Rev. Emily Owen
A Matter of Identity – Galatians 4:4-7

Sermon for December 28, 2008

Our second reading for today comes from Paul’s letter to the religious communities in Galatia. For those of you who are geographically inclined, Galatia would have been in the center of what is present day Turkey. These communities or churches that Paul is writing to were ones started by Paul himself and after he left, the people in these churches were led astray by what Paul considered non-Christ centered teachings. Some of those trying to redirect the people in the churches at Galatia tried to convince them to follow Jewish law and to be circumcised, among other things. Paul wrote this impassioned letter, with a tone of disappointment that the people of Galatia could be so easily swayed away from the gospel of Jesus Christ and a sense of urgency to remember what he had taught them. In this portion of Paul’s letter, he gives his version of the birth narrative but also reminds the people at Galatia just who they are as followers of Jesus Christ.

Hear now a reading from the fourth chapter of Galatians, beginning with the fourth verse. Listen now for the Word of God.

⁴But when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, ⁵in order to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as children.⁶And because you are children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, "Abba! Father!"⁷So you are no longer a slave but a child, and if a child then also an heir, through God.

This is the Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.

Well, it’s that time of year again…no…I’m not talking about Christmas…I’m taking about this special time of year when the “best of” lists start appearing in the paper and on the internet. Just yesterday, I read an article called Here’s What We Did in ’08. It included the top television shows, the highest grossing films, the most popular music albums and even the most popular cell phones. Apparently, I missed out on a LOT of 2008. I was thinking that it would be fun to go back and read Here’s What We Did in 1908. I have a pretty good feeling that there would be very few similarities… certainly no top cell phones or best-liked television commercials would be on that list.

I do enjoy some of these lists. I love looking at the 2008 year in pictures and I even took a look at a Newsweek story called Remember them Well, which highlighted some of the many losses we endured this past year. There have been some startling statistics regarding where our economy started this year and where it is today. But it is not all about looking back…though we are in that transition period where we look back over the year, we also look forward to what is to come. News stories and magazines do this as well. Just next to the best stories of 2008, you can find the top ten secrets to a fabulous new you in 2009. I imagine some have thought ahead and have already decided on some goals or resolutions for 2009 while others are still trying to recover after a hectic Christmas celebration.

One of my favorite parts about Christmas is reading the many Christmas letters and family updates from people I don’t talk to near as much as I wish I could. When I read these letters, I can’t help but think about what my letter would say if I were organized enough to get one out at Christmas time. I imagine that preparing these Christmas letters is good discipline. It fits in with the practice of both looking back over the year and looking forward to what is to come.

And speaking of Christmas, I would like to wish all of you a very Merry Christmas! I am not running behind…it really is still Christmas and will be until Epiphany on January 6^th. For some I imagine this is good news – the Christmas music will continue a while longer and the decorations don’t have to come down just yet. For many, it is a relief that Christmas Day is over and went well…even though it was a time of joy shared with family and loved ones…a time of good food, fellowship and tradition.

For others though this Christmas joy is slow to come. As Christmas falls in this time of year of looking back and looking forward, it can sometimes have a way of reminding us of those who are not here that have been in years past. It can be a reminder of what is not or perhaps of what will never be. For many this particular year has been a struggle to meet expectations and desires while remaining both responsible and sensible. Christmas time undoubtedly is a time of mixed emotion, sometimes joy, sometimes exhaustion and sometimes confusion.

It is to overwhelmed and confused people that Paul writes to in our scripture reading for today. In this portion of Paul’s letter, he gives us a concise recounting of the birth narrative. This is a story we have heard over and over again, but Paul’s version is extremely short and to the point. Paul writes, “when the fullness of time had come”… we see that even our Scripture reading for today seems to look at time - both looking back and looking forward.  Paul continues as he writes, “God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, in order to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as children.”

There are several things to note in this first sentence of our scripture reading. The first is a theme that continues to come up over and over again in scripture and that is that God initiates. God sent the Son so that we might be redeemed…so that we might receive adoption as children. The Greek word here for adoption is actually two words combined. These words are children and position. So literally, when we receive adoption by God, God places us in a position of being God’s children. Here again we see God’s initiative, but God’s action does not end there. Paul writes, “Because you are children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” So you are no longer slave but a child, and if a child then also an heir, through God.”

God not only sent the Son into the world, God sent the Spirit into our hearts and even into our prayers as we cry Abba! Father!. God made us heirs.

Paul’s words to the people at Galatia, were to a group of people who lost sight of who they were, but I think this reminder is good for us to hear as well. Perhaps they got caught up in the excitement of what was happening around them that it became so easy to get sidetracked.

I wonder if this doesn’t happen to many of us at Christmas time. We get caught up in what needs to get done, the shopping, the cooking, the traveling, the hosting and on and on…we are taken up with the over all busy feeling of the season, and we forget to make time and space for the waiting and anticipation that is Advent and for this reason, Christmas comes and goes and we move on before stopping to take it in.

Not too long ago, I received an E-mail from a friend that was a link to a video on the Internet. In the video, world famous violinist Joshua Bell opened his violin case and stood beside it as he played six classical music pieces on his Stradivarius violin in a busy Washington DC subway station. Just three nights prior to his playing in the subway, he played a concert where tickets ran about $100 per seat. On this particular day of playing in the subway, over 1,000 people passed by Bell and less than a handful stopped to listen. I can’t help but wonder how many instances I have walked by something great…something amazing…and not even noticed.

And so we find ourselves today on the edge between 2008 and 2009. We take a moment to look back, as we also look forward in hope. But in the midst of this reflection and thinking, let us pause and simply be in the joy that is among us. Paul invites us to take time to be renewed by the God who gives us hope and who has hope in us. We are invited to remember that by God’s grace we have been placed into a position of being children of God.

It becomes a matter of identity. If we spend too much time looking back or looking forward, the present moment might be forgotten as we get caught up in the pace and frenzy of this world and lose track of who we are.

This is not to say that we don’t reflect on the past and look forward to the future. We do and we should. We should take time to consider what our Christmas letter might say or revisit what it did say. Think about what would be on your “best of” list from 2008? What are you looking forward to in 2009? But most importantly, we cannot forget to consider what we can do to dwell in the joy that is among us today?

When we look back we see God’s action in our lives and through this great Christmas gift of Jesus Christ, we can look forward with hope to whatever is to come. But for now, stop…slow down…Christ is here…Emmanuel…God with us! Take notice of the joy that has been born this season and is with us this day and everyday.

Joy to the World, the Lord is come! Let earth receive her king…let every heart prepare him room. May it be so.

In the name of the creator, redeemer and sustainer. Amen.