"... Angels along with shepherds glorify him..."

Angels and shepherds... Want to tell me again about how some people are better than others, more worthy. Because I don't think God sees it quite that way. Angels and shepherds side by side. Been thinking about that today.

To celebrate the nativity story with a consumerist
orgy is to misunderstand a myth that venerates the
outcast and dispossessed

Karen Armstrong
Thursday December 22, 2005
The Guardian

Jesus -- the self-giving God who had no place to lay his own head, who advised his followers to give away all they had to the poor, who was not even afforded common comforts at his birth -- has now become the “Reason for the Season” of indulgence, glitter, consumerism. Been thinking about that today. If indeed Jesus is the “Reason for the Season,” wouldn’t we observe the season better by serving the poor, reaching out to the marginalized and dispossessed?

A lot of these “Reason for the Season” type of Christians have been going around claiming that secularists are trying to take Christ out of Christmas. As if such a thing were even possible… But, what I want to know is why no one is decrying the absence of the mass in Christmas? Will James Dobson, one of the chief advocates of keeping Christ in Christmas, be at mass on Christmas day? Been wondering about that today. Wonder whether or not Jesus would even want to be in Christmas. I imagine He is rather appalled by it all.

And, whatever happened to WWJD? That was promulgated by the same crowd. I think they spent a little too much time wondering what Jesus would do and not quite enough time contemplating what He’s already done. What Jesus did is he let the wise and learned -- The Wise Men -- figure out when and where He would be born. As a result, they showed up two years after the fact and brought the very kinds of gifts Jesus would later say He was not interested in. But to the shepherds, often shunned by their own people because of their inability to observe the purity code, he sent angels. That’s what Jesus did, and that’s what He would do again. I’d bet on it.

Keeping Christ in Christmas,
Jesus is the Reason for the Season,
WWJD,

It’s all just talk isn’t it?

The shepherds, standing out in their fields, decided to go and see for themselves what the Angels had told them about Jesus. So they took off. Hastily. And they went expecting to find the Christ. But they found more than that, didn’t they?

“… and they found Mary, and Joseph, and the Babe laying in a manger.”

We may come to religion because we need a savior. But, we find more. There are surprises.

Those who worshipped the stars were instricted by a star to worship thee...

Is it possible that even our idols are telling us to worship God alone? Even that which WE use to remove us from God, is pointing us back to the divine. Now, that's pretty amazing.

Thinking about tht today.

A few weeks back there was a lot of chatter on the House of Bishops and Deputies Listserve about what kind of person made a good representative of Christ and would therefore be suitable for ordination. -- Don’t even get me going on the screwed up nature of that kind of thinking. I have never had a priest who I thought was much like Jesus, on the altar or off. Any who… -- The Bishops and Deputies were discussing it.

What I realized is that the very best representative of Christ I have in my life is Rowan Williams, my dog.

For one thing, he is perfect in form. This is part fo what the Bishops and Deputies were discussing: Could a handicapped person represent Christ. I’m not kidding, that really came up. These are the people leading our church. Oy veigh… Rowan, though, unlike the obese and unattractive clergy I usually see around here, is perfect. He is thin, can run fast, jump high, and catch flies often on the very first try. I’d like to see a priest who can do that.

Although Rowan is a homosexual, he is in the closet and lies about it when asked. It is certainly Christlike to lie about yourself because it might make others feel more comfortable. Jesus was all about smooth sailing, not rocking the boat, you know. He told people what they wanted to hear. That’s what good priests do. Alas, speaking seriously now, it would appear to be what ALL priests do.

Rowan’s love is sure. Solid as a rock. Unwavering. Even if I am late with dinner, or if I fail to put the gravy on it, or whatever… Rowan is quick to forgive. Love forgives everything. You never do know when your priest is going to turn on you, though. But you can be certain that once they do, you’re out of church forever. No forgiveness for you my friend.

Rowan’s chief delight, beyond treats or swimming or anything else, is for me to put aside what I am doing and spend time with him. Just me and him. Petting, brushing, talking, or just sitting together. Rowan just wants to be with me. That may be his most Christlike attribute of all.