Thoughts on a Snowy Sunday in December

On Wednesday, reports of an impending “snow event” for Saturday brought forth a few humorous comments at a meeting of fellow clergy. Why can’t God make it snow sometime other than on the weekend? We wondered together how much snow there would be and whether or not it would effect Sunday attendance.



By Thursday night at choir practice, we discussed contingency plans. Debra told choir members not to take any chances. If it wasn’t safe to get out, stay at home. We’d sing something familiar and save our well-rehearsed anthems for some other Sunday – perhaps the Sunday after Christmas. One of the planned anthems was to be the men’s chorus singing, Jesus, What a Wonderful Child. Was that a sigh of relief coming from the back row?



During the day on Friday, I wondered if I even needed to finish working on my sermon for Sunday. Procrastinating, I posed the question on Facebook. One clergy colleague responded that it was like expecting snow when we were younger. If you did your homework, it would snow. But if you didn’t do your homework, the snow would likely not materialize. Another responded, “If you prepare a weak sermon, it will only snow a little and the bishop will show up at your church.” I began thinking about my sermon for Christmas Eve.



By Saturday the speculation on Facebook about who would be the first to cancel Sunday services began around mid-morning. Most of you know how reluctant I am to even consider such an action. But the snow was by now accumulating at the amazing rate of two inches per hour. I trudged over to the church where a mere ten faithful members of the Hispanic SDA church had gathered. By three o’clock I was ready to cry, “Uncle!” We would cancel both the 8:15 and 9:30 services. Those who were able, however, could gather at 10:00 a.m. for a brief service of prayer and carol singing. With that reluctant decision made, I settled down to watch my beloved Blue Devils easily handle 15th ranked Gonzaga. When the snow plow pulled into the church parking lot near mid-night, I was able to fall peacefully to sleep with visions of clear pavement dancing in my head.



The sun’s early morning rays on the gleaming snow is wonderfully beautiful. I’m sure that you don’t need for me to tell you this. You’ve seen it for yourself. Times such as this remind us that God is in control. While we may persist with the fallacy that we run the show, God delights in gently reminding us otherwise from time to time. In the end, there is no better way for us to live than under God’s tender care.



And my sermon for this Fourth Sunday of Advent? Two expectant mothers comparing notes about pregnancy in Luke 1:39-55. The story of the birth of Jesus doesn’t begin with shepherds and wise men. It begins with the expectancy of a coming birth – not with men crowding around to see a baby, but with women becoming aware that something unique and amazing was about to take place. Elizabeth feels the sign as her baby gives her a good hard kick. Mary rejoices in God’s favor and announces the theme of the unfolding of the coming kingdom: “God has brought down the proud in the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty.



That sounds like very good news to me. Enjoy the snow.



Hope to see you on Christmas Eve.