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Thursday, December 30, 2010

Our Vocation

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[December 30, 2010]   --This is a picture of a billboard which has been placed by the American Atheists on a highway outside New Jersey.  David Silverman, the president of American Atheists, was interviewed about the billboard by the New York Times, and part of the story says this, "Mr. Silverman said the billboard served two purposes. The first was to get the many people who do not actually believe in God but practice religious rituals to “come out,” in his words." Specifically, he wants to remind all those who are going through the motions of Christmas that it is, actually, a myth, and empower them to "come out" and admit they don't believe in God.

My intention in sharing this with you today is not to attack atheists.  I believe they have an important function, but instead I want to say that our vocation, as a Church, is just the opposite of this.  Mr. Silverman is absolutely correct when he says that many go through the motions of Christmas without the belief.  We all know people like this. But our purpose, as a church, is to help them "come in."  This is why I get so worked up around Christmas, and send out e-votionals like the one from last week.  Our rituals and practices matter during the Christmas season. 

How we live and how we choose to celebrate Jesus' birth communicate to everyone what we believe, and there are many, many people who are on the fence regarding their beliefs.  There are many who have let their faith lapse, yet still celebrate Christmas.  For them, this is the only time of year they give Jesus a second thought.  It is incumbent upon us, his followers, to remember that we have an opportunity.  We have the opportunity to tell them why Christmas is important to us, why it matters to us, and why the life of Jesus Christ is worth commemorating!  We believe God sent his only Son into this world that all might be saved through him! 

 This is what Christmas is about, and this is our opportunity to invite our family and friends, the people who are the objects of Mr. Silverman's campaign and his billboard, to come inside the life of faith, to explore the meaning, depth and purposes of our faith. 

 It is not unreasonable to believe in God, nor is it unreasonable to seek to worship and celebrate the God we know in our lives.  What is very unreasonable, is for those of us who have faith to celebrate Christmas in the same manner as those who have none. 

Prayer:  Holy God, this season, help me to worship you with a deep and abiding faith.  Help me to show my faith in the ways in which I celebrate Jesus' birth.  Help me, also, to show my faith to those who have none.  I pray in Jesus' name.  Amen.

 [Phil Blackburn, First Presbyterian Church]

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