Sermon preached at The Church of the Holy Trinity, Rittenhouse Square, Philadelphia

Sunday December 28 2014, The Reverend Alan Neale. Do not return to sender.

I am told, I see, I read that the early days after Christmas are crowded with
the busyness of the fated unlucky, the chronic unfortunate, the relentlessly
unsatisfied I speak of those who despite throated oohs, aspirated aahs
and frozen smiles know the fate of the present as soon as it is opened it
will be returned and that right soon.
Consider the sad recipient of the same sweater three years in a row, a
compost starter kit although useful, the women surveyed did not want to
receive this item as a holiday gift, monogrammed towel with the recipient's
name spelled incorrectly, a bathroom scale, used make-up or a re-gifted
coffee mug from a casino, with a buffet coupon still inside.
This lemming-like rush to enter again the wearisome fray of shopping and
waiting in line, this has continued forever. It occurs in the stellar TV series
Madmen, it is the inspiration for Bob Newharts hilarious monologue The
Toupee. And it finds quintessential, almost primal expression in the opening
verses of John chapter one, verse 11 he came to what was his own, but his
own people did not accept him.
Yet again the eternal giver has taken what is most precious in the heavenly
places and wrapped it in skin to make us comfortable, encased it in
swaddling cloths to make it less awesome, placed it in an environment that
knows scarcity and fear so as to evoke resonance within us and yet again
the gift is returned.
Returned because a newer model is now available, or so we think.
Returned because it is not our size, or so we think.
Returned because what we have is sufficient, or so we think.
But, as John continues in his gospel, to all those who received and held and
lived with the gift they received power to become children of God.
Children with Status, Children with Strength and Children with Song.
Children with Status. When you unwrap the divine gift, when you
acknowledge the gift, when you carefully read the manual (B.I.B.L.E.) and
determine to use the gift your status as a child of God is confirmed deep
within your psyche. You are (Galatians 4:6) set on a path that leads from
slavery to freedom, you are (Isaiah 61:3) given a brand-new name straight
from the mouth of God, you are a stunning crown in the palm of Gods hand,
a jeweled gold cup held high in the hand of your God. No sneering word, no

supercilious patronization, no specious indifference will have the power to

demean or belittle us. We are children with status. I know what you are I
dont know what you are imperious and disarming words once spoken to
me by a, if not the, grand dame of Newport, RI.
Children with Strength. In preparation for a January series on Willpower
I have started to read the first of three books written in the past few years; I
hope the last two are as good as the first. And yet there is no mention of
strength awarded, bestowed upon us by God or even some Higher Power.
When you unwrap the divine gift, when you acknowledge the gift, when you
carefully read the manual (B.I.B.L.E.) and determine to use the gift you
unlock the resources of divine power. You are given power (John 1:12k), and
the Holy Spirit is sent into our hearts (Galatians 4:6).
Children with Song. When I walk in the city, enjoy the awesome diverse
sites of Rittenhouse Square, when I do this with an intentional straight back,
with a whistle or song then I know happiness that comes from knowing
Emmanuel, the Lord is with me. My attitudes change, my hope enlarges
When you unwrap the divine gift, when you acknowledge the gift, when you
carefully read the manual (B.I.B.L.E.) and determine to use the gift you are
given a new song and the song is this Abba, Father (Galatians 4:6).
Yet again this past Christmas Eve we saw the miracle of a Childrens
Christmas Pageant; the miracle of which, to adapt a phrase from Doctor
Samuel Johnson, is not that we do it well but that we dare to do it at all.
Allowing, nay encouraging, children of all ages to carry sticks, have access
to microphones, be near candles and in prodding distance of a live Jesus is a
miracle of itself. But we love to see it, and pity the state of the one who is
not moved. I believe we want to recapture the childlike wonder and
openness that we observe, photograph and videotape all such occasions.
It is harder, I suppose, for those buffeted by hurt and woe, disappointment
and sadness, realism and age to receive and keep this holy baby but do it
we must to live in love and in freedom, to make love real to others and to
set others free.
Do not return this gift this Christmas with words such as address unknown,
no such person, no such zone, do not stash it on some distant shelf in
2015 please, please, please. If you need help, let me know.
AMEN