Keeping Christmas.

   

Just a few days ago, we were looking forward to Christmas Day. And now Christmas Day has come and gone for another year. Some people will be sad about that, while others are ready to move on to the next thing. Which brings us to that time again. Time to pack away Christmas for another year.

For some, the process begins immediately after Christmas Day is done. For others, like me, it's a very gradual process. I'm not quite ready to give it up completely yet. We'll be enjoying the tree a little longer, at least into the new year, through the 12 days of Christmas. Probably longer. But this week I’ll be gathering up things, one room at a time, to be packed away again until next year. It's time to put Christmas away. 

I heard someone say this week that the fa la la la la is gone. That sounds a little sad, doesn't it?

Have you ever noticed how generous people become with their time and money during the Christmas season? They drop money in the Salvation Army kettles. They donate more generously to their church and to charities. They tip more generously in the restaurant. They give more freely of their time at homeless shelters and food ministries. Then December 25 is past, and life gets back to normal. The generous Christmas spirit is put away until next year. That's so sad. There are still homeless people and hungry people and people with all kinds of needs who could use our help, not only in December but throughout the year. How sad that we seem only to think of them at Christmas. Even more, the spirit of Christmas, the reason for doing all this in the first place - the coming of the Savior - is still a very present reality.

We often hear about random acts of kindness, particularly during the holiday season. Then we don't seem to hear about quite so many of those kindnesses.

Wouldn't it be wonderful if we were generous all year long?

Wouldn't it be wonderful if we did our random acts of kindness throughout the year?

Wouldn't it be wonderful if we kept Christmas all year long?

Not just in December.


“I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year.” (Charles Dickens in A Christmas Carol)

"And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these, ye have done it unto me."  
(Jesus, in Matthew 25:40 KJV)

The 12 Days of Christmas…..

 

For many, the song “The 12 Days of Christmas” may be their least favorite of all Christmas songs! The song is an English Christmas song, although it may have actually originated in France.

The 12 days of Christmas begin on Christmas Day and end on January 6, a day celebrated in many traditions as Epiphany, or Three Kings Day, referring to the coming of the Wise Men. One theory about this song is that it was used, particularly in Catholic traditions, to teach parts of the Catechism.

Following that tradition, the First Day of Christmas is a reference to Christ. The Second Day of Christmas is a reference to the two Testaments, the Old Testament and the New Testament. And it is there that I want to center our thoughts today.

On this Second Day of Christmas, let’s turn our thoughts to the Scripture.

How important is the Scripture to you? Or to ask the question another way, how intentional are you about spending time in God’s Word?

Is it a daily habit? Or is it only occasional? Or just for Sunday? 

Is the Bible meant only to be ready and studied by pastors and Bible teachers and so-called religious zealots? Or does God mean for each of His followers to spend time reading His Word on a regular basis? 

For those who have committed their lives to Christ, is it not important that the Scipture have a prominent place in our lives? Not just occasionally. Not just on a hit-and-miss basis. Not just a verse from some devotional book. Not just with a verse of the day grabbed hurriedly from social media.

But intentionally. Consistently. Deliberately.

I believe the answer is a resounding “Yes”! And with that in mind, as we near the end of another year and begin making our plans and setting our goals for the new year, I want to challenge you to make God’s Word a priority in your life. To make it a daily commitment. To make it a habit. And my hope for you is that it becomes more than a habit, but that it becomes your joy and delight!

May 2024 be the year you begin to dig deep into God’s Word!

“Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a worker who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.” (2 Timothy 2:15 NASB)

I Heard The Bells…..

 

 "There is no peace on earth."

This line, from Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's poem, "Christmas Bells", may be a line ringing through many hearts and minds these days. We live in a world filled with war and terrorism, with strive and discord, with racial tension and political unrest. As I am typing, terrorists continue to lob bombs into Israel. Our world is anything but peaceful.

When Longfellow penned these words in the mid-1860s, the United States was in the midst of civil war.  Longfellow's wife had died, and one of his sons had been seriously injured in the war.  Originally the poem had seven stanzas, with two of them referring specifically to the war.  Eventually those two stanzas were removed, giving us the five stanzas that comprise the Christmas carol "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day".

Longfellow's dilemma mirrors our own in these difficult days. We sing Christmas carols about peace on earth. We read the Christmas story with the angelic proclamation of "Peace on earth, good will to men."  Yet we look around us and see no peace. That was Longfellow's world, just as it is ours.

"Hate is strong and mocks the song of peace on earth, good will to men."

But Longfellow's bells proclaimed another truth we would do well to remember in these troublesome times. The bells pealed "loud and deep" that "God is not dead, nor doth He sleep."  The Psalmist proclaimed the same truth when he told us in Psalm 121 that God neither slumbers nor sleeps.

Longfellow affirmed another powerful truth of Scripture when he wrote, "The wrong shall fail, the right prevail."  These words echo Daniel 9:24:  "to finish the transgression, to make and end of sin, to make atonement for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness."

Just as Longfellow did, we live in a world where there is no peace. A world where violence is increasing.  We live in challenging times, both politically and personally.  

Even so, we can be at peace, in spite of the turmoil around us. In spite of financial stress and difficult relationships. In spite of loss. In spite of wars and terrorism. In spite of violence and unrest.

That's why Jesus came.

To bring us peace..

Because He is the Prince of Peace.

"For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; and the government will rest on His shoulders; and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace."  (Isaiah 9:7 NASB, emphasis mine)

"Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts."  (Colossians 3:13a NASB)


Do you know this kind of peace? Do you know the Prince of Peace?  If not, why not turn to Him today?

       

 

          

I heard the bells on Christmas Day

Their old familiar carols play,

And wild and sweet the words repeat

Of peace on earth, good will to men.

I thought how, as the day had come,

The belfries of all Christendom

Had rolled along the unbroken song

Of peace on earth, good will to men.

And in despair I bowed my head:

"There is no peace on earth," I said,

"For hate is strong and mocks the song

Of peace on earth, good will to men."

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:

"God is not dead, nor doth he sleep;

The wrong shall fail, the right prevail,

With peace on earth, good will to men."

Till, ringing singing, on its way,

The world revolved from night to day,

A voice, a chime, a chant sublime,

Of peace on earth, good will to men!

(-Henry Wadsworth Longfellow)

 

 



Listen to the Gaither Vocal Band sing this carol here:

https://youtu.be/T-bH5u5hEDI 

 

Peace Will Come

 

 

This instruction comes from the Psalms.

 

"Pray for the peace of Jerusalem! May they be secure who love you! Peace be within your walls and security within your towers."  (Psalm 122:6-7 ESV)

 

When I think about those verses, and when I see this visual reminder, my mind takes me back to Colorado and to an anthem I first remember singing when we lived there. (Thanks, Rg!) The anthem title was "Peace Will Come", which I think may have been written by David Danner, although I can't be certain of that.  

 

It isn't the composer or the music that stirs my memory so much, but the lyrics that I still remember more than thirty years later:  "Peace will come to those who let the Son of God be born to them......born in their hearts, their homes, their lives......Peace will come when we hear the still, small voice of God."

 

Then, and only then, peace will come.

 

Peace is not about politicians or political parties.

 

Peace is not a process.

 

Peace is a Person.

 

And His name is Jesus Christ.

 

"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."  (Isaiah 9:6 ESV)



Wonderful Name

I’ve lost count of how many Christmas musicals I have participated in over the years, whether as a singer, a pianist or organist, or as director. Everything from Handel's Messiah to a children's musical called Three Wise Men and a Baby!  So I guess it comes as no surprise that music is a big part of my celebration during the Christmas season. There's Christmas music playing pretty much non-stop throughout the day.  

Today I woke up with a favorite song playing over and over in my head. I first heard this song many years ago as part of a Christmas musical we were doing in our church. I loved it then and I have loved it ever since.........Wonderful Name, Jesus! That just sums it all up, doesn't it?

In the chaos of the world we live in. With trillion dollar debt and budget deficits and fiscal cliffs. In the middle of sickness and heartache and turmoil in daily life. No matter what is going on in your world or mine, what a comfort to know that Jesus came. That His is the Name above every name. That we can call on that Name no matter what is going on in our lives!  

The challenge for all of us today is focus. To turn our focus away from all the hustle and bustle, all the chaos and busyness of life in the modern world, and to turn our focus toward that baby in a manger in Bethlehem. That baby who is no longer in a manger. That baby who grew up. Who died that we might live. Who didn't stay dead! Who was resurrected, and who has ascended to the Father. Who will one day return for His own! 

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and the sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God."  (Hebrews 12:1-2 ESV)

We are only a few days away from Christmas Day. Perhaps this is a good time to reexamine our Christmas traditions and exactly how we celebrate the birth of Christ. Are we really celebrating Christ, or only giving lip service to that while we get caught up in elves or Santa or other "stuff"?  My prayer is that we might all focus our celebration on that Wonderful Name.....Jesus!  That we might truly celebrate the Christ of Christmas......and not only in December!

Wonderful Name

Mary was the first to hear it, name that came from heaven above;
Name that raises souls from darkness, this the only name worth singing of.

Wonderful name, Jesus! Wonderful name, Jesus!
Name angels sang the night all heaven rang; wonderful name, Jesus!

Heaven touched His name with glory, precious name of Jesus, our King;
In God’s Word is told the story, of this wondrous name the angels sing!

 

Wonderful name, Jesus!  Wonderful name, Jesus!

Name angels sang the night all heaven rang; wonderful name, Jesus!

 

-Roger Strader

 

Lisren to Wonderful Name here: https://youtu.be/GqZfpg1j6CM?si=-YVLZ6hXAIa9dyVh

Is There Any Room?

We know that the Baby Jesus was born in a stable because "there was no room for them in the inn." (Luke 2:7)

We know that Baby Jesus grew up. That He died on a cross for the sin of all mankind, that He was buried, and that He was resurrected on the third day. We know that He ascended back to the Father, and that He will come again. The Scriptures teach us this.

We know, according to the Scriptures, that "to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God."  (John 1:12 ESV)

We know that this is still true.

We also know that not all people received Him in the time He was here on earth. Nor do all people receive Him today.

We know that there was "no room" for Him when He was born. And for many, there is "no room" for Him even now.

The question today is this: is there any room for Jesus in your Christmas celebrations?

In the middle of your Christmas traditions. In the middle of mistletoe and holly. Of Christmas trees and presents. Of Santa and elves. Of hustle and bustle. Of parades and lights. Of cookies and cake.

In the midst of all the things you are doing to celebrate, have you left any room for Jesus?


"He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.  But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, tho those who believe in His name."  (John 1:12 NKJV)

Christmas Miracles

I am a Christmas miracle! If you are new to this blog, you may not know my story. In November, 2016 I had a hemorrhagic stroke. At Christmastime that year, I had been discharged from rehab and was beginning outpatient therapy. While I was in the hospital, the doctors had told my husband that I might not wake up. That if I did wake up, I would have severe limitations as a result of the stroke. I might not be able to talk normally. I probably would, at the very least, need to use a cane. More likely, I would need a walker or a wheelchair. The prognosis for my full recovery was very bleak.

When I was taken from the hospital to Spartanburg Rehabilitation Institute, I was taken in an ambulance. Three weeks later, I walked out the door, with help from my walker. Today, I need no assistance to walk. 

While I still have some limitations, the doctors got it completely wrong! I sometimes mix words up and I have trouble remembering things, but my recovery is nothing short of miraculous! 

Yesterday was another miracle day. In August of this year my husband was diagnosed with Stage 4 esophageal cancer. After lots of tests and doctor visits, along with chemo and radiation, he had a repeat PET scan yesterday, and the scan showed the tumor was gone! Not only had the cancer not spread, it was not there any more! This is truly a gift from God! A Christmas miracle!

Al will still undergo surgery in January to insure that all the microscopic bits that don’t show up on a scan will be removed. Even so, we are completely in awe of God’s goodness to us. Of this miracle!

Why us and not others? I don't know. I have no answer for that, except to say that God has a plan and a purpose for all things. Just as He had a plan and a purpose for the miracle in Bethlehem some 2000 years ago.

The greatest Christmas miracle took place in a stable in Bethlehem. The miracle had been set in place in eternity past, when God had a plan for the redemption of all mankind. Thousands of years before Christ came to earth, the prophets foretold His coming. And in the little town of Bethlehem, Christ was born, just as the prophets had said He would be. 

That baby in a manger grew to be a man. Having lived a sinless life, He died on a cruel Roman cross to pay the sin debt for all mankind, just as the prophets had foretold. Just as God had planned. He was resurrected from the grave, and is now seated at the right hand of God the Father, until the time comes when He shall return to earth as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Just as the prophets have foretold. Just as God planned in eternity past.

That is the greatest of all Christmas miracles! God Himself has sent Jesus to make a way for us to be in right relationship with Himself. God and sinners reconciled.

This is the greatest Christmas miracle!

Hark! The herald angels sing, "Glory to the newborn King;

Peace on earth, and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled."

Joyful, all ye nations, rise, Join the triumph of the skies;

With th'angelic host proclaim, "Christ is born in Bethlehem!"

Hark! The herald angels sing, "Glory to the Newborn King!"

words: Charles Wesley; music: Felix Mendelsson

Listen to "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing!" here: https://youtu.be/SFjMPaOBzXc



Adore

If you ever watched the television show "The A-Team", then you're familiar with that phrase I love it when a plan comes together.  

And that's what we're celebrating! A plan. God's plan for the salvation of mankind. As we celebrate Christmas, we celebrate the fulfillment of that plan. A plan prophesied hundreds of years before coming to fruition with the birth of a tiny baby one night in Bethlehem.

We celebrate that birth in December. Did it actually happen in December? Probably not. But I don't think that matters. What matters is that Jesus was born. That He lived a sinless life, that He died to pay the penalty for your sins and mine, and that He was resurrected on the third day. That He ascended back to the Father where He now waits, seated at the right hand of the throne of God, until that time when He returns to earth as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder; and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace."  (Isaiah 9:6 KJV)

"Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God....made himself of no reputation and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men."  (Philippians 2:5,7 KJV)

"But when the fullness of time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons."  (Galatians 4:4-5 KJV)

"And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger."  (Luke 2:7 KJV)

"And the angel said unto [the shepherds], Fear not, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.  For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord."  (Luke 2:10-11 KJV)

And that's why we are celebrating. That's what Christmas is all about.  

As you are enjoying family and cookies and eggnog and gifts, don't lose sight of that.

Never forget what Christmas is really all about!

O Come, Let Us Adore Him, Christ the Lord.

Listen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mIh3JMqxuo&list=PLkW_qeRTF9XX2tJ4webh4rG9i_Vf6peF7&index=11

‘Tis The Season

 Deck the halls with boughs of holly, Fa la la la la la la la la. 

‘Tis the season to be jolly, Fa la la la la la la la la. 

 

So begins a familiar traditional Christmas carol, sung to a peppy Welsh tune. We often hear this carol in the malls and on the radio at this time of year, and perhaps sing it at our Christmas gatherings or when we go caroling.

 

We're in the season of Christmas songs.  

 

The season of holly and mistletoe.

 

The season of wreaths and red bows.

 

The season of candles and carols.

 

We're in the season of Advent.

 

Advent can be defined as a season of expectant waiting and preparation for celebrating the birth of Christ.  Many of the songs we sing at this time of year reflect that, particularly those we sing in our church services. We sing about a Silent Night in a Little Town of Bethlehem when Angels from the Realms of Glory came to announce the nativity to a group of shepherds who were Watching Their Flocks by Night.

 

In addition those songs about the birth of the Christ Child, we sing about Santa Claus Coming to Town and about Frosty the Snowman and about Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. And we sing about Decking the Halls because "'tis the season to be jolly."

 

However, for many this season is anything but jolly. There are those who are grieving the loss of a loved one. Many are in the midst of health challenges. Battling cancer. Enduring chemotherapy. Waiting for the biopsy to be scheduled and wondering what the results will be. Besides the grief and the health issues, there are many facing serious economic challenges. Downsizing at the work place. Wondering if there will be enough money to give any Christmas gifts this year. Facing the reality that there's more month than money. Top it off with political upheaval and terrorism around the world, and we're in a season that is anything but jolly.

 

The world in which we are living is not all that different from the world into which Jesus came. The Roman Empire, not particularly known for their kindness and compassion, was in control of most of the known world. Mary and Joseph, and the rest of their countrymen, found their lives disrupted by a government-required census, so that they had to travel from Nazareth to Bethlehem in order to be counted.  Mary and Joseph had already seen their lives turned upside down by the angel's announcement to Mary, and by seeing what the angel foretold fulfilled in Mary's pregnancy. Life was not easy for Mary and Joseph, or for any one else, in those days. It was not a particularly jolly time.

 

Yet into that world, Jesus was born. Just as the angel Gabriel had told Mary it would happen. Just as the prophets had foretold hundreds of years before. Because "no word from God will ever fail." (Luke 1:37 NIV)

 

That's what we celebrate in this season of Advent. That "no word from God will ever fail."  That Jesus came just as God had promised. That all the prophecies concerning the birth of Jesus the Messiah have come true, just as God spoke them through the prophets.

 

We celebrate that "no word from God will ever fail" as we face our health crises and economic challenges and our bereavement and terrorism in the world and all the other difficulties that come our way.

 

And even as we celebrate this season of Advent, remembering Christ's coming to earth as a baby, to live a sinless life and then to die on a cruel Roman cross in order to pay the penalty for sin, for yours and mine and the sin of all the world, we also celebrate that there will be a second Advent.  Just as the prophets have foretold.  

 

Because "no word of God will ever fail."

 

'Tis the season for celebrating the first Advent.  'Tis also the season of anticipation and expectancy for the second Advent, as we await the return of our Lord to earth, as we are "looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ."  (Titus 2:13 KJV)

 

"This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven."  (Acts 1:11 NASB)

 

"In that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives....."  (Zechariah 14:4 NASB)

 

"And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True....and on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, 'KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS."  (Revelation 19:11, 16 NASB)

 

"Even so, come, Lord Jesus."  (Revelation 22:20 KJV)

 





Perspective

Perspective. That's what's missing at this time of year. As we over-spend. And over-bake. And over-eat.  And over-schedule. And over-decorate. And over-stress. We're just over the top.  

It's really easy to get carried away with buying gifts and baking cookies and making candy and going to parties and hosting dinners and decorating every nook and cranny of our homes.  On and on and on we go.  

But when we slow down. When we sit and ponder. When we think about what Christmas is really all about. What does all our activity and busyness and stress really have to do with that night so long ago in that little town of Bethlehem?

Bethlehem these days is a lot different than it was when Jesus was born.

As you walk the streets of modern-day Bethlehem, it's sometimes hard to imagine the sleepy, quiet village we sing about in many of our carols. It can be a bit difficult to put it all into perspective.

Yet in spite of the hustle and bustle and noise, and the fumes from cars and buses in the streets, and the street vendors, and all the other facets of life in Bethlehem today, it was there that our Savior was born.  There in the little town of Bethlehem. While people slept, and shepherds watched their flocks in the fields nearby, and angels hovered overhead, Christ was born.

We celebrate that event with carols and candles. With trees and gifts. With parties and family gatherings.  And all of that is wonderful! But this season, may we keep a right perspective on our celebrations. And may we perhaps get away from our hustle-bustle-got-so-much-to-do, over-the-top way of doing things, and may we find a quiet place to reflect on why we are doing all this in the first place.

This Christmas season, may we find room in our celebrating to spend time with this One who was born of Mary, who came that we might have life everlasting.  

"O holy Child of Bethlehem, descend on us, we pray.

Cast out our sin and enter in; Be born in us today.

We hear the Christmas angels the great glad tidings tell.

O come to us, abide with us, Our Lord, Emmanuel.

 

("O Little Town of Bethlehem", verse 4; words: Phillips Brooks; Music: Lewis H. Redner)

 

"Bethlehem, out of you will come for Me One who will be ruler over Israel."         
  (Micah 5:2 NIV)

 

 



 

Listen to this carol here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lj2fwME46GM

Winds Through the Olive Trees.

 

Winds through the olive trees

Softly did blow
'Round little Bethlehem,
Long, long ago.
Sheep on the hillside lay
Whiter than snow,
Shepherds were watching them,
Long, long ago.

Then from the happy skies,
Angels bent low,
Singing their songs of joy;
Long, long ago,
For in a manger bed,
Cradled we know,
Christ came to Bethlehem,
Long, long ago.

(traditional tune; author unknown)



I learned that song as a child at the First Baptist Church of Landrum, SC. Perhaps you learned it as well, in your church. It's been playing on a continuous loop in my mind for the past few days.  Perhaps it's because I have our olive wood nativity set, purchased in Bethlehem some years ago, on display for Christmas. Or maybe it's because the wind has been blowing.  

It has called to mind the first time we traveled to Israel. By the time we got to Jerusalem, a snow storm was making its way across Europe, causing gusty winds to blow all across Israel.  On the last day we were there, an awning blew off our hotel, and the revolving door at the front of the hotel had to be locked to keep it from constantly spinning!  

It is entirely possible, although we can't know with any certainty, that the sound of gentle breeezes blowing through the olive trees was heard on that night so long ago when our Lord was born in Bethlehem.

At His first advent, He came to us as a tiny baby. Perhaps with gentle breezes blowing. Surrounded by animals in a stable.

His second advent will be quite different. No longer a baby. No longer in a stable. And likely not accompanied by gentle breezes. More likely by the sound of a mighty wind!

Two thousand years have passed since that first advent in Bethlehem. We don't know how much time is left on the prophetic calendar before the second advent.

But we do know that there will be a second advent. Are you ready?

"Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse!  The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True and in righteousness he judges and makes war.....and the name by which he is called is The Word of God....On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of Kings and Lord of Lords." (Revelation 19:11, 13, 16 ESV)

Listen here: https://youtu.be/hKf-kudcvfE?feature=shared

 









Silence

Silence. It's a hard thing to come by at this time of year.  

Everywhere we go, there's noise. Everywhere we go, people are in a hurry.  

 

Have you noticed how many more car horns you are hearing these days?  

 

Have you noticed how people always seem to be rushing about?  

 

Have you noticed the noise in the malls and the shops?  

 

Have you noticed the stress on people's faces?

 

All that may well be similar to what the world was like when Christ was born. Without the malls and automobile horns, of course. People were likely busy with their lives, hustling and bustling about with the activities of daily living. Their world was not unlike ours in that regard.  

 

And into that world, with its busyness and its noise and its daily routines, Jesus came.

No one even noticed.

 

It's still the same, isn't it? We're busy and our world is full of noise. Even though we hear and sing carols about Christ the Savior being born, not many are really paying that much attention. We put out our nativity sets and we sing our carols and we send our Christmas cards, but far too often all that is only done out of a sense of habit. It's how we get ready for Christmas. It’s time for Christmas, and this is what we do.

 

We buy candy hearts for Valentine's Day. And we wave our flags in July. We buy pumpkins in October.  And we talk about Jesus in December. It's what we do.

How sad it is that in all our busyness and routines and noise, we too often lose sight of the reason we are doing all these things.

One of the carols we seldom sing, with words dating back to the 3rd century, says "Let all mortal flesh keep silence."

Silence. It's what's often missing at Christmas time. Because noise is what we do. We aren’t very good at silence.

How much better might we understand the magnitude of the Gift we have been given and the reason for our celebrating, if we would take some time for silence. Some time to be still. Some time to ponder. Some time to worship.

Pondering is often even harder than silence. To ponder is to think, to consider, to reflect. To think deeply. But in our noise and our busyness, we don’t often think take time to think. Certainly not to think deeply, yet thinking deeply, pondering, is another challenge from this Carol.

The third line is an even greater challenge than the first. The third line reads, ponder nothing earthly minded. We think that was all well and good for the 3rd century. But this is the 21sr century with its busyness and stress and noise. Yet because of that very busyness and noise, because of the stresses of modern living, is it not just as important now, as it was in the past, to ponder nothing earthly minded? Isn’t that the very essence of living the Christian life? To keep our thoughts and our minds “fixed on Jesus” (Hebrews 12:2).

Especially in this Christmas season.

It may be challenging to find time for silence.

It may be challenging to keep the focus on Jesus.

But it will be worth the effort.

 

 

Let all mortal flesh keep silence,  

and with fear and trembling stand; 

ponder nothing earthly-minded, 

for with blessing in his hand, 

Christ our God to earth descendeth, 

our full homage to demand. 

 

Text: Liturgy of St. James; trans. by Gerard Moultrie 
Music: French carol melody; harm. from The English Hymnal 
Tune: PICARDY

Listen to this carol here: https://youtu.be/Q8ByNT1m8V4?si=PR4ihUCE_EoZ1YG_

An Important Question

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory.” - John 1:14 KJV

We beheld His glory. So wrote the John the Apostle in the King James Version. Other more recent translations say we saw His glory, or we have seen His glory.

Behold is not a word we use all that much in modern English. We don’t often say things like “Wow! Did you behold that?” Instead, we say things like “Wow! Did you see that?” or “Did you see what I just saw?”

In effect, that’s what John is saying in this passage. He’s saying “Look what we saw!”  But he’s saying so much more than that.

Behold is a word that carries with it an intensity of experience. It’s not just that John and the other disciples actually saw Jesus, but that they beheld Him. They got to know Him. They experienced life with Him. They knew Him in a personal way.

Think about that for a minute. Try to wrap your head around something - Someone - existing before existence. In eternity past, and forever before that, Jesus was already there. 

This One who came to earth as a baby born in the tiny town of Bethlehem was with God, and was God, even before time began.

That’s why Christmas is so much more.

Christmas is not just about a baby in a manger, as important and special as that is. Christmas is about God Himself taking on human flesh and coming to live on earth.

Christmas is about Who Jesus is. Christmas is about why Jesus came to earth. Christmas is about celebrating His coming.

We don’t have the same opportunity John and the other disciples had to see Jesus in the flesh, but we do have something they didn’t have. We have the written Word of God. And it is through this written Word that we, too, can behold our Savior. That we can get to know Him, His character, and His way.

If you want to be ready to celebrate Jesus this Christmas, why not set aside some time during this busy month of December, and behold Him. Choose one of the Gospels and spend a little time reading it, perhaps a chapter each day. Pay attention to what Jesus says and does. Beholding Him in this way, getting to know Him better, is one way to be ready for Christmas.

But the real question is not just are you ready for Christmas? The more important question is have you beheld Him? Do you know Him? That is a question which must be answered not only for Christmas, but for eternity.

Will you place your faith in Him today?

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believe to in Him will not perish but have everlasting life.” - John 3:16

Adapted from Are You Ready for Christmas? by Susan Feaster, copyright 2016, all rights reserved