Elf on the Shelf meet John Wesley

You gotta love the idea behind Elf on the Shelf.  What a great way to engage children in good behavior during December.  The children actually self-police their good behavior as an imagery stuffed elf looks on. As a adults, we even find ourselves caught up in the fanciful world; hence, the countless photos appearing everywhere of elves in the craziest of places. BUT, as adults we also find ourselves noticing are kids doing good things AND we actually take the time to speak words of kindness and thanks to our children - maybe that is more important than the elf?

When our elf (Buddy) made his first appearance in the house, our son proudly declared, "Buddy is back and watching! But that's okay because I've been good." His statement got me thinking ...

Remember that famous quote by John Wesley (1703-1791) the founder of the Methodist movement?

 

Do all the good you can,
By all the means you can,
In all the ways you can,
In all the places you can,
At all the times you can,
To all the people you can,
As long as ever you can.

 

So, what if we created little John Wesley dolls and had them appear around town - at the grocery, at the bank, at the workplace, at the gym, at the mall - you know all the places we live, work, and play.

 

And what if we told a story about how he is watching to see if we are living out our faith?
 

Would something as little as this help us figure out that how we live our faith matters?

After all how we live our faith matters a lot more than a few presents showing up on Christmas day! or at least that's how I interpret the story that Jesus told:

³¹ When the Son of Man comes in his glory with all of his angels, he will sit on his royal throne. ³² The people of all nations will be brought before him, and he will separate them, as shepherds separate their sheep from their goats.
³³ He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. ³⁴ Then the king will say to those on his right, “My father has blessed you! Come and receive the kingdom that was prepared for you before the world was created. ³⁵ When I was hungry, you gave me something to eat, and when I was thirsty, you gave me something to drink. When I was a stranger, you welcomed me, ³⁶ and when I was naked, you gave me clothes to wear. When I was sick, you took care of me, and when I was in jail, you visited me.”
³⁷ Then the ones who pleased the Lord will ask, “When did we give you something to eat or drink? ³⁸ When did we welcome you as a stranger or give you clothes to wear ³⁹ or visit you while you were sick or in jail?”
⁴⁰ The king will answer, “Whenever you did it for any of my people, no matter how unimportant they seemed, you did it for me.”
⁴¹ Then the king will say to those on his left, “Get away from me! You are under God’s curse. Go into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels! ⁴² I was hungry, but you did not give me anything to eat, and I was thirsty, but you did not give me anything to drink. ⁴³ I was a stranger, but you did not welcome me, and I was naked, but you did not give me any clothes to wear. I was sick and in jail, but you did not take care of me.”
⁴⁴ Then the people will ask, “Lord, when did we fail to help you when you were hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in jail?”
⁴⁵ The king will say to them, “Whenever you failed to help any of my people, no matter how unimportant they seemed, you failed to do it for me.”

⁴⁶ Then Jesus said, “Those people will be punished forever. But the ones who pleased God will have eternal life.” 
Matthew 25:31-46 CEV

Las Posadas Tradition in Rural Indiana

The celebration of Las Posadas is observed for nine days in December. It goes from December 16 to 24 each year. Although it originated in Mexico, it has now started to become popular in the United States, especially in Hispanic neighborhoods.

This past Sunday, we celebrated our version of Las Posadas with some other churches in our area. The name "Las Posadas" means "The Inn or Shelter." The traditional Mexican observance is to reenact Mary and Joseph's search for shelter as they traveled from Nazareth to Bethlehem during the days before Christ Jesus was born. The United Methodist Book of Worship provides an outline helping bring this tradition to life in church.  We adapted the outline to fit our evening and we braved the cold (16 degrees) and gave it our best attempt at re-enacting the journey to Bethlehem with Mary and Joseph.


An essential part of the Las Posadas party is a piñata for the children.  So we wrapped up our time together with a pinata and hot cocoa - happy to be in from the cold and amongst friends - both new and old!  We enjoyed the treats that fell from the piñata and warmed up with coca and coffee (and thermostatically controlled heating!).

But ... here's the interesting thing .... 

We met up with "Mary and Joseph" on the streets of the town as they searched for place to spend the night. Each time we stopped as a group, we would plead with the Inn Keeper to let the weary travelers in to stay for the night.  Each time we were told "NO!" - "No! Go away we don't give rooms to strangers" - "No! We have no room.  Go Somewhere else. Go anywhere else!"

This activity might have been fun had it not been so cold!  Singing as we walked started out strong, but quickly gave way to chattering sounds of teeth in the cold night air.

When we arrived at the church and the innkeeper said, "Yes! Enter good Joseph. Enter good Mary. Come in and find rest from your long journey."  I can't begin to express the relief we all felt to come in from the cold.

It was in that moment, that I got the whole concept of Las Posadas. Somehow, in a small town in Indiana, I had made a connection with Mary and Joseph and the Christmas story.  Why a stable? Why not? 

In that moment, after that journey, a place - any place - to lie down and rest ... to come in from the elements would have been welcome.  It might have even felt like a palace fit for a king!

 

Chri$tma$

Retail sales this Christmas will approach $500 billion in total.  You would have to live in a cave without a cell phone, cable tv, or the internet in order to avoid the onslaught of advertising related to gift-giving and Christmas. For instance, I know that as a guy I have already blown it this Christmas - I didn't go to Jared's.

I often hear from other Christians the lament over the commercialization of Christmas.  It seems Christmas is more about the cash than it is Christ. We often even refer to this as the War on Christmas.  My problem is we act as if this is something new.  We have bought the idea that Christmas was somehow never about the money and yet I would suggest to you that it has always been about the money - from the first day.

In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world.  Luke 2:1

Jesus was born into a place of conflict, occupation, and oppression.  Mary and Joseph were in Bethlehem so that the occupying Roman empire would know how much to tax their subjects.  The birth of Christ in Bethlehem happened amidst a money-grab by those in power.  And you can bet the vendors in the market place were taking advantage of the influx of outsiders to make their money.

The Good News is that Jesus came to us in this unlikely and unexpected way to show us the depth of God’s love for us to show us that God is so in love with us that God would go to any length for us, even to being humbly born in a stable (because there was no room in the inn).

And the really GOOD NEWS is that Jesus still shows up in the unexpected places in our world and in our lives. Jesus still shows up in our time whenever there is struggle, strife, injustice - wherever violence threatens and seeks to destroy the innocent and the good.  Jesus even shows up in the midst of the over-commercialization of Christmas - IF you will let Him.

Jesus is born to bring hope in the midst of our despair; born to bring light in the midst of darkness.

Jesus is born to give us a choice of giving over greed.

In Jesus, God entered into our reality and our lives. God knows what it is like to be human. God knows intimately what we go through. God knows what it is like to have hopes and dreams, fears and doubts, to belong and to be rejected, to succeed and fail.

I think sometimes the most unexpected place for us to think of God is in our own lives - amidst our frustrations. We somehow think that God is too distant, too busy, to break through all the gift-giving, advertisements, and business of Christmas and reach us.

But that is the point of Christmas.  It reminds us that God chooses to be with us, wherever we are.  God is with us, today, tomorrow. Always. 

Jesus is God’s love made visible. His humble birth amidst the business of the Roman Empire puts that love on full display. It is a beautiful and unexpected gift in a humble and unexpected place.

Sometimes the greatest gifts you will ever receive are the ones you least expect.  I pray that your Christmas will be filled with unexpected gifts - presents, relationships, or moments of grace.  And may they come to you in unexpected places - the mall, home, or in church.

May they remind you of the original unexpected gift of Christmas—Jesus—and of God’s great love for you.