Episcopal Church of the Ascension Christmas Eve 2011
Second Chances Rev. Dr. Howard J. Hess
I. Introduction. For me, Christmas is all about second chances. Jesus Christ was sent by his Father to give us a second chance -- a chance to be reborn and to live new lives filled with God’s grace. It has long been understood that Christ became one of us so that we could become one with him. There are signs of his solidarity with us throughout his life story, including the humble, ordinary circumstances into which Jesus was born. Nothing was meant to stand in the way of seeing that Jesus has always been one of us. His parents worried about their housing; they worried about how to protect him; and they worried about what the future would hold. The shepherds who were the guests at his first birthday party were among the most common of people, and the party was held in someone's stable. Understanding how Jesus came helps us comprehend why he came. God sent his son not as a king to have power over us, but rather as a Savior to walk among us. He came as the Messiah to bring light into the world and to give us a second chance at life. The angels called his coming “Good news of great joy to all people.”
II. I am absolutely clear that without the second chances given to me through the grace of God and by the many grace-filled people whom God has sent into my life, I would not be here with you tonight, using my God-given gifts as an ordained priest. Like the Apostle Paul, I often do those things that I wish I hadn't done, and fail to do many of the things I intend to do. In both big and small ways, on my own I frequently get it backwards. For example, several weeks ago I totally spaced that I was to read the last reading in the Advent Lessons and Carols service. I, and the entire congregation, sat and waited for the final lector to step up, and no one came. Finally through the gentle nudging of the people around me, I realized that the person we were all waiting for was me. I felt badly about my miss-step.
Fr. Brett also had a miss-step that night. On his way to this same service (and I tell this with his permission), Fr. Brett was so engrossed in listening to a Packers’ game, that he jumped from his car, locked the car door, and rushed into the sacristy to robe, only to realize that he had locked his keys in his running car and had no way to unlock the car doors. Later, due to the good graces of Carla, his wife, the keys were retrieved. The truth of that night and of many other nights in our lives is that we will inevitably fall short. When we do, Jesus Christ is with us to say what a good parent often says to a beloved child: “Yes, you could have done better. But hopefully, you were doing your best, and we all learn from our mistakes.”
III. But these examples illustrate only the small ways we can get it backwards. Many of the ways in which we fall short are much more serious. We hurt, sometimes deeply hurt, those we care about, and we walk away from people who need us. Many of us wish that we could go back in time and take corrective actions in our marriages, our relationships with our children, our parents, or our friends; live our lives in healthier ways; or make wiser professional decisions. Having spent much of my life as a psychotherapist, I know how powerful past regrets and future fears can be. Anxiety, depression, social isolation, and addiction feed upon such regrets and fears.
But here is the good news of Christmas. Christ came into this world to give us a second chance. Jesus’ birth, death, and resurrection are the consummate expression of God's love for us. The transcendent God of the Hebrew Scriptures became the imminent God of the here and now. We are no longer left with a God who seems distant; instead we have intimate access to a God who invites us into a close relationship, knowing full well where and how often we have fallen short. Our God sees us not as completed creations, but rather human beings in the process of becoming.
That's the inherent nature of God’s grace -- a core unconditional love that acts as a catalyst to help us see the beauty God has built into each one of us. The short reading from Titus clearly links the birth of Christ with our own rebirth. Through the saving grace given to us in Jesus Christ, we are to become Godly people redeemed “from all iniquity” and “zealous for good deeds.”
IV. But there is a caveat. God's gift of new life, of second chances, must be received and acted upon. Grace offered does not automatically result in grace received. A number of years ago, I had to confront the distinction between cheap grace and reconciling grace. I had deeply hurt someone that I cared about very much and asked for forgiveness for my hurtful actions. But I was not really willing to confront my own need to repent for my behavior and strive to change. I wanted grace without conversion and forgiveness without repentance – without turning around and changing the direction of my life. I am deeply grateful that part of the grace extended by God to me was the time I needed to have the change of heart that opened the way to a real second chance.
Recently, Peg, my wife, and I went to St. Petersburg, Russia. While there we visited the world famous Hermitage. As some of you know, our trip included a pilgrimage to see Rembrandt’s famous painting “The Return of the Prodigal Son.” We were able to spend time on two different days gazing at the painting and taking in every detail. The eyes of the Prodigal’s father are fixed upon this beaten down, worn out son who kneels before him. Rembrandt’s painting conveys the son’s deep repentance and the father’s deep compassion. The Prodigal had returned, broken, but alive. He sought his father’s forgiveness, and his father forgave him, giving him a second chance.
Tonight I am reminded that the baby born to Mary and Joseph grew up to be a storyteller. One of his most famous stories, or parables, is this tale of the young man – the Prodigal -- who foolishly squandered his inheritance and deeply hurt those who loved him. In desperation he returned home, hoping, but not daring to expect, mercy. What he didn’t know is that for many years his father had waited at the city gate each day for him to return. Then one day his father saw a figure in the distance. He looked, he hoped, and then, setting all decorum aside, he pulled up his long robes and ran to welcome his son home, just as God waits to welcome us home.
So, this evening, like Mary, we are asked to ponder in our hearts the meaning of Christ’s in-breaking into our world. Christ the baby in Bethlehem, Christ the story teller and healer, and Christ the agent of new life. Christ came to actively engage us in the Gospel story. Tonight we are again witnesses to the Incarnation of God’s son; we are followers of the man he became; and we are constantly offered second chances to more fully become the children of a God who always welcomes us home -- now, tomorrow, and for all eternity.
V. Conclusion. Here then is the gift that God gives us this Christmas. Through the in-breaking of God into this world in the form of a vulnerable human baby, light penetrates darkness and redemption overcomes despair. Because of the gift of Jesus Christ, there is absolutely no mistake that cannot be forgiven, no hurt that cannot be healed. Because of the gift of Jesus Christ, redemption, reconciliation, and resurrection trump all other forces in this world and the next. This Christmas if there is any question about how much God loves you, let it go. If you have any second chances, any second chances waiting for you, then take them now. And if you need to be a part of a second chance for someone else, don’t hold back. Pull up your robes and run to him or her. Second chances offered, accepted, and shared are at the heart of God’s incarnate, energetic presence in the world. Amen.
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