ROCKEFELLER CHAPEL
LUTHERAN SCHOOL OF THEOLOGY AT CHICAGO
JANUARY 9, 1994 - 4:00 P.M.
JOHN M. BUCHANAN

FOURTH PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, CHICAGO, IL

-

IN THE PRESBYTERIAN.CHURCH OF MY

CoulTece AI
YOUTH IN CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA WE NEVER

SAID WORDS ree Gexmuasy) | IN FACT,
=_s
UNTIL THE SONG CAME ALONG I pDIQn’T KNOW

THERE WERE TWELVE_DAYS OF CHRISTMAS.

For ME, ALL THE ACTION WAS PRE-DECEMBER
25; | pants: CAROLING, SHOPPING, THE

ge gh
THEN LATE IN THE MORNING | A prs sae
SSeS cp

DELICIOUS, ALMOST meee AR OE Cie sa a 9 el

LET DOWN, ALL THE AIR OUT OF THE BAL-
Cea
LOON.

WITH A LITTLE PLEADING I coup

ALWAYS PERSUADE MY PARENTS TO ALLOW THE

TREE TO REMAIN FOR A FEW pays, \sut BY
SSS ap

JANUARY i CHRISTMAS WAS, AS THEY SAY,

HISTORY.
aaa

I SUPPOSE IT IS THE ULTIMATE PRE-
EEE [Eee SS

empr. \ THe CULTURE, WITH AN ASSIST FROM
ew

US LOW-CHURCH TYPES, CONVINCING US OF
PS SSS

THE IRRELEVANCE OF ONE OF OUR OLDEST

TRADITIONS - THE FEAST OF CHRISTMASTIDE,

THE TWELVE DAYS BRACKETED BY THE BIRTH

AND THE ARRIVAL OF THE WISE MEN TWELVE
—E ef

DAYS LATER. = Sei phaw —
~- IN MY CHILDHOOD IMAGINATION THEY

ARRZVED, ON_CHRISTMAS EVE, SHORTLY AFTER

THE SHEPHERDS LeET.\ THaT’S HOW ZT

HAPPENS IN THE SUNDAY SCHOOL PAGEANTS.

eaiGae

THE SHEPHERDS CAN'T STAY LONG: | THEY
SS ge

HAVE TO GET BACK TO THEIR sHEEP.\ THE

MAGI, MORE SOPHISTICATED AND ELEGANT,
Se — CAA =e

ARRIVE FASHIONABLY LATE, AROUND MID-

NIGHT.

RAY’ REMINDS US THAT THE
a:
EARLY CHURCH Gai RED A‘tO—GELGERALED
=p

Tae story.

COMMON, ROUGH, RUDE - THE CONTEMPORARY
= SOS ee

SHEPHERDS, AFTER ALL, WERE
Se

EQUIVALENT OF PARKING LOT ATTENDANTS,
ea Sp
GARRISON KEILLOR SAYS. \ srrancens FROM
Ee
THE EAST, MYSTERIOUS ASTRONOMERS, BEAR-
ING EXOTIC GIFTS WERE INTRIGUING.

BROWN TRACES THE GROWTH OF THE MAGI

TRADITION... /APART) FROM SCRIPTURE - That “they Were

ROYALTY, THREE IN NUMBER..\ WITH NAMES,
eas ae Sawa
RACIAL IDENTITY.WQATHEIR RELICS HAVE
al ; RR ai oe a
TRAVELED MORE THAN THEY EVER DID, FROM

. PERSIA ,TO CONSTANTINOPLE, TO MILAN, TO
- SE Se. ——_ saa

COLOGNE, WHERE YOU CAN PEER DOWN THROUGH
===, Se

AN OPENING IN A METAL BOX AND SEE THEM

Topay. \ YOU CAN READ A PLAQUE THERE THAT
eae | nie aannee di)
TELLS YOU THAT THEY MET IN94 A.D. IN

ARMENIA AND CELEBRATED CHRISTMAS AND

= ————

eer

THEN ALL DIED; |nercnore ON JANUARY 1,
SS ia,
BALTHAZAR ON JANUARY_5 lano GASPAR ON
JANUARY 1l.
fat)

THERE IS NO REASON, OF COURSE, WHY
Sa? Pet

ONE Ml iniged TO DECIDE BETWEEN MATTHEW AND
(Luxe, Ke, comma TO Deora A Wert = OR A lot
<€ =

SHEPHERD PERSON. 7 SHEDHERDS os ~~ MUCH
—_S Sa

MORE ROMANTIC, sugep sq_cupowy, leno AS
~A

CHARMING AS\"AMAHL AND THE NIGHT VrsI-

==
rors" yrs, IT CAN'T BEGIN TO COMPARE IN

SHEER HATR-RAISING EXUBERANCE WITH

GEORGE_FREDERICK HANDEL'S ANGEL CHoRUS

xan, ("Lory TO GoD IN THE HIGH-

EST MAND ("HARK THE HERALD ANGELS SING"

(versus "We THREE KrNGS?" \ No cones. -.

Wy "W
WE THREE KINGS’ WHICH NOT ONLY GOES ON

FOR EVER IN 3/8 T3Me.| HAS THE AUDACITY
_ eee

IN STANZA (FIVE TO DRAG INTO OUR CHRIST-

MAS CELEBRATION -
aoa.

sheng (OO:

*
BITTER PERFUME - GATHERING GLOOM -

SORROWING, SIGHING, BLEEDING, DYING

aaa TOMB ;
SEALED IN THE STONE COLD POOH.
NO WONDER WE PREFER THE SHEPHERDS,”
= =

N HER WONDE ESTSELLER,) DAKO-
I (0) RFUL_B . (0)

TA, A SPIRITUAL GEOGRAPHY, KATHLEEN

NORRIS TELLS ABOUT BEING INVITED TO

SERVE AS A LAY PREACHER IN THE JZINY

CHURCH SHE ATTENDED, AND REFLECTS ON
LEADING WORSHIP IN A WAY THAT SOUNDED
FAMILIAR TO ME.

‘EVERY TIME I READ THE SCRIPTURES
ALOUD IN THE SUNDAY SERVICE, I BECAME
AWARE OF SPARKS IN THOSE TEXTS THAT I
HAD MISSED."j[P. 172]

THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENS TO ME

WHEN I R MATTHEW 2 OUTLOUD.
=a

HE GLORIOUS UNIVERSALISM
mess

OF IT ALL, RIGH (at THE BEGINNING,

AT THE MANGER,| THE BASIC INTENT AND
SE

=

CAPACITY OF THIS STORY, THIS NEWS, THIS
a A ee

5

VENTURE, TO TRANSCEND CULTURE RACE,
ete

ETHNICITY, NATION, TO AFFIRM IN ITS

a |
ADVENT THE UNITY OF HUMANKIND. W THESE
A <0 —

ARE NOT HEBREW PROPHETS: | they AREN'T’
2

sees THEY ARE \ARABS. \ East, MEANS Tran?
Traa, SAuDI Arasra. \\ AND THE JOURNEY,

THE DECISION TO LEAVE WHEREVER THEY WERE
——

AND FOLLOW A STAR, AND —" BE D
TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT, HAVING BEEN THERE,
Cae Se ae
HAVE SEEN, THEY MUST NOW TRAVEL HOME
SSS ee

Se

ANOTHER WAY.
Mr, ELIOT, AS PROFESSOR SITTLER
—
ALWAYS AFFECTIONATELY CALLED HIM, CAP-
TURES IT:
"A COLD COMING WE HAD OF IT,
JUST THE WORST TIME OF THE YEAR
FOR A JOURNEY, AND SUCH A LONG
JOURNEY:
THE WAYS DEEP AND THE WEATHER
SHARP,

THE VERY DEAD OF WINTER...

THERE WERE TIMES WE REGRETTED

THE SUMMER PALACES ON SLOPES, THE
TERRACES,

AND THE SILKEN GIRLS BRINGING
SHERBET.

THEN THE CAMEL MEN CURSING AND
GRUMBLING

AND RUNNING AWAY, AND WANTING THEIR
LIQUOR AND WOMEN,

AND THE NIGHT-FIRES GOING OUT, AND
THE LACK OF SHELTERS,

AND THE CITIES HOSTILE AND THE
TOWNS UNFRIENDLY

AND THE VILLAGES DIRTY AND CHARGING
HIGH PRICES;

A HARD TIME WE HAD OF IT.

AT THE END WE PREFERRED TO TRAVEL
ALL NIGHT,

SLEEPING IN SNATCHES,

WITH THE VOICES SINGING IN OUR

EARS, SAYING

THAT THIS WAS ALL FOLLY.”

IT WAS & Haro soygueys \ AND THE

HARDEST PART OF ALL WAS THEIR OWN DOUBT,
ee eae

VY
THEIR SENSE THAT IT MAYBE FOLLY \ EARS

LATER ONE OF THEM LOOKS BACK AND SAYS:

— mal

"ALL THIS WAS A LONG TIME AGO, I

(REMEMBER,

AND I WOULD DO IT AGAIN, BUT SET

DOWN
THIS SET DOWN
THIS: WERE WE LED ALL THAT WAY FOR
BIRTH OR DEATH? THERE—WAS—A-BERTH,
CERTA

VIDENCE AND NO DOUBT, I HAD
SEEN BIRT@ AND DEATH,
THOUGHT THEY WERE DIFFER-
ENT; THI TH WAS

HA ND BITTER AGONY FOR US, LIKE
D

———>___WE RETURNED TO OUR PLACES, THESE
—

—

KINGDOMS,

BuT NO LONGER AT EASE HERE, IN THE
OLD DISPENSATION,
WITH AN ALIEN PEOPLE CLUTCHING

&e
THEIR GODS.

P-SHOULESBE GLAD OF ANOTHER” DEATH. "

[T. S. Etrot, "JOURNEY OF THE
MAGI," THE WASTELAND AND OTHER POEMs,
P. 69-70]

WE DON'T KNOW MUCH ABOUT THEM? | te
NOUN XS PLURAL;\ THERE_WERE, MORE THAN
one. \ THEY KNEW ABOUT STARS, THEY HAD

THE CAPACITY 10. TRAVEL, AND TO GIVE AWAY

EXPENSIVE xets. \{Eoacer ALL THAT -
==

LISTEN TO THEIR STORY WHEN IT SAYS THEY
ae
ARRIVE IN JERUSALEM, ANCIENT CAPITAL OF
i
THE Jews, NOW OCCUPIED BY THE ROMANS AND
= fe ee
THEY CALL AT THE ROYAL PALACE WHERE THEY
ewe

ASSUME ,A_ ROYAL BIRTH HAS TAKEN PLACE.

PRESIDING IN THE PALACE IS HEROD, WHO IN
=a Se
ORDER TO CONSOLIDATE HIS OWN POSITION

WITH THE ROMANS, HAS MURDERED MEMBERS OF
= ——

HIS OWN IMMEDIATE FAMILY. \ WHEN THE

=,
EMPERQR CAESAR ADcustus HEARS ABOUT IT,

HE SAYS, \/"I'D RATHER BE HEROD’S PIG THAN
Ds

HIS SON.

(How INEXCUSABLY INNOCENT THEY ARE,

THESE WISE MeN, \ ProFESSOR BROWN SAYS
ae Le Te

THEY ACT LIKE NOTHING SO MUCH AS ABSENT

MINDED PROFESSORS - ASKI ov, (a0
MURDERS HIS OWNWBABIES TQ.PROTECT HIS
FLANKS >) WHERE THE NEW KING WAS BORN. Herod 0 goo? ~
co nm convene”
a TH .. FROM YOU SHALL COME A pales F
Oem ss: * $
r

RULER..." “It's BETHLEHEM AH SAID Nag asses
al DS , ow

4

JOHN DomInrG_CROSSAN, WHOSE NEWEST wp wa

BOOK TIME MAGAZINE DOESN'T LIKE AT ALL, aS am
com S: pA & L-

"THERE ARE IRONIC REVERSALS...

PAGAN WISE MEN READ THE STARS AND COME OWA

vet
FROM AFAR TO ACCEPT JESUS, WHILE HEROD
7 \ Wire

READS THE JEWISH SCRIPTURES AND SEEKS TO eta
ool a Wa 7
KILL HIM." \rr. 15, Jesus, A REVOLUTION- pier *”

10 -.\ 8 \
te
NE

RY BIOGRAPHY]

THINK OF THE IRO “arowYy | THE CHILD =

MURDERING—TYRANT GETS FROM THE ARLY

COMMUNITY THE INFORMATI AN
——

ASTRONOMERS NEED TO FIND THE MESSIAH. |
eaeratiage _“

’

THE KING SENDS EM - FIVE MILES DOWN

THE ROAD - TO petutenem. \ THrNk_oF THE
IRONY - THE SPARKS.W WHEN FINALLY THEY
eS , | el

GET IT,f WARNED IN A DREAM MATTHEW SAYS

ny

DIPLOMATICALLY; )WHEN THEY MAKE A DECI-

SION TO PROTECT THE CHILD'S IDENTITY,
eee

THEY BECOME G ACCOMPLICES TO THE

r
SLAUGHTER OF THE Innocents. \ THERE SA

LOT GOING ON IN THIS <q SHORT
oar.

sTory!

MEANWHILE THEY GO TO BETHLEHEM. \IT

ee.
WAS PROBABLY THE ONLY INN IN TOWN.| THEY
—_—— .

Se

PROBABLY STAYED THERE \ AND MAYBE WHEN
ee)

THEIR SERVANTS TOOK THEIR CAMELS OR
ee. senile d

HORSES OR DONKEYS OUT BACK TO THE BARN
22. = =a

THEY WERE STARTLED TO SEE A FAMILY AND
se

ll

WHEN THE CURIOUS FACT WAS MENTIONED,
ad Se

MAYBE A SPARK WENT OFF FOR THEM, AND
Ve is RE

LIKE THE MYSTERIOUS LIGHT OF THE STAR
ee ie)

THEY HAD BEEN FOLLOWING, MAYBE ONE OF
ee

THEM CONCLUDED THAT HAVING COME SO FAR

ae

TO FIND A CHILD AND HAVING STUMBLED ON
ed

TO ONE, HE SHALL HAVE THE GIFTS./jAND

THEN THEY LEAVE FOR THEIR COUNTRY BY A
erry

DIFFERENT ROAD. —
Yeu CI
IF THE ¥------ IS THE P E WHERE

THEMES ARE FIRST ENUNCZATED,\zF THE
——_ | aiid

PROLOGUE IS THE TIME WHEN AN ACTOR MAKES
que ee

A SPEECH BEFORE THE DRAMA BEGINS, AN-

— =

NOUNCING THE MOTIFS UPON WHICH THE PLAY
[SESE See,

Is GROUNDED, OR AT LEAST_HINTING, EVOK-

ING, INVITING INTELLECTUAL COMMITMENT TO

eee SC SSE

THE REST OF THE STORY, [may LINVETE ouR

| emmeenciiill
ENCOUNTER WITH THIS PRECIOUS FAMILIAR
—— *

AND SLIGHTLY WORN smamms, INT@ODVETION Te The GO>PEL
ABOUT OUTSIDERS | of \.C.-.
pe DISCOVERING THE ali ¢

CHRIST. WHILE THE RELIGIOUS ESTABLISHMENT
SS

12

IS FALLING ALL OVER ITSELF TO PLEASE THE

KING.

anF —_
-A STORY ABOUT WISE ONES) WHO ARE

FROM THE WRONG RACE, \THE WRQNG COLOR,

THE WRONG RELIGION, FALLING DOWN ON
ty

THEIR KNEES WHILE THE CHOSEN ONES, THE
——

MAINLENERS.. ARE BUS PING PUBLIC

ORDER.

-A STORY ABOUT INSIDERS_HAPPILY

SUPPORTING THE STATUS OUO POLITICALLY
———— =
AND ECONQMIC Ly rn THE VERY HALLS OF

POWER AND AU orrTy;\WHILE OUTSIDERS ARE
=, be ——— _

EMPTYING OUT THEIR SADD GIVING

LAVISH GIFTS TO A BABY.

-A STORY ABOUT SEEING THE CHILD,

KNEELING BEFORE THE CHRIST, AND NO

fe
LONGER BEING ABLE TO TRAVEL THE OLD
= Sa
ROADS.
=<

"WE RETURNED TO OUR PLACES, THESE

KINGDOMS

a

13

BuT NO LONGER AT EASE HERE, IN THE
OLD DISPENSATION

WITH AN ALIEN PEOPLE CLUTCHING
THEIR GODS."

IF IT 1s JESUS THE CHRIST WE HAVE

SEEN, WE ARE NO LONGER COMFORTABLE WITH
—

THE STATUS QUO. IF IT IS THE CHRIST WE
ey

HAVE WORSHIPED, THERE IS BUSINESS TO
me, ees

ATTEND TO, WORK TO BE DONE, DECISIONS TO
aS

———S= Tae |
BE MADE.
=.
AT THE END OF THE PROLOGUE TO JOHN
)
Dominic CROSSAN'’S NEW BOOK, JESUS, A

REVOLUTIONARY BIOGRAPHY, THERE IS AN

IMAGINARY CONVERSATION BETWEEN THE

AUTHOR AND THE HISTORICAL JESUS. JESUS
SAYS:

"I'VE READ YOUR BOOK DOMINIC, AND
IT'S QUITE GOOD. SO NOW YOU’RE READY TO
LIVE BY MY VISION AND JOIN IN MY PRO-

GRAM?"

14

"IT poN'T THINK I HAVE THE COURAGE,
JESUS, BUT I DID DESCRIBE IT WELL,
DIDN'T I, AND THE METHOD WAS ESPECIALLY
GOOD, WASN'T IT?"

"THANK YOU, DOMINIC, FOR NOT FALSI-
FYING THE MESSAGE TO SUIT YOUR OWN
INCAPACITY. THAT AT LEAST IS
SOMETHING."

"Is IT ENOUGH, JESUS?"

"No, DOMINIC, IT IS NOT."

You CAN'T P THE CHRIST AND BE
COMFORTABLE WITH THE KIND QE RELIGIOUS
— a

TRIBALISM THAT IS EITHER BEHIND OR
el Sere

STANDING COMFORTABLY ALONG SIDE THE

ETHNIC VIOLENCE WHICH CONTINUES TO CURSE

OUR ERA.
Ul
YOU CAN'T BOW. BESIDE THESE STRANG
ERS FROM THE_EAST AND CONTINUE AT_EASE
Sse.
WITH THE SMUG THEOLOGICAL CERTAINTY THAT

DEFINES OUR MISSION AS.CHRISTIANS IN
mesemgy (ll EE

TERMS OF CONVINCING EVERYBODY TO BECOME

15

LUTHERANS OR PRESBYTERIANS OR BAPTISTS
a

Sse

OR Catuouscs.\\You SIMPLY CAN'T BE ON
= Ss aS o> - ae
BETWEEN MELCHOIR AND GASPAR
YOUR KNEES Lc QIR

WITHOUT AT LEAST PONDERING THE INTRIGU-
ING POSSIBILITY THAT WHAT GOD WANTS IS “\t( A“~ C=
eee ed ¢

— CULTURAL,
SOME\ CROSS APOCMN KNEELING BEFORE THE

——
TRUTH \RaTHER THAN THEOLOGICAL AND ECCLE-
—) =

a

SIASTICAL CONFORMITY.

——— =

AND YOU CAN'T KNEEL HERE KNOWING
eo =e

WHAT IS ABOUT TO HAPPEN TO THE CHILDREN
—— Te.

OF BETHLEHEM AND BE AT EASE, OR FIND
Gre Cras eet ee
TOLERABLE ,THE MURDER OF SIXTY CHILDREN,

MOST OF THEM AFRICAN AMERICAN, MOST OF

THEM KILLED IN GUNFIRE. | Te. slavaater o Or nacull

IT REQUIRES A LITTLE EFFORT, A
———_ eee
LITTLE CURIOSITY TO GO TO BETHLEHEM.
EES
BuT ACTUALLY, THE CROWD, THE CULTURE,
WILL SWEEP YOU ALONG SO THAT YQU MORE OR

LESS ARRIVE THERE WITHOUT MUCH INTEN-

TIONALITY.

16

But IF, LIKE THOSE VERY WISE PER-
Er

SONS, YOU SEE AND KNOW THE CHRIST WHILE
ee

Y

ou ARE THERE, THE ROAD - HOME errr BE

DIFFERENT| AND YOU WILL BE S R AND
ee

MORE COURAGEOUS - AND MORE GENEROUS, AND
RGR OUS = ° We

= ‘oe (=)

MORE OF _A PILGRIM THAN EVER BEFORE.” -MOGE MILLING T

OVE & 6W¢
May SA M, THE B - —. <==
SARTON WROTE A POEM, IRTH wwe
DAY, WHICH APPEARED IN A LITTLE DEVO-
anand ee ° was eat Mou
TIONAL I TRY TO USE AND I HAVE BEEN + Was for
READING IT EVERY MORNING SINCE CHRIST- How _ ways 5
MAS. - Eee fur v5/
"WHAT SHALL WE GIVE THE CHILD THIS 7
DAY,

ON THIS SHINING DAY

IN A STARVING WORLD,

WHAT GIFTS, WHAT TOYS, FOR THIS,
LOVE'S DEAREST BIRTHDAY?

FOR GOLD, GIVE THE HEART’S HUNGER,

THE HEARTS'’S WANT GIVE FOR MYRRH,

FOR HUNGER AND WANT ARE STRONGER

AND PURER AND DEEPER THAN ANYTHING

17

WE HAVE, THAN ANY JOY WE SING.
THESE AND ONE MORE, THE THIRD,
THESE AND ONE SAVING GRACE,
THE BALSAM-SCENTED WORD,

GREEN IN THE DESOLATE PLACE;
Grve To His INNOCENCE

Our HOPE FOR FRANKINCENSE.

Now LAY DOWN THIRST AND HUNGER
THERE IN THE LONELY MANGER,
AND IN THE DESOLATE PLACE

LAY THE GREEN SAVING GRACE,
THE BOUGH WITHOUT A THORN,

For Gop IN MAN IS BORN;

OUT OF ALL GRIEF AND PAIN,

LovE, BE RENEWED AGAIN!

[CSARTON SELECTED-AN ANTHOLOGY OF

THE JOURNAL, NOVELS AND PoeTrRY OF May

SARTON]
/ AMEN. 5

18