The Cusp of Christmas

Well, the halls are decked, the stockings are hung, the Rainy-Day-Christmas Plan B has been activated as we stand on the cusp of Christmas 2008 here in beautiful downtown Pasadena.

I'll post the sermon I'll preach at the 5:30 service after the fact, but here's the snippet I thought I'd offer this morning as a preview:

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On this Christmas Eve 2008, let me enter into the record this important note:

I am all in favor of living a purpose driven life.

But here’s the thing: let’s make sure that the purpose that drives us is turning the whole human race into the human family – not limiting those who can “Come let us adore him” to those who look like us, think like us, vote like us or believe like us.
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Let’s make sure that if we’re going to preach family values that we practice valuing all families.
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And let’s be clear that the hope that we claim on this O Holy Night – more hope than the world thinks is reasonable -- is the hope we are called to not just celebrate but to guard.

From war and violence,
from hunger and famine,
from budgets that prioritize bombs over bread,
from policies that favor profits for corporations
over healthcare for children,
and from purpose driven agendas
whose purpose is to write discrimination into our constitution.
.

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(Merry Christmas Eve to All ... and to all a "good day!")