Christmas Eve 2009
St. Dunstan's
December 24, 2009
The Rev. Patricia Templeton

"Dear Baby God"

It is good to be gathered here with you on my favorite night of the year, the night that we celebrate the birth of a baby who will change the world.

Everything about this evening is special – the music that our choirs and instrumentalists have practiced so many hours; the beautiful flowers and altar, arranged and prepared by faithful and loving hands; the glittering candlelight that adds to the magic and mystery of this night.

The birth of this child is one of the best known stories in all of literature. It has inspired countless songs, hymns, poems, and stories – and a scene in a movie that I saw recently.

Now Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby is most definitely NOT a Christmas movie, and I am not recommending it as such, or really recommending it at all.

But there is one scene in the movie that perhaps unintentionally makes a theological statement about the birth we are here to celebrate this night.

Ricky Bobby, the country’s most successful NASCAR driver, is seated with his family around a table laden with every fast food imaginable. Before the family digs in, he insists on saying grace.

“Dear Lord baby Jesus,” he begins, “we thank you so much for this bountiful harvest….”

Suddenly his wife interrupts. “You know, sweetie, Jesus did grow up,” she says. “You don’t always have to call him baby. It’s a bit odd and off putting to pray to a baby.”

Ricky Bobby will not be dissuaded.

“I like the Christmas Jesus best, and I’m saying grace,” he says. “When you say grace, you can say it to the grown-up Jesus or teen-aged Jesus or bearded Jesus or whoever you want.”

Then he closes his eyes and begins again.

“Dear 8-pound, 6-ounce newborn baby infant Jesus, don’t even know a word yet, just a little infant, so cuddly, but still omnipotent…Thank you for all your power and grace, dear baby God. Amen.”

Since watching that scene I’ve tried to think of a time I’ve heard – or said – a prayer to the baby Jesus, and I can’t really think of one.

It’s the grown-up Jesus to whom we pray. Other than this night and the brief 12-day season of Christmas, we don’t really talk about the baby Jesus too much, even in church. In just three short months we will mourn the death of the child whose birth we celebrate tonight, and then rejoice in the mystery of his resurrection.

Ricky Bobby’s wife is right that there is something a little “odd and off putting” about praying to a baby.

One commentator calls it the “scandal of Christmas,” that God comes into human history completely helpless, as a newborn, and is placed in a cow’s feeding trough.

It is outrageous. Here we have Caesar Augustus, emperor of the mighty Roman Empire, giving decrees to the whole world. He is called lord and savior of the world, is worshipped as divine.

One might think the true God might want to put Caesar in his place, show him who is really God. Consider in what splendor God might have come to earth.

But instead God slips unobtrusively into a remote province in a far corner of the empire, born to a peasant couple on the road, begging for the crudest shelter in which to spend the night.

By entering human history this way, our God identifies with the powerless, the oppressed, the vulnerable, the poor, the homeless.

By entering human history this way, our God shows that wealth and military might are not the ways to the kingdom of God.

By entering human history this way, our God shows a divine understanding of what it means to be human and can truly share in our pains and sorrows, as well as our joys and triumphs.

By entering human history this way, by being willing to be vulnerable and helpless for our sake, God shows us how much God loves the world.

The hymn we sang at the beginning of this service puts it well: “He came down to earth from heaven, who is God and Lord of all, and his shelter was a stable, and his cradle was a stall; with the poor, the scorned, the lowly, lived on earth our Savior holy.

“We, like Mary, rest confounded that a stable should display heaven’s Word, the world’s creator, cradled there on Christmas Day, yet this child, our Lord and brother, brought us love for one another.

“For he is our lifelong pattern; daily, when on earth he grew; he was tempted, scorned, rejected; tears and smiles like us he knew. Thus he feels for all our sadness, and he shares in all our gladness.”

Soon enough we will be back to the grown-up Jesus, and we will pray and give thanks to and for him.

Amen.

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Readings

Isaiah 9:2-7

The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness—on them light has shined. You have multiplied the nation, you have increased its joy; they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest, as people exult when dividing plunder. For the yoke of their burden, and the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor, you have broken as on the day of Midian. For all the boots of the tramping warriors and all the garments rolled in blood shall be burned as fuel for the fire. For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders; and he is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. His authority shall grow continually, and there shall be endless peace for the throne of David and his kingdom. He will establish and uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time onward and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.

Titus 2:11-14

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all, training us to renounce impiety and worldly passions, and in the present age to live lives that are self-controlled, upright, and godly, while we wait for the blessed hope and the manifestation of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. He it is who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purify for himself a people of his own who are zealous for good deeds.

Luke 2:1-20 (KJV)

And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed. (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) to be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. And all they had heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.

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