Craziness and what is Christmas!

Does anyone feel “stressed” because of the pace of Christmas? It seems like I get stuck on “fast forward” every Christmas and the closer I get to “the day” the more hectic things get for me and the more frazzled I get. Also, is it just me or do you find people do the craziest things at this time of year? I was reading about a department store Santa getting fired in Thousand Oaks, California because when an “elf” called him a name (obviously something other than St. Nick) he pulled a handgun and drew down on said elf. Or how’s this one for crazy: there was a Seattle charity event for meat-cutters where a volleyball game was played. They used frozen meats as “volleyballs” (yes, you read that correctly). It seemed as the game was stopped when one of the “players” was hit in the head with an 11 pound frozen turkey. Even churches are not immune to the craziness. In Miami, a woman was arrested for assaulting her husband with an umbrella shaft after church. His crime? It seems he fell asleep during the service.

In trying to get past some of the craziness this Christmas I pondered what Christmas means. Now I realize it means a lot of things to a lot of different people. To some it is a time of shopping and spending. To others it is a time for drinking and parties. For others Christmas involves traveling and entertaining. I’m sure for many it means a combination of these and other things. Today is Sunday and I’m sitting in my office pondering the real meaning of Christmas?

I came up with a short list of what Christmas means to me:
1. Christmas is about love – For God so “loved the world” that He sent us His Son. We should never forget that symbolism of Christmas in seeing how much God loves us. So as I reflect on the meaning of Christmas I realize that it’s about us sharing His love with so many who never open a bible or attend a church service. That leads to the second thing I believe about Christmas …
2. Christmas is about remembering – taking the time to remember those whom we have loved and been loved by through the years. This time of year is often difficult as we are forced to face the holidays without someone we have spent much of our life with. I hope that when I go through a period of great loss God will help me remember not to focus on what I feel I’ve lost but rather what I had in that person in the first place and to celebrate that.
3. Obviously Christmas is a time of giving – “For God so loved the world He gave”. As a child Christmas was always about what am I “getting” this year but the older I have gotten I have found it much more pleasurable to give. I often say it in sermons but I’m convinced of the truth that we are never more like Jesus than when we give.
4. Christmas is a time of forgiving (or at least it should be) – God was willing to forgive us without stipulations. Oh that I were more like Jesus in this regard. Too often I’m quick to be judgmental and look down on others less fortunate or maybe more fortunate and not realizing just how blessed they are. I have been forgiven so much in my life. I also have been had some very difficult experiences in my life. But I’m reminded that no one has ever done anything worse to me than that which I’ve done to Christ. After all, it was my sin that held Him to that cross.
5. Christmas is a time of change – we often set resolutions right after Christmas as we “resolve” to change some things for the better. So I’m pondering what the Lord would have me to change for the better this year.
6. Finally Christmas is a time of rejoicing – We can rejoice in God’s unmerited grace. We can rejoice in the fact we’ve been forgiven. We can rejoice that God has a purpose for our life. We can rejoice that no matter how far we stray, we never get so far that the arm of God cannot bring us back. Know you are loved this Christmas.

3 lessons from Joseph

Are you ready for Christmas? Have all your cards been mailed? Are all your decorations out and up? What about your shopping; finished yet? Many call this part of December the “Christmas rush”. As we hurry trying to get everything “done” we are prone to lose sight of the meaning of Christmas. When I ask the question, “Are you ready for Christmas?” I’m not concerned with all the trappings. I’m asking about your attitudes, because every once in a while I hear someone say, “I just can’t get into the Christmas spirit!” Likely some of you have said it too.

Outside of Jesus, Joseph is one of my favorite characters of the Christmas story yet he often goes unnoticed. He's not in the spotlight very long, and we know little about his life. But Joseph can teach us a lot about attitudes. What we learn from Joseph can change our attitude and make Christmas more meaningful this year.

There are three simple things we learn from Joseph that help us understand the true meaning of Christmas.

Lesson #1 – We need to be ready to accept God’s will no matter what. imagine you are Joseph. He had his life pretty well mapped out. He was pledged to be married, the arrangements had been made, and the wedding would soon be upon them. He and Mary would settle down in Nazareth, he’d run his carpentry business, they'd have some children and live happily ever after. But then Mary dropped a bomb on him with the words, “Joseph, I’m pregnant”. Joseph knew the child was not his and came to the same conclusion we’d have, namely that Mary must have been unfaithful. As Joseph considered his “options”, an angel came to him in a dream and basically told him he needed to “trust God” Even though Joseph got few of his questions answered, he chose to trust God and believe His will to be best.

So that leads me to ask what is it God’s been speaking to your heart about that you are wrestling to understand? What is it that you want answers from Him before you decide to obey? From that first Christmas we learn from Joseph that we need to be ready to accept God’s will with no reservations. It’s okay to ask questions but sometimes God chooses not to answer. And getting no answer is no excuse for disobedience.

Lesson #2 – Joseph teaches us that we need to care for others. When children’s groups put on Christmas plays, kids do not typically line up asking for the role of Joseph. Mary is always front and center portrayed either holding Jesus or looking over and after Him. In the manger scene of our minds we also see some excited shepherds. There are also typically wise men bringing their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh (though we know their arrival would have been weeks, even months later). But look closely, there, over in the corner of our manger scene stands Joseph. His role is not that of “star” and at times he’s treated as rather insignificant. But Joseph’s role was actually critical to that first Christmas. God had simply told him to take care of Mary and Jesus. Joseph had the important task of caring for the needs of others.

Maybe this Christmas you are feeling a bit frustrated about spending all of your time and resources meeting the needs of others. Joseph reminds us that Christmas is really not about us; it wasn’t about he and Mary and it’s certainly not about us. The focal point of Christmas is Jesus! And with Jesus serving as the center of this season, Joseph reminds us to care for the needs of others.

Lesson #3 – Joseph reminds us that we need to be willing to give whatever we have. He didn’t know that after Jesus was born that he would have to take Mary and Jesus to Egypt to protect them. Joseph didn’t know that he would be separated from his business, home town, and family for a long period of time. He didn’t know all the demands that would be made on his life because of the birth of Christ. But here’s the key, whatever God asked of him, Joseph freely gave.

Isn’t that really what Christmas is all about? When God chose to give Himself as a gift to mankind, Christmas came. Joseph simply followed the pattern of the Lord when he gave of himself. What are you holding back from God? Is it your resources? Is it your time? Joseph reminds us to be willing to give whatever we have.

So, are you “ready” for Christmas? I don’t know if you will be able to get all your shopping done (if you're like me you probably be numbered among the thousands shopping on the 23rd and 24th). I can't tell you if you will get all your cards mailed or be able to attend all the Christmas functions you want to. But here’s what I do know … God has a will for our lives and we are wise to accept it no matter what. I know God has a desire that we extend to others the care that He first extended to us. I know that we are never more like Jesus than when we give! after all, it was He who said He came to “give his life a ransom for the many” (Mark 10:45).