NFCO: not for clergy only

From two friends of mine and decidedly Not For Clergy Only —

To all my friends who are clergy, work on a church staff, or serve in other forms of Christian ministry and the churches you serve:

I am thinking of you on this Friday morning and I want to say that I am praying for you over these next five days! I understand how this season can be the most stressful time of the year. Too many have expectations of you to create their “perfect Christmas.” And many of you also struggle with wanting everything to be “perfect.”

I’ll never forget one Christmas after a long night of leading multiple back to back Christmas Eve services, a married couple from my congregation called me at 9:00 a.m. on Christmas morning asking me to come over to their house immediately to mediate a dispute they were having—yes…on Christmas morning! In my frustration, I told them bluntly, “No, I am not coming over. You need to forgive one another, treat one another with love, and celebrate Christ’s birth today.”

Pastoral ministry can be exhausting, especially during the holidays. But hear this: God is with you and your family. Right now on this Friday morning, in my prayer chamber, I am lifting you up, asking for peace to calm your weary soul and blessings to cover your loved ones. You are not a human-doing. You are a human-being. You are God’s beloved child. And as a ministry colleague , I fully understand the amount of work you do that no one knows or even cares.

Once Christmas Eve is behind you, find time to detach, rest, and recharge. You are appreciated. Be encouraged! Keep pressing on! Know that I am also praying for your church ministry on Christmas Eve.

— That’s by Dennis Miller, he of Ginghamsburg (Ohio) UMC. We’re only online friends, but he’s among my closest thereof. Looking forward to spending time together IRL sometime. Love the guy!

This is by John Vidakovich, he of St. Timothy UMC in Litchfield, IL. We go way back to church camp days, have weathered more storms together than we’ll admit, and we’re still debating “Beatles or Stones.” Love the guy! —

I wish I had something new to say in my Christmas Eve message.

Some new insight into an ancient story.

Some “breakthrough” moment, some lasting “take away.”

But I don’t.

The story is the same every year.

Mary.

Joseph.

Baby.

Shepherds.

God made flesh.

It stands on its own. It doesn’t need tweaking or punching up.

The story does not change but we who listen to it do.

Each year we come to Bethlehem’s manger we bring our lives with us.

Our messy, complicated, flawed and awesome lives.

We bring our heartache and sorrow, our disappointments and hopes, our doubts and faith, our joy and gratitude.

And each year the simple story speaks to complicated people.

The story tells us about God’s preferences. Peasants and working people and not people of privilege and status.

The story tells us that God is all in. God has a face., and fingers and toes, and cries and poops.

The story tells us that the power of light shines in our deepest darkness and can not be extinguished by the problems and circumstances of life.

The story tells us God is with us, not against us.

A simple story, repeated year after year.

How ever life is for you when you come to Bethlehem’s manger this year, there is a word for you.

And also a word for the whole world, especially the unseen people.

Listen.

Receive.

Ponder.

Act.

I’ll see you at the manger.