Advent C — “Be Playful”
The third weekend of Advent, our Drama Team presented “Arrest These Merry Gentlemen” as a key component of worship.
It was excellent.
It was a fresh retelling of the Nativity from the perspective of a Dragnet-style detective. Profoundly moving, it was also clever and funny.
It was my honor to introduce it with a homily. We turned to Matthew 11:16-18, which reads like this in The New International Version —
16 “To what can I compare this generation?
They are like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling out to others:
17 “‘We played the pipe for you, and you did not dance;
we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.’
18 For John came neither eating nor drinking,
and they say, ‘He has a demon.’
19 The Son of Man came eating and drinking,
and they say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’
But wisdom is proved right by her deeds.”
You and I are among those Jesus called this generation…quick to complain, no matter what happens…ready to find fault, even with John the Baptizer and Christ Jesus himself if they don’t do exactly what we expect. Ouch.
There’s an old song by Robert Plant that says, “Lighten up, Baby, I’m in love with you.” An excellent summary of the Gospel in general and Christmas in particular would be “Lighten up, Baby, God’s in love with you.”
Advent includes an invitation to celebration and merriment. The third weekend of Advent is when the pink candle, traditionally the Candle of Joy, is lighted on the Advent Wreath.
What better time to be reminded that it’s okay to be playful?
After all: “Lighten up, Baby, God’s in love with you!”
joescheets 