Day Twenty-Eight
Christmas Day
Rev. Jennifer Osheim-Owen
Interim Pastor
Napoleon, Indiana
Psalm 97
Titus 3.4-7
Luke 2.[1-7], 8-20
One of my favorite services of the year while growing up was the late Christmas Eve service. You know the one, it begins at 11pm and it’s the one where all of us, normally Sunday early morning worshipers went to. In 1991, I stayed home for Christmas, by myself, as I had to work; the rest of the family went to Indiana and my Grandma’s for the holiday. I had a nice dinner with a friend at my home and then took him back to his house, right around the start of the worship service. I hadn’t given any thought to going, my parents weren’t home, so the expectation of my attendance wasn’t there and frankly, since college I hadn’t gone unless it was required; and I wasn’t dressed for church – I had on ratty jeans (you remember those, the holes in the knees and in the backside) and an old sweatshirt. But, on the way home, I decided to go, ratty jeans and all.
I don’t remember much about the worship service itself, but I do remember the conversation had afterwards. One couple came up to me (they’d been the volunteer youth/parent leaders when I was in high school) and berated me for my attire. None of the niceties. No “merry Christmas.” No where’s the rest of the family. No, “how nice to see you.” Just a verbal attack on my attire and the inappropriateness of it for worship, especially for Christmas Eve.
Two things stick out about the replies to them. One was mine and one was from another set of parents of a friend. Mine was to say that at least I was there, on my own, when I could’ve very well stayed at home. The other set of parents let me know how glad they were to see me, especially as they knew that church wasn’t a high priority for me (which they didn’t explicitly say, but I knew it was there).
Hospitality. We don’t always get it right. We often fail.
Christ came here, to this place. In part I think to remind us of the hospitality of God, the Father, the Creator. The announcement came first to a lowly girl, then to a carpenter, then to some shepherds (one of the lowest and dirtiest professions there is), then to two old people, then to some fishermen, tax collectors, zealots, women of questionable professions, a few Pharisees, and finally to the Gentiles (hey, that’s us!).
Christ was born, not in the house of royalty, but in the stable of an innkeeper who took pity on a girl in labor. Born to be one with us.
God continues to welcome us in, ratty jeans and all.
May the hospitality of God, the Father & Creator be yours this season and always.
___
Love has come and never will leave us!
Love is life everlasting and free.
Love is Jesus within and among us.
Love is the peace our hearts are seeking.
Love! Love! Love is the gift of Christmas.
Love! Love! Praise to you, God on high!
Love Has Come, ELW 292, st. 3
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