The Work of Christmas-- on the 8th day

For several years I have seen, read, quoted, and shared Howard Thurman's poem "Now The Work of Christmas Begins":

When the song of the angels is stilled,
when the star in the sky is gone,
when the kings and princes are home,
when the shepherds are back with their flocks,
the work of Christmas begins:
to find the lost,
to heal the broken,
to feed the hungry,
to release the prisoner,
to rebuild the nations,
to bring peace among the people,
to make music in the heart.

Last year, I found a book by Bruce Epperly written in 2017 entitled The Work of Christmas: The 12 Days of Christmas with Howard Thurman.  I forgot I had it until today.  I pulled it off the shelf and turned to today, January 1, the 8th day of Christmas.

Here are some nuggets that I read that caught my attention.

The Scripture for this chapter is Matthew 1:18-25 (NRSV).

18 Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. 19 Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. 20 But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet:

23 “Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
    and they shall name him Emmanuel,”

which means, “God is with us.” 24 When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife, 25 but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a son; and he named him Jesus.

A quote by Howard Thurman: "The true meaning of Christmas is expressed in the sharing of one's graces in a world in which it is so easy to become callous, insensitive, and hard. Once this spirit becomes part of a [person]'s life, every day is Christmas and every night is freighted with the dawning of fresh, and perhaps holy, adventure." (62)

"Christmas calls us to follow our highest and best versions of ourselves in our daily lives, occupations and avocations, and citizenship. It asks that we set aside selfishness and reach out, past our differences, offering love, forgiveness, and healing to every situation we encounter." (62-63)

"Joseph shows us the incarnation of graceful relatedness. He lives with his uncertainty, trusting God's wisdom and gracefully honoring his relationship with Mary, regardless of the baby's origins." (64-65)

"With the birth of a new year, we can make a commitment to live as if "every day is Christmas." We can embrace the coming of a new year as an invitation to holy adventure.  God wants us to be large-souled people, living by grace and giving by grace, as we let the joy of Christmas guide us the whole year long." (65)

These last three lines really speak to me.  What if I live into this new year as if it were a holy adventure?  What if I become a large-souled person who lives and gives by grace?  What if I let the joy of Christmas guide me all year long?   How would this impact my year?  How would it impact me?  How would it impact others?

At the end of the chapter, there is a Christmas practice and a Christmas prayer.  I will share the prayer that is found on page 66:

"A Christmas Prayer"

Holy God, let me in the New Year give your grace to those near to me and share grace in my relationships. Let me be your companion in healing, one act at a time, bringing joy and light to the darkness and love to the lost in our midst, whether they are powerful or weak, wealthy or poor. In Christ's Name.  Amen.

I recommend this little book by Bruce Epperly.  In the introduction he writes, "During the twelve days of Christmas, our goal is to experience God's gentle providence despite the temptation to close our hearts in a world too often characterized by racism, sexism, polarization, nationalism, and exclusion.  This is the work of Christmas, the growing edge that lures us toward God's realm of truth, beauty, and love." (16)

As you embark on this new year, may it be a holy adventure!

Debra