Thither (The Christmas Letter)

Christmas Letter

You know. Sometimes church gatherings are funny. But I read recently that some puritans would punish folks that laughed in a church. So, so, pitiable.

:-)

"We Too Will Thither"

During the evening service, we sang those words (we too will thither) and I looked up ready to laugh and the couple, two rows up, had grins and comments in their eyes already.
The song was "O Come All Ye Faithful"

vs. 3
See how the shepherds,
Summoned to his cradle
Leaving their flocks,
Draw nigh to gaze
We too will thither
O Come let us adore him
O Come let us adore him
O Come let us adore him
Christ the Lord

Ah thithering. Thither. To thither. Have thithered??! I can't handle it.
But it's oh so intimate and why not make a Christmas email out of it. So here goes. (per usual).

Actually, Mr Preacher's evening commentary was quite helpful while I enjoyed laughing and praying about "thithering."
I hope christian-speak makes you laugh. we are so ridiculous.
So what I was thinking about were those four words.
"We"- those who hear the story.
"Too"- also; that is, not just the shepherds
"Will"- volition?
"Thither"- nuff said. ha

I thought about the scripture later on where Jesus says "When the son of man is lifted up, I will draw all men to myself." And I thought about my own thithering and the moment.

Truth is, this Christmas has been more of the lean variety when it comes to inspiration. Usually the Christian calendar catches me most during advent...but it's been different this year.
And then Pastor Jerry began to teach. He spoke of how 'salvation' as the poor were concerned (and jewish contemporaries) was a yearning for peace and justice. Specifically, freedom from Roman oppression. Where if you want peace you have to have justice.

American's talk about freedom a whole lot. It's a principle social rhetoric. And I think for all the liberation yahgba, we have left justice on the sidelines. Freedom alone is tyranny IF you seek freedom without justice. That's something I learned in Africa. Most conversations there will lead to 'justice' rather than 'freedom.'

Pastor Jerry taught us that 'salvation' that the shepherds were told of by the angels, was synonymous with 'justice' which is a VERY RICH teaching.

Social Justice, Sin Justice, Interpersonal Justice.

But for a moment on sunday night, my heart thithered, as it were. That faith thing where Christ opens your eyes and you are changed.

Coming near to him...well, it's about him. It's about being changed BY him. It's about Him being what he came to be or do what he came to do...in his way. i guess. Justice? (Salvation?)
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All tied up in this mess of justice is the issue of trust and power. At the very moment Caesar Augustus issued his decree to have a census of the entire roman world, God was telling people about justice (salvation). I found the two juxtaposed against each other in an interesting way. One man organizing his country for taxation purposes. A requirement from "The Man." I wondered about the uses and misuses of that power. Justice or not, the angels proclaimed salvation (justice) for all people and the savior to be seen. The shepherds thithered. And people have done so ever since.
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Someday I may understand more of what happens when a person trusts Christ rather than "The Man." For now, I'm am just thankful that the kingdom is like a man who leave the 99 and goes to find the lost one. It is exciting to have been to the stable. To witness the promise for justice and peace in a world that hungers after both (pastor Jerry's words).

A little Thithering went on late friday evening. It was so refreshing to meet the Christ for the first time again.

God bless us all today and this year.