Year-End Pop Culture Roundup

Since last Friday was Christmas, our Year-End Roundup comes on a Monday this year. Items are numbered for convenience purposes only.

Five Books I Enjoyed in 2009

1. Jesus Wants to Save Christians - This is Rob Bell's latest, not including Drops Like Stars which I am pretty much refusing to buy or read. At any rate, Bell addresses this book to the church, calling it back to a sense of true mission and evangelism. The question that he poses that has stuck with me is near the end: "If your church closed, who would mourn it? Just the members, or the surrounding community as well?" That's a paraphrase, but it's basically what he asks. I found that question powerful, and I've shared it with my own church too.

2. Founding Brothers - Joseph Ellis explores the complicated relationships and arguments among the Founding Fathers by looking at seven specific events or issues that they wrestled with and disseminating letters they wrote, speeches they gave, and works that they published. This includes the duel between Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr, George Washingon's farewell address and the issue of whether to tackle slavery while still trying to solidify this new nation. Thomas Jefferson ends up looking like a jerk, but this is a well-done work regardless.

3. An Altar in the World - Barbara Brown Taylor seeks to eliminate the line between spirituality and "real life" by exploring how the two are actually intertwined. Taylor suggests that you don't go to church to be spiritual and then leave that aspect of your life in the sanctuary. Instead, she explores how everyday activities can be spiritual: working, resting, hanging laundry, gardening, walking through the woods, suffering, and going to the bathroom, among so many others. Taylor is a very gifted writer besides.

4. The Story of Edgar Sawtelle - I never heard of this book until I read about it at Nachfolge, and now I'm glad that I did. When Coffeewife asked me what it's about, I simply repeated Scott's description: "It's Hamlet set in Wisconsin." Which it is. And if that makes one skeptical, I invite you to read it for yourself before judging. David Wroblewski interweaves the features of Shakespeare's classic into the story of a family of dog breeders who receive a visit from Edgar's estranged uncle. In a sense, the story degenerates from there. It took a while for the book to really get going, but once it did I couldn't put it down.

5. Home - Marilynne Robinson gives a different perspective on the characters from Gilead, telling the story through Glory's eyes. She also writes in the more traditional novel format, as opposed to Rev. Ames' journalwriting. Here, we're able to get the Boughton family's take on things, particularly Jack's homecoming and all that surrounds it. Here, we meet a family struggling through issues of reconnecting and reconciliation and, in Jack's case, redemption.

Five Movies I Enjoyed in 2009

1. Wall-E - At times funny, at times depressing, this is the story of a robot on a waste-infested Earth going about his cleanup duties in solitude until he meets EVE, another robot sent to Earth to look for signs of natural life. For the vast majority of the film, there isn't a lot of dialogue, but through Wall-E's actions we meet an earnest, lovable robot and not only understand what's going on but get sucked in. The movie has a strong environmental message as well as a message of temperance when it comes to human use of technology.

2. Waiting - A workplace comedy set in the family restaurant Shenaniganz, Ryan Reynolds and Justin Long play best buddies leading the rest of the crew in wacky hijinks. One need not have experience in the foodservice industry to get the jokes, but I think I laughed a little harder than I would have otherwise. Long's character is the one struggling to get out; other characters cope with their feelings of stuck-ness in other ways.

3. Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist - Michael Cera stars as Nick, a lovelorn sad-sack in high school who is unable to get over his self-absorbed ex-girlfriend. The entire group of friends go on an all-night adventure in downtown New York City (the movie doesn't bother to ask about the parenting wisdom, or lack thereof, that goes along with this). The movie's title hints at the common bond that Nick and Norah share, that being music. One of the subplots of the movie is the entire group searching for an elusive band that leaves clues as to where they'll play next. Another is that Norah's father owns a recording studio originally built by Jimi Hendrix. Mostly thanks to its setting, the movie is able to put a new spin on some well-worn qualities of similar movies. The soundtrack is good, too.

4. The Wrestler - Mickey Rourke plays Randy "The Ram" Robinson, a wrestler who, while enjoying a legend-status sort of reputation in the wrestling world, has a broken-down body, lives in a trailer, is struggling to make rent every month, has a daughter who hates him, and whose only friend is a stripper he visits every few weeks. The combination of these things makes for a pretty tragic story about a guy who turns to the only thing that provides any sort of meaning or comfort for him, even after he should. Some analyses provided by people who know wrestling suggest that this movie showcases the addiction that wrestlers acquire for the limelight and the cheers, but to me it was more clear that for "The Ram," wrestling was simply the only thing in his life that was a sure thing; that made sense. He says as much near the end. It was an excellent film in many respects...just not a very uplifting one.

5. Forgetting Sarah Marshall - In the mold of Judd Apatow's films (whether he directs, produces, writes, or whatever), a slacker everyman is crushed after his actress girlfriend leaves him. He takes a trip to a Hawaiian resort to help forget her, but it turns out that she's there with her new rock star boyfriend. What follows are riffs on relationships and life in general, all with a certain amount of raunch. But again, like other Apatow films, it finds ways to balance the raunch with heart.

Five TV Shows I Enjoyed in 2009

1. Flight of the Conchords - The second and apparently last season of the series aired this year and, while not as strong as the first, featured plenty of good humor and music. By the end of the season, the guys are deported back to New Zealand, fittingly thanks to a gaffe by their manager. It was fun while it lasted.

2. Scrubs - Let's be clear about something with this one: I enjoyed watching syndicated repeats, and the 8th season that featured the perfect ending to the series if people had had the good sense and decency to leave well enough alone. I DO NOT include the new revamped version of the show that debuted this December, because it's awful. Old Good Scrubs - humor, heart, and characters I'd come to love and root for. New Crappy Scrubs - humor only because of Dr. Cox, heart only because of J.D., and new characters who are two-dimensional and unlikable. In conclusion, Old Scrubs = WIN, New Scrubs = FAIL.

3. Entourage - It may be due in large part to inertia that this show is on the list, because oddly enough the show seemed to go on inertia this past year as well. This season seemed to meander with the exception of Ari buying out his mentor-turned-rival. The last episode was hopeful for next season, though, as Drama is going to get his own TV series and Eric got engaged. So we'll see. I'll still tune in, because it's what I do. Not a ringing endorsement, but I also didn't watch that many TV shows this year.

4. True Blood - When the first season of this show ended, I wondered why I watched it and whether I'd keep watching. As it turns out I did keep watching, and I was rewarded. The second season was much stronger than the first, as each character had more direction and the campy fun and humor was ratcheted up as well.

5. Better Off Ted - I didn't watch much of this show the first season, but I saw enough to want to make it a point to watch the second. This is an office comedy, yet it doesn't attempt to be The Office: it's more superficial and screwball. Portia de Rossi is excellent as the icy, controlling boss, and I always root for Arrested Development alumni. The show even shows fake commercials for the company during breaks, which are hilarious.

Five Albums I Enjoyed in 2009

1. Way to Normal, Ben Folds - Folds is his usual quirky, hilarious, incredibly talented self in this album that he released last year. But it was new to me this year.

2. Big Whiskey and the Groogrux King, Dave Matthews Band - This CD just came out, and I'm already prepared to call it my second favorite DMB album after Before These Crowded Streets. I was skeptical after hearing the first single, but my mind was quickly changed after hearing the entire thing. There's an attitude and creativity on this one that I found very refreshing.

3. Horehound, The Dead Weather - Jack White plays drums for this third of his bands, which has a dirty blues-rock sound to it. I was ready to call this one of my favorites of the year shortly after I first heard it.

4. Civilians, Joe Henry - The comparisons to Dylan are to be expected. Henry is an engaging songwriter and storyteller, and I can't believe I never heard of him before this year.

5. Them Crooked Vultures - Josh Homme, Dave Grohl, and John Paul Jones come together to show people the meaning of the phrase "power trio." It'll sound a lot like Queens of the Stone Age to many, but is that that bad of a thing?

Five Blogs I Enjoyed in 2009

1. Internet Monk - I know, he ends up on here a lot. But this past year when clicking other blogs on the roll, I noticed after a while that he was the one I checked every day. So I knew that he had to be on here. If you don't know by now, Michael Spencer is a Southern Baptist evangelical who is quite critical of his own denomination and tradition, seeking a deeper "Jesus-shaped" faith than what he typically finds offered up in those circles. But as he does so, he's in dialogue with Catholics, Orthodox, mainliners, and whomever else.

2. Questing Parson - In the vein of Real Live Preacher, Questing Parson shares thoughts both honest yet gentle about life in ministry. The difference is that he shares them through brief pieces of fiction that are no doubt grounded in real life. Some of these stories include blowing off one of the church's perpetual complainers, praying with an atheist in a hospital waiting room, and unwritten rules about animals in the church building.

3. MGoBlog - Leading up to the start of the 2009 college football season, I clung more and more tightly to the analysis and reassuring words of MGoBlog. MGoBlog offers excellent analysis including breakdowns of every game, stats for both current players and recruits, essays on themes like tradition, hope for the future, players and coaches, and all with a humor that is at times dry or self-deprecating or just goofy. It was also a great place to go around the time of the practice "controversy" right before the season, where Brian and others thoroughly destroyed Rosenberg's article. It was also the blog to which I turned for comfort after the 2009 season. In short, this is THE source to which I turn for info on Michigan athletics.

4. Letters from Kamp Krusty - Brant disappeared for a while this year, and left a notable void in my blogreading. Kamp Krusty regularly features my kind of humor, as well as commentary on Christian culture. I was very glad when Brant resurfaced and took up his keyboard once again.

5. A Church for Starving Artists - Jan makes the list once again. She's one of the few that I make sure to check daily for new insights about the church as it is and the church as it should be. I find in her a kindred spirit in terms of introducing emerging themes into mainline contexts.

"Behold" - A Reflection for Christmas Eve

John 1:5, 14

The Christmas play had been going pretty well. The youth had recited their lines; they had even coordinated a dance in the middle aisle, which was well-done. Of course, this was after a hearty potluck meal organized by some of our adult members. Parents happily and proudly snapped pictures, families gathered to watch their smallest members perform.

Yep, things had gone off pretty well without a hitch. And so it was finally time for the much younger set of children to process in – all dressed as characters from the nativity story. We had Mary and Joseph, and at least one wise man. Not even being preschool age, they’d needed some encouragement to make it down the aisle; to stand next to the manger, complete with a doll playing the role of Jesus.

Everyone was encouraged to join in singing “Away in a Manger,” these youngest children more or less standing where they should, but quickly beginning to want to reach for nearby parents. All of this was finally being brought to a head as Joseph reached in and picked up baby Jesus, and started to walk out of the chancel with him.

That’s not quite how the story was meant to go, but it’s how things went on that particular evening. But we do expect to hear the more traditional story tonight; we gather every Christmas Eve to hear it. It’s a familiar story that many of us have heard so often. It may be that many of us could recite it ourselves, and we don’t realize it.

It’s a story of humble beginnings for a baby born to a peasant family and God’s announcement of who he is. It’s THE story – the story of Christ’s birth, of God made known to us in the most modest and surprising of ways.

But it’s meant to be more than a story.

When the first angel shows up announcing a baby born in Bethlehem, there aren’t a lot of words used. It’s actually a pretty brief announcement. After assuring the shepherds to not be afraid, the first thing the angel says is, “See.” In other translations: “Behold.”

God’s messenger is starting this announcement with something more than an invitation to hear and believe a story. It’s an announcement to behold something, to see for oneself and take it all in. Behold this baby, behold God With Us revealed in flesh and blood. These shepherds are invited to behold the unfolding story of God’s new promise – to become a part of it, to participate in it, rather than just hear it.

“The light shines in the darkness,” the beginning of the Gospel of John says. Later, he writes, “the Word became flesh and lived among us” It’s no small thing that these verses talk about things we can see; things we can touch. We don’t just read or hear or talk about light; we can see it, maybe feel its warmth. We don’t just read or hear or talk about flesh; we can see it and touch it.

John uses these words for Jesus, saying that God’s Word, God’s love is embodied in the one born tonight. It reiterates that this is more than just a story. This is a light that shines in life’s dark corners. This is a physical, tangible Word from God to be embraced and experienced.

Shane Claiborne, the leader of a Christian community in Philadelphia living and working side by side with the poor, recently wrote a piece for Esquire magazine. In this article, he invites non-Christians (mainly atheists) to rethink this faith of ours. He wants to make the case that it was always meant to be about something other than judgment and anger and exclusion.

Near the end, he writes about the entire story of Jesus being about a God who didn’t want to stay “out there,” but instead wanted to move into the neighborhood – yours, mine, ours. Through Jesus, God moves into the neighborhood proclaiming that redemption and healing and wholeness is possible for everyone; that ultimately love wins, that no one is beyond the reach of this love.

The Christ child comes to a world that craves more than a story. He comes to a world that wants to be able to pick something up out of the manger, to hold it and see it and feel its weight and carry it out. He comes to a world wanting to really experience something, to see a difference, to see that real transformation is possible, to see that real relief and real hope and real love is possible. He comes to a world not wanting just words, but a real Living Word made flesh.

There will be moments to reflect; to think about what it all means, to sort out our beliefs about tonight. But first, we are invited to behold the moment itself. Behold the light shining in the darkness, the Word made flesh. Behold this good news of great joy for all the people.

Behold the baby born this night. Pick him up and carry him with you.

Celebrities Sing to Elmo

Fourth Monday of Advent

In these final days before Christmas, there isn't much left to do.

There are no more Sundays left. No more Advent worship. No more Advent preaching.

Save Christmas Eve, there are no more festive activities leading up to the day. No more caroling, no more youth pageants.

There is no more shopping. Coffeewife and I divided and conquered in one fell swoop on Saturday. We didn't fret about it, and we along with both our families don't seem to be too concerned about what we get. Speaking for myself, I feel less and less caught up in it every year, and I sense the people around me feeling the same.

All that is left to do is anticipate the celebration that is coming: Christmas Eve worship, Christmas Day with family.

In the midst of these final days of anticipation, I've seen some peculiar things.

The first was an area church advertising Christmas Eve Eve worship. Not Christmas Eve. Christmas Eve Eve. It's the first and only time I've ever heard of that. I imagine that it's to free up both Christmas Eve and Day for family activities, but I really don't know. I've been driving past this church for five years and I don't think I've ever seen them offer this.

The next was the news that a close seminary friend had been passed over by a church he seemed sure he was called to. This talented, dedicated pastor is still looking for a call. It's mind-boggling to me. And this news has dramatically changed the feel of the holiday for him.

Finally, because I just do this sort of thing, I looked ahead to see what time of the week Christmas falls next year. It's no big deal...it's on a Saturday. But in 2011, Christmas is once again on a Sunday. For whatever reason, I didn't think that would happen again for quite a while. I actually had fun the last time this happened, in 2005: there were 30-40 people in worship at best, and our organist couldn't make it so a member just played all the songs on the piano. I also know that this next time I'm going to deviate from the normal order of service and have more of a carol sing, or again feature lessons and carols like on Christmas Eve. I think that an actual Christmas Sunday invites that sort of thing; even calls for it.

These various things aren't really related, other than they each affect how one observes the season. When the holiday falls, when the celebration of it falls, and what is happening in your own life or the lives of friends around that time all affect how you receive it. Other than that, I have no big insights about it...they were all just interesting things that happened this week.

I'm sorry to see Advent end, but it is because its fulfillment has come near. I hope you are able to celebrate it well.

DC Talk Reunite, To Their Dismay

This is from Lark News. On a whim, I searched one day to see if dc Talk had any real plans to reunite, and found this. And I can laugh at it because I'm a fan...and because I have that kind of sense of humor. But seriously, dc Talk: come back.

NASHVILLE — The Christian rap-rock trio DC Talk is re-uniting, much to each member’s chagrin.

"We’re not looking forward to it," says frontman Toby McKeehan. "We fully expect it to be unpleasant."

The band split up in 2000 amid disagreements and lifestyle differences. Toby McKeehan, who has gone by the stage name TobyMac since signing a secret promotional deal with Kraft Foods in 2001, went on to have a successful solo career. He says the reunion tour is "a Sting thing" for him, referring to the singer who flourished as a solo artist before touring again with his former band, The Police.

"If Sting could tolerate Stewart [Copeland] for one more tour, I guess I can get along with these guys," says Mac.

The "other blond guy" in the band, Kevin Max, says he has been "ultra busy, super-super busy, way busy all the time" since DC Talk’s demise. Though his solo music career sputtered he is "totally excited, unbelievably excited" about his latest Christian poetry book, which he is promoting with a poetry-reading tour of Bangladesh, the one place where his writing has found a sizable following.

"Kevin Max will always be there for his bandmates and is willing to lay down his career goals if his band truly needs him," says his publicist, who also indicated she had not been paid in nine months. Max is working hard to reschedule his Bangladesh poetry-reading dates.

The one band-member who appears remotely optimistic about reuniting is Michael Tait who hopes to gain more publicity for his band, Tait, which is currently touring youth camps in southern Kansas.

"This is a great opportunity to energize our solo projects, if we can stand being on stage together for a little while," he said by phone from a rest stop near Wichita. "It also wouldn’t hurt to goose back-catalog sales, ’cause I bought into this whole real estate boom thang."

John 1:1-14 - "Teh Cat Macro Becamded Flesh"

The Prologue to John, according to the LOLcat Bible:

1 In teh beginz is teh meow, and teh meow sez "Oh hai Ceiling Cat" and teh meow iz teh Ceiling Cat. 2 Teh meow an teh Ceiling Cat iz teh bests frenz in teh begins.

3 Him maeks alls teh cookies; no cookies iz maed wifout him. 4 Him haz teh liefs, an becuz ov teh liefs teh doodz sez "Oh hay lite." 5 Teh lite iz pwns teh darks, but teh darks iz liek "Wtf."

6 And teh Ceiling Cat haz dis otehr man; his naem iz John. 7 He tellz teh ppl dat teh lites is tehre, so dat teh doodz mite bleev" 8 Him wuz not teh lite; he jsut sez teh lites is tehre. 9 Teh tru lite ov lotz of lite wuz comes, k?

10 He iz liek, "Oh hai, I mades u," but teh wurld duznt sees him. 11 He iz comes to his stuffs, but his stuffs sez "Do not want!" 12 And sum guyz did want, and sez "Teh Ceiling Cat pwns," and deez guyz iz liek his kidz— 13 But not liek reel kidz, k? Iz liek teh Ceiling Cats kidz.

14 Teh cat macro comez dwn frm Ceiling (omg) and he is lives wif us. We is sees teh glorie taht is frum teh one n only; him come from teh dad wif teh grace and teh truth.

HT to Songbird for the idea.

Pop Culture Roundup

I read The Boundary-Breaking God by Danielle Shroyer this week. It's relatively short (125 pages) and light. Shroyer takes a brief tour through scripture, highlighting stories where God uses unexpected people to accomplish God's work: old Abraham, the Hebrew midwives who foil Pharaoh, the pagan wise men who visit Jesus, the oxymoronic "good Samaritan" in Jesus' parable, the women who are the first to hear about the resurrection, and so on. The undercurrent of Shroyer's book is that these are but examples of what God intends for all of humanity; that God wants to expand to include everyone in the new creation that God is bringing into view. It's a pretty good book, although its themes were familiar to me. It'd make a great book study for a church group.

We watched The Proposal this week, starring Sandra Bullock as Margaret, an icy, pushy boss and Ryan Reynolds as her assistant Andrew. When Margaret, who is Canadian, finds out that she's about to be deported, she quickly threatens/bribes Andrew into marrying her so that she can stay in the country. In order to play up the charade as much as possible, they fly to Alaska to meet Andrew's family who, as it turns out, are like the "Alaskan Kennedys," as Margaret puts it: they own half the town's businesses and live in a humongous house. As one may expect, Margaret and Andrew eventually soften toward one another, there's the eventual exposure/admittance, and then the happy ending. All of this takes place in the span of three days according to the movie. Perhaps being holed up with someone you hate 24/7 during that time can cause such things to happen, but I found that a little difficult to believe. The ride is enjoyable enough, especially because I like both actors. So aside from the usual probability/logic issues that plague romantic comedies such as this, it was fine.

We also watched Push this week. This movie portrays a world not unlike X-Men, where people have different powers like psychic ability (watchers), moving things with one's mind (movers), inserting false memories into others' heads (pushers), etc. And there is an organization known as The Division that has been capturing and experimenting on them since WWII. Eventually, one person escapes The Division and needs the help of Nick (mover) and Cassie (watcher). As it turns out, the main bad guy working with The Division had killed Nick's father ten years earlier, and Cassie's mother is currently a Division prisoner. It is, of course, Cassie's ability that gets her and Nick involved to begin with. I instinctively compared this movie with Jumper, which was horrible. But Push was a lot better: better characters, better acting, better plot. The ending left Coffeewife and I a little dissatisfied, though. It suggests a possible sequel, but I don't know how well this one did to warrant one.

I caught a good portion of the new Scrubs this past Tuesday. I basically missed it the week before that. Apparently, J.D., Turk, and Dr. Cox are all teaching at a medical school now, with a bunch of new interns. One of the interns is taking over narrating duties as well. I didn't find any of the interns especially likable, and the feel of the show in general is just wrong to me. I'll give it a few more episodes, but for now I maintain that they should've just ended it last season.

What if Christmas carols had been written by committee? This video dares answer that question:

Advent Conspiracy

Even though it's getting pretty late in the game, I wanted to plug Advent Conspiracy. This is a movement started by three pastors attacking the overly commercialized part of Christmas from a different angle. They advocate worship and buying less, and proceeds from their book and DVD go to Living Water International, which helps dig wells in the Third World.

The media has started to pick up on the movement, too:

If it's December, then there must be frost in the air, gingerbread in the oven, and ... right on time, Bill O'Reilly and the other defenders of Christmas bemoaning the prevalence of "Happy Holidays" - rather than "Merry Christmas" - greetings.

There's a war on Christmas, O'Reilly recently reminded viewers, driven by those who "loathe the baby Jesus." This season, a holiday-dÉcor company is marketing the CHRIST-mas Tree, a bushy artificial tree with a giant cross where the trunk should be. And the Colorado-based Focus on the Family is continuing its Stand for Christmas campaign to highlight the offenses of Christmas-denying retailers. The campaign was launched, according to its website, because "citizens across the nation were growing dissatisfied with the tendency of corporations to omit references to Christmas from holiday promotions."

But to a growing group of Christians, this focus on the commercial aspect of Christmas is itself the greatest threat to one of Christianity's holiest days. "It's the shopping, the going into debt, the worrying that if I don't spend enough money, someone will think I don't love them," says Portland pastor Rick McKinley. "Christians get all bent out of shape over the fact that someone didn't say 'Merry Christmas' when I walked into the store. But why are we expecting the store to tell our story? That's just ridiculous."

McKinley is one of the leaders of an effort to do away with the frenzied activity and extravagant gift-giving of a commercial Christmas. Through a savvy viral video and marketing effort, the so-called Advent Conspiracy movement has exploded. Hundreds of churches on four continents and in at least 17 countries have signed up to participate. The Advent Conspiracy video has been viewed more than a million times on YouTube and the movement boasts nearly 45,000 fans on Facebook. Baseball superstar Albert Pujols is a supporter - he spoke at a church event in St. Louis to endorse the effort.

In the past four years, Advent Conspiracy churches have donated millions of dollars to dig wells in developing countries through Living Water International and other organizations. McKinley likes to point out that a fraction of the money Americans spend at retailers in the month of December could supply the entire world with clean water. If more Christians changed how they thought about giving at Christmas, he argues, the holiday could be transformative in a religious and practical sense.

I read the book last month, which is pretty good. The themes of Advent Conspiracy are pretty simple, and perhaps a welcome alternative for many people. This is a "true meaning of Christmas" movement that actually makes a positive difference. Join in if you're able.

Third Monday of Advent

How do you address a Christmas card to someone with terminal cancer?

This is the question that I asked myself while writing out cards for my church members on Saturday night. Our youth run a "Christmas post office" where members can bring in the cards they want to send to each other: they're organized and stuck in little file folder-like sleeves for people to pick up. As I wrote mine, I came to C's name and stopped. All the cards that I was using had predictably cheerful messages in them; well-wishes for the season and for the new year. And yet C probably will not see much of the new year. Sending greetings of the season suddenly becomes more complicated than what Hallmark usually provides.

I found this a fitting question to ask this weekend, as Sunday night was our Blue Christmas service. This is a special service recognizing that the holiday season is not universally joyful. There are plenty of people whose grief, stress, loneliness, and depression is amplified this time of year. I read a few hopeful scripture passages, and then I incorporate one or two other readings that speak to some of the causes of this season's sadness. This year, I adapted a post from A Church for Starving Artists, and I read the Mary Frye poem, Do Not Stand At My Grave and Weep. The main act of the evening is the invitation for people to come forward and light candles to acknowledge their burdens.

I have to believe that this season is much different than in previous years for C and her family. She was on my mind during Blue Christmas, and so I lit a candle for her.

I also lit a candle for my brother-in-law, who died quite suddenly this past March and whose birthday is on Christmas. This will be no small thing for that side of the family.

I always light other candles, but these two were new this year.

The service saw a modest turnout, probably the most modest since it was introduced. There were other things happening for some who usually attend, so there was no reason to take it personally. And those who came needed it regardless.

After I came home from Blue Christmas, we went through our first batch of cards received through the "post office." As we opened each one, I was more and more thankful for a congregation that loves us the way they do. Some wrote personal notes of blessing for the new house or for Coffeeson. Our regular nursery workers signed their card with their "nursery names," indicating how much they enjoy having Coffeeson during worship.

Such is the mix of sadness and joy that Blue Christmas helps acknowledge. During this week of joy, I carry with me C and those who attended this special service, and I also carry the church as a whole who continue to speak words of joy for the Coffeefamily.

"Where's Your Joy?" - A Sermon for Advent 3

Luke 3:7-18

Imagine getting an Advent card in the mail – not a Christmas card, mind you, an Advent card.

On the outside is a picture of John the Baptist in all his scruffy, locust-eating glory, decked out in camel hair. And he’s pointing a finger right at you. On the inside it says, “You brood of vipers! Get your act together or God is going to have some words with you!”

Season’s Greetings!

Actually, when it comes to Advent, John the Baptist is the one who brings us season’s greetings. It’s doubtful that Hallmark will be hiring him any time soon, though.

John bursts on the scene near the Jordan river, starting his ministry before Jesus starts his. He baptizes and preaches there; and neither of these actions are easy to stomach for a lot of people.

His main message is repentance. To repent is to redirect your life; one popular understanding is to “turn your life around.” A more accurate meaning of repentance is to “refocus.” Whenever a new king was crowned, heralds would proclaim, “Repent:” People were told to refocus their loyalties to the new king and the new regime.

So for John to proclaim repentance, he was preaching for them to refocus their lives to a new way of thinking, a new and different loyalty than what they’d been loyal to up to that point. And, of course, the sign of this new commitment was the act of baptism. It was a symbol of cleansing, of purification and redirecting one’s loyalty to something new.

While doing this, John has some specific people who ask him how to do this.

The crowds ask him, “What should we do?” John tells them, “Share your excesses with people who don’t have anything – food, clothing, whatever else.”

Tax collectors, notorious for collecting way more than they needed so that they could skim off the top, ask, “What should we do?” John tells them, “Collect no more than you’re supposed to.”

Roman soldiers, known for bullying citizens into giving them money, ask, “What should we do?” John tells them, “Stop using threats and violence to take from others, and be satisfied with what you have.”

John the Baptist has some plain, honest, fairly harsh words for people. He calls them out on what they’re doing. He doesn’t provide the feel-good greeting of the season, so much so that even Herod isn’t exempt, a fact that eventually lands John in prison.

On the Sunday when we’re meant to think about joy, this may not sound very joyful. John the Baptist’s words and style don’t seem to lend themselves to holiday cheer. Instead, he calls us to examine ourselves – to name our selfishness, our shortcomings, the bad things we’ve done and the good we’ve avoided doing. By calling us to this self-evaluation, John actually does want us to think about joy. He wants us to think about what we put our joy in, what brings us joy, and whether it jives with the values of God’s approaching kingdom.

I saw a bumpersticker recently that said, “Live What You Love.” It’s a simple phrase; a simple exhortation. The idea seems to be to truly live according to what you love the most. If you love your family, live like it. If you love justice and fairness, live like it. If you love music or art or working hard, live like it.

We live according to what brings us joy, too. If we find something that brings us joy, we tend to keep doing it.

But there may be problems here. First, what we say we love, what we say brings us joy, and what we actually do may not match up. Second, what brings us joy may not be positive or constructive – it may be harmful to us or others, or we may be doing it excessively or neglecting something we should be doing instead.

There’s no shortage of examples here.

On NPR the other morning, I heard about how executives at Goldman Sachs have been told to scale back when planning their holiday parties so that the rest of us won’t feel bad or resent them. Isn’t that sweet, thinking of others like that? What might John the Baptist say to them?

Tiger Woods. Need I say much more? The temptations while trying to stay true to family can be enormous for someone like him. What one says brings you joy and what you actually pursue for joy can be entirely different.

Even apart from the news, how well does what we say brings us joy and what we actually pursue for joy match up? What might John’s season’s greeting to us be?

John’s message isn’t just about condemnation, though. He doesn’t leave people hanging their heads in shame or wallowing in guilt. After all, if you’re preaching repentance, redirecting your life and your joy, then obviously there needs to be something to redirect your life and your joy to.

And John has just the thing in mind. He says, “I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming…He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” Someone else is coming – a revelation of God; a revelation of what is worth being joyful about. But it may not be what we expect.

The spiritual writer Henri Nouwen wrote about what it means to be patient. He wrote that to be truly patient is to be willing to stay where we are and fully live in our present moment, waiting for something to be revealed to us. He wrote about how impatient people think that something better is always somewhere else, and thus they need to follow it. Impatient people don’t pay attention to the present moment, and are always going after something that ultimately doesn’t exist. An impatient person is never satisfied, and thus leads an unsatisfied life.

What Nouwen describes is what life looks like for a person who says what brings them joy, but then constantly pursues something else. He describes a person who doesn’t want to wait or work for their true joy, but instead goes after what’s easier or more available. He describes a person who pursues joy that is fleeting, that never satisfies. When it comes to joy, the impatient person is too often willing to settle for something immediate and inferior.

In John the Baptist’s season’s greetings to us, he’s proclaiming a refocus on something that we’re going to need some patience for. He calls us to redirect our lives to the coming Christ, who shows us a life of deeper, lasting joy if we’re willing to wait for it, if we’re willing to wait for God to be made manifest to us through him.

John calls us to redirect what we say brings us joy and what we actually do to pursue joy so that they line up. John calls us to be patient for the one who is to come, who shows a life in God where joy comes through serving others. He calls us to be patient for one who shows a life in God where joy comes through a new kingdom of justice and equality. He calls us to be patient for one who shows a life in God where joy comes through seeking peace rather than threats of violence.

If we ever got an Advent card featuring John the Baptist, he probably would have some hard words for us. But he’d also have some hopeful words. He’d have words of redirecting our lives toward something better. He’d have words of refocusing on what will truly make us joyful.