Given on December 21, 2003 at the Lynnville UMC…

 

Tradition! I must say that I have never been one to worry too awful much about it. In fact, some people have wondered how it is that I became a Methodist preacher, where so much of the ‘normal’ Sunday service is usually steeped in tradition! And I’ve even been told by other pastors that I tend to hold tighter to some of the ‘traditional’ concepts than many of them do. My response is usually something along the lines of my not having a problem with using either a traditional or contemporary format as long as the basic truth of the message that’s presented can be gotten across in a clear and meaningful way, and I have used both methods, I think, to good extent, and indeed sometimes do very well combining them. Today’s service is a point-in-fact.
Since, after some discussion with various people, doing a special Christmas Eve Service here seemed rather redundant, I opted, instead, to include elements of both this last Sunday of Advent and Christmas Eve into this one service. Again, combining elements of tradition… the Christmas carols, the stories of Mary and Joseph, and the lighting of the candles, for example… with the using of the projected pictures and lyrics… along with a couple of surprises… in support of this ‘dual’ service.
Tradition! What traditions have you and your family developed and/or passed down over the years? One that my family always did, when I was a boy growing up in Hartford, was for all us of to get in the car and drive around the area to look at all of the Christmas lights, especially this special house in Rosewood Heights that always had a fabulous display, most of which was hand-made back then. When my son was very young, I always made it a point to wait till he was here and we would all go together to select and cut down our fresh tree to bring home and decorate just in time for Christmas day. Yet sometimes, on the years that he wouldn’t be here to spend the holiday with us I might not be inclined to put up a tree or lights at all. Over the last few years, I’ve taken great pride in doing some special lighting effects with various trees in our yard, but this year, since I’ve been on-the-road so much, I elected to let it slide… I figure that will make next years’ display even more appreciated!
Tradition! The verses that I just read contain the traditional story of the Christ Child born in a stable and laid in a manger, and of the angels proclaiming to the shepherds “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men!” Yet, on this Sunday last year, I preached to you about how it was not the birth of Christ that matters to us, but His death on the cross!
Tradition! In an article that I wrote some time ago, I talked about how we needed to re-familiarize ourselves with some of the lyrics in many of the traditional Christmas songs. And it is very true that I believe a major part of the problems that this country and society of ours’ are confronted with daily are caused primarily from a lack of teaching many of those traditional ideas… from a lack of understanding the importance of having traditional values and morals… and yes, from a lack of knowledge of and faith in God! And yet, today I want to play for you a ‘Christmas Song’ that I would imagine most of you have never heard! Indeed, it is from a Broadway musical that seemed, on the surface, to promote many of the bad ideals and low moral standards that have become such a trademark of our country… and did it in the late sixties/early seventies!
The show was called Promises, Promises, and the music and lyrics were written by Hal David and Burt Bacharach. The show centered around a young office assistant and his struggle to ‘climb the corporate ladder’ by loaning his apartment out to his superiors to use for their… aahhhh… ‘boys’ night out’. In the end, though, traditional morals win the day as the main characters, at least, realize the errors of their way and vow to not get involved with making or listening to ‘promises’ that are not all that they should be.
The lyrics are printed in your bulletin, if you’d like to follow along.

Burt Bacharach – Christmas Day

Christmas Day is here and so are we

Time for children and presents And Christmas tree happiness.

Christmas Day is all that it should be

Lights and carols and holly And all kinds of loveliness.

Christmas bells ringing out Goodwill to men

And peace on earth

Ev’rything they taught you When you were a child

The things a Child Once taught the world.

If Christmas day is really in your heart

You don’t have to save up All your love to give once a year

Learn to give, try to live Each day like Christmas Day.

 

Tradition! At this time of year it seems to be traditional to talk about peace… it seems to be traditional to talk and think about those who are hungry or homeless… those who are away from home and loved ones… those who may not be so well off as we might be. And it is right and proper that we do so! But why do we seem, sometimes, to only do it at this time of year?
Christmas is the day that we set aside to celebrate the birth of the baby Jesus… the Christ child… the Messiah… our Lord! And it is He who has taught us that we should love our fellow man… it is He who has told us that we are, indeed, our brothers’ keeper… it is He who has said that we are to love our neighbor above all else but God! And He never said to concentrate on doing so during the month of December each year in honor of His birth! We are to be doing these things each and every day of our lives! Listen to the words of the song… “If Christmas day… the true meaning of Christmas, the birth of Christ… is really in your heart, you don’t have to save up all your love to give once a year. It is truly time to give – time to live each day like Christmas day!”