Friday, December 19, 2008

I Know It By Heart

Do you know the Christmas Story? Sure, we all do. Do you know which Gospels tell what part of the story? Do you know that what most of us know as "THE" Christmas story is actually a harmonized story between a variety of sources? For example, did you know that the angel only appears to Mary in the Gospel of Luke? Did you know that the angel only appears to Joseph in the Gospel of Matthew? And yet, when we hear the story, especially in a children's Christmas play, we put both stories into the "one" story that we tell.
I've been thinking a bit about the harmonization of texts as I have focused on the texts that I have to preach on for the upcoming weekend. The assigned text is Luke 1:26-38, this is the part of the birth narrative where Mary learns from an angel that she is pregnant and then she sings the Magnificat (enter choir).

As I've thought about this and about the worship service that we are planning at Hope, I've thought about a dichotomy that seems to exist in two phrases that we seem to use interchangeably, those are "I have that memorized" and "I know it by heart". To make these phrases stand out just a little more, let's use a concrete example.

Most of us if asked will say that we have the words to "Jesus Loves Me" memorized. We know the tune, we know the words, so we can sing the song without any assistance from a piece of paper in front of us. Many of us will even say "I know that song by heart" again simply meaning, "I don't need a songbook in front of me, I can sing that song". And, I guess we can be right in both cases.

But, I will contend that to say "I know it by heart" actually is saying something more than "I have memorized it" Memorization is simply an act that we do. We memorize a lot of things from multiplication tables to addresses and phone numbers to people's names. But when we "know something by heart" I think we move into another level ... we actually find a large value in that item. So if someone asks me, "do you know the song 'Jesus Loves Me'?" and I reply, "Yes, I know it by heart" I believe what I am saying is, "I've thought about the words, these words are important to me, there is a deep meaning that resonates within me."

This brings me to a question ... have we simply memorized the Christmas Story or do we Know it by Heart? Do we simply recite details of the story that we've heard from a variety of sources? or Have we allowed the story of Christmas to penetrate our hearts and to resonate within us ... becoming a cornerstone of who we are?

Saturday, December 13, 2008

Not a "Happy" movie watched on my Birthday

So, today is my birthday. I know, "Happy Birthday" ... it's obligatory, whether you care or not, you have to say it right? O.K. I'm a cynic. Most people really do care that you have a happy day, but I think it really has become one of the many niceties that we have a knee-jerk reaction to without thinking what we are really saying. But that's not the point of what I want to say here.
Today is my birthday. So to celebrate my wonderful wife took me to a movie of my choosing. Now, there aren't a whole lot of movies showing right now that I was excited to see, so I opted for one that I wanted to see but knew would be heavy and sad. Oh, well, what's a guy to do. You only get so many chances to see a movie in the theater when you have a baby at home.
So the movie we went to see was "The Boy In the Striped Pajamas" If you haven't seen the previews, it's a historical fiction about a boy who's father was Commander of one of the Concentration camps during the Holocaust. (spoiler warning - if you read the synopsis on the official website it says way too much about the plot of the film - so I suggest waiting until after the movie to read it). I went in knowing it would be a heavy and sad movie, but I wasn't quite prepared for this. The ending of the film was a shot to the gut and I'm certain that anyone who walks out of the film having not cried has to be the reincarnation of Hitler himself. It's sad, Period! There is no getting around that.

I will also offer that it is an AMAZING film and one that everyone NEEDS to see. Like Passion of the Christ, Schindler's List, and other such movies, it's necessary, especially for younger generations, to know about this part of history and think about how stories like this resonate with current events.
There are SO many amazing aspects of this film. Some of the choices in shot selection really speak volumes to messages being conveyed. Some of the storyline choices ask multiple questions (not just, "how could the Nazis do this?"). Some of the aspects of the film draw you into a story that you otherwise thought you were not a part of.
If I haven't said it enough, I really think this movie is amazing. I've already been thinking about ways that I could use this in a congregational setting. It certainly fits an Ethics class, but churches could surely use this film and conversation within small group and education times. I could even see preaching a pretty challenging sermon series with this film.
So, my summary about the film is that it will make you think, it is excellent. I've probably never said this about a film, but I would go as far as to say it is our responsibility to see this film!

Wednesday, December 3, 2008

Patience

I've come to the realization over the past few weeks that we are part of a society that has lost our ability to be patient. We are able to get anything we want 24/7. Stores are always open for us to get exactly what we want. We can always turn to the Internet for information at the click of a mouse. We can't stand the idea of waiting in line. We are willing to pay extra to get things faster. We simply have lost any sense of patience.
Just yesterday I was driving down the road and approached an intersection. The light was green in my direction so I was proceeding when someone from the cross-street decided to pull out in front of me. As if somehow the 10 seconds it was going to take for me to cross through the intersection was going to impede this person from getting to work (or wherever they were headed) on time. To make matters worse this person pulled out slowly and proceeded down the road slowly (causing me to slow down) which of course frustrated me and made me realize my own impatience! I had places to be (I really was running a little late to get to a meeting ... but that was MY fault). But I thought about the fact that this person couldn't wait at their red light for their turn. It's because we think we're more important than everyone around us.
In the church year we are in the midst of the Advent season. It is a season of preparation and anticipation. It is a season that is anti everything in our society. Our society tells us we can have it all RIGHT NOW and in Advent we learn we have to wait and anticipate. And waiting is good for us. It gives us time to think and reflect. It gives us time to appreciate what we will experience. When we look forward to something we get excited about. When we anticipate something we tell others about it. When we are patient we get rewarded. And Advent is a season of promise that never disappoints. Every year at the end of Advent we celebrate Christmas ... We wait for Jesus to come and guess what ... HE DOES!
So, let's wait ... let's be patient ... let's anticipate what is to come ... then when it does, let's party like it's 1999! (or something like that).