"Finding Another Way In 2011"

Matthew 2: 1-12

Epiphany Sunday + January 2, 2011

Pilgrim Congregational United Church of Christ

400 Glenwood Drive

Chattanooga, Tennessee 37404

2010 was a tough year for many, many people in our nation and world. Here in America millions lost their jobs and can’t find another. Millions lost their homes to foreclosure. Millions have seen their meager savings and benefits disappear as they worry about how to support their families. As a nation we experienced a deeply divisive election. While the Democrats were “shellacked” at the polls, many of us were left wondering whether the Republicans will do any better and, perhaps, even worse. A 19-year-old religious fanatic allegedly wanted to blow up part of Portland, Oregon, one of the most tolerant places in America. Tons of drugs continued to flood into our country to add to the misery of our addictions to alcohol and tobacco. Many Americans believe that a large portion of our troubles are due to “them,” whether they be Muslims, immigrants or, perhaps, the Chinese and other Asian lenders who now hold our country in hostage because of our multi-trillion dollar debt.

Meanwhile, abroad, the endless wars in Iraq and Afghanistan grind on, the North Koreans seem more belligerent than ever, and the Iranians move on relentlessly to the creation of atomic bombs. Through the year terrible storms and earthquakes left many places devastated and all-but-destroyed as in Haiti. Why is it that such things always seem to strike the poorest and most vulnerable places?

Turning to our own lives, some of us had a hard time in 2010. Some faced serious illness and surgery; some struggled with financial problems; some had to deal with hurtful problems in our families. Along the way some of us were disappointed, even hurt, in our relationships with spouses, partners and friends.

No, I suspect that few people would say that 2010 was “the best year of their lives.” But will 2011 be any different? We have no way of knowing, but I find both hope and challenge in this familiar after Christmas story of the Wise Men.

The Magi journeyed a long, hard way to find the Christ child. Along the way they met devious, dangerous Herod who had his own murderous reasons for finding the newborn baby. The story tells us they did get to Bethlehem and gave their worship to the Christ child in whom they saw the hope of the world. But I have always been struck by the last line of Matthew’s story where we are told:

“And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.”

The obvious reason for their detour was they didn’t want Herod to find them or the child. As we might say, the Wise Men had “wised up” to the danger of going back the way they had come. But I have always been intrigued by the metaphorical meaning of that line. Do not we as the Wise Men want to leave the difficulties and dangers of the past year behind us and find another way in 2011? I know I do. I want to find ways to keep the joy of Christmas not only in my life but in the lives of others. I hope you do, too. But how do we do it?

The people I have known in my life who have had the most joy in their lives seemed to me to be able to do three things in spite of the struggles and problems they faced.

First, they counted their blessings. The Apostle Paul – who spent an inordinate amount of his life in various jails and prisons – taught his followers to “give thanks in all circumstances.” (I Thessalonians 5:18) The joyful people I have known do not whine about their problems; they shine because of their deep gratitude for what they have even if it seemed like very little. Here’s a New Year thought: how about making a list of the things we are grateful for? What gives meaning and joy to our life? Let’s go a different way in 2011 and, as Johnny Mercer advised in his song, “accentuate the positive and eliminate the negative” this year.

The second thing the joyful people I have known do is care about other people. They found real joy in making someone else’s life a little happier and a little better. Some of what they did may not have seemed all that difficult. They visited a sick friend or phoned someone to tell them they were remembered and appreciated. There’s a thought! Have we told someone recently, “I appreciate you?” New Year is a great time to do that. But some of what these joyful people did was much more demanding. They gave hours volunteering for an organization helping people. They didn’t just complain about the mess in Washington, Nashville, or wherever, they joined with others in campaigns to make real and positive change. Some of them mentored children and others helped in hospitals and nursing homes. You get the idea. The only way we find joy is by giving it away, by putting joy in the lives of other people. Let’s all find one new way we can make a greater difference in the lives of others in 2011.

While there were many other things these joyful people I have known in my life did, I want to mention just one more. They communed deeply with God. For them, spirituality was not a sometime thing. These joyful people prayed regularly; they read the Bible and other devotional literature; they studied and learned more about their faith; they were regular in attending worship. In a word, these joyful people practiced their faith, not because they had to but because they wanted to. For them religion was not a burden but a joy. Let me risk an analogy. When I was in third grade I began playing the clarinet. The first months, even the first year or so, were not a joyful experience. Learning something new seldom is. But as time passed I discovered that I was not simply drudgingly learning how to play the clarinet, I was beginning to make music. While practice never made me perfect, over time it brought real joy into my life. So it can be when we practice our faith and commune more and more deeply with God. I hope we can all do that in 2011.

So here are my three ways to find greater joy in 2011:

- Count our blessings.

- Care about other people, and

- Commune deeply with God.

I hope you will join me in finding this new way of living in 2011. And as we go along the journey, let’s find ways of sharing with one another the joy we are discovering. It’s time for new beginnings and what better way to do that than joining with our Pilgrim Family at Christ’s table.