| The X-mas Files |
“The X-mas Files”
Matthew 1:18-25
December 2, 2007
This is the first weekend in Advent. Advent is a time of anticipation for
the church during the four weeks preceding the birthday of the Christ
child. Advent is a moment in time that confuses the whole issue of time.
It is the already happened... it is the now and it is the not yet. Advent is a
time of getting ready for the event that has already happened and that is
in this moment, changing our very perspective on life. Advent is nothing
less than getting ready for the birth of the Messiah, who has already
come... who offers us the chance right now to experience wholeness in
God… so we can survive the future.
Some would say, that in order to believe in the concept of a God who
would become flesh…. who would become one of us… one needs to
suspend all rational thought. They would suggest it is not a process of
intellectual certainty, but a moment of emotional experience. Others
suggest, that it is not rational thought that needs to be suspended... but
our emotional side. We need to merely read the clues as they are
presented and think our way through it.
When I read the Gospel stories of Jesus’ birth, I can’t help but have an
image float through my head of the T.V. show and movie “The X-files”.
The premise of the show is that two FBI agents are assigned the task of
investigating occurrences that are unbelievable, even otherworldly. Their
job is to look into crimes committed that have not been solved... They
explore the causes of murder and mayhem that, on the surface, have no
rational cause and are relegated to a special file… the X-files.
Agent Scully, who is a female medical doctor, approaches each event
with a rational, analytical mind. In her worldview there is always a cause
and effect that is explainable. Agent Mulder, is a follow-your-instincts
kinda guy. Hunches are the basis for his reality. Faith in the unknown
guides him.
Individually, neither would solve a case. But together they are able to
uncover new leads. Together they are able to get ever closer to an
answer. Of course... they never really solve anything. If they did, the show
would have to end... wouldn’t it?
In a way, as we gather to worship and study together in this time of
Advent, we are not unlike the Agents Scully and Mulder. We are in
charge of discovering the answers to the unsolved cases in the X-mas
Files. In the midst of the quest for the answers we will encounter many
strange and unusual leads. Some helpful, some confusing, some that
stretch our thoughts further than we care to go.
The story today is simple enough... if you don’t pay too much attention to
the details. Mary and Joseph are engaged to be married. Mary is found
to be pregnant before the marriage occurs. Joseph says it isn’t his child.
It is “Days of Our Lives,” “General Hospital,” “Ryan’s Hope,” and “The
Young and The Restless” all rolled into one. It is Soap Opera heaven.
In our current, rational, scientific, Agent Scully way of looking at things...
our answer is to say that somebody was messing around. Yet, the Bible
tells us just the opposite. The new life that was in Mary was created by
the hagios pneuma... the sacred breath... The Holy Spirit.
This is where Agent Mulder would be off and running... Knowing that
something unique was at hand he would dig further. Are you ready to dig
a little deeper?
If you were to turn to Genesis chapter 2, verse 7 you would read: “The
Lord God formed the a-dam….. Adam, which means mankind, from the
dust of the ground and breathed into the creation’s nostrils the breath of
life - and man became a living being.” The sacred breath was breathed
into humankind to create a living being... It is the same sacred breath
that created the life in Mary’s womb.
The connections continue to evolve.
Do you remember where else you have encountered this sacred breath?
This hagios pneuma? If you were to turn to the second chapter of the
book of Acts you would find the story of the birth of the Church. As a
group of believers gathered together “all of them were filled with the Holy
Spirit.” The sacred breath that causes the creation of living beings
causes the creation of the Church.
The same breath that first created humankind - including you and I... is
the same breath that created the living body we call the church... is the
same breath that created Jesus. Even more than that.... it is the same
breath that IS Jesus. Jesus who is called Immanuel... God with us.
No rock solid, hardcore evidence to clear up the mystery. But God is
with us. Just as Scully and Mulder never really come up with
incontrovertible proof, we ultimately live more by faith than proof. Just as
Scully and Mulder close each X-file changed a little, we explore the X-
mas files and come away transformed.
Perhaps the concrete explanations are not as important as the reality of
God’s presence. Perhaps the concrete explanations are not as
important as what that Presence means for us. Of course, we each have
to experience the Presence of God for ourselves. We each have to dig
deeper and ask questions into how that Presence is alive in each of us.
Ultimately I can’t explain it for you. You have to live it, which means there
is an Advent experience waiting for you.
So let me close this X-mas file. No irrefutable answers. No
incontrovertible scientific proof. Just this: Somehow, God has breathed
into us, around us, over us, through us, and is with us. For no apparent,
reasonable explanation, God decided to be incarnated in the one we
call Jesus. God chose to be with us.
God’s presence with us is the good news. It is the good news of life.
AMEN.
Matthew 1:18-25
December 2, 2007
This is the first weekend in Advent. Advent is a time of anticipation for
the church during the four weeks preceding the birthday of the Christ
child. Advent is a moment in time that confuses the whole issue of time.
It is the already happened... it is the now and it is the not yet. Advent is a
time of getting ready for the event that has already happened and that is
in this moment, changing our very perspective on life. Advent is nothing
less than getting ready for the birth of the Messiah, who has already
come... who offers us the chance right now to experience wholeness in
God… so we can survive the future.
Some would say, that in order to believe in the concept of a God who
would become flesh…. who would become one of us… one needs to
suspend all rational thought. They would suggest it is not a process of
intellectual certainty, but a moment of emotional experience. Others
suggest, that it is not rational thought that needs to be suspended... but
our emotional side. We need to merely read the clues as they are
presented and think our way through it.
When I read the Gospel stories of Jesus’ birth, I can’t help but have an
image float through my head of the T.V. show and movie “The X-files”.
The premise of the show is that two FBI agents are assigned the task of
investigating occurrences that are unbelievable, even otherworldly. Their
job is to look into crimes committed that have not been solved... They
explore the causes of murder and mayhem that, on the surface, have no
rational cause and are relegated to a special file… the X-files.
Agent Scully, who is a female medical doctor, approaches each event
with a rational, analytical mind. In her worldview there is always a cause
and effect that is explainable. Agent Mulder, is a follow-your-instincts
kinda guy. Hunches are the basis for his reality. Faith in the unknown
guides him.
Individually, neither would solve a case. But together they are able to
uncover new leads. Together they are able to get ever closer to an
answer. Of course... they never really solve anything. If they did, the show
would have to end... wouldn’t it?
In a way, as we gather to worship and study together in this time of
Advent, we are not unlike the Agents Scully and Mulder. We are in
charge of discovering the answers to the unsolved cases in the X-mas
Files. In the midst of the quest for the answers we will encounter many
strange and unusual leads. Some helpful, some confusing, some that
stretch our thoughts further than we care to go.
The story today is simple enough... if you don’t pay too much attention to
the details. Mary and Joseph are engaged to be married. Mary is found
to be pregnant before the marriage occurs. Joseph says it isn’t his child.
It is “Days of Our Lives,” “General Hospital,” “Ryan’s Hope,” and “The
Young and The Restless” all rolled into one. It is Soap Opera heaven.
In our current, rational, scientific, Agent Scully way of looking at things...
our answer is to say that somebody was messing around. Yet, the Bible
tells us just the opposite. The new life that was in Mary was created by
the hagios pneuma... the sacred breath... The Holy Spirit.
This is where Agent Mulder would be off and running... Knowing that
something unique was at hand he would dig further. Are you ready to dig
a little deeper?
If you were to turn to Genesis chapter 2, verse 7 you would read: “The
Lord God formed the a-dam….. Adam, which means mankind, from the
dust of the ground and breathed into the creation’s nostrils the breath of
life - and man became a living being.” The sacred breath was breathed
into humankind to create a living being... It is the same sacred breath
that created the life in Mary’s womb.
The connections continue to evolve.
Do you remember where else you have encountered this sacred breath?
This hagios pneuma? If you were to turn to the second chapter of the
book of Acts you would find the story of the birth of the Church. As a
group of believers gathered together “all of them were filled with the Holy
Spirit.” The sacred breath that causes the creation of living beings
causes the creation of the Church.
The same breath that first created humankind - including you and I... is
the same breath that created the living body we call the church... is the
same breath that created Jesus. Even more than that.... it is the same
breath that IS Jesus. Jesus who is called Immanuel... God with us.
No rock solid, hardcore evidence to clear up the mystery. But God is
with us. Just as Scully and Mulder never really come up with
incontrovertible proof, we ultimately live more by faith than proof. Just as
Scully and Mulder close each X-file changed a little, we explore the X-
mas files and come away transformed.
Perhaps the concrete explanations are not as important as the reality of
God’s presence. Perhaps the concrete explanations are not as
important as what that Presence means for us. Of course, we each have
to experience the Presence of God for ourselves. We each have to dig
deeper and ask questions into how that Presence is alive in each of us.
Ultimately I can’t explain it for you. You have to live it, which means there
is an Advent experience waiting for you.
So let me close this X-mas file. No irrefutable answers. No
incontrovertible scientific proof. Just this: Somehow, God has breathed
into us, around us, over us, through us, and is with us. For no apparent,
reasonable explanation, God decided to be incarnated in the one we
call Jesus. God chose to be with us.
God’s presence with us is the good news. It is the good news of life.
AMEN.
DeWitt United Methodist Church
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