Tonight, I sat with my dogs and fulfilled our annual tradition: watching A Muppet Family Christmas.
It is my favorite Christmas movie. Ever.
Did you know you can't buy this movie anymore? Most of the songs are removed for copyright reasons, meaning you won't get to see the entire scene of our favorite Muppets as babies! And if you buy used versions, it won't be the full version.
Your mind is blown, right?
Of all the classic and contemporary Christmas movies, why is this one my favorite?
Most of you know the answer by now. After all, this is our 10th Christmas together.
It's because … well … many reasons.
First – it is the only film where ALL of Jim Henson's creations are together.
The Muppets.
Sesame Street.
The Fraggles.
Together.
Second – it is the only film, I believe, where Henson himself makes an appearance!
Third – the icy patch running gag is comedy gold.
Fourth – puppet Muppet babies! I mean, how cute!
Fifth – the Scrooge character, who doesn't want to be with a bunch of weirdos, is transformed by the end. Not only does he do everything he can to make the many guests feel welcome, but he also becomes a part of the community!
Finally – as a little boy, I remember feeling a sense of belonging when I watched this movie. I remember happiness coming across my face and a sense of joy when every character joined in singing Christmas songs at the end. I remember thinking how neat it was that Kermit and Robin befriended the mysterious Fraggles – by learning about each other's traditions without trying to co-opt or replace them. It taught me early on that listening and learning from those who may not look or believe like me can deepen my sense … our sense … of belonging. Above all – it embodies my dream for the church: a place where everyone can be themselves fully.
In January 2023, I will no longer be a 'student.' By this, I mean I'll have completed my doctoral studies. I aim to finish the book I began – a memoir inspired by A Muppet Family Christmas and how it shapes my ecclesiology.
Tonight, in the glow of the Christmas lights and the flickering of the Advent candles, the dogs and I officially welcome the season of hope, peace, joy, and love. I remember the feeling of belonging I felt thirty years ago while watching this classic film. I remember my commitment to a call that insists love comes from unexpected places and people.
Tonight I welcome the reminder that the Reign of God comes to the least, the last, and to the weirdos. Especially us who may not always fit into the boxes society insist we reside in.
Tonight, with Chloe and Tecumseh, I welcome the compassion and tenderness to which we belong and of which we wait.
Tonight I welcome the Reign of Love in this space – my place – as I watch my favorite Christmas movie!
***
Welcome
Have you ever been welcomed somewhere but couldn't be yourself? For whatever reason, despite the people being friendly, you couldn't be in the place as your most authentic self.
Or have you ever been to a place and you've tried showing up as the 'you' you know you to be -- only for whomever to try and make you be someone you know you're not?
Or maybe you've been somewhere, and they told you, "Hey, relax. Be yourself. You're among friends." So, you take them for their word only to experience rejection because what the person meant by 'be yourself' actually meant 'conform to us -- our definitions of who you ought to be.'
What I've come to learn is that it is easier to be someone else. It is also exhausting and, to be honest, miserable. Yet, there are layers to our identity. We grow and expand, evolve, and exist not in dichotomies but with many beliefs that can sometimes be conflicting. I think it was Whitman who said it best in his piece Song of Myself, "Do I contradict myself? / Very well then, I contradict myself. / (I am large, I contain multitudes.)” Recognizing we exist in multitudes frees us to embrace the true self beneath the masks we wear to fit in.
There's a lot of demand on us as people. To be this or that to them; to show up this way at that time in this way; to exist here one way and there another. The different roles in our lives require distinct parts of ourselves, too. My head hurts already trying to convey what I want to say -- we need spaces to exist as ourselves.
You know -- the space where I can be Adam and you can be you. We can share the full-length novel of our story or just the coffee shop version, which is okay. Above all, we need those spaces where we not only feel safe but can be brave. For most of us, that's anywhere. But for some of us, that's nowhere.
Wait. What's the difference between safe spaces and brave spaces? Without boring you, it's like this:
- Safe spaces usually make us feel good but do not always invite new ideas, thoughts, and perspectives. All are welcome but don't live as your true self because it might make some uncomfortable.
- Brave spaces invite people to listen to each other and gain new perspectives. All are welcome and are affirmed for who God created us to be, and those voices most often ignored are always included.
Why is this important? There's nothing worse than being told "all are welcome" and that "you matter here" only to experience, explicitly and implicitly, that this means you conform to this way or that way. If you have to give up a part of who you are to belong -- then you don't belong.
Jesus created spaces of belonging -- the premise of the Reign of God. Jesus listened to the lives of those pushed to the margins: those deemed other, the outcast, the overlooked, and the stranger. Jesus demonstrated bravery in how he centered the voices society insisted remained silent. To them, Jesus says the reign of God comes!
I believe the Church is to be a brave space. I'm glad we welcome and celebrate the fullness of what it means to be human. I'm glad we commit not only to being welcoming but belonging -- embarking on opportunities to deepen our connection with those in our community who may feel left out. And I'm glad 1PC is a space where people can be themselves -- and embrace the multiple layers of our humanity.
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