King of Angels

I really love this Christmas song. It's by a VERY talented Christian women named Krystal Meyers. I really encourage you to check out other songs by her.

So...its finally here. Christmas. Many of us have being anticipating this for a while. Now its time to go to Christmas services, spend time with family and friends. Open presents, eat good food, everything that comes with the Christmas season. Here I am going ot insert a very clique line:

Don't forget the reason for the season.

I HIGHLY encourage you to attend a Christmas Eve service tonight, where ever you are. (*shameless plug alert* If your in Burlington, I would encourage the United Methodist Church, services at 5 with a worship band and traditional at 7). There is nothing like attending a Christmas Eve service.

While you're there, and all through out this Christmas season, I want you to reflect on something. Imagine you are there on that night... What would it have felt like? What would you be thinking? This really was "miracle of grace." What does Jesus coming to Earth mean for you? It really is a "sacred mystery of incarnation." Let the Holy Spirit enter your heart this season. I challenge you to forget about all the stressors for just a bit, and reflect on what it all means, how it changed everything. Reflect on the love of God, and remember, that love, was meant for you, and for all mankind.

Do Not Give Up on Christmas!!!!

I LOVE Christmas!!!!

As a child, I loved everything it stood for. The family gatherings, the food, the caroling, the decorations, and yes, even the presents. I could not wait for that great season to come around. As I grew, I started believing more in the "reason for the season." Advent season was always my favorite, and Christmas Eve services would be one of the highlights of the year for me. I will admit, that after Ezekiel 37 (more on the significance of that chapter in a later post), the story of Jesus' birth in Luke is my favorite section of the Bible.

Well now, it would seem, Christmas is losing its meaning. You have no idea how many times I've heard it refered to only as "the holidays" or "xmas." Retailers ramp up during the season to make the most profit, and roll out Christmas...I mean!...the holidays...earlier (phew, my blog almost lost its cred as "politcally correct.").

Anyway, for the last couple of years, I've been trying to proactivly fight this. KEEP CHRIST IN CHRISTMAS!!!! ITS CHRISTMAS NOT XMAS!!!!! These cries brought so much negativity into my season, I stopped enjoy Christmas less and less as years went by.

Why is this? This just doesn't seem right.... What happened to the joy of my earlier years? For some reason, this year has been different. My heart is strangly warmed every time Christmas is mentioned in the church, a feeling which, I have missed. The other day in Chapel, we had our Christmas service. I couldn't help but think about the significance of that night. It was really the start of everything. A light was lit into the world, and the world was never the same.

I guess that is how I am taking Christmas now. It's a start. Not only that, its a reflecting period for me. To look back at where we have been, because a new start is beginning. It is the night, that we celebrate the birth or Jesus the Messiah. It is the day that Christians celebrate the beginning of the greatest life that ever lived on Earth.

So my question is this? Do we really need all the negativity? We can fight all we want, for Christmas to ONLY be a Christian holiday. Why? Why should we let what people want to become a secular, non-offensive, politically correct holiday, taint our celbration of the arrival of the Messiah? Like it or not, people are going to keep on in their "war against Christmas" no matter how hard Christians try.

Why not let people celebrate Xmas, or Winter Solstice, or the holidays? The ideas of spending time with the family and spreading goodwill is universal, so why not let people do it on December 25th? As for me and my family that I have, and the family that I will, God willing, someday have, we will celebate Christmas. We will exchange gifts in rememberance of the gifts gave by the three wise men, we will put a star on the Christmas tree as a way to remember the star that pointed the way to the blessed child. We will put up nativity scenes and angels. We will read the Christmas story from Luke. We will dress up in our best clothes and attend (or, in my case hopefully, preach) a Christmas Eve service. Just because the world is turning Christmas secular, doesn't mean Christians have to. Its a season of joy, celbratign the greatest gift ever given, not of negativity and resentment...why ruin it?