Upper Path Valley Presbyterian Church

Luke 2:12
Christmas Eve 2007
“All Wrapped Up and Everyplace to Go!”
Rev. Meagan M. Boozer

It’s been a bit of a rough December for worship gatherings for our congregation. We ended up having to cancel Sunday school and worship on the first Sunday of December due to slick road conditions, and then on the 3rd Sunday, there were many who couldn’t come for worship because the road conditions were a little iffy that day, too. We never did get to offer the live nativity for the community this year!
I remember my first Christmas Eve here as the pastor. It started to snow around 4 or 5 p.m. I came over the mountain early and everything was ready for worship, so we decided to go ahead. I remember it was a pretty small group that night – and it was the only time any of my children came for Christmas Eve service. Molly and Douglas rode over with John, and the Timmons was so precarious they both said that at one point they wanted to get out and walk because they thought being out of the car was safer than being in the car on that mountain! There were undoubtedly a lot of people who were all dressed up on that Christmas Eve, with no place to go. Has that ever happened to you? Have you ever been all ready to go somewhere, but then something happened (like the weather got crazy), and you couldn’t go?
Jesus was all wrapped up in bands of cloth and had everyplace to go. Though he was just a little baby wrapped in the arms of Mary, he wasn’t hindered by his circumstances. He came to teach us about love, humility, sacrifice, servanthood, and grace – and he was doing that in the most amazing way as the God of all creation allowed himself to be laid in a manger.
So, here’s the question I’ve been asking myself in these last weeks, and I am challenging you with tonight:
“What am I wrapped up in this Christmas?”
And to add to that question, I ask,
“Is what I am wrapped up in hindering me from going the places I know God wants me to go, or is it helping me live at peace with God, peace with others,
and peace with myself?”
Jesus was wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger. He was wrapped up in love for God the Father and complete trust in the ways of eternal mystery. Surely God picked Mary to bear this child because He knew that she, too, was wrapped up in love for Him and trust in Him. In the midst of the political chaos and oppression that the Jews were living under at the hands of the Romans, Mary was able to see what was truly important. Her faithfulness impacted her family, Joseph and his family, and all the families in heaven and on earth who have come to know the truth about Jesus.
It’s easy to get wrapped up in things that aren’t really good for us. It’s easy to get wrapped up in addictive behaviors like over-eating, over-indulgence in drinking alcohol, illegal drug use, physical abuse, over-spending, gambling, lying, smoking, cheating, pleasing people, stealing, gossip, fits of jealousy or rage, sexual addictions, foul-mouth talk, greed, and worry. It’s easy to get wrapped up in any of those addictive behaviors, and it’s really hard to break free from them.
Especially at this time of year, when you have lost a loved one to death, it’s easy to get wrapped up in grief and sorrow. When it seems that everyone is out in the stores, and all the ads and commercials are about giving the perfect Christmas present, it’s really easy to get wrapped up in materialism. If negative thoughts are more your tendency than positive ones, it’s really easy to get wrapped up in worry and depression, especially at this time of year. Christmas can bring out the best or the worst in us, depending on what’s holding us together.
How many of us here tonight would say that 2007 has been one of those ‘tough’ years? I don’t know what defines ‘tough’ for you, but for many it would be intense struggles with physical, emotional, or mental health, struggles with finances and/or work, with relationships in our lives, and struggles over the loss of loved ones.
The way to know what’s got you all wrapped up is to take stock of what you’re thinking about for a majority of your day. What are you, what am I wrapped up in this Christmas?
Jesus was wrapped in bands of cloth and found lying in a manger. He was wrapped up in love for God the Father and complete trust in the ways of eternal mystery. Is that where I am this Christmas? Is that where you are?
Jesus, through whom all things were made that have ever been made,
Jesus, who lived in perfect glory in Heaven,
Jesus, who humbled himself to be born in human form,
Jesus, the perfect Lamb of God who came to earth to save all people from their sins,
Jesus, was wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger. Nobody laid him in that manger. He chose to lay himself down for us. His example of love, humility, sacrifice, servanthood, and grace shows us how to choose what we will allow to wrap us up so that we are not hindered by what binds us, but are comforted, strengthened, and encouraged to go God’s way for the sake of peace, and goodwill for all.
I love the story, The Gift of the Magi. Probably many, if not most, have heard it. It is a classic short story by O. Henry about Della and Jim, a couple who did not have enough money to buy gifts for one another at Christmas. Della, who had beautiful, long hair decided to sell her hair to get money to buy a new chain for Jim’s prized pocketwatch. Jim, in the meantime, sold his prized pocketwatch to purchase a beautiful set of combs for Della to use in her beautiful, long hair. They could have gotten wrapped up in worry and depression because of the difficult financial situation in which they found themselves, but instead they chose to be wrapped up in love, humility, sacrifice, servanthood, and grace for the sake of the joy of the other.
When they realized what they had done, instead of being wrapped in sorrow over the seemingly useless loss of prized possessions, they gave thanks for the blessings that surely bound them together.
O. Henry finishes the story by taking us to the manger: “The magi, as you know, were wise men--wonderfully wise men--who brought gifts to the Babe in the manger. They invented the art of giving Christmas presents. Being wise, their gifts were no doubt wise ones, possibly bearing the privilege of exchange in case of duplication. And here I have lamely related to you the uneventful chronicle of two foolish children in a flat who most unwisely sacrificed for each other the greatest treasures of their house. But in a last word to the wise of these days let it be said that of all who give gifts these two were the wisest. O all who give and receive gifts, such as they are wisest. Everywhere they are wisest. They are the magi.”
I want to say to you and to myself this holy night, that the greatest gift we can receive is to say ‘yes’ to God who wants to open our eyes to the gift of salvation laid before us in that manger. Joe sang,
“Sweet little Jesus boy
They made you be born in a manger
Sweet little holy child
We didn't know who you were
Didn't know you'd come to save us Lord
To take our sins away
Our eyes were blind, we could not see
We didn’t know who you were”
The greatest gift we can receive is to say, “I know you came to save me, Lord. I know you took my sins away. My eyes are opened. I know who you are.”
I want to say that the greatest gift we can give to anyone around us on Christmas Day or any day of the year, is the gift of being wrapped up in the truths, the mystery, the majesty, the love, the strength, and the grace of God. When you’re wrapped up like that, your family and friends want to be around you. You become a steady source of light and hope no matter where you are.
I want to say that no matter what trouble you’ve seen, choosing to be all wrapped up in walking in the light of God’s promises can show you the way out of trouble.
I want to say that Jesus may not seem like much at first, being a baby and all, but the more you spend time around him, the more you hold him close to your heart, and the more you let him hold you close to his heart, the more you realize that being wrapped up with Jesus takes you right where you want to be. Being wrapped up with Jesus takes you to your true home (and not just for the holiday), being wrapped up with Jesus takes you home for all eternity. Nothing and no one else can take you there.
If you have packages to open, as you remove the wrappings, ask God to help you remove the things that have you all wrapped up this Christmas – things that are not from Him. Remember, nothing is impossible with God.
Jesus is born into this world. My prayer tonight is that he is born or reborn into all of our hearts as we share this communion meal with him and with one another. May we find that his grace is sufficient to meet all of our needs. All of them - when we choose to trust in the ways of eternal mystery . . . like a virgin birth, a king lying in a manger, angels appearing to shepherds, a new star, a new Savior, a new life for all who come…

Upper Path Valley Presbyterian Church

12-24-07