Let’s talk about traditions. What are some of your favourite Christmas traditions?
Traditions can evolve for any variety of reasons. We didn’t have a tradition of doing a Christmas Day service when I came here, but then Christmas fell on a Sunday and we needed to have a service. When I brought it up, someone said they would only come if they could come in pajamas. That sounded like fun. So, we made a pajama service, and the addition became something quite meaningful for those who attend. It is now part of our tradition and something we are looking forward to this week.
Some see traditions as peer pressure from the past – expectations that we are supposed to unquestionably follow. But the truth is we continually make choices about what we bring forward year after year. Otherwise, we would still have purple paraments and vestments and purple and pink candles among other things. We continually choose what and how to follow traditions.
Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly.
The birth of Jesus is rooted in traditions too. Mary and Joseph were following traditions when they were engaged to be married. When Joseph found out Mary was pregnant, tradition told him he had a choice – he could make a big deal out of it, shame her, and even have her stoned for her betrayal, or, he could quietly dismiss her, have nothing further to do with her and leave her to her own fate.
Choices matter. Joseph began by choosing the latter. He chose to quietly dismiss Mary, that is, until an angel intervened in a dream. He chose to believe that dream. He chose to pay attention to the message that was conveyed, even though it was the harder path. He chose to act with love and compassion, taking Mary as his wife and choosing to be father to a child he knew wasn’t his own. He chose not knowing how that choice would impact traditions but trusting that faith would be his guide. He chose.
Choices matter. We always have the choice to follow traditions without question. We also have the choice to transform traditions or make new ones. Like Joseph, it helps to weigh different factors. We might consider: What is the impact of the tradition? How does the tradition reflect our faith? In what ways do we feel the Spirit guiding us? And, of course, we can always fall back on the standard: what would Jesus do? Time for discernment can help ensure our choices, whatever they end up being, are based in love.
Choices matter. Who knows what difference the choices we make about traditions will have? May those choices be rooted in faith and love. This we pray as we sing: Joseph’s Song