Thought for Today
Exodus 12:2 This month shall mark for you the beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year for you.
Deuteronomy 11:12 a land that the Lord your God looks after. The eyes of the Lord your God are always on it, from the beginning of the year to the end of the year.
Mark 1:1 The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
Luke 1:1 Since many have undertaken to set down an orderly account of the events that have been fulfilled among us, 2 just as they were handed on to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word,
“The first day of winter in the Northern Hemisphere is marked by the winter solstice, which occurs on Saturday, December 21, 2024, at 4:21 A.M. (EST).” (www.almanac.com)
Last night, as a prelude and introduction into winter, we received a light snowfall. It was a wet, sloppy snowfall with about 1” of accumulation. It began late in the afternoon and continued through the Friday night commute time. The roads were a mess; and, as Greta and I set out to meet our daughter’s family for dinner at a local restaurant, we saw numerous emergency vehicles responding to the mess with flashing lights.
For me, the Winter Solstice has always had special meaning. My beloved maternal grandfather was born on the solstice. Although I did hear him make mention of his birthday’s proximity to Christmas, I never heard him complain about only getting one set of presents or celebrations. My Pop was a man of great dignity and honor. Although he did not have a great deal of formal education, he was a very intelligent and wise man. He was a diligent, attentive and purposeful husband, father and grandfather. I have done my best to model much of my behavior on his role model.
Christians begin our liturgical year on the first Sunday of Advent; and, Advent is the period of four Sundays before Christmas. The beginning of a new year in any calendar system is somewhat arbitrary. On the Hebrew calendar, “Rosh Hashanah is the birthday of the universe, the day G‑d created Adam and Eve, and it’s celebrated as the Jewish New Year. Rosh Hashanah 5785 begins at sundown on the eve of Tishrei 1 (Oct. 2, 2024) and ends after nightfall on Tishrei 2 (Oct. 4, 2024).” (www.chabad.org) On our calendar, “Pope Gregory XIII introduced a revised calendar in 1582. In addition to solving the issue with leap years, the Gregorian calendar restored January 1 as the start of the New Year.” (www.britannica.com)
As if this was not enough confusion, some calendars are lunar calendars and some are solar calendars. I wonder whether any calendars in history have begun on the winter or summer solstices? I also wonder about people who study calendars (calenderologists?) Presumably, it must be a branch of mathematics.
What does all of this mean for us as Christians? It means that tomorrow is the Fourth Sunday of Advent. It means that our annual celebration of the birth of Jesus, the Christ, the Son of God is almost upon us. For many congregations, it means our Christmas Eve service will follow Sunday in two more days. Choirs have almost run out of time to practice. Ministers are almost out of time to prepare their sermons or reflections for Christmas Eve.
Most importantly, it means the excitement of knowing the anticipation of Christmas is almost at an end. Time marches on, inexorably, irrespective of whether presents are purchased and/or wrapped, irrespective of whether or not trees are decorated, irrespective of whether special dishes are already made.
Mark begins his gospel with the appearance of John the Baptist, long after the event we celebrate next Wednesday. But, as I think about my grandfather’s birthday today, as I anticipate next Tuesday’s Christmas Eve service, as I look forward to Christmas Day, I think about Mark’s opening words, “The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.”
For us, as Christians, Christmas Day is the beginning of the beginning of the good news. Our calendars will mark the beginning of our year a week later. Our liturgical calendar has already begun the new year. However we might measure the passage of time, Wednesday is truly the beginning of the good news.
Stay safe, anticipate, trust God,
Pastor Ray