Monday, May 02, 2011
Christmas In May
Regular readers know this blog is written and planned well in advance of publication. Sometimes things seem oddly "out of time." For example, I am here going to discuss something that was written and published last Christmas. But then I think we should revisit the wonder of the incarnation more than once a year.
Bruce Epperly wrote at Patheos:
I disagree with Dr. Epperly's conclusion that rationality leads to certain stances on issues political and economic, but I do agree with him that rationality can lead us to ungrace.
Those of us prone to approaching all with our powers of reason and our mind lose touch of the fact that God comes to us on ALL levels. Hence the incarnation itself - God reached out to us on the physical, emotional, spiritual and rational level. When we limit ourselves to the rational, we place ourselves in a box and do not experience the whole glory of God.
We are now in "ordinary time" - no miracles place themselves in heavy rotation in the church calendar, but that does not mean we should forget them, or the lessons they teach us. We must open ALL that we are to God every day.
Bruce Epperly wrote at Patheos:
We pastors need these feelings of wonder, beauty, and holiness. We need a "halo over an ordinary moment." This is the surprising wonder of incarnation that makes all of us mystics.Well, done! Christmas, and all other miracles should remind us that we worship a supernatural God and that part of our walk with Him is to embrace the supernatural.
And, we need to be mystics -- Mary encountered an angel, Joseph had a dream, and the magi followed a star. We can find Christ as we check our e-mail or make hospital visits. In the midst of the darkening days and the equally darkening prognostications about the church and the world, we need to be "surprised by joy" as we go about our daily tasks and come home to our families and friends.
Without the mysticism of incarnation, life loses its zest and ministry loses its inspiration.
I disagree with Dr. Epperly's conclusion that rationality leads to certain stances on issues political and economic, but I do agree with him that rationality can lead us to ungrace.
Those of us prone to approaching all with our powers of reason and our mind lose touch of the fact that God comes to us on ALL levels. Hence the incarnation itself - God reached out to us on the physical, emotional, spiritual and rational level. When we limit ourselves to the rational, we place ourselves in a box and do not experience the whole glory of God.
We are now in "ordinary time" - no miracles place themselves in heavy rotation in the church calendar, but that does not mean we should forget them, or the lessons they teach us. We must open ALL that we are to God every day.
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