Good Shepherd United Church of Christ

Glad Greetings                                  Luke 1:39-45
Dec. 20, 2009 Love Sunday
Metairie, LA

Our last Sunday in Advent, our final worship gathering to prepare ourselves for the arrival of the Christ Child.  We light the candle of love, the exclamation point of the 4 weeks of Advent.  What a grand finale!

Our text from Luke is a charming tale of preparation for the Messiah's birth: and exchange of welcoming greetings.  Mary, prematurely pregnant right on time, is welcomed into the home of Elizabeth, post maturely pregnant right on time.

Mary greets Elizabeth and her husband, Zechariah, and that fierce prophet, John, leaps in Elizabeth's womb at the sound of Mary's voice, perhaps even in primal recognition of the advent of Jesus.  Elizabeth's baby quickens- a greeting that goes bump in the womb.

Blessings abound, all around:  the glad greetings of the precariously pregnant women and their babies-in-the-making, both children destined to make proclamations that will shake the foundations of the known world.  A God-full of surprises for a fallen world will make good on the ancient promise of the prophet Isaiah:  Unto us a child will be born, will be given.  And his name shall be called: Wonderful!  That name above all names.

This morning I have one reflection to offer, from among the many that might be drawn from the loving greetings of Mary and Elizabeth.  Let us remember the powerful gift of intergenerational friendship.  More than that, let us practise the powerful gift of intergenerational friendship.

In our current culture, much of intergenerational friendship has been privatized or personalized and our lives suffer for that.  Children are routinely cared for by paid professionals, privately contracted- pre-schools, sports teams, arts programs, rather than cared for by multiple aged folks in a neighborhood.

Similarly elders are segregated in "adult communities" or "senior centers" with little access to intergenerational friendships beyond family.

There are reasons for this, largely economic, nevertheless these realities diminish the possibility of intergenerational friendships.

In contrast, thanks be to God, we at Good Shepherd U.C.C. luxuriate in intergenerational friendships in a non-commercial setting in  a public space, where all are welcomed to be a part of our Christian Family.  A wonderful gift, thanks be to God, to enter our congregation and immediately gain access to intergenerational blessedness- the sounds of children and babies; the sounds of elders walking with a cane or chatting so loud because their hearing devices aren't quite set right- all of it, all mixed together.  We are presented, present-ed, with weekly opportunities to honor and appreciate intergenerational affection and respect.

Here's a string of ornaments to illustrate:

*  Jordy with our children, delighting to teach them new Christmas carols.  Looked to me like the children are captivated by Mr Jordy and looks to me like no one is having more fun than Mr. Jordy!

*our bell choir, where children are first to go to the altar and adults join with childlike enthusiasm to get ringing.

*our Media Ministry with a willing teen on the team

*Our thanksgiving baskets with items collected by wrinkled hand and put together with plump young hands.

*Our mother daughter banquet with 5 generations at one table.

*When we pass the peace, intergenerational hugs and greetings abound.  The children are included in the ancient Christian exchange:  "The peace of Christ be with you"  "And also with you."

We are blessed indeed with multigenerational affection, a rarity not always enjoyed in locales other than churches, and indeed, too often, not even in churches.  God has gifted us abundantly and we are called to  *welcome the gift, *cherish the gift, *nurture the gift, and *share the gift of intergenerational friendship in the name of the one we proclaim as Lord and Savior of All, even Jesus the Christ.

And let the people say, "Amen"