When Jami and I married, she went to great lengths to pick just the right invitation, with just the right font, with just the right font color, printed on just the right grade of stock, with just the right wording. She and I planned for a "high church" wedding - just the right music, just the right musicians, just the right wedding gown, just the right church..........and the list goes on and on. We, therefore, wanted a wedding invitation that spoke to our need for all things GRAND.
And getting the invitations printed was no easy task either. The first batch of invitations that we received had the wrong middle initial for my Dad, so we had to re-order. When the correct batch finally came, we had to start stuffing them, addressing them, and getting them into the mail. It was a huge job. First we had to place the invitation itself inside the inner envelope (with this thin white tissue paper on top). On the outside of this envelope went the less formal names of those invited. This envelope was then placed inside the outer envelope. This outer envelope had to be licked and sealed (lick a few hundred of those bad boys and you'll know exactly why I mention that as an important step in the process). The outer envelope carried the name(s) and address of the person/people being invited and Jami's name and address (as the return address). And could just anyone do the necessary writing? Absolutely not. Jami practiced and perfected her calligraphy skills, bought calligraphy ink to match the color of the print on the invitation, and filled out every word written on the invitation IN CALLIGRAPHY. So, if you got one of these invitations, you immediately knew how important your presence was on our BIG DAY. And don't even get me started on birth announcements.
And why did we go to such great lengths? It was our way of telling family and friends, "HEAR YE ONE AND ALL!!!! THE MOST IMPORTANT DAY FOR US IS COMING UP AND WE WANT EVERYONE TO COME AND JOIN IN THIS OUTSTANDING CELEBRATION!!!!" Often times, our guest lists for weddings read like a WHO'S WHO list for the elite and prominent. We expect that everyone will show up, dressed in their finest, bearing gifts, which have been carefully registered by the bride. No shabby stuff here - we're talking fine china (that's purchased by the individual piece), crystal, and silver. And don't think brides and their level of personal taste aren't discussed at great lengths in relation to how pretty (or tacky) her china pattern is. It's all just a great deal of pomp and circumstance - and matters not one whit in the big scheme of things (certainly not an indicator of marriage success).
And why am I mentioning wedding invitations and all things nuptial? Well, it actually fits into the Christmas story. Maybe you already see the connection. Maybe, however, I've made the water too muddy for clear interpretation. Let me help you out with that.
Jesus - God's only begotten Son - was sent by His Father into this world for the redemption of all mankind. And who did God invite to this awesome occasion - this heaven-planned arrival? A bunch of dirty, smelly shepherds - fresh from the fields. And as fancy and involved as my invitation description sounded, think about the invitation the Lord Almighty gave these nasty smelling shepherds. It was a live performance - an angel hovering in the sky with a voice like thunder, announcing DO NOT BE AFRAID, FOR BEHOLD I BRING YOU GLAD TIDINGS OF GREAT JOY, WHICH SHALL BE FOR ALL PEOPLE. FOR UNTO YOU IS BORN THIS DAY IN THE CITY OF DAVID A SAVIOR, WHICH IS CHRIST THE LORD. The angel went on to tell in glorious terms how the child could be found. And to top it off, a multitude (a host) of angels joined in, filling the sky with the largest light show of its kind. And who again was the intended audience? No, don't leave the pasture folks. It was those dirty shepherds (a bunch of illiterate nomads).
Look at that invitation against the backdrop of a present-day wedding: "The bride, in her regal gown with cathedral train, got married in a local dive. She invited only the homeless - the street people. She was surrounded - on this, her most special day - by dirty, nasty people who were complete strangers." That sort of event would never do in the society column. Can you imagine picking that backdrop and assembly for your daughter's wedding?
But that's just the way God staged the entire event. The ONLY people He invited were the shepherds - some of the lowest people in society. No kings, no governors, no dignitaries.........just common folk - REAL common. Why? Well, not even I can mess this one up. We all come before God as dirty, repugnant, shabby, common folk. Even in our "Sunday best" we are no more than dirty and vile. But God invites us to His side. He invites us to come into His presence. He asks us to allow Him to step into our wretched filth, our shame, our guilt, so that He can tell us how much He loves us.
And when you draw close to the manger, you'll see that His arms are open wide, calling all who will choose to follow Him into eternal splendor. "For God loved the world so much, that He sent His only Son to live here among us. And for anyone who believes this, He has INVITED us to spend eternity with Him."
So, this past Sunday, we lit the shepherd's candle, or the candle of joy. Let us, therefore, come to the manger with the JOY of the shepherds. Let us not venture there with any sense of self-importance, but let us come into His presence with the joy and realization that we have been invited by God Himself. Let us come and meet with Jesus. Let us bring Him - empty-handed like the shepherds - those places in our hearts and lives that don't yet know His good and loving presence and power. Come. Let us open our hearts to our Lord. He is waiting, lying in a lowly manger, longing for us to draw close. If we as a church are going to embrace our world with the heart of God, our hearts must first know His heart's embrace. Come. Let our good Lord love us and give us REAL LIFE.
Look at your invitation friend. It's written for only one person, but it's got your name all over it!!!!!!!
Selah (סֶלָה )
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