December 25, Christmas Day

December 25, Christmas Day

“A Musical Touch,” by Rev. D. Scott Johnson

Scripture: “At once the angel was joined by huge angelic choir singing God’s praises: ‘Glory to God in the heavenly heights, Peace to all men and women on earth who please Him.’” Luke 2:13-14 (the Message)

Our family loves Christmas music. There is something about it that lifts the spirit and actually is so much better than a lot of the music we listen to the rest of the year. I have wondered why that is the case. What is it about Christmas music that moves the soul unlike any other? Is it the season and our spirits are ready to be lifted? Is it the expectation and excitement that fills the air? Is it the familiarity of the tune and words?

I remember distinctly the first time I heard certain pieces that still give me pause when I hear them each Christmas season: Mannheim Steamroller’s rendition of “The Little Drummer Boy”, Charlotte Church singing “Ave Maria”, Tran Siberian Orchestra “Christmas/Sarajevo 12/24 (instrumental)”, Amy Grant “Breath of Heaven”, and Sandy Patty “Bethlehem Morning”. These are just a few of my Christmas favorites which do not even include my favorite Christmas carols. Each time I hear these songs there is a stirring of praise in my heart.

But, I know that my list pales in comparison to what the shepherds heard on those fields on a night so long ago. What was it like to hear the heavenly chorus singing wonderful words of glory and peace? Do you think they will ever get out of their minds, their spirits, or their souls the stirring impromptu concert for their benefit? It certainly was a story that they would tell and retell throughout their lives.

Maybe God realized that the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem needed that musical touch because mere words would not do. So God added music and stirred the souls of every age. And, I would guess, that whatever your favorite music is on this Christmas morning, God will speak to you, through it, just as God spoke long ago.

Prayer: O God who stirs the heart and lifts the world with the message of grace and peace, come to us anew once again this day through our music and celebration. Amen.

December 24, Christmas Eve

December 24, Christmas Eve

“The Holy Mystery of Christmas,” by Rev. Jill Howard

On Christmas Eve, I am always amazed at the two very different birth narratives found in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. Why are they so different? And how have we gotten them so mixed up into one story?

Let’s take a brief look at the big differences:

Matthew: The birth announcement to Joseph (not Mary!), the star, the wise men (we don't know how many there were), Jesus is found in a house after he is born (not a manger), and the wise men probably found him up to 2 years after his birth after they lost the star and had to find it again (they ended up in Jerusalem first and asked King Herod who consulted scribes and found the prophecy to say Bethlehem!) The wise men are also warned in a dream not to return to Herod, so they do not go on to proclaim and celebrate Jesus' birth, besides the gifts he gets, unlike the shepherds in Luke who go on to proclaim the good news. Also, Mary and Joseph never travel to Bethlehem for a census, because they were supposedly living there, but left only to flee to Egypt when King Herod set a decree to murder all of the boys under age 2. Then after their flight to Egypt, they relocated to Nazareth (not Bethlehem because they were not out of the woods yet!) and stayed there. Not a very warm and fuzzy tale, is it?

Luke: The birth announcement to Mary, her trip to see Elizabeth, Mary and Joseph travel to Nazareth for a census. Jesus is laid in a manger (feeding trough) maybe in a cave, maybe a barn, but also possibly a house, (no mention of animals anywhere) but Mary would have been ritually unclean, and therefore, could not stay in the "inn" we see portrayed in the story, the shepherds get an announcement and visit Jesus (no mention of wise men or stars, etc) The shepherds then go off to announce and celebrate Jesus' birth to all who would listen (unlike Matthew's gospel where danger was ahead if it was celebrated)

Wow! It’s hard to tell which one is correct or what the real story is, isn’t it? I think that each story speaks to its own audience to which it was written at the time. Which story resonates more with you? I think the beauty of these stories is that we get two very different pictures of the Savior being born into the world- it is a divine mystery- a chance to discover again and again what images come to mind, what emotions would have been felt, and what speaks to us even today. Will you be like the wise men who are afraid to proclaim the Messiah’s birth? Or will you be like the shepherds who shout the good news to a world that needs to much to hear it?

Awesome God, speak to us again once more through Scripture. May we wrestle with the stories we read. May they inspire us to learn, to grow, and to see the many ways in which you speak to us. As we our Advent season comes to a close, may we enter into the world proclaiming the good news. Amen.

December 23

December 23

“The Gift of Jesus,” by David Pettyjohn

Read: Luke 1:68-80

(Luke 1: 65-66. A deep, reverential fear settled over the neighborhood, and in all that Judean hill country people talked about nothing else. Everyone who heard about it took it to heart, wondering, “What will become of this child? Clearly, God has his hand in this.) What a wondrous gift God has given mankind. Yet the celebration of this gift is so often misguided. We were in Thailand shortly after Christmas and there were Christmas decorations and greetings ever where. Yet, Thailand is only 3% Christian. Were these truly the vestments of thankful followers of Christ’s teachings? I don’t think so. It seems that just as they are here, they best serve the bottom line of the merchants. We have so many in need here that we are duty bound to share our blessings. Personally, I contribute time to Clothe-A-Child and have set an allotment to 14^th and Chestnut. But these are only tokens of sharing. Real sharing occurs every day in our interactions with those we meet. May each of us share our Christmas with those we meet all throughout the year. We are Christ disciples and we are known by the way we love each other as He loved us.

Prayer: Dear God, as we celebrate your gift to us of Jesus Christ this season, let us remember that it is our responsibility to share our blessings with those we meet each day of the year. Blessed be your name. Amen.

Thought for the Day

Blessings shared will be multiplied. Blessings kept are lost.

December 22

December 22

“Christmas Imperfection,” by Teela Crecelius

We have all seen National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation in which Clark Griswold sets out to create the best Christmas ever. Throughout the movie, he attempts to put on the best light display in the entire town, to bring home the largest Christmas tree, to bake the most savory Christmas turkey, and to secure a large Christmas bonus. It can clearly be seen that Griswold desires the “perfect” Christmas, but he missed the whole reason for the season. At the end, he realizes that Christmas is about Christ and being with family, and not about materialistic presentation.

I feel that this scenario plays out all too often in today’s society. Most of us desire to have the most beautiful tree, to give the best gifts, and to serve the best Christmas dinner. It is easy to find ourselves forgetting why we celebrate this season – the birthday of the Christ child. We don’t need “25,000 imported Italian twinkle lights” on our house or a 15-foot Christmas tree in order to celebrate Christmas. We simply need to reflect on the Christmas story, celebrate the babe in the manger, and thank God for sending his Son to Earth. Let’s all give Christ the best birthday present ever by remembering Him in all we do this season.

Dear Jesus,

Please help us to remember why we celebrate the Christmas season. Thank you for giving us the most important Christmas gift ever by sending your Son to Earth.

December 21

December 21

“Sitting at His Feet,” by Mallory Metheny

“Be still and know that I am God.” -Psalm 46:10

Growing up, one of my favorite moments of Christmas morning was when my brother, sister and I would sit at the top of the stairs together in wild anticipation until our parents would let us sprint down the steps to witness Santa’s deliveries (last year, however, being the only child at home, I flipped tradition and made my parents sit at the top of the stairs with the dogs. I think they were a little less amused than I was).

There’s so much anticipation during the Christmas season, from the gift-purchasing and giving to cleaning the entire house for visiting relatives. But through all the busyness, God tells us to be still. To take a break from the hand-made card marathon. To not have a panic attack over that one “imperfect” gift. Be still.

We’re told in Mark 12 that the most important thing we can do is to love the Lord with all we have. It is clear that God wants to be the number one priority. Before serving others, He wants us to sit at His feet in anticipation and wonder, especially during a holiday that really is all about Him.

Go about your Christmas preparations. Make that fondue with the secret ingredient and continue to clean where you see fit (yes, Mom and Dad, I’ll still help you). But no matter what age we are or what lists we have to accomplish, the most significant and honorable thing we can do is sit at God’s feet this Christmas, knowing that His life is the coolest and best thing that could ever happen to us.

Dear Lord, as we anticipate the season, help us to anticipate you even more. May we be still and recognize that you are worthy of all our attention. Amen.

December 20

December 20

“A Happy Holiday Menu,” by Shanda Johnson

Christmastime has always been a season of sharing in my family. When I was young we had a large family that would gather and exchange gifts and share food and enjoy catching up on recent events that had occurred in each of our lives.

There were grandmas, grandpas, aunts, uncles, seven cousins, mom, dad and me. My mother enjoyed having Christmas dinner at our house. So for a week in advance we cleaned and decorated and soon the smell of Christmas took over our senses. How great it would be to go back home for the holidays and see and share with everyone in my early family. When my daddy passed in March I lost the last link to what used to be. All the cousins gathered for the funeral. We talked about what used to be before we married, left home and lost contact.

I have come to realize that God gives us opportunities to become part of and participate in the family of Christ which is so much bigger and better than my family unit to which I want to go back. The rewards of knowing Jesus and being part of his family are every day in every way there for the taking. I look forward to each gathering with God’s people.

The following is from a Christmas card I received many years ago and choose to read annually:

A HAPPY HOLIDAY MENU

HAPPY HOLIDAY FARE

Served with freshly made Best Wishes

Appetizer of Happiness

Hearts of Gladness*Thick Slices of Joy

Generous Portions of Cheer*Warm Friendships

Casserole of Kindness*Soufflé of Laughter

Good Times to Relish*Assorted Pleasures

Well-seasoned Delights*Sparkling Merriment

Combination Good Health and Good Fortune

Sweet Memories

Thank You, God, for sending Jesus to show us the way.

December 19

December 19

“Christmas Through New Eyes,” by Christian Hines

As a stressed and sleep-deprived freshman four years ago, I regarded the holiday season with profound indifference, if not irritation. Christmas heralded the end of term, yes; but before that, it meant a week of essays and grueling exams. For the past thirteen weeks or so, I had been in pure survival mode. I studied, ate, and slept—in roughly that order of priority. The last thing to cross my mind, in short, was whether this Christmas would offer some significant personal truth. In fact, after the emotional turbulence of starting a new kind of life in an unfamiliar place, I felt like I had left behind more than friends and family. It seemed I had left behind a previous life—and all the certainty and stability that were part of that life—altogether.

Perhaps this is why, after a semester in which everything had seemingly changed, the Christmas holiday brought three of the most reassuring and intensely happy weeks I can remember. I took great delight in simple acts, like enjoying dinner with my parents or sharing stories late into the evening with old friends. For all the year’s upheaval, there were still people and places and experiences to which I could return.

The Christmas season gives us much to ponder, some of it worthwhile and some of it not. Returning home forced me to think about what in our lives provides a sense of constancy and stability. Although friends and family can fill this role to a certain extent—as I discovered four years ago—Christians are also called to recognize a deeper, more enduring source of steadfastness, namely the promise of salvation introduced through the birth of Christ.

Father, as we enjoy the many blessings that give us happiness throughout the holidays, let your followers also remember the even deeper and more permanent contentment you have promised.