Waxing Theological

12-24-18 (Christmas Eve, Year C) Isaiah 9:2-7; Luke 2:1-20 Heavenly Peace: 200 Years of Silent Night                Tonight marks the 200 th anniversary of the first performance of the beloved Christmas hymn “Silent Night.”   In churches around the world this night, people will gather together to sing – in many churches, it will be much the same as we do each year, with candles in hand as we pass the Christ light to one another and prepare to carry it out into the world.   For many people, it’s the defining moment that makes Christmas truly Christmas.   Of all the Christmas carols and hymns that have been written, Silent Night has managed to become such a permanent fixture in our Christmas experience that it has even been designated by UNESCO as a treasured item of Intangible Cultural Heritage.                There are many reasons why I think this hymn has endured for 200 years – the words carry a beautiful kind of poetry that paints a clear picture of Christmas Eve in al

12-16-18 (Advent 3C) Zephaniah 3:14-20; Luke 3:7-18 Marley the Baptist             In December of 1843, Charles Dickens released A Christmas Carol in Prose: A Ghost Story of Christmas , which would go on to become the most successful and popular of all the stories he had ever written.  The classic tale of Ebenezer Scrooge and his spectral visitors enthralled his audiences in the 19 th century and has endured over the years to the point that it has become enshrined in the halls of Christmas Traditions for many people.   Whether it’s sitting down together to read the story as a family during the Christmas season, going together to see it performed on the stage, or sitting down together to watch one of the many film or television adaptations out there with “Scrooges” ranging from Bill Murray to Sir Patrick Stewart to Mr. Magoo (my favorite, if you hadn’t guessed, is the Muppet version), the chances are that somewhere in your experiences of the Christmas season, this “Ghost of

12-9-18 (Advent 2C) Luke 1:68-79; Luke 3:1-6 A Father’s Joy                There’s something that is immensely fascinating about watching someone find out they’re going to have children.   From reveal videos posted on Facebook and YouTube to prize-winning clips submitted to America’s Funniest Home Videos, we’ve enjoyed seeing that moment unfold as future parents, grandparents, or little siblings open that package with the surprise inside.   We chuckle as they look at the camera, dumbfounded, asking “are you serious?!” or start jumping up and down and running all over the house screaming.              If they’d had such things as cameras back in Zechariah’s day, though, I think the moment he realized he was going to be a father probably would have taken a prize.   The elderly priest shuffles into the temple to take his shift in burning incense and leading the people in worship – just another day in the ministry, he thinks.   He picks up the censer and begins to fil

12-2-18 (Advent 1C) Jeremiah 33:14-16; Luke 21:25-36 The Days are Surely Coming As we come into the season of Advent, we enter into a time in the life of the church that is unlike any other.  It’s a time of excitement, a time of anticipation, of waiting and preparation.  It’s a time where we look forward with joy because we know that now, there are only four weeks until Christmas.  And everywhere we turn during the next several weeks, there’ll be no way of escaping that sense of eager Yuletide expectancy.  Christmas music has appeared on many of our radio stations, the Salmons light display is up at the fairgrounds again, and stores are trying to maintain the Black Friday surge as long as they can with Christmas sales and specials to help out those people who still haven’t found all the gifts they’ve been looking for.  People are putting lights out on their trees and houses, plugging in the inflatable decorations, and setting up other illuminated displays of holiday cheer while