(ADVENT 13) Unwrapping Christmas: Access to the Throne of God

The world would want to exclude us from its acceptance because we want to please God and to live according to His ways. Yet, we can know that we are accepted by Him and invites us to find His mercy and grace at His throne. 1st Thessalonians 2 states:
4 But as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, even so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who tests our hearts.
5 For neither at any time did we use flattering words, as you know, nor a cloak for covetousness--God is witness.
6 Nor did we seek glory from men, either from you or from others, when we might have made demands as apostles of Christ.

God does not accept any person based on his or her merits, but because of what Jesus has done by His death and resurrection. We do not approach Him in arrogance, but are called to go before Him with humility, with a heart that desires to know Him. We do not go before God to demand His grace, but to receive it. The invitation is open to all, but the mercy doesn't come because we think we deserve it - it's because of grace, because a loving God has chosen to give us what we don't deserve.

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We have been granted access to come before God, to approach His throne, to bring our offerings of worship and our requests for prayer.  That is the teaching we find in Hebrews chapter 4, and that is the gift that we are "unwrapping" today, Day 13 of "25: A Christmas Advent-ure," the Faith Radio Advent Guide, with the theme, Unwrapping Christmas. 

Hebrews 4:16 is our theme Scripture verse, and I want to lead into it and start at verse 14:
14 Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.
15 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.
16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Thankfully, because we accept Jesus, we can approach His throne, we can know His abiding presence, and we are free to exalt Him.  

Unfortunately, in Taylor, Texas, not to be confused with Tyler, Texas, there is an unfortunate case of Christians perhaps being rejected from a Christmas parade because, well, they wanted the content of said parade in this city outside of Austin to reflect family-friendly values consistent with the celebration of Christmas, not something else.

Over at GetReligion.org, Terry Mattingly dissected a Washington Post piece that reported on two parades that were held in Taylor recently.  The Post article said:

The trouble started at last year’s Christmas parade, when students from St. Mary’s Catholic School watched as two drag queens aboard the first Taylor Pride float danced and lip synced to Christmas carols beneath a glittering rainbow arch.

Afterward, a St. Mary’s priest complained to the Rev. Jeff Ripple, an evangelical pastor on the ministers’ alliance that ran the annual parade with the city. Ahead of this year’s parade, Ripple’s group changed the parade’s entry rules, requiring that floats must “not conflict with traditional and biblical family values.”

Mattingly points out:

The key is that Taylor officials decided to have an official Holiday parade — protected with police cars — and then there would be another parade for those religious people who struggle to embrace modern American life. This brings us to the summary material in this long, long, long story:

City officials settled on a compromise: Pastors could still have their Christmas Parade of Lights on Saturday, but instead of co-sponsoring it, the city would hold a second parade immediately afterward along the same Main Street route, the Very Merry Holiday Parade. It would be open to all.

This, of course, as the Post pointed out, created division and harsh rhetoric in the community. Mattingly says, sarcastically:

The key, of course, is that some Texans in this story believe in the true “spirit of Christmas” and some do not. It’s pretty clear who is who, based on the images and language used by the Post. At one point, the bad ministers even start talking about “sin” and, well, you know.

But, the LGBTQ group, Taylor Pride, wants to silence the ministers' group. The Post stated:

Denise Rodgers, president of Taylor Pride, said that while the group has received local support, she wished the city had pulled the ministers’ parade permit.

“Just the fact that they are allowed to have this exclusive parade on public property is already breaking the rules,” Rodgers said of the ministers’ group. “They have to choose a side. Because this has become a hate group. And we saw what happened with that … in Colorado.”

Oh, now, here we go - the tragic shooting in a gay nightclub in Colorado, where five people died. The shooter was apparently nonbinary, according to The Guardian, which said the suspect, "who is nonbinary and uses they/them pronouns according to defense court filings, was arrested at the club by police. They have not entered a plea or spoken about the events."  Unfortunately, this is another attempt to paint people who believe in a Biblical viewpoint on sexuality as being hostile and even violent toward those who embrace the gay lifestyle.  

So, the message of faith and hope found in the Bible has to be shut out in Taylor, Texas. The Daily Signal reported:

A small Texas city near Austin is about to vote on a policy that may prevent Christian groups from sponsoring Christmas parades, according to the conservative group Texas Values.

The policy, listed as Agenda Item #13 on the agenda for the Dec. 8, 2022, meeting of the city council in Taylor, Texas, stipulates what kind of groups can cosponsor events alongside the city. The guidelines require nonprofit organizations to allow people who identify as LGBT on their boards and in the document, the city reserves the right to reject sponsorships for a variety of reasons, including on the basis that organizations “represent religions or political views.”

The article notes that: "This would apparently exclude any conservative Christian, Jewish, or Muslim organization that requires board members or leaders to adhere to traditional codes of sexual ethics prohibiting sexual behavior between people of the same sex or prohibiting men from dressing or identifying as women." 

Jonathan Covey, director of policy at Texas Values, told the Daily Signal: “Bowing to radical ‘woke’ ideology seems out of place in a small town like Taylor where past parades have focused on Jesus’ birth,” adding, “People here celebrate Christ during Christmas and don’t want the city council to harm churches and people of faith by passing this SOGI [sexual orientation and gender identity policy]. All they want for Christmas is their constitutional right of religious freedom.”

So, it seems there is a group in this Texas town that want to marginalize Christianity in the public square.  Deny access to a sponsorship of an event that is an expression of the Christian faith.  This is the playbook - accept a Biblically-opposed lifestyle or face exclusion.  

The Bible teaches us that we are to please God rather than men. We have to make sure that we are distinctive in our viewpoints and continue to champion His truth.  

Thankfully, we know that God does not deny us. And, He does not deny anyone the opportunity to come to Him.  We can make sure our hearts are right - devoted to Biblical principles, but not closed or hostile to those who violate them. All of us have our areas of sin and we each have the human tendency to give in to temptation; but, we can receive forgiveness as we come to Him - He does not cut off our access to Him when we falter, but calls us to receive His mercy and grace. But, we have to be willing to humble ourselves in order to accept His invitation - and be willing to extend mercy and grace to those who walk in rebellion toward Him, just as He does.