Let's Talk About Christmas
My Daddy at Christmas
I love Christmas, I love the music and the lights, the Christmas specials on television and the wonderful food. Food we only get at this time of year. The Ham and the turkey and of course the chocolate, there is no other time of year (even valentines) when we can enjoy such chocolate. Endless pies, and beautiful cakes, we are truly more blessed in this country than we deserve.
Never underestimate the importance of Christmas Traditions, they bring the family together! They link the past and the present in a montage of sights, tastes and smells. They bring together family with the promise of Christmas future and in the Ghosts of Christmas past. I always enter the Christmas season with a mixture of Joy and pathos as I enjoy the loved ones I have with me and my heart remembers those who l still love from days gone by.
I was blessed with a Mother who adored Christmas and did everything she could to create joyful memories for her family. She spent weeks making fruitcakes and sweet potato pies to give to friends and family. No matter what she always had two or three gifts for us kids and decorated her tree with the thought and care of a Doctor doing brain surgery. They were sweet special times for us all.,
Traditions take a life of their own and spring from unexpected places. Why did our friends the Morgan's cook Frito Pie every year or is it really possible to have Christmas without Grandma's fruit cake cookies? Why did I give a family member candied cherries for maybe 15 years only to find out she never liked candied cherries? Why does my daughter treasure a cracked old turkey platter? A veteran of many Christmas pasts? I handed it over to her like a Marathon runner passes his torch. There is magic in Christmas, a magic that is not easily understood. It has to do with the things we love most, faith and family.
Christmas is a uniquely Christian celebration dating back to some of the earliest days of our History. The first time we see it formally recognized was in December of 336 AD, when Constantine was Emperor of Rome. He was the first Emperor to legalize Christianity in the realm. So Christmas rests at the very heart of our traditions and is famous world wide. Because of it the story of the incarnation of Christ and his miraculous birth is known by even some of the most unchristian people groups throughout the world. If you take away Christmas what would you replace it with? When else would we stop and remember him? Easter? Easter would be nice but it is accused of being paganized to, and we see it though a filter of eggs and Bunnies. Santa is a problem but if handled right you can enjoy the game with your children and still not take the focus off the Christ-child and his birthday. It is one of the most child-friendly stories ever written.
Every Year on YouTube,
Every year on YouTube, the radio, on television or even from some pulpits you hear people calling Christmas a pagan holiday.
They demean those of us with holly and pine needles in our hair as sinners or a least deluded sheep. When I hear these guys one thought pops into my head. That Christmas is for the kids and the dissenter's just need to "get a life. Matthew 23:24 says something about Scripture in Matthew 23:24 "Straining at gnat and swallowing a camel" .
God is all about family, he went to a lot of trouble to provide a way that we might join his heavenly family through the atonement. Romans 8:15 tells us "For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father".
Abba was a Jewish word for "Daddy". God wants not just to be our Father he wants to be our "Daddy," you can't get more "family" than that. This is what we base our hope on. Because Jesus died and rose again we can hope that we will do likewise because of our faith in him. 1 Peter 1:3 tells us " Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead."
Christmas is about Christ and about family and when they take Christ out of Christmas it becomes something else, not the day it was intended to be.
The tree was part a pagan ritual that was "converted" to Christianity, like Christ the tree is "brought low" yet rises again to a place of beauty and honor. The early English converts had worshiped trees, so it seemed a natural thing to use this fact to honor a God who died on a tree. The early Church fathers used the already venerated tree as an object lesson to teach their new converts truth. Pretty clever object lesson don't you think? The Wise Men brought gifts to Baby Jesus, we give gifts to celebrate the season. Children understand a birthday party, In my many years as a children's Pastor it's a concept I used over and over again to teach about Christmas. The Wise Men brought gifts, yet Christ is the ultimate gift given from God to man....it is a Bible lesson that almost teaches itself.
Christianity sought not to diminish but to enlighten and expand. Much ado has been made over the years about the winter solstice and the pagan dates and applications of Christmas. It is said that we don't even celebrate Christ's Birthday at the right time of year. But I don't see how that matters, It's all a lot of foolishness to worry about incidentals like that. Like the fellow said, "it's the thought that counts". December 25th was a pagan holiday but like a sanctified sinner Christmas has been changed and is the one day a year that degenerate mankind stops for a moment to remember Christ. As long as we pause and remember Him why does the date matter?
Yes I have always loved Christmas, maybe that's why I chose to get married on Christmas Eve in 1972. I remember what my husband's grandfather told me when we set the date, he said something like, "just think, every year at your anniversary the world will light things up and celebrate with you." It was a sweet thought, but unfortunately Christmas has not always been an easy time for my family. Trouble comes and there are tears, there always are, such is the nature of life, but through the years the love continues. It grows as new faces appear at our table and it deepens as other loved ones move on to a better land. Christmas will always embody the two most important things in my life, my God and my family. Stand strong in the battle.....Merry Christmas....Jirehsgirl
They demean those of us with holly and pine needles in our hair as sinners or a least deluded sheep. When I hear these guys one thought pops into my head. That Christmas is for the kids and the dissenter's just need to "get a life. Matthew 23:24 says something about Scripture in Matthew 23:24 "Straining at gnat and swallowing a camel" .
God is all about family, he went to a lot of trouble to provide a way that we might join his heavenly family through the atonement. Romans 8:15 tells us "For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father".
Abba was a Jewish word for "Daddy". God wants not just to be our Father he wants to be our "Daddy," you can't get more "family" than that. This is what we base our hope on. Because Jesus died and rose again we can hope that we will do likewise because of our faith in him. 1 Peter 1:3 tells us " Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead."
Christmas is about Christ and about family and when they take Christ out of Christmas it becomes something else, not the day it was intended to be.
The tree was part a pagan ritual that was "converted" to Christianity, like Christ the tree is "brought low" yet rises again to a place of beauty and honor. The early English converts had worshiped trees, so it seemed a natural thing to use this fact to honor a God who died on a tree. The early Church fathers used the already venerated tree as an object lesson to teach their new converts truth. Pretty clever object lesson don't you think? The Wise Men brought gifts to Baby Jesus, we give gifts to celebrate the season. Children understand a birthday party, In my many years as a children's Pastor it's a concept I used over and over again to teach about Christmas. The Wise Men brought gifts, yet Christ is the ultimate gift given from God to man....it is a Bible lesson that almost teaches itself.
Christianity sought not to diminish but to enlighten and expand. Much ado has been made over the years about the winter solstice and the pagan dates and applications of Christmas. It is said that we don't even celebrate Christ's Birthday at the right time of year. But I don't see how that matters, It's all a lot of foolishness to worry about incidentals like that. Like the fellow said, "it's the thought that counts". December 25th was a pagan holiday but like a sanctified sinner Christmas has been changed and is the one day a year that degenerate mankind stops for a moment to remember Christ. As long as we pause and remember Him why does the date matter?
Yes I have always loved Christmas, maybe that's why I chose to get married on Christmas Eve in 1972. I remember what my husband's grandfather told me when we set the date, he said something like, "just think, every year at your anniversary the world will light things up and celebrate with you." It was a sweet thought, but unfortunately Christmas has not always been an easy time for my family. Trouble comes and there are tears, there always are, such is the nature of life, but through the years the love continues. It grows as new faces appear at our table and it deepens as other loved ones move on to a better land. Christmas will always embody the two most important things in my life, my God and my family. Stand strong in the battle.....Merry Christmas....Jirehsgirl