To all the Bah Humbug-gers
I have a friend here in KC who thinks I am insane for all my Christmas talk, decorations, and music. They don't appreciate Bing Crosby (music or movies), mock me about my tree and lights, and eventhough it is OFFICIALLY the Christmas season, doesn't seem to appreciate what all the excitement is about.
That is okay, we all have our reasons for liking or disliking the season. Some of us love the busyness of Christmas... store owners love the business of the season... some of us hate Christmas for those two reasons. And I agree. But that is not Christmas... that is what the world has made Christmas to be.
Now I know that Jesus probably was not born on December 25th, that we even have the year wrong, but the fact that Jesus did come, and was born is what I am celebrating. What does a tree or pretty lights have to do with his birth? Nothing really, but the change in my living room reminds me over and over again that something has changed... that the world was altered FOREVER by the birth of this child.
I was talking with the teacher of the two year olds on Sunday and we were laughing at the kids reactions to the story of the angel coming to Zechariah, to Mary, and to the shepherds (being that the first Sunday of Advent was our teaching that day). Her kids (as well as my 4 and 5 year olds) were awe struck. When I was reading the story about the shepherds and was showing them pictures from the book "The Night the Stars Danced For Joy" they were glued to the story. They DIDN'T KNOW what happened next! When I was talking to the two year old teacher, we realised, of course not... it was only their second (or 4th,5th) time hearing the story. And the wonder of it was real.
Maybe that is part of receiving the Kingdom like a child... when was the last time you looked at the story of Christmas like it was the first time you ever heard it?
Will it move you to wonder and awe? That is what it is like for me this year. For what ever reason, even though I have literally read the gospels 18 times (so that is reading the Christmas story 72 times!) it is fresh and full of wonder this time.
SO TO ALL THE BAH HUMBUG-gers out there... you can mock me, you can laugh at me, you can even choose to ignore me, but you can't change the wonder of it all! And by the way... I'm sure I'll have some Christmas cookies for you to laugh at in a day or two! :)
That is okay, we all have our reasons for liking or disliking the season. Some of us love the busyness of Christmas... store owners love the business of the season... some of us hate Christmas for those two reasons. And I agree. But that is not Christmas... that is what the world has made Christmas to be.
Now I know that Jesus probably was not born on December 25th, that we even have the year wrong, but the fact that Jesus did come, and was born is what I am celebrating. What does a tree or pretty lights have to do with his birth? Nothing really, but the change in my living room reminds me over and over again that something has changed... that the world was altered FOREVER by the birth of this child.
I was talking with the teacher of the two year olds on Sunday and we were laughing at the kids reactions to the story of the angel coming to Zechariah, to Mary, and to the shepherds (being that the first Sunday of Advent was our teaching that day). Her kids (as well as my 4 and 5 year olds) were awe struck. When I was reading the story about the shepherds and was showing them pictures from the book "The Night the Stars Danced For Joy" they were glued to the story. They DIDN'T KNOW what happened next! When I was talking to the two year old teacher, we realised, of course not... it was only their second (or 4th,5th) time hearing the story. And the wonder of it was real.
Maybe that is part of receiving the Kingdom like a child... when was the last time you looked at the story of Christmas like it was the first time you ever heard it?
Will it move you to wonder and awe? That is what it is like for me this year. For what ever reason, even though I have literally read the gospels 18 times (so that is reading the Christmas story 72 times!) it is fresh and full of wonder this time.
SO TO ALL THE BAH HUMBUG-gers out there... you can mock me, you can laugh at me, you can even choose to ignore me, but you can't change the wonder of it all! And by the way... I'm sure I'll have some Christmas cookies for you to laugh at in a day or two! :)
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