THAT’S WHAT CHRISTMAS IS ALL ABOUT, CHARLIE BROWN
Katharine Jefferts Schori’s 2012 Christmas message is up. Short take: as usual, there’s not much there, she mentions God twice and Jesus not at all but it’s not awful. Kate has written way worse messages to the Episcopalians since she got the Big Miter.
But it reminded me of something I’ve always dreaded about this time of year. Christmas sermons. Some of the worst sermons I’ve ever heard or read were delivered in the month of December.
Granted, I’m probably a little biased since I grew up in the Episcopal Church, where great preaching goes to die.
But this is something I’ve noticed all over the spectrum. I’ve heard more than a few clunkers from preachers I normally greatly admire.
Why is this? Well, it is a rather important time of year so too many preachers fall into one of the worst traps into which any writer can fall. Deliberately setting out to say Something Important or trying to be Profound.
Whenever I’ve succumbed to the temptation of doing that, I’ve invariably fallen on my rhetorical face. Add to this the fact if you hear enough Christmas sermons, you tend to hear the same things over and over and you can hopefully understand my irritation.
But maybe I’m being unfair. 2,000 years ago, the Holy Spirit set the bar awfully high.
And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
That is great writing is what that is. Gets right to the point and everything you need to know about Christmas is all there. You can’t improve on perfection.
But it reminded me of something I’ve always dreaded about this time of year. Christmas sermons. Some of the worst sermons I’ve ever heard or read were delivered in the month of December.
Granted, I’m probably a little biased since I grew up in the Episcopal Church, where great preaching goes to die.
But this is something I’ve noticed all over the spectrum. I’ve heard more than a few clunkers from preachers I normally greatly admire.
Why is this? Well, it is a rather important time of year so too many preachers fall into one of the worst traps into which any writer can fall. Deliberately setting out to say Something Important or trying to be Profound.
Whenever I’ve succumbed to the temptation of doing that, I’ve invariably fallen on my rhetorical face. Add to this the fact if you hear enough Christmas sermons, you tend to hear the same things over and over and you can hopefully understand my irritation.
But maybe I’m being unfair. 2,000 years ago, the Holy Spirit set the bar awfully high.
And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
That is great writing is what that is. Gets right to the point and everything you need to know about Christmas is all there. You can’t improve on perfection.
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