[media presentation below] GospelThink Monday, December 25, The Nativity of the Lord LUKE 2:1-14 I come into your and my world. Prayerthoughts a. There are problems with the dates and people that Luke the evangelist mentions here. What he wanted to do probably was to contrast the birth of Jesus, our King with Caesar Augustus. I have chosen Jesus as my King. Is this evident in my actions, say yesterday? b. I belong to a specific family as Joseph did. Do I treat my living family members with the respect they deserve? Do I remember those who have passed away and what they mean for me? c. Mary was with child. There are women that I know who are pregnant. Perhaps I should pray for them and tell them that I am thinking of them in prayer. d. There are also families with young children that I know. Perhaps I should pray for them and tell them that I am thinking of them in prayer also. e. There was no room for them in the inn. At times I have rejected people who were in need of help. Perhaps I should do something on behalf of a shelter for the homeless this week. f. The first announcement in Luke’s account of the birth of Jesus was to shepherds, a group of people who were not very important. Do I show enough attention to the people in our society who are not thought to be important? g. Again we hear the familiar Scriptural statement that we should not fear. Am I too anxious about things in this world and not trusting enough that the Lord will be with me? h. With the angels, I sing God’s glory, but do I act like it in the way I behave around especially those who are critical of me? i. My prayerthoughts…   Today, I will read Titus, chapter 2 and write an important thought from it. Some Thoughts on the Liturgy  THE CHRISTMAS OF WALLY PURLING            This story comes from a small town in the Midwest and every Christmas, someone tells the story. Now it has become a legend because there is always something added every time it is told. It is the story of Wallace—Wally—Purling. He was nine that year, second grade, should have been in the fourth, but everyone knew that he was a little slow. He had problems because he was clumsy and not “with it” much of the time.            It came time for the Christmas pageant that year, the time that the director Mrs. Lombard had dreaded for a couple of years. Every boy and girl in the second grade had to be in it, and had to have a speaking part, which meant that Wally Purling had to be in it. According to some, Mrs. Lombard made the biggest mistake of her life as a director. She reasoned that the innkeeper had to be clumsy, and he only had to be on stage for a short time, and even though he was slow, Wally could remember a couple words, so she gave the part to him, and helped him memorize his few words.            And so the time came. The play began, and as Mary and Joseph knocked on the innkeeper’s door, Mrs. Lombard closed her eyes and prayed.           “What do you want?” Wally said, in monotone, and swung the door open.           “We seek lodging,” Joseph said.           “Seek it elsewhere,” Wally answered, again monotone, not looking at Mary and Joseph directly, “the inn is filled.”           “Sir,” Joseph said, “we have asked everywhere, and there is no room. We have traveled far and we are very weary.”           Again, monotone, Wally said: “There is no room in this inn for you.”           Now, Mrs. Lombard began to breathe a little—only one more line.           “Please, Mr. Innkeeper,” Joseph said, “this is my wife Mary. She is with child and must have a place to rest. Surely you have some small place for her. She is so tired.”           Now, much to the chagrin of Mrs. Lombard, nonetheless something she had expected, there was an awkward silence, and, off-stage the prompter whispered loudly Wally’s line: “No, go away.” Wally did say it, but very softly and evidently very moved: “No, go away.” Joseph placed his arms around Mary, and the two started to move away.           Suddenly Wally started to cry, evidently moved by the action, and for Wallace Purling, it no longer was a Christmas pageant, but it was real life. Totally unexpected by everyone, especially by Mrs. Lombard, Wally yelled: “Don’t go, Joseph; bring Mary here, you can have my room.” There was silence; no one knew what to do. Mrs. Lombard buried her face in her hands. Suddenly someone began to applaud, and then another, and another, and finally a thunderous applause and a standing ovation.           Some people said it was Wally that ruined the pageant, because it was never held again. And some said that it purposely was never held because no one wanted to forget what Wally had done.           You can have my room. Ladies and gentlemen, that is Christianity: the Christian must become involved in what is happening. In a personal way, we must invite the Lord into our lives. We must continue to see God in spite of people who whisper to God, “Go away.” The whispers come from the TV, the movies, the Internet, people who say “holiday” instead of “Christmas.” They keep saying “Go away.”           Maybe it takes someone with courage to ruin the whole pageant and say “You can have my room.” Right here, right now. It is the message of Wally Purling. It is the message of Christmas. MEDIA PRESENTATION Song: “I’m Good” — David Guetta & Bebe Rexha THE BEST HAPPY NIGHT The Gospel MATTHEW 2:9b-12 And behold, the star that [the magi] had seen at its rising preceded them, until it came and stopped over the place where the child was. They were overjoyed at seeing the star, and on entering the house they saw the child with Mary his mother. They prostrated themselves and did him homage. Then they opened their treasures and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed for their country by another way.

Gospelthink: Have I offered myself completely to the Lord?

“I’m good, yeah, I’m feeling alright. I’ma have the best happy night of my life, and wherever it takes me, I’m down for the ride. Don’t you know, I’m good, yeah, feeling alright. I don’t need the finer things in life. No matter where I go, it’s a good time. I don’t need to sit in VIP; middle of the floor—that’s where I’ll be. Don’t got a lot, but that’s enough for me ‘ cause I’m feeling alright.” [Lyrics adjusted]

What are the things that make us feel alright about life? There are probably many answers, some very simple, some quite profound. The magi of Matthew’s Gospel were looking for something. They themselves probably did not quite understand what it was, but they sensed that the something was a person who may have been some type of royalty. When they discovered Jesus and offered him their gifts fit for a king, they felt overjoyed because they realized that he was indeed a king. But, much deeper than that, as they prostrated themselves before him, they understood that he was someone who ultimately would help their world. The popular songs of our day often give answers to the question of what makes us feel good. David Guetta and Bebe Rexha in their song “I’m Good” sing a common answer as they sing the thought of what being together feels like. Their dance song makes it clear that the thing that they have been missing in life is being a little closer together. Enjoying each other’s presence is certainly something that makes us feel good about life. But, even as we enjoy the feeling, we often sense that there is so much more to really feeling good. It not only has something to do with each other; it has something to do with our deeper lives. We need something that can make us feel good about life in a permanent way that is more than a passing emotion. Part of “feeling good” about life is what might be called a sense of what is really important as we feel good.  There are many things that make us feel good, but when we realize that we don’t really need a lot of material things for that feeling, we will be closer to understanding the fundamental part of feeling good about another.  In the song, they sing that they do not need to have externals such as being treated in an important way of having a lot of money. They simply have each other, and that is enough. Every Christian can understand the feeling of the magi in the Gospel: we can certainly “feel good” that we have accepted the presence of Jesus into our lives. The person of Jesus Christ and what he stood for can direct us to true happiness. It is the ultimate answer to what can make us “feel good” about life.

PRAYER  Good and gracious God,  we know in faith that your Son can make us feel good about life, even as we enjoy ourselves in this world that you created. Help us turn to Him more by studying His actions and learning from His words. Be with us, we pray.

+++++ GUIDE FOR CLASSROOM PRESENTATION AND PERSONAL ENRICHMENT Theme: There are some things in life that make us feel good even if we do not have a lot. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: 1. What does the song “I’m Good” teach young people? 2. Project: make a presentation on who the magi were, and what they represented in Matthew’s Gospel. See, for example, the footnotes in The New American Bible for Matthew 2:9b-12. 3. The Gospel passage speaks of being “overjoyed.” What are the things in our world that make people “overjoyed”? 4. In your opinion, what do the three gifts of the magi represent?  5. What is missing in most people’s lives? 6. What are the top 5 things that make us feel good? 7. It seems that one of the actions suggested by the magi story in Matthew’s Gospel is that of paying homage to Jesus because he is God. In your opinion, do most people honor God well in their lives? Yes or no and why? 8. Philosophically, why do people dance? 9. The meditation suggests that we should think of our “deeper lives.” In your opinion, what does this consist of? Why? 10. The song and meditation suggests that we do not need a lot of material goods in order to feel good.  Do you think most people agree with such a thought?  Yes or no and why?