Advent 1: Making Memories
Day 1 of Advent is usually our ‘Set up the Tree’ day at home - Usually I say, because things change - my kids are big, and may not be home today, but you know, the kids will hope to see the right ornaments in the right place. They will delight at the hot chocolate mugs brought out, and stockings hanging on the right nail, Some memories hang on, and other traditions are fading. Maybe we’ll still have a nice supper and Christmas tunes, though if the kids aren’t around, we will skip the board games. But I want to play a game with you anyway - It’s called Take 5 - when I give a category, I’d like 5 of you to call out a different answer within 10 seconds. Ok?
1) Christmas Dinner Foods
2) Carols
3) Characters other than Mary Joseph and the Baby in the Christmas story
Some of us have catalogued minute details of the bible stories, some of us resonate with the music and reason of the season, some are preserving Christmas for the children while grown-up visions of a fairytale make less sense in their heads. Christmas resides in our memories - a bit of a paradox - we’re waiting for something that is in the past. We’re preparing for something that has happened so often, we may have grown weary of it. Some of us indeed dread it.
There is no theology degree needed to understand the meaning of “Light of the world” as our days are so short and our news is so bleak. This little book has been offered by Deborah for our Advent Study and Worship theme. It’s called “Light of the World - A Beginner’s Guide to Advent” and it’s written By Amy Jill Levine. Amy Jill, or AJ, happens to be a New Testament Scholar and Vanderbilt professor, the quirky and sharp writer of many books, and a keynote at Conferences. She’s one of the present best, she loves Christmas, and she happens to be Jewish. Jesus was Jewish - fully completely 100% and his family was, and his community and their memories… ancient memories… AJ Levine loves Christmas all the more, for her study and familiarity of the Jewish flavour that we may have missed out on all these years. The first chapter is “The Meaning of Memory.”
The meaning of Memory…. Are we talking about traditions or heritage? Are we talking about the flashbacks, or photographs, favourite items, or nightmares, or glimpses that bubble up? Our intricate brain catalogues our experiences in several different ways and different segments - whether it’s the senses or emotions, or the understandings that came after and evolve…. Memory can be long long long and sticky… or if you play the Telephone game, a memory can get muddled up quickly through different voices. And then there is the Tip of the Tongue syndrome where the information is right there but elusive. But certain pieces of magnified emotions and importance will last as our strongest memories. When it matters to pass on a message, maybe simpler the better.
AJ Levine remembers for us about Zachariah and Elizabeth - I won’t be shocked if these are less familiar names for you. Sunday schools for miles around skim this part of the story because these days, we’ve barely got time for the basics. Zachariah and Elizabeth are those peripheral figures we kinda remember, …. And AJ delights in sharing the laughter and meaning of this old couple.
Now, to begin our advent storytelling this season, rather than “Once upon a Time,” I’ll start with: I’m not sure if it happened this way or not, but I know this story is true.
So we learn about Zachariah whose name means “God remembers”- and with AJ’s reminding, we heard that he was a priest - based on his family lineage, he and Elizabeth both, and they are blameless in the sight of God. The author of Luke has placed Zach and Elizabeth as Holders of the story, “Rememberers of God”, righteous old elders to learn from. So we hear that Zachariah is serving as the leader at the synagogue in town, and townsfolk have gathered. Zachariah is to go into the inner Sanctuary alone, lighting incense, while the people pray outside, waiting for his blessing. The blessing matters very much to the people, who are struggling in dark times, under oppressive leaders. And while he is there in that back room sanctuary,, Behold! an Angel of God! The Angel Gabriel appears saying, as most angels do, : Do not be afraid! Perhaps Zachariah was afraid at first, likely reverent and quaking, but when he hears the proclamation of Gabriel, he can’t help but scoff… he may have even begun laughing…. Gabriel tells old man Zach that his wife, the aged and blessed Elizabeth, will have a baby.
Poor Gabriel - You’d think Angels of God get some respect, but they often seem to be misidentified, or, or wrestled with or laughed at. And Gabriel has just given Zachariah the news of a lifetime - a son who will be righteous and reconcile people back to their faith. Such Good news to share with all the world! But Gabriel rebukes him for scoffing, and mutes Zachariah until the baby arrives. Hmm.. 9 months, at least - that’s a long time to have no voice. Oh- and he has to yet leave the Sanctuary to bless the people. So Zachariah emerges from the inner sanctuary, gesturing, and silent, Like a game of Charades! Imagine a minister if they came out waving arms like an angel, trying to show a pregnancy….
And imagine Elizabeth finally greeting her husband who tries to pantomime the News that some angel says she at her age will finally give birth to a baby. Elizabeth, and Zachariah with no voice, no words, no sound to offer, had months to ponder, to prepare and to await the events that played out.
We’re preparing through Advent for a story to play out - the charades and pageantry of our nativity scene… many can play out this story in an instant, from memory. Some are picky about the vivid details of the colour of Mary’s gown, Some of us thoughtfully remember the reason for the season… rejoicing that the Angel song to the shepherd is Good news to everyone. Or the Star over the dark night is a glimmer of hope in bleak midwinter times. Some share their festivities exuberantly, knowing the whole world could use a little more hope-peace-joy-and-love using Shepherds or Santa or Eggnog or Fruitcake. Or the newcomer hoping against hope that there is something in this absurd fairytale that delivers what it promises, to ALL on earth? Fairytale or favoured Scripture - I don’t know if it happened exactly this way or not, but I know this story is true. Our memories as we each hold them, however detailed or vague, or secular, or beaten down by loss, those memories form the pathway to Christmas again and again… cobbled together into a highway with those we travel with, with those we share the waiting time. Together, we help each other make sense of our communal story, to see in new ways how it is “Light for the world.”
We cling to our own experiences, and pass down the important parts. There is the story of the Christmas Ham… 2 daughters in the kitchen preparing the Christmas Dinner, for the first Christmas without mom. And the younger sister asks big sister to pass her over Mom’s roasting pan, and then she takes the ham and slices the end off of it, and places…// Wait, says the big sister… why are you bothering to slice off the end of the ham? It fit perfectly fine the way it was. And the younger sister says “But that’s the way Mom always did it.” Tenderly, but amused, Big Sister says gently… that’s only because the ham was usually too big for the pan. The same event, the same love, and different experiences, different meanings. Perhaps the younger sister will continue always to slice the end from the ham, as she could recall so clearly her mom at the counter, hand holding the knife, making that cut. Would it be so bad to pass down a memory like that? When what mattered most about that memory was Love. So we tell our precious stories, and infuse them with meaning.
And we have Zachariah who has had 9 months plus of waiting, unable to share his thoughts with any dignity. He has, no doubt as a priest, spent time seeking meaning, searching the scriptures, digging through Isaiah about Peace, and Malachi about reconciliation, and the whole of the Torah. He has observed the world around him with an elder’s eyes. Finally his wee son John is born, cousin to the coming Messiah. Finally Zachariah’s speech returns, after months of wishing he could just utter one word, the first thoughts that he offers - those which matter most to him - are Memory - memories of ancient times born into the “Now” and you’ll see them in verses 68-79, saying:
Bless Yahweh, God of Israel
Who has come to help, who has delivered the people!
Yahweh who has raised up a mighty saviour of the Servant David’s house.
Just as promised through the mouths of holy prophets long ago.
God who brought salvation from enemies,
God who showed mercy promised to our ancestors,
God has remembered the Holy covenant, made to Abraham,
so we can serve without fear, holy and righteous our whole lives!
You, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most high,
for you will go before the One to prepare his ways.
You will tell his people of saving and forgiveness,
By the tender mercy and compassion of our God.
The dawn from on high will break upon us, to give light to those who are sitting in darkness,
And in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the Way of Peace.
Zachariah’s praises remembered for us what matter - from hundreds of years of seeking to understand Yahweh, he reminds us: “ God’s shalom is with us, forever.” We weave that into our memories. As we prepare in these coming weeks, we name 5 things that matter most: Peace, Joy Love, and Hope, and Light for the world.
Amen.