Holy Family: Reflections on Sermon "Joseph’s Plans"

Pastor Peter’s sermon this morning the fourth Sunday of Advent related the family drama of this human part of the Christian story, an engaged couple with their own plans suddenly turned upside down by the plans of the Divine. "Bring up the boy as your own," the Angel told Joseph. "Marry the girl." And so, despite his upset, dismay and doubt, Joseph did marry the girl, which set them on the path to a nice settled life. No. Hardly.

On the path of a delivery, if such a passive word as delivery could describe the fear, pain and risk of childbirth in a stable, disrupted by appearance of shepherds with wild tales, foreigners, government agents, and a warning to get out of Dodge because they were about to be arrested, sending them on a fast trip into exile across the border with a newborn. Homeless, fleeing violence. Hardly their own sweet dreams by the fire about their life together. Not their plans.

And yet and yet, where does this story leave me today?

One, with a concern for the homeless in Colorado, and for those fleeing violence seeking asylum at our southern borders today, in the face of our government ‘s treaty-breaking recalcitrance. In our names UMCOR (United Methodists Committee on Relief) is supporting churches in Mexico and US that are providing food, shelter and medical care to refugees seeking asylum. We can give to that UMCOR project. That is the urgent connection I see with the story of the Holy Family.

But what about my own little life? What Christmas plans do I have that are likely to get upset before  Christmas is over?  Could I take the possible and predictable frustrations of Christmas, such as unappreciated gifts, like the Pastor’s Christmas train set fiasco, or the disappointment of (possible) cancelled visits, could I take those as Divine interruptions? 

If so, what grace might be made available to me? What love could I extend on behalf of the Divine to make Christmas a little sweeter?