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Yeah, it’s Monday. But look on the bright side, it’s the first Monday in December. Also the first week of Advent. And if you’re SBC, this is the week of prayer for International Missions. Most of us will get some kind of break in another couple of weeks, and this is truly the most wonderful time of year. Continue reading
Ever bite off more than you can chew? In Christians and Santa Claus I tried include a brief version of the entire history of Christmas; not the story of Mary and Joseph in Bethlehem, but of where our modern celebration known as Christmas came from. That, plus what Christians do with Santa, ended up being a lot. Here’s the thing: That post is full of facts, dates, events, and reads like an encyclopedia entry. It contains a lot of information, but doesn’t convey any particular feeling. Think about watching a tv commercial for a new car. The images are poetry in motion. You see a lot of smooth lines, highway flying past, the accelerator pressing to the floor, all designed to stir your emotions. After buying the car you read the owner’s manual. The manual is full of relevant information, but probably doesn’t stir your soul the way the commercials did.
I love Christmas. Continue reading
How do Christians feel about ________? Regardless of how you fill in the blank, the answer will depend on which Christian you ask. I just want to poll the audience on this one: What does your family do with Santa Claus?
The cartoons below express radically different viewpoints. In one, Santa is portrayed almost as an enemy of Jesus. In the other, he bows his head and worships. Is there anything left of Saint Nicolas in our modern Santa?
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There is a third option. Some families watch Christmas specials that feature Santa Claus and celebrate “that special feeling of the holidays” and also read the Bible and honor the birth of Jesus. You could hang stockings and put up a manger scene. You could light a Christmas tree and light the candles of an Advent wreath. Is celebrating with the culture while keeping the faith an offense to both?
UPDATE: I held my piece for a few days and tried to give everyone a chance. Here is my response.
UPDATE: There are five Sundays in December this year, four of them before Christmas. Sunday, December 2nd will be the first Sunday of Advent.
Reposted from November 27, 2011
Advent is a season of waiting and preparation for the nativity of Jesus Christ. I have been pleased to see many friends doing the “30 days of Thanksgiving” thing on Facebook. I’m more encouraged by 30 days of Thanksgiving than by 60 or even 90 days of Christmas. If you watch some classic movies, from say the 40’s or 50’s, you’ll see Dad bringing home a tree on Christmas Eve! The family decorates the tree, hang their stockings, then celebrate Christmas the very next day. Part of the beauty of Christmas is waiting for it to arrive. Continue reading
Christians do not agree about the celebration of Halloween. There is some dispute over Christmas. Let’s embrace Thanksgiving for all its worth.
There is an argument to be made for the Christian roots of Halloween. The very name is created from the words Hallows Eve, the day before All Saints Day. But let’s be honest, unless you’re Roman Catholic most American do not celebrate All Saints (or even know what it is). Would you celebrate Christmas Eve if you didn’t believe in Christmas? Halloween may also have roots in paganism, and is certainly associated today with the occult and many “non-Christian” activities as well. Continue reading
The Christ candle is traditionally lit during either a Christmas Eve service or perhaps on Christmas Day. Christmas just happens to be on Sunday this year. What ever you do this weekend is fine with me as long as you remember that Christ is the gift and God is in the manger.
Today is Christmas Eve, the last day of Advent. Tomorrow is Christmas, the first of the 12 days of Christmas, which culminates in Epiphany. An epiphany is a great discovery or revelation of prolific truth. The January 6th Epiphany celebrates the wise men finding Jesus.
Advent is the season of waiting and preparation. If we’re being technically correct in our worship (and I’m not one that cares as much as some do) we should have been singing Advent hymns up to this point, such as O Come Emanuel. It is now time to sing Joy to the World, proclaiming that the Lord is come.
And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,
“Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”(Luke 2:10-14 ESV)
The third week of Advent is about Joy and we light the Shepherds’ candle.
And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” (Luke 2:8-14 ESV)
I wrote a post two years ago with the same title. It’s very short, here’s a link. In that post I begged the question what if everything we know about Christmas we learned from reading Christmas cards? You know, details such as exactly 3 wise men were at the manager with the shepherds on the night Christ was born, and that angels are beautiful women with blonde hair, hymn books and choir robes. I worked that into a sermon last year and it’s a shame I don’t have all those pics online somewhere.
Well, here’s a Christmas card that I like.
Have you seen it yet? Most retailers are geared up for Halloween, but you get the distinct feeling that Christmas isn’t too far behind. Except for the fact that it’s still three months away.
I’m not referring to your weird uncle (everybody has a weird uncle). Christmas creep refers to the gradual tendency for Christmas celebration (retailing) to start a little earlier each year. Continue reading
Today is Easter Sunday. Lent bagan 40 days ago, Palm Sunday was last week, 2 days ago was Good Friday. Holy Week is about the end of Jesus’ ministry on earth. Not too long ago – it’s been about 4 months – we celebrated the beginning of his life on earth. Do you remember that story?
Joseph and Mary traveled to Bethlehem, to be counted in the Roman census and taxed. Baby Jesus was laid in a manger, shepherds came and worshiped, and the wise men traveled from afar. They followed the star and brought gifts fit for a king. Jesus was presented with gold, frankincense and myrrh. Gold makes sense; no one would mind getting that present. Frankincense is an incense, a sweet perfume. It’s actually a resin, made from the bark of a tree. Myrrh is very similar, but bitter. It’s most common use in the first century was anointing the dead. Gold is an awesome gift, perfume maybe, but… you wouldn’t give a newborn embalming fluid.
Once you know how the story ends, the beginning makes more sense. In literature, it’s called foreshadowing. Jesus was born to die. He came to be a sacrifice. The unusual gift brought by one very wise man reminds us what is really important about Christmas. The gifts that were given to Jesus pale in comparison to the gift of Jesus. Throughout his ministry Jesus understood his mission, even when his followers could not. The disciples were told plainly that the Son of Man must suffer many things, be rejected by men, even that he must die. Jesus told them, more than once, that he would rise again. Eventually they were afraid to ask.
The real story of course begins before the incarnation and does not end with the crucifixion. Today is Easter, the celebration of Jesus’ resurrection. That still isn’t the end of the story. Jesus wasn’t just resurrected; he is the resurrection. The story of God’s coming kingdom isn’t over yet.
The Master's Table 