We United Methodists have been the target of derisive names since the very beginning. In the 1720's while at Oxford College he formed a movement called The Holy Club. This was a group of students dedicated to prayer, study, worship and caring for the sick and imprisoned. Their time was rigidly ordered, causing others to give the club the derisive name of &ndash "those Method-ists." &ndash a name that we have lived with ever since. Later, during the second great awakening in this country, Methodists were part of the camp meeting experience sweeping the country. When people got caught up in the spirit of the preaching and singing at these meetings, they were often found dancing and shouting, and yes, rolling in the aisles &ndash giving rise to the mocking term the "holy rollers."

It is in part, the holy rollers, that we explore this morning as we continue looking at the traditions of our faith. The word charismatic brings up all manner of tough associations. We think of charismatic leaders who collect people around them, only to bring them harm. Or our thoughts wander to the faith traditions whose worship is wild and raucous, out of control. The thought makes those of us whose worship is rather tame and controlled more than a bit uncomfortable. Apart from the negative connotations we associate with this word, at its best it is a challenge to us…a challenge that reminds us we are not in control, God is. For Richard Foster in Streams of Living Water, it is the tradition that reminds us we are created to live our lives in cooperation with another reality. It is a life that manifests gifts, some of which are listed by Paul in his letter to the Corinthians:

Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the discernment of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. All these are activated by one and the same Spirit, who allots to each one individually just as the Spirit chooses.

The charismatic tradition tells us that God is wholly other. The mark of one who lives in this stream is a person who is immersed in, empowered by, and under the direction of the Holy Spirit. (pp 126ff) Foster lists the strengths of this tradition as being:

an ongoing corrective to our impulse to domesticate God, reminding us that God is not neat and tidy;
a rebuke to our anemic practices, there is no business as usual;
a continual challenge towards spiritual growth and renewal;
and a life of gifting and empowering for witness and service. (pp 127-128)

It is fitting to explore this tradition on this fourth Sunday of Advent, as we stand at the brink of celebrating God's birth once again. We read in this morning's gospel lesson Mary's response to the news that she would be theotokos &ndash God bearer. It is the gospel text known as the Magnificat…a spirit filled song of joy at the good news. And spirit filled joy it must be, for from the worldly perspective this news can only mean trouble and heartache for her and her family. There is the shepherds response that Elaine lifted up in our children's time. When they received the news of God's birth they were filled with excitement; so much so that they could not help but go out and proclaim to all the world the mystery they had witnessed.

In the Christmas story we are truly reminded that God does not behave according to human expectations. All throughout the events of the God's birth are sprinkled those reminders &ndash God shows up where the world says God has no place. And in the story humans are given the ecstatic gifts &ndash Mary is moved to exuberant song; the shepherds are so filled with excitement they cannot contain their news. The world is asked to listen to them, to choose whether they will hear what this woman and the rag-tag shepherds have to say. A difficult choice, since by the law of the time, these were two groups not allowed to testify in court &ndash their word was not considered trustworthy. Their gifts, their news are given to show to the world that God is present where humans assume God is not.

It is in the charismatic tradition that we are sent out &ndash to use the gifts the Spirit has given &ndash and all followers of the Christ-child are given gifts! Our gifts proclaim to all that God is present and active in all the world. And when the world seems to say that God is not present and active, God begs to differ. It is no accident on God's part that Jesus was born in the lowly town of Bethlehem and not in Jerusalem only 6 miles away. The birth in Bethlehem gives hope to the world. It is a reminder today that when we look at the world that is &ndash when we look at the Darfur's and Afghanistan's and Iraq's and our Katrina-ravaged south &ndash when it seems as if there is no hope &ndash God's spirit proclaims something very different. Yet another reminder that there is no place where God has not been, no place that God is not, and no place that God is not already there ahead of us. Find your voice…use your spirit given gifts…listen to God's messengers in the world…and go forth to proclaim that God's son is born to all the world.