WHATEVER IS COMMENDABLE

Christians, awake, salute the happy morn 
whereon the Savior of the world was born. 
Rise to adore the mystery of love 
which hosts of angels chanted from above. 
With them the joyful tidings were begun 
of God incarnate and the virgin’s Son.

Then to the watchful shepherds it was told, 
who heard th’angelic herald’s voice: “Behold, 
I bring good tidings of a Savior’s birth 
to you and all the nations on the earth. 
This day has God fulfilled his promised word: 
this day is born a Savior, Christ the Lord!”

Then may we hope, th’angelic throngs among,
to sing, redeemed, a glad triumphant song;
he that was born upon this joyful day
around us all his glory shall display;
saved by his love, incessant we shall sing
eternal praise to heav’n's almighty King.

John Byrom (1692-1763)

Filed under: General stuff, christmas

Filed under: General stuff, christmas

Holidays are frequently times when people get trapped by the expectations game. Because everyone around you assumes that the day is going to be “really good,” “special,” or “fantastic,” and is constantly telling you to have a “merry” one, it is easy to assume that having a merry Christmas is an actual possession of yours, and if not a possession, at least a birthright. Consequently, the tendency is to sketch out in your mind what you would like that possession to be like. But it turns out, metaphorically speaking, that you get socks instead of the shotgun, or cookware instead of pearls, and the expectation lost is a set-up for real disappointment. This is one of the reasons why holidays can be such an emotional roller coaster ride for so many, and Christmas is no exception.  (Wilson, God Rest Ye Merry, 100)

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Celebrate the stuff.  Use fudge and eggnog and wine and roast beef.  Use presents and wrapping paper.  Embedded in many of the common complaints you hear about the holidays (consumerism, shopping, gluttony, etc.) are false assumptions about the point of the celebration. You do not prepare for a real celebration of the Incarnation through thirty days of Advent Gnosticism.  (Wilson, God Rest Ye Merry, 89-90)

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As the prophet Isaiah prophesies the coming of the new covenant, he does so with the image of a glorious feast. The feast is prepared by the Lord of hosts Himself (25:6). What kind of feast is it?  He prepares a feast of fat things, he prepares a feast of aged wines, of meat full of marrow fat, and then some more aged wines.  This is the picture we are given of the gospel – not a glass of room temperature water and a cracker. (Wilson, God Rest Ye Merry, 88)

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He, the eternal Word, the one who spoke the galaxies into existence, was willing to become a little baby boy who could do nothing with words except jabber, and in that jabbering, make glad his mother and earthly father. He, the source of all life and all nourishment for that life, was willing to be breastfed. He, the same one who had separated the night from the day, and had shaped the sun to rule the day, and the moon to rule the night, was willing to have his diapers changed for a year or so. It is not disrespectful to speak this way; for Christians, it is disrespectful not to. We believe in the Incarnation, in the Word made flesh. This is our glory; this is our salvation. (Wilson, God Rest Ye Merry, 48)

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As we continue to meditate on the meaning of Advent, we are not as much resisting attempts to make Christmas meaningless as we are fighting with alternative meanings.  There is no such thing (in the last analysis) as a vacuum holiday, a celebration without a point.  Attempts to neutralize Christmas are simply an intermediate step – and the alternative meanings are waiting in the wings. (Wilson, God Rest Ye Merry, 31)

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This Christmas, remember you are learning how to open God’s gifts to us.  And because He really knows how to shop for us, when we get the wrapping paper off, we are always surprised. (Wilson, God Rest Ye Merry, 21)

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It’s easy to become sceptical of the build up to Christmas within our secular society.  We know stores carry Christmas stock in September in order to make as much money as possible.  But as Christians we need to be sure we’re planning far enough ahead if we want out own celebrations to be as Christ-centred as they should be.  With that in mind, here are two lists from The Good Book Company to help.

8 ways to make the least of Christmas

1. Be more excited about presents than Jesus.

2. Leave the Carol and Christmas morning services straight away.

3. Leave it too late to invite someone to an event.

4. Make Christmas dinner the most important element in the day.

5. Send a Christian book to someone you didn’t make time to speak to throughout 2012.

6. Keep your family happy at all costs.

7. Don’t risk asking someone who comes to an event what they made of the message.

8. Don’t bother to make sure your church has some free evangelistic resources ready to give away

3 ways to make the most of Christmas

1. It’s Good News…

• Make Jesus part of Christmas conversations.
• Read, tell, and remember the Christmas story.
• Invite others to hear the Good News.

2. It’s for All people… invite, meet, gather …

3. It’s great joy! – Rejoice

Filed under: General stuff, christmas