SCRIPTURE: Colossians 1:20-23 (NKJV)
And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight-- if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister.
A STORY as shared by Robert E. Luccock:
In New York's Hayden Planetarium a special Christmas holiday show was enhanced by an added feature. A giant lollipop tree was projected onto the planetarium dome, surrounded by a horizon filled with brilliantly colored toys which came to life and cavorted to the tune of "Jingle Bells." At the climax a huge figure of Santa Claus faded out in a snow storm, and the star of Bethlehem broke through into a sky that produced exactly the Palestine sky on the night of the nativity. The designer of this show may not realize that he dramatically staged the supreme Christmas message our world needs to understand: The recovery of the lost meaning of Christmas. This is not said in any criticism of Santa Claus; the effect must have delighted the hearts of all the children who saw it, without doing violence to their love of Bethlehem. But for adults it is a tragic loss to substitute "Jingle Bells" for "Hark! the Herald Angels Sing," and a lollipop tree for the manger of Bethlehem. The instinct is right to fade out these things in the light of the Christmas star. It is about God's incarnation that the angels sing--God with us.
AN OBSERVATION:
A little confession … I do get carried away with the festivity of celebrating Christmas. Always have and probably always will. It is kind of built into my nature. I love the decorations, the outside lights, and everything that goes along those ideas. By the Wednesday or Thursday after Thanksgiving everything is up and ready for Christmas Day to get here. I cannot wait. It is the kid in me … and my faithful spouse is correct when she observes that I over do it – kind of over the top. And, a little more confession, there is a little envy for those families who are have been featured on the TV programs illustrating the best, most outlandish decorated homes in America. If I could afford it would I follow suit?
But at the heart of it all is my love of Jesus. Behind all that I do is the reality of the birth of the Savior. Nestled within the lights, the tree (in several homes we were able to have two trees), the decorations (in every room), and all the food and drink (remembering fondly Margaret’s tremendous efforts with the annual Christmas open houses) is the truth of the miracle of God reaching out to all of us in a way that we neither can fathom nor completely understand. All we can do is receive the gift and be glad.
It is easy to get lost along the way to the actual celebration of Jesus’ birth, but in years such as 2011 when Christmas Day falls on a Sunday (the last time this happened was 2005) it is much easier. Oh, mainline denominational folk decide to stay home from worship on Christmas Day because they are following some “family traditions” and yet, are we not a part of a larger family – the Family of God? Shouldn’t we want to be together with our brothers and sisters in Christ? Maybe the liturgical church folk have it correct because they have set a high priority on being in church for Christmas Day worship regardless if it falls on a Sunday or a Wednesday or a Friday.
It is that “reconciliation” thing God does through Christ. God has taken the trappings of our Christmas celebration and brought us into his divine presents. Again, a little confession, I get somewhat angry with individuals who refer to the “trappings” as pagan. I look at all the “stuff” of Christmas as a means of the world throwing a huge birthday party for the King of kings. Anyway, many do get lost in the Santa Claus thing, the tinsel and colored lights thing, and the gift-buying-the-gift-giving thing … but, maybe, just maybe, in their hearts they do realize the central event of the season as testified by the large number of those who find their way to a worship service on Christmas Eve.
Anyway, that is my way of approaching this seasonal event of all events … and I’m sticking to it be it a “Merry Christmas,” a “Happy Holidays,” a “Season Greetings,” or simply a “Merry Xmas”. I feel sorry for those who see it differently. They have lost sight of their inner-child. The wonder and “magic of Christmas (truly) lies in our heart” as Santa Clause shares in “The Polar Express”.
PRAYER:
Keep each of us focused so that when the stress of trying to get it all done and completed by the deadline of the 25th we don’t get lost in the process. In the name of the babe of Bethlehem. Amen.
Quote for today: "The mystery of the humanity of Christ, that He sunk Himself into our flesh, is beyond all human understanding." Martin Luther
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