Last month I became addicted to a Christmas album, Tommee Profitt The Birth of a King: Live. I kept playing the album over and over and no matter where I was at (work, car or the gym) I was drawn to the Christmas hymns and the worship behind them.
This week at work, I needed a pick me up. So I pulled out my Christmas album and played it. And then played it again. And again.
It may be the end of January, but who said we should only celebrate Christ’s birth in December.
We should celebrate it everyday.
As I was working I listened to “It Came Upon a Midnight Clear” and I was once again pulled out of my state of stress and dismay at the hook of the song,
Oh, hear the angels sing, oh Oh, hear the angels sing “Our King has come”
And in that moment, I longed to hear the angels sing.
Not to sing me out of my pit of worry and inner focus, but to remind me “Our King has come!”
Oh, to hear that sound that many years ago of angels praising God for what they have been waiting for from the beginning of time.
Oh, to hear their voices break the depressing world that can easily tangle us all into wallowing in our own self pity.
Oh, to hear the unity of all creation bowing before the Savior of the world.
Oh, to hear the the power behind their words awakening a sleeping word.
Oh, to hear…just to hear the angels sing.
Many times in worship I have to close my eyes. Too many distractions. Too many lights. Too many obstacles when I need to focus on the reason why I am worshipping.
And many times, I imagine myself being in front of the throne hidden in the masses of angels praising God. I may not know what Heaven looks like, but I try to imagine it. And I know my imagination is a frail comparison of the true wonder of it.
Yet, I’m often compelled by my little picture in my head with emotions of just a little snipit of what I can expect.
Oh, to hear the angels sing…it’s such a lovely thought. Isn’t it?
May you find the intrigue and wonder, not just at Christmas, but throughout the year.
Peace
If you need a new album to listen to, check this one out. Every song…everyone will lead you to worship the Birth of a King.
The Christmas season is inevitably full of highs and lows like a beating of a heart. The high excitement of picking out the perfect gift for your loved ones and the low of wrapping them (I’m not fond of the wrapping paper regimen)
I knew this Christmas was going to be different this year. Family wasn’t coming in so it was going to be a very small Christmas. But Christmas isn’t about the quantity, it’s the quality.
Well sickness struck and the Christmas of 4 quickly changed to a Christmas of 2.
Add on the frigid temperatures and snow fall, so staying home was center focus.
This morning before church I was reading the Christmas story in Luke and this verse shouted out to me.
“But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart.” Luke 2:19 ESV
It shouted because even though this Christmas wasn’t what I expected or even wished, it happened. I cannot control outside factors. I cannot change scenarios beyond my arms reach. I cannot undo sickness and death, but I can adapt.
I can treasure the moments I have. No matter the moments.
I can ponder the good times of Christmas pasts and dream of the ones to come in my heart.
It may be selfish to wish for a great Christmas, but sadly we are selfish.
But when we step away from ourselves we see beyond the non-picturesque Christmas, we can count ourselves blessed.
Mary most definitely didn’t want to give birth in a stable. She most likely didn’t want to give birth in Bethlehem away from her friends and family. She probably didn’t want to experience this life changing event in such a meager estate.
Yet, it happened.
It was beyond her control.
And despite the imperfect setting, this is where God chose to announce to the world of the birth of a Savior.
I wonder what Mary was treasuring and pondering.
Then as she watched her young boy grow into a strong, capable man, did Mary still ponder? Did she pull out those memories of Bethlehem periodically when the hardships of life hit her?
As Jesus’ ministry began and she heard his teaching and witnessed his miracles, did Mary still ponder? Did she reminisce of the angel and the prophecy foretold?
Then as she watched in heart wrenching agony, His death during Passover, did Mary still ponder? Did she remember the gifts from the wise men that were used to bury her firstborn son?
Mary had a life of exceptional spiritual highs and depressingly dismal lows.
I hope she held onto those moments in Bethlehem for a lifetime. I hope she treasured and pondered them through the ups and downs.
This Christmas may not have been the one you desired, but reflect upon the treasures of Christmas past. And ponder upon the beauty of the meaning of the true reason of Christmas. You may feel alone, but Christ came just for that, so you would never have to feel alone.
So may we truly say, “God bless us everyone.”
And may we truly ponder and treasure how blessed we really are.
Am I the only one, but does it seems like last week was Halloween?
I used to love the Christmas season. Watch all the classic movies, reread Dickens Christmas Carol, decorate the Christmas tree and bake some goodies.
I failed horribly this year.
I’ve only seen snippets of a few movies, I got to the second Spector in Dickens classic, never even put up my tree, and never bought the supplies to bake.
I literally started buying gifts on Amazon last week because I didn’t want to go shop.
I used to play my Elvis Christmas CD and curl my upper lip while singing Blue Christmas…never got the CD out this year.
I’m not sure why I let the season pass me by this year, but it has.
It is a few days away, yet it feels like any other day.
A couple of weeks ago I was riding a Lyft and the driver was telling me she doesn’t do anything special on December 25th, because she celebrates Jesus’ birth everyday.
I wish I could say my means for not getting into Christmas is that encouraging and optimistic, but it’s not.
I just haven’t gotten into the Christmas mood.
Not sure why. I cannot pinpoint a reason. It’s not that I’m going through a seasonal depression or feeling blue. I’m still upbeat and cheerful. But there is just something different this year.
I hear many people still blaming things on COVID, but I don’t see that as the culprit in my scenario.
Are you feeling what I’m feeling? Or am I just out in left field?
Maybe I’ll wake up tomorrow with the longing of Christmas. Maybe I’ll jump out of bed with excitement in my heart. Maybe I’ll envision those sugar plum fairies in my dreams tonight.
If not, it will be okay.
Just as my Lyft driver said, Christmas should be celebrated everyday.
So, maybe I’ll feel like celebrating it soon…and maybe I’ll try to keep that feeling year round.
Where did the time go? It seems like last week it was thanksgiving and a few weeks before that it was summer. Time goes by too quickly.
We only have a limited amount of time on this spinning planet – how are you using it?
Are you spending your time rehashing the past? Regretting mistakes? Reliving histories failures?
Well, stop.
Time may be passing you by too fast because you’re still living in yesteryears and you aren’t truly living in the now.
I understand time going fast. There are moments that I don’t want to end because my heart is full.
But there is a difference between those two speeds of time.
If life is passing you by because you are living each minute to the fullest, then you are living at the speed of life.
But if life is passing you by because you are sitting on the sidelines, then you are watching time pass you by.
It’s time to stop watching and start living.
Living your life to the fullest. Taking those chances that seem impossible. Daring to dream of the endless possibilities. Taking life by its horns and enjoying the ride.
If you mess up, time is flying and most people won’t remember. If you fail, at least you tried and won’t have that regret. If you fall, hopefully you learned that it didn’t kill you.
If you fall, fail, mess up, it’s not the end of the world. Time didn’t stop because of your short comings. It kept going.
And so can you!
So, this Christmas what are you looking forward too? A lot can happen in a week. Love ones may pass. You may even fall victim to mortality, so why are we waiting for Christmas to enjoy our family, friends and everything else that is good in this world?
We are not guaranteed our next breath, so what is stealing yours?
Are you stressed out? Are you worrying? Are you scared of the uncertainty? Are you anxious about the unknown tomorrows? Are you fearing something that you shouldn’t fear?
If you are letting the outside circumstances that you cannot control to control your life, then you need to stop.
When you give power to your fears you become the slave and they become the master. If you give strength to your worries you become weak and they just keep getting stronger.
If you are watching life pass you by, it’s time to stop allowing the world to dictate your future. It’s time to write your next chapter.
At Christmas time it seems that good tidings are all around. We sing about them in the carols, we watch them in holiday movies, we embrace them through greeting card lines and sentimental memories.
It is the season of giving to those in need. It is the time of year we count our blessings a little more often. It is like charity is an aroma in the air like evergreen and cinnamon.
But has our giving that used to come from the heart just become a thing we do because we have leftover blessings?
It is interesting the motives people give to charities. When a natural disaster strikes we hear of the ultra rich giving a million dollars to the hurricane fund, to the flood relief, to the earthquake victims. And it seems they turn their donation into some kind of publicity and advertising for their latest album or movie.
But it’s not just the Hollywood celebrities that fall prey to the luster of their name being headlined in the newspaper for their donation.
How many schools, hospitals, libraries, churches have wings named after their donors. They will be forever remembered (or until renovations are needed) for their wallet size of possibly that one time gift.
But it even goes on in the small scale. It seems like charities broadcast their donors through ads, thanking them for their generous gift as they list everyone’s donation.
Is this what we’ve become?
A society of people using our wealth to bring a little more attention to ourselves? But we don’t pat ourselves on the back anymore. No, we expect someone else to give us the accolade and an encouraging tap.
I wonder what God thinks of the showy charity donations? Would He be wowed with the large dollar amount or would He shake His head?
And Jesus sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting money into the offering box. Many rich people put in large sums. And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny. And he called his disciples to him and said to them, “Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.” Mark 12:41-44 ESV
We tend to applaud the big donors, but not God. God doesn’t care of the size of the donation. He cares about the meaning behind it. God can do more miracles with a penny from a widow than He will ever do from a millionaires petty cash fund. We humans think we can probably do more with the millions than a measly penny, but God doesn’t.
The creator of the universe doesn’t need our scraps that we call a treasure. He has all the treasures of the world. He has it all.
He just wants us. All of us. Not bits and pieces of our checkbook or stock portfolio. He deserves much more than what we have.
And God doesn’t want a show. He doesn’t want a flashy, look at me mentality. He wants a genuine heart that gives not to be seen by the world, but seen by only Him.
“Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. “Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” Matthew 6:1-4 ESV
May we all give not because it’s Christmas, not because we have some extra money, not to be recognized, not out of guilt. May we give so we can be in communion with the One who gave it all.
God knows the blessings He has given to each one of us. He sees how we squander and waste it. He sees our bad choices and foolish mistakes. He sees our selfish ways and greedy hearts.
Yet He still loves us despite our shortcomings. He loves us so our flaws can be fixed. He loves us so our eyes can be opened. He loves us so we can become His hands and feet to someone who needs His touch.
His love doesn’t cost a thing. But when He gives so much, surely we should want to give it all back to Him. He doesn’t beg for our treasures (since He was the one who ultimately gave it to us to have) but He demonstrated His lovingly sacrifice not just in words, but in actions.
May we learn to give with a pure heart. Give in a way that our next door neighbor, our coworker, our family and friends, our God-loving pew buddy, and even our left hand doesn’t know what we are giving. Give in such a way that it pleases God and God alone.
Eric Suddoth - Dream Chaser 