SECOND WEEK IN ADVENT -- GIVING UP ON PERFEKT


Isaiah 40:1-11
Luke 1:39-55

 The theme for the second week in advent is faith.  Our faith is based on our trust in God's faithfulness.  It's the expectation that God will show up even in the imperfection and messiness of life.  Sometimes that means we have to give up on perfect.
In the movie, "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation," Clark Griswold has a problem.

All right, he has a lot of problems, but they all stem from the same source.  Clark has unrealistic expectations about people, the world and life in general.  He denies the imperfections of others and the messiness of life.  He sets standards that nothing can ever meet.

Clark has a plan for the perfect Christmas, and things don't work out the way he expects:

  • The "perfect tree" is too large for the house.
  • The "perfect Christmas display" refuses to light up when Clark's in-laws arrive.
  • The check Clark wrote for the "perfect Christmas gift" may bounce because his holiday bonus check hasn't shown up, yet.
  • Clark's family refuses to live up to his vision of the "perfect family" and remain just as irritating and argumentative as ever.
As Ellen, Clark's wife put it, "It's Christmas, and everyone's in misery.

Life gets messy, things don't turn out the way we expect and Christmas isn't usually a Hallmark Holiday special.  

And yet, at lot of us aren't willing to give up on perfect.  We invest so much of ourselves -- physically, financially and emotionally -- into attaining the ideal of perfection.  In spite of all our efforts,  all the challenges and problems that are part of living on this planet don't take a break for Christmas vacation.  Jobs are lost and there are empty chairs around the dinner table.  Cancer, depression, disappointment and heartbreak continue to happen even during the best time of the year.

Life is not perfect, just look at the first Christmas.  Just try telling your mom and dad, you're pregnant by the Holy Spirit, and then give birth to that child in a barn.  I don't know about you, but when I think of a barn, I think of pungent animal smells, manure and vermin.  Not the most ideal place to have a baby.

The circumstances of the Christmas story remind us that no matter how good we are, chosen or blessed, we aren't immune to the messiness and the pain of life.  Nor will life go the way we expect it to.  God's blessing to Mary brought her pain throughout her life -- all the way to the foot of the cross.

Even Jesus, the Christmas miracle, the very Son of God, was not a stranger to suffering.

Sometimes, Christmas can be a reminder of a less than perfect year.   

And always, it is a reminder that God continues to show up in the middle of the mess and imperfections with the perfection of God's grace.  Everyday, God comes into our lives, bringing peace, purpose, joy, hope and wholeness.

God never intended us to handle all of life's unexpected turns and upsets by ourselves.  God gave us His Son, Jesus, who also suffered, to help us make it through life.  It's said that God never gives us more than we can handle, and we never see how much more Christ is taking on for us.

Often, God uses other people who have had similar experiences and struggles in their lives who have overcome them to walk with us.  They give us hope and encouragement, just as Elizabeth did for Mary.

Elizabeth and Mary were both pregnant under divine circumstances.  Mary received confirmation and encouragement through Elizabeth's greeting and witness,  Yes, it was true!  God had chosen her to be part of God's plan of salvation for the world.  Through her, the promise of the Messiah would be fulfilled.

We in the Body of Christ, the church, have been blessed to encourage and show compassion for others.  Romans 12:15 calls us to walk with one another by rejoicing with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep.

In the title of the Christmas carol, "God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen," there is a comma.  I just noticed that the comma comes after the word "merry" not after the word, "ye."  So, it really means, "Gentlemen, rest merrily in God."

And the only way I know of doing that is to do what Clark Griswold realized he had to do, and that's to give up on perfect.

Give up on perfect so we can delight in the love and faithfulness of God.

Give up on perfect so we can rejoice in the best Christmas gift ever, Jesus Christ.

Give up on perfect so we can enjoy the blessings God has given us.

Give up on perfect so we can celebrate the good news of comfort and joy that is ours through Christ.

Give up on perfect so we can expect a miracle.

Somewhere, there is someone we know whose Christmas isn't so merry and bright.  What miracle  has God conceived in our hearts that can be used to plant the seeds of peace, joy, love and hope in their life?




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