John waxes philosophic on the Meaning of Christmas
In a more “true meaning of Christmas” vein, on Christmas Eve, MR and I went to the Methodist Church she attended while in high school.
It was amazing. The service was full of music, with a small and powerful choir leading us. The sermon was very well done, exploring some questions left unanswered in Scripture (”Did Eve ever eat fruit again?” “What ever happened to Joseph?”). Using Joseph as a guide, the pastor explored how we can become closer in our relationship with God, by accepting what He wants.
Example - Joe married a virgin who was with child. Not the usual course of action for a guy in his day and age. He would have been completely within his rights to have her stoned. Instead, he did as he was asked, and married her and supported her. Something that I have been struggling with lately is the same kind of thing - where do my desires and needs end and those of God begin? Put it another way: I believe that God answers prayers…listening is the hard part. I have a tendency to listen for what I want to hear, not for what is being said.
There are some tough choices in the near future for my wife and I, and we are trying to listen, trying to understand. I know what I want, but I want to be sure that the choices we make are the right ones, for the right reasons, and for the right people. Confused? Tell me about it, brother. Me, too.
Anyway, the service was wonderful, and we both left feeling uplifted and much better about things in general. And we realized that the service had encapsulated for us what we are seeking in a church - a sense of community, of belonging, of acceptance and love. The church we attend in Birmingham, while very nice, and very beautiful, leaves us wanting… I mean, in an hour in Atlanta, we felt at home with the community. After several months in the Birmingham church, we still feel like we are on the outside. It’s all about seeking, and, hopefully, finding.
That has always been my favorite part of Heinlein’s Stranger in a Strange Land (one of my favorite books) - the concept of seeking God, of finding Him in life and in each other. But mostly of seeking and of being open to the results of your search.
