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December 22, 2014

Christmas in Heaven?

“I wonder if they celebrate Christmas in heaven?” This is one of the many musing questions my mother used to ask.

The Bible describes non-stop celebration in heaven, but here on earth we mark the seasons and designate Holy Days. I feel sorry for Christians who do not pay much attention to the liturgical year beyond the “big days” of Christmas and Easter. They miss so many opportunities to gain deeper understanding of God’s plan and Jesus’ walk on earth.

Even Episcopalians throw Christmas parties in Advent, go caroling to shut-ins, and have St. Nicholas visit our Sunday schools. But in our community worship, we wait with anticipation.

The readings of the liturgical year provide spiritual focus in the midst of all the secular frenzy. They help us remember that Christmas is not just a sweet story of a baby in a manger. God’s Word from ancient prophets and Revelation tell us that Jesus’ birth and death were part of a grand design to bring each of us to an eternal, intimate relationship with our Creator.

Author and Benedictine Sister Joan Chittister explains it beautifully:

“Advent is a period of preparation for Christmas, but, unlike Lent, it is not a period of penance. It is a period that focuses us on joy. We prepare ourselves to understand the full adult meaning of the feast. We come to realize more each year how great are our blessings, how beautiful is a life lived in concert with the Jesus who came to show us the way.” (The Liturgical Year – The Spiraling Adventures of the Spiritual Life, Joan Chittister, 2009).

In our congregations, issues and changes can cause divisions and separation. The liturgical year is a gift of the church that reminds us that we’re all on a journey together; moving in rhythm to a pattern designed to daily and seasonally reveal something new about God.

“Nothing is forgotten, minimized, or overlooked in the process. Every spot associated with the life and death of Jesus is now understood to be a holy spot; every site is a place of sacred origin.” (Joan Chittister, ibid.)

This year, my mother is finding out first hand whether they celebrate Christmas in heaven. I am sure she is radiant as she joins in the heavenly chorus, her deep love for the Lord gloriously rewarded.

Thanks to the liturgical year, every day on earth is important too. We come together as a faith community to learn why and to pray about it. May our divisions cease as we focus on what unites us.

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