conjectural navel gazing; jesus in lint form

sermon: snow angels

Follow the extended link for the Christmas Eve meditation.

Peace and all good things to you this night...and always.

Snow Angels

I was twelve when
I first noticed the difference
between what we wish for
and what is good for us.

(Please understand
this is something that
I still wrestle with.)

There was no flash of
inspiration,
no muse;
there was only a song.

"I'm dreaming of a
white Christmas...
Just like the ones
I used to know."

I would walk down the
street we lived on
or walk home from school
singing this song.

I was twelve.
I was living in Florida with my mother
my brother, our step-father
and his two boys...
Mark and Lance
"Where the tree tops glisten
and children listen..."

I'm not sure if this is true
but as best I recall
I had not yet seen
a white Christmas.
Sure. There were postcards
and Christmas specials on TV.
But actual snow?
On Christmas?

And there I was - singing
"To hear sleigh bells
in the snow..."

One time a woman actually peeked
out her front door to ask,
"Aren't you a little young for that song?"
She was smiling.
And I sang all the louder.
Precocious twelve year old.

You see, I was wishing for a
white Christmas.
I really wanted one. I had
convinced myself that snow on Christmas
would repair all
that was broken in my
twelve year old world.

"I'm dreaming of a
white Christmas
with every Christmas card
I write."

Even in those moments
of singing on suburban streets
I would understand the disconnect
joy
happiness
Christmas
snow
or no snow - all my troubles
my longing
in one song.

It began to be clear...
as I sang
and pondered...
Snow or no snow
the life that I had
was - and still is-
the life that I've been given.
The best thing I can do
is embrace this life.
But that's not always easy,
now is it?

There are things standing in our way
things as insurmountable
as the
warm Florida sun
as I wished for snow.

There's another song that I sing, however,
and I sing it with you tonight.
A song about angels
and glory to God
peace on earth
shepherds abiding
and a child in the manger...

As I look back on being twelve
and wishing for snow
I see now that the song
my heart was singing
(though there were other
words on my lips)
was a Christmas hymn.

"Gloria in excelsis Deo!"
Glory to God in the highest
and Peace to God's people on earth.
I was wishing for snow
and what I needed
what was good for me
was God.

God comes into our lives in
surprising ways.
God will sneak in sometimes.
In the voice of Bing Crosby
and even David Bowie...
one unexpected pairing after another
simply to reach us
as a child in the night.

God's grace is like
making snow angels
in the desert with shepherds
as angels sing in the heavens,

"May your days be Merry and Bright,
and may all your Christmases
be White."

Amen.

Posted by tripp at December 24, 2007 11:58 AM