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A sermon preached by The Venerable Howard Leigh, Precentor, Holy Trinity Cathedral
1st Sunday after Christmas, December 27, 2009.
Readings: 1 Samuel 2:18-20, 26; Colossians 3: 12-17; Luke 2: 41-52

The Holy Family
It is easy to think of the Sunday after Christmas as a “low” Sunday - low in attendance, because many regulars are away taking a well deserved holiday break and other families are relaxing at home.

The “low” of this Sunday may also describe our mood after lots of feasting and conversation and a general sense of collapse after Christmas festivities. Just three days ago the church was filled with anticipation and celebration. Today, though the Christmas decorations are still up, it can be hard to keep that same level of enthusiasm.

But do we need to? It can be helpful to be somewhat reflective after all the hype of the past few weeks, and the Church encourages this by designating today the ‘Feast of the Holy Family’; a feast that encourages us to consider the realities of family life and to take inspiration from the life of the Holy Family – Mary, Joseph and Jesus.

The little we know of The Holy Family points to times of stress, persecution, misunderstanding and the difficulties all families face – some more than others. We can be particularly mindful today of those who are struggling with the especially hard times of this holiday period; maybe for some of us and certainly for many who are not here this morning.

What can the story from Samuel’s boyhood and the account of Jesus and his parents in the temple say to those who are desperate for any sign of joy in Christmas?

First, the passage from the Hebrew scriptures can serve as a reminder that in the midst of “low” times God’s grace continues to move. This passage about Samuel “ministering” (v.18) at Shiloh comes in the middle of a longer narrative about corruption. Samuel serves as a counterpoint to Eli’s family falling apart. Samuel’s presence is a sign of goodness and hope. In the midst of a negative story, the story of sin and judgment, we are reminded that there is also a story of goodness, wisdom, and service. Where there is darkness there is also always light, where there is judgment there is also always grace.

Second, this passage from 1 Samuel reminds us that change and growth are necessary and constant, evidence of God’s essential creativity. Certainly we read this passage during Christmastide because it is echoed in the Lukan story of Jesus’s early years about which we hear very little. In Luke the child Jesus grew in “stature,” “wisdom,” and “favour” (vv. 40 and 52). In 1 Samuel the child Samuel grew in “stature” and “favour.”

The life stories of both Jesus and Samuel say little about the in-between time, the time of just growing up. We have these few words to carry us through the in-between period of birth and the big events of future ministry. We have these few words to carry us through the week between Christmas and New Year, and the many weeks to come. Just as “The boy Samuel continued to grow…” (v. 26), we continue to grow, even into our older adult years. Growth and change continue all the time even when we feel stuck or think that others are stuck in one place, change is happening.
Process theologians help us to understand this dynamic quality of God, always moving with us, through us, and in us. Life is change, whether we notice it or not. To grow in wisdom and stature is to see that change and God go hand in hand. This period is a reminder to keep looking for ways to change, to do some things differently.

For the millions of people who live with the reality of depression, constant ‘low’ times, and often exacerbated for a range of reasons during the Christmas holiday season, these words about changing and growing can seem a burden. They can sound much too like the ignorant voices of people who tell them to “snap out of it,” who dismiss them as overly pessimistic, or, worse, lacking in faith. We as a community of faith can play a positive role in the midst of the negative. The church can grow in “stature” by staying with persons in the low times, even if the persons themselves are not able to be joyful. When the church nurtures those who cannot hear the wisdom or feel the favour of God or others, the grace of God abounds and the hope of the season is made manifest.

Let us as ‘the Holy Family’ in this place and at this time be mindful of those who struggle with life and in particular with this season that high lights some of the deep seated issues which so many of us face.