“What Is Your Story-Line?


Sermon Delivered By Rev. Dick Stetler – December 24, 2016

Centenary United Methodist Church

Christmas Eve

    The theme that we are going to explore this evening is the quality of the story-line that each of us brings to the sudden, unexpected changes that show up in our lives.  Our story-line is the orientation toward life that serves us with guidance and support. All of us have some thread that helps us to cope with detours.  Some of our story-lines are better than others.  

    My brother's wife was recently diagnosed with stage four pancreatic cancer.  She is a woman of enormous faith.  Her story-line would go something like this:

God has been with me every moment of my life, so what is facing me now is an opportunity for me to practice my patience and trust that my life is in good hands. Compromising my faith with sadness and fear will not fix what I am facing. My trust will support me until the time when my train stops at my station.  When that time comes, I will get on board knowing that it has come to take me home.

    The Bethlehem story has Mary and Joseph facing one adjustment after another.  Mary came to Joseph and said, "I am pregnant.  You see, there was this angel that told me that God is the father.  My son is going to be a very special person." No doubt, Joseph was listening to a reason for her pregnancy that no one had ever used.  No matter how it happened, he had to deal with Mary being pregnant.

    After a long journey of riding on a donkey for a Roman tax registration, Mary found her contractions were getting closer together.  The baby was coming when she heard the inn keeper say:

I'm sorry honey, I honestly don't have any room.  Look around.  I've got people sleeping in the hallways and the rooms are overloaded with people willing to sleep on the floor.  You will need privacy. I tell you what. . . I'll have my daughter bring some warm water and towels.  She will also lay down a bed of fresh straw in the stable.  I'm sorry that is all I have.

    The need for adjusting continued. Shepherds arrived because angels had instructed them that a Savior was just born.  To add to the confusing adjustments, three Astrologers from Persia arrived some weeks later bringing the family gold, frankincense and myrrh. 

    Suddenly, word came that Herod was sending soldiers to kill all of the male babies up to the age of two. The family had to flee into Egypt.  Life was never normal for this young family. They had an evolving story-line that God was with them through all of their unique circumstances.

    Think of the unexpected events that have happened to you this year.  Some of you have experienced losses.  Some of you have almost died.  Some of you have been inconvenienced by missed flight-connections. Some of you have experienced disappointments. What prevented, fear, frustration and disappointment from taking up residence in your spirits?  If you navigated through your circumstances, you have a wonderful story-line.

    Recently, our son spent ten days with us.  We received a call from him after he landed in Baltimore that attempted to shatter our peace. He had parked his car in Long Term B at Baltimore-Washington International Airport.  His first words were these: "I got to my car and found that the battery was dead.  It is 16 degrees right now.  I am dressed for Bermuda.  I have no warmer clothing. There is no one else here. What should I do?"

    In the middle of what little advice we could provide, Steve said, "I've got to go. I am freezing. My hands no longer work." The conversation ended abruptly and we had to endure a prolonged period of silence until we heard from him again. 

    The arrival of another airport shuttle bus is what caused him to end his conversation with us. The driver of that bus took immediate command of the situation.  She called headquarters and told Steve to sit down in the bus until his core could warm up.  She made another loop with her bus and found the technician who was helping another driver.  Steve sat in the technician's truck until his car was jump-started.  All ended well.   

    When we have a story-line that empowers us during uncertain times, we become sensitized to an invisible presence that opens a door within our senses that simply was not there before our circumstance turned our lives upside down.  Steve later commented that everyone that suddenly appeared was so kind, compassionate, understanding and accommodating. 

    All of us have these qualities within us.  When we express them, often we are the ones that become the saving link in someone else's chain of unexpected events.

    The time arrived for the Christmas break for the students at Boston University.  The Dean of the School of Music was walking to his car when he noticed one of his students becoming such a link to an old man who was playing his violin while sitting under a tree. He drew closer to watch what would unfold.

    The shivering man had become totally invisible to the passing students and university personnel as each was hurrying to get home for Christmas. His violin case was open for possible contributions but it remained empty.    

    The student listened for a while to his untutored playing and then she asked, “May I play your violin for you?” With great hesitation and reluctance, he gave her his instrument.  She laid down her backpack, removed her mittens and spent a few moments tuning the violin. As she began to play, she transformed the entire world around her with a rendition of Ave Maria.  

    People stopped and began to gather around the two of them.  As the crowd grew larger, she motioned with her head to fill the poor man’s violin case with whatever they could give.  They got the message and immediately filled his offering plate generously. Some in the crowd had tears in their eyes when they realized what was taking place.          

      The Dean later wrote the following in the school's newsletter:  

The sight of one of our students taking the time to be with this older gentleman touched me in a way that a thousand sermons on goodwill could never have done.  I was very proud that Rebecca would take the time to bring joy to someone who could not give her anything in return. Truly I have seen the spirit of love in one of its purest forms touching all of us through this episode of compassion.  This afternoon many of us were drawn closer to what makes Christmas a most unique observance even for those of us who have no faith at all.

    Hopefully, all of us have a story-line that guides and supports our living not only as we navigate through a good number of unexpected changes but also a story-line that allows us to be of assistance because we are at the perfect place at the right time to do so.  Hopefully, we can remember the words of Jesus, "As you have done it unto one of the least of these, you have done it unto me."  (Matthew 25:40) 

    You could be part of a medical team supporting a woman with stage four cancer, an inn keeper for a pregnant woman, a bus driver to a person freezing in a vacant parking lot, or a musician helping an old man to collect enough money to sustain his needs for another day.

    Christmas is a wonderful time to refine our story-line that supports us during moments of major changes, but such a refinement can also enable us to become part of that invisible presence that shows up when someone has a need that requires our help.

    Merry Christmas!