"A Visit From St. Nicholas," (The Night Before Christmas) was published for the first time on December 23, 1823; because of his "mere trifle," as he called it, 175 years ago Clement Clarke Moore almost single-handedly defined our now timeless image of Santa Claus.”
Not only did this “mere trifle” change how we viewed Santa Claus, it also began to shape how we view Christmas. USA today published the “Reflections of the worlds oldest man on Christmas.” The world’s oldest man, at 114, is Walter Breuning of Great Falls, Montana. He has experienced 114 Christmas and this is what he had to say.
“Christmases never meant very much to our family. People never had no money. Sometimes you wonder why they spend so much money. But if they’ve got the money to do it, let ‘em do it. I still belong to the Methodist Church…I haven’t been to church for a few years. You can’t see, you can’t hear. I believe in all that (the after life). Yes, I imagine so. It’s possible, you know. Everything’s possible nowadays.”
After 114 years the message of the world is the same, “To have meaning at Christmas you have to have money to buy stuff.” It is sad that after all these years there is still a sense of meaninglessness about Christmas, even though “I believe in all that stuff.” It is now two days after Christmas and the world is gearing up for the New Year celebrations. How quickly we will forget that we had just sung carols extolling the wonders of God’s gift to the world. A friend of mine just posted on Facebook, “I am so glad the radio station has stopped playing Christmas music.” Christmas is a time of excess in gift buying and New Years a time of excess in partying. The world celebrates the two with equal value though with different energy.
I wonder what it was like the day after Christmas for Joseph and Mary. The angels had come the night before for celebration; the shepherds had come to worship and then moved into the streets with excitement retelling the news; and Mary was exhausted from giving birth and then with all the visitors. But the day after was not a time of rest. Joseph had to go and pay taxes. He might have had some money to get a small room for Mary to rest or they may have had to head straight back to Nazareth. Mary pondered these things in her heart, but I am sure the necessity of caring for a newborn afforded her little time of self-reflection. In the midst of the tedium of life the wonder of what God had done could have been easily forgotten.
I have now experienced 52 Christmases. With each passing year I struggle with the balance of worship and the emphasis on gifts. I enjoy the gifts and the giving, but I am so afraid that in the midst of it all the wonder of the story will be lost. My heart becomes heavy as I see people slip away from worship because they are so caught up in the gifts. I get a knot in my stomach hoping people will want to tell the story and then don’t. I stop and listen to people who want to find meaning but all they can say is, “I believe in all that, yes I imagine anything is possible these days.” Well, today I am going to stop and listen for the voice of angels singing. I am going reflect on God’s gift to a dark and lonely world. I am going to worship with thanksgiving for the light that has come into my life. I am going to be grateful for a loving Father who has lavished His love on my family and me and has blessed me with so much more then money can buy. That’s what I am going to do today.
I’m Just Saying…..
Monday, December 27, 2010
Monday, December 20, 2010
Five More Days!
There are only 5 more days left before Christmas. And yes, I am still hoping to get an Ipad and a 42” flat screen LED with Logitech TV (google TV). But I am not going to be disappointed if they are not under the tree (which is the far greater possibility, if not certainty). For all the talk and pleas for specific Christmas gifts I am very well aware that Christmas isn’t about the gifts I receive or the gifts that I give. In fact if I had my druthers I would get rid of the gift giving all together and center totally on the celebration of Christ’s coming into the world.
The idea that December 25th is about the birth of Jesus, however, is becoming ever increasingly nostalgic. A USA TODAY/Gallup poll found that though 74% called Christmas “primarily” religious, less than 47% percent plan to attend a Christmas Eve service and only 28% will even tell the Christmas story from the Bible. The Nativity under the tree gets buried beneath the torn and discarded wrapping.
This decline in the importance of Christ in Christmas is disappointing if our hope is in the continuing idea that America is a Christian nation. But whatever America was the landscape has changed dramatically over the years. Our hope remains the same as it was on the first Christmas morning; that in the midst of a turbulent and troubled world God became man to identify with us and in the end provide a way for us to be a part of His Kingdom; His household; His family.
Peace on earth and good will toward men isn’t wishful thinking. It is a reality grounded in the sure promises of God and manifested in the person of Jesus. Peace with God where his goodness is toward man is the greatest of all hopes when we are faced with hurt, pain, and uncertainty. In the darkness there is light and it is a light for all people everywhere when Jesus was born.
In five days, before the gifts are open, take a moment and read again the promise and hope of God – The Christmas Story, the story of Jesus.
The idea that December 25th is about the birth of Jesus, however, is becoming ever increasingly nostalgic. A USA TODAY/Gallup poll found that though 74% called Christmas “primarily” religious, less than 47% percent plan to attend a Christmas Eve service and only 28% will even tell the Christmas story from the Bible. The Nativity under the tree gets buried beneath the torn and discarded wrapping.
This decline in the importance of Christ in Christmas is disappointing if our hope is in the continuing idea that America is a Christian nation. But whatever America was the landscape has changed dramatically over the years. Our hope remains the same as it was on the first Christmas morning; that in the midst of a turbulent and troubled world God became man to identify with us and in the end provide a way for us to be a part of His Kingdom; His household; His family.
Peace on earth and good will toward men isn’t wishful thinking. It is a reality grounded in the sure promises of God and manifested in the person of Jesus. Peace with God where his goodness is toward man is the greatest of all hopes when we are faced with hurt, pain, and uncertainty. In the darkness there is light and it is a light for all people everywhere when Jesus was born.
In five days, before the gifts are open, take a moment and read again the promise and hope of God – The Christmas Story, the story of Jesus.
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Even Fiction Can Be Heartwarming
I recently posted a video called "Social Network Christmas". It was a very creative retelling of the Christmas story using facebook. It has been making its way around the facebook community with a verity of remarks. One, posted on my home page, has interested me. The gentlemen making the comment is a Universal Unitarian. He said, "even fiction can be heartwarming." Of course the statement in itself is true. The implication is that the story of Jesus' birth is fiction. Universal Unitarians run the gambit of belief, from atheists to theists. They claim to hold loosely the beliefs of people and accept with tolerance what others believe. I am not really sure why this particular man felt the need to make known his disbelief on someones wall with whom he is not even a friend. Yet, he felt the need to reveal his ignorance.
Even if you don't believe that Jesus is God become man, or that he died for your sins, or that his mother was immaculately conceived or that Jesus is God, the one thing that is undeniable -- Jesus is a historical figure. Of course one could deny it but then you would have to deny the the reality of other historical figures who have less historical evidence. But then again people who reject Christianity or the work of Jesus use a different logic than others or even the basis on which they hold their own beliefs.
If anything I have learned about people is that they will either follow or walk away from Jesus. There isn't any middle ground. It doesn't surprise me that there are those who reject the message of the gospel. Even Jesus, who lived, taught, and performed miracles was rejected by people. I don't take it personally; they aren't rejecting me, and their rejection of Jesus doesn't affect my beliefs or my eternal destiny. It is sad, though that their hearts are darkened at a time when the light of the world came so that all of us could come to know God through the forgiveness of our sins.
That's what Christmas is all about.
Even if you don't believe that Jesus is God become man, or that he died for your sins, or that his mother was immaculately conceived or that Jesus is God, the one thing that is undeniable -- Jesus is a historical figure. Of course one could deny it but then you would have to deny the the reality of other historical figures who have less historical evidence. But then again people who reject Christianity or the work of Jesus use a different logic than others or even the basis on which they hold their own beliefs.
If anything I have learned about people is that they will either follow or walk away from Jesus. There isn't any middle ground. It doesn't surprise me that there are those who reject the message of the gospel. Even Jesus, who lived, taught, and performed miracles was rejected by people. I don't take it personally; they aren't rejecting me, and their rejection of Jesus doesn't affect my beliefs or my eternal destiny. It is sad, though that their hearts are darkened at a time when the light of the world came so that all of us could come to know God through the forgiveness of our sins.
That's what Christmas is all about.
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