I attended a candle-lit Christmas Carol service at my home church tonight. I don't want to tell you how beautiful the decorations were (they were astoundingly so and done with, in my opinion, great taste). I don't want to tell you about the music and songs, (which were beautifully performed, passionately sung and well chosen) or the depth of the meaning and the theology of the words (the carols are among the most profound hymns written). I don't wish to tell you about the message (it was simple, direct and incisive...full of hope). No, I want to rest my attention elsewhere!
This year what I personally took from the service was something other. As I cast my eye around the low lit room (both during and after the service) what struck me as the candle light flickered causing faces to jump in and out of darkness, was the number of people there that I feel a deep connection with and have a great sense of warmth for.
I look around my home church (and it feels like home) and I see faces of people I have journeyed with these last years and some for nearly all my life (and my father, who I have journeyed with all my life). I know people here. Some better than others. Some better than they think I know them. Some not as much as I'd like to. Some know me, some better, some better than they would like to, I am sure. Some of these I have prayed with, shed tears with. Some have inspired me. Some have served me. Some have prayed faithful for me. Some have given generously to me. Some have taught me. Some have encouraged me. Some have consoled me. Some have grieved with me. Some have challenged me. Some have been challenging. Some have prophesied over me. Some have let me down. Some have made me laugh. Some have shared hospitality.
These people are my family. I love them. It is true; sometimes we frustrate each other. Sometimes we fall into judgementality, sometimes we are insensitive or misunderstanding of each other. We are human. We are like natural brothers and sisters. But I want to say this. 2000 years ago, at Christmas, God put his son Jesus in a family so that we can can be in his family. And it's a beautiful, raggle-taggle, mixed up, messed up, fantastic, incredible holy mess. It's the people of God. I know that this is where I belong. This is the church.
Since my own family unit fell apart I have had to redefine my concept of family. My boys and I are a family. My boys and their mother are a family, in a sense we are all family, even though she and I are no longer in a relationship with each other.
Since my mother died the borders of my birth family have shifted. My father has re-married and I now have a new type of mother in my life and I have a hitherto non-existent connection to her wider family.
Families, be they nuclear, extended or blended are places of belonging. I once read an article that said that the way people look at things these days, marriage plays less of a part, blood ties play less of a part. Your family is made up of those who will stand with you, those who will stand by you. I have found these people in my church family. God does not want you to be alone. That is what Christmas is about. He loves you, he wants relationship with you and he wants you to experience relationship with him through his people. Scripture, I am reliably informed, says somewhere that he put the lonely in families and he does, he puts them in his own. This Christmas get involved in the messy business of relationships. Find God in your encounters with others. Express the love that is expressed towards you. He didn't leave you orphans but he adopted you into his family, gave you a spirit of acceptance. God wants to include you in the community of his amazing love.
No comments:
Post a Comment