b.      We strive to be worthy of the gift, and finally;

c.       Set free from the fear of never being worthy or able to earn the gift, we graciously accept it.

May God bless you and all your loved ones at Christmas Time,
Fr Ken