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Without any doubt, the mystery of our religion is great: He was revealed in flesh, vindicated in spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among Gentiles, believed in throughout the world, taken up in glory. (NRS 1 Timothy 3:16) …the mystery that has been hidden throughout the ages and generations but has now been revealed to his saints. (NRS Colossians 1:26) And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being changed into his likeness from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. (RSV 2 Corinthians 3:18) Christmas is filled with mystery. When I was a small child the mystery of Christmas was in the packages. My brother and I would examine every package under the tree that had our respective name on the package. We would pick it up. Examine its size. Feel it, squeeze it. Shake it. Smell it. Listen to it. We did everything we could to it, short of opening it, to determine the contents. The mystery was in solving the question, "What is inside the package, before opening it?" Christmas was a mystery. We drove my mother crazy with this. We were good and rarely, if ever, made mistakes about what was inside a package. When I was twelve I had taken some golf lessons and desperately wanted golf shoes for Christmas. About one week before Christmas, a shoebox-size package appeared under the tree with my name on it. Based on its size and weight, I determined it contained my golf shoes. It was no significant mystery to me. On Christmas morning, after the family had arrived, all eyes were on me as I opened my first gift, the golf shoes. You might imagine the surprised look on my face when I opened the gift and found a pair of slippers with rocks inside them to give the wrapped package the weight and feel of golf shoes. Although disappointed at first, we all had a good laugh about it. I must say my laughter was more enjoyable when the golf shoes appeared in another package, opened later in the morning. The experience was a ‘mystery revealed.’ I Timothy 3:16 indicates that the mystery of our religion is great. God was “…revealed in flesh….” We have the best gift the world has ever known! But I wonder. When people come to church, is the gift they desire opened to them? Or, do they find a gift with some rocks in it? I was at a secular conference, which hosted about 500 people. One of the leaders asked how many people had had negative experiences with organized religion that caused them to cast organized religion aside. I was stunned at the number of hands raised. There might have been only fifty people in the room who did not raise their hands. The mystery of our religion is so well hidden most people are, apparently, unable to discover it. I remember one pastor, in another region,
telling me of a time when a woman came out of morning worship and slapped
her face when she went through the receiving line. Do you suppose
that might be the package some of those 500 unchurched people experienced?
I remember one young pastor, being summarily dressed down by a leading
parishioner in the middle of a Bible study he was leading. Do you
suppose that might be the kind of experience some of those 500 unchurched
people had?
It is okay if people come to church this Christmas and do not find all they seek. But, I am going to try to make their experience one of Christian love. Dawn Breaker #72: May I seek to be transformed one step at a time. "There are a number of
guidelines I try to follow in life and ministry. I find that when I follow
them, situations sometimes become like the rising of the sun. There
is a luminous glow turning to great light, and occasionally, inspiration.
When I don't follow these adopted guidelines, they sometimes become Don
breakers, making life frustrating at best. I do not suggest
you should live by all the principles I choose for my life. If they
are helpful for you, make them your own. They work for me."
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