The sites and sounds of CHRIST-mas reach a long way, but today I was struck with just how far is the reach of this unique holy-day. Sure, I expect to see at least a few nativity scenes on display, even in disputed territory. Christmas carols are also ubiquitous, including in Burger Kings and Wendy’s. For some reason, though, hearing the words to “O Holy Night” in a thruway men’s room really made an impression.

O holy night! The stars are brightly shining.

It is the night of our dear Savior’s birth.

Long lay the world in sin and error pining,

‘Til he appeared and the soul felt His worth.

A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices,

For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.

Fall on your knees, O hear the angel voices!

O night divine, O night when Christ was born.

O holy night -O night -O night divine!

That’s a lot of religion for a public toilet, but it really fits. After all, Jesus was not born in a palace or a resort. The Savior made His debut in a pretty earthy setting. A stall for farm animals is generally marked by a distinctive odor, not different from a roadside john.

Just as it is with the songs about that first Christmas, no place is off limits for the Christ who is the center of those songs. You’ll find Him present in the most gritty, grimy and stinky places of life.

I haven’t heard a tear-jerking testimony about a toilet-stall conversion, yet, but I expect I will before I go to Heaven. I know that beautiful hymn must have touched some hearts today in the men’s room–I just didn’t have the nerve to ask anybody to raise his hand . . .

Rob +

Rev. Rob Schenck

Faith and Action

www.faithandaction.org

109 2nd St, NE

Washington, DC 20002

202-546-8329

You must check out this link:
http://www.stnicholassociety.com/.

I’ve long been a fan of the real” Jolly St. Nick”–that is, St. Nicholas of Myra, an early Christian bishop who lived in Second Century. He actually did help the poor and rescued abandoned children. On one occasion,he may have anonymously thrown gold coins through the window of a house to save three daughters from being sold to human traffickers. St. Nick is more relevant than ever! His distorted avatar, Santa Claus, was largely an invention of the Coca Cola company to gin up retail business. I prefer the real deal. If you’re as enthusiastic as I am, join the St. Nicholas Society and cast your vote for a saner CHRIST-mas!

Wishing you a belated Feast of St. Nicholas (December 6), a Merry CHRIST-mas and a Blessed New Year!

LAKE FOREST, Calif., Dec. 18 /Christian Newswire/ — “I commend President-elect Obama for his courage to willingly take enormous heat from his base by inviting someone like me, with whom he doesn’t agree on every issue, to offer the Invocation at his historic Inaugural ceremony.

“Hopefully individuals passionately expressing opinions from the left and the right will recognize that both of us have shown a commitment to model civility in America.

“The Bible admonishes us to pray for our leaders. I am honored by this opportunity to pray God’s blessing on the office of the President and its current and future inhabitant, asking the Lord to provide wisdom to America’s leaders during this critical time in our nation’s history.”

Media Contact:
A. Larry Ross 469.774.6362
Kristin Cole 615.289.6701
media@rickwarrennews.com

After a day of escalating criticism for Barack Obama’s choice of Rick Warren for the opening prayer at the Inauguration, I found myself wondering, Why is it OK for gay activist groups to say Rick Warren is wrong on his beliefs about same-sex marriage, but it is not OK for Rick Warren to say gay activist groups are wrong on their beliefs about same-sex marriage? In a truly inclusive society, all people get to speak their minds and be heard.

Then, again, maybe gay rights groups do not believe in a truly inclusive society after all. That would be OK, but why not come out and say it?

IN PRAISE OF NANCY PELOSI

I can just hear my more conservative friends bristling and asking, “What?” Let’s face it, US Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi hasn’t done much to ingratiate herself to the political right or to moral conservatives. She has done something recently, though, deserving of praise, and I mean to heap it on her. She stood up to criticism and went ahead with the Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony at the US Capitol, something she certainly didn’t have to do.

Now, maybe a Christmas tree lighting isn’t a big deal to you, but this was more than standing at a podium and flipping a switch. The program included an Air Force band playing traditional Christmas carols–the kind that convey the true meaning of the season. Maybe that’s why, as Speaker Pelosi told me that night, she was “mugged” (or “mocked,” as some thought she said) for doing it. (Watch the video and you determine what she said.)

Whatever it was, Speaker Pelosi thought it was worth noting to me–twice. Yes, she emphatically repeated it to me twice. (You’ll only see it once on the video clip.) Here’s what happened:

I was a guest at the Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony. It really was a very nice affair. The state of Montana had donated the tree and its governor and entire congressional delegation were present. (Remember, the Big Sky State has only ONE representative, so it was a whopping four people!). Speaker Pelosi presided over the actual lighting, bringing forward a young boy from the mostly Montana audience to stand alongside her. After a minor glitch, the lights were lit, then Mrs. Pelosi made her exit. (No rhyme intended.) Before she left, though, I made a point to thank her for keeping “Christ-mas”–and I emphasized “Christ”–at the Capitol.

Mrs. Pelosi seemed genuinely surprised to get the compliment, but then pursued me to tell me she “got mugged for that.” I wasn’t sure at first what she meant, so I thanked her again, then she repeated it, “No, I got mugged for that, I really did.” (Somebody who was with me thought she actually said, “mocked for that.”) The moment didn’t allow for a follow-up question, so I took it for what it was, an acknowledgment that even liberal, left-leaning politicians aren’t spared when it comes to the War on Christmas.

Progressive journalists and talk show hosts, not to mention atheist activists, propound that the War on Christmas is imagined in the self-loathing minds of religious conservatives. Humm, I’m not sure anyone would put Nancy Pelosi in that category.

I think when the Democrat Speaker of the House–the congresswoman from San Francisco–says she is taking heat for such a benign celebration of Christmas, it’s a pretty sure thing there’s a campaign against it.

I repeat my thanks to you, Madam Speaker: Thank you for keeping Christ-mas at the Capitol. And good for you for standing up to the bullies who would prefer a barren, cold and empty lawn at the US Capitol. Instead, you gave us a warm, meaningful reminder of the significance of this time of the year. You’re to be commended by all Americans, religious and non-religious.

“See, I make you as God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron shall be your prophet.”- God to Moses, in Exodus 7:1

Moses beseeched a terrifyingly insane demagogue; Nathan confronted a potentate who had just sexually abused a young married woman and ordered her husband killed to cover up his adultery; Mordecai risked death in complaining to Haman; Joseph and Mary outsmarted the child-murderer Herod; St. Paul appealed to the most powerful and hostile leader in the then-known world. In other words, God’s people have a history of aptly confronting morally corrupt power. I stress aptly–and I believe it’s the challenge of our times.

Many people have said to me lately, “The world is going to Hell in a hand basket.” Sadly, it’s often offered with a tone of resignation. Yet, Jesus told us, “wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” (Matthew 7:13-14) So why the surprise when things are going the way they should? The explanation, I think, lies partly in a certain kind of inebriation. When “our people” were at the top of the US government (and I question whether most of them were ever “ours), we felt a false sense of security; that all was well.

All is never well, it is only ever more well or less well. Things are either not-so-bad, bad or very bad. It remains to be seen exactly where human culture and civilization will fall over the next few years and months, but in many ways it doesn’t matter. The people of God must be ever vigilant, watching ourselves first. It’s our own sin that compromises our ability to confront it in others: “Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation . . .” Only then does the Lord give us permission to ask, “Deliver us from evil . . .”

Here is our challenge for the foreseeable future–Pray, for ourselves and for those who mistreat us; pray for strength against our own corruption–and only then, for God to keep us away from what is evil and destructive. That will be enough to fill our lives, but if we do have a little extra by the grace of God, pray for wisdom and courage to speak the Truth–in love (as one theologian friend of mine always points out, it’s not the truth OR love, it’s both), in the right time and at the right place.

OK, that’s enough sermonizing from me. Suffice it to say that if we keep these priorities in front of us, we’ll do as well as God’s people have always done.

Oh, and keep in mind, It’s a lot worse for most Christians around the world, just ask your brothers and sisters in North Korea, Sudan and Saudi Arabia. It’s important to keep everything in perspective.

More later . . .

Rob +