SONGS OF CHRISTMAS

“Hark, the Herald Angels Sing,” “Silent Night,” “O Little Town of Bethlehem,” “What Child is This,” “O Holy Night,” “Mary, Did You Know?” Songs that glorify and praise God. Songs that describe some part of the Christmas miracle. I love them, but there are many other Christmas songs, aren’t there? Songs that capture the joy of Christmas, the warmth of family on Christmas, how Christmas itself affects people, and of course, the silly songs about Christmas. There are a lot of Christmas songs that we don’t sing in church (for good reason)- songs like “Rock Around the Christmas Tree,” “Run Rudolph Run,” “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer,”“When My Heart Finds Christmas,” “Aint’s No Chimneys in the Projects,” and Tom Waite’s wonderful song, “Christmas Card from a Hooker in Minneapolis.” I love Christmas songs in all of their forms and genres. They try to describe the indescribable, to tell of a joy that surpasses understanding, and to deal with a moment that is both soft and sweet, and radical and threatening. Christ is born in Bethlehem (house of bread). The anointed Savior lives and he is the King of Kings. Unto you a child is born- unto you who are unclean, uninvited and unwelcome, unto you who are tied to your machine in the factory, your desk and paper, or your kitchen sink, unto you who have walked mostly uphill in the rain and who have grown weary making lemonade out of life’s lemons- unto you, a forgiver and a life-giver is born! Sing it out! Joy to the world! Unto you Christmas has come… and whether you get all that you want, or nothing at all, you will never be dismissed as a nobody again- not in God’s eyes- for unto you, a Savior is born! The characters of Christmas will soon fill the stage in our churches- Mother Mary and Joseph, and their newborn child; the cattle and the sheep (their numbers vary depending on the number of children in the church), the feeding trough is there, the room is filled with unclean shepherds and the foreign astrologers who had seen the star are there too, although it’s not quite accurate. The innkeeper is out of sight, Herod is lurking behind the curtain, and we know that the critics, the doubters, and the powers-that-be, will soon challenge and a reject both the singer and the song… but it doesn’t matter really, because unto… you... Christ is born! Mary’s boy is born! So lift your hands in praise and raise your voices… for he is calling you to a joyful and purposeful life, which will go on and on and on, forever! Amen. If you are hungry in all the ways we get hungry, he will feed you; if you are thirsty, he will give you a drink of living water; if you are naked and vulnerable, shabby and embarrassed, he will clothe you; if you are lost, if you are walking in the shadows, and you can’t see where you are going, because of the tears in your eyes, He will walk with you and carry you if you fall; if you are chained and imprisoned in all the ways we get chained, He will save your souls and set you free; if you’re shut-in, shut-away, shut-down, and shut-up, if your voice is silenced and unheard, He will listen to your story and open doors that have long been shut to you; if you have trouble living, remember that his eye is on the sparrow, and if you are afraid of dying, know that those who trust in Christ will never die! Christmas is worthy of a 1000 songs. Christmas is worthy of adoration and praise! They say that we should put Christ back in Christmas … but Christ is Christmas… and apart form Christ, Christmas loses its meaning because He is the gift! And without, Christmas, there is little to sing about because, for every sentimental song we know, there is a sad song too. We can’t make Christmas good or bad, not really, because it is not about us. It’s about the gift of life that God chose to give us because He so loved the world. Without Christ, Christmas will be gone as soon as the company leaves, but with Christ, it will change who we are and how we live. Christmas is surely worth a song and I will close with the first Christmas song. It was sung by Mother Mary, and the words go like this: My soul magnifies the Lord and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. I sing because I must! I celebrate my Lord and praise God from the depths of my being… Because He has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. In a world where everyone is known by a number, my Lord knows my name. He has an eye on me and I am somebody to him- somebody worth blessing and worth calling to a sacred place. From now on generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me- holy is his name. His mercy extends to those who fear him from generation to generation, He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. He has scattered those who are drunk on their own wine, who are lost in their own thoughts, blind to God’s presence, and deaf to God’s invitation. He has brought down rulers from their thrones, but has lifted up the humble. He has brought those who think little of him… down, and lifted up those who know they need him and who embrace him as their Lord. He has filled the hungry with good things, but has sent the rich away empty. He has blessed those who hunger for righteousness and justice, but dismissed those who think that it is all about them. He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful  to Abraham and his descendants forever just as he promised our ancestors.” It is Christmas and the King of Kings has arrived. He is partial to those who see that they need a Savior and also to those who hunger for justice and righteousness. He has an eye on those who struggle and tread water. He is mindful of their need for love, grace, new beginnings and joy… and he offers these gifts to all who would receive them. It’s Christmas, and the God of renewal, empowerment, and mercy… has showed up in a cattle shed, in a nothing little town, in an occupied state. Sing a song of salvation. Sing a song of grace. Sing a song of acceptance. Sing a song of love. Sing a song of victory. And sing of gratitude too. Joy to the world! Good for you… because unto you a Savior is born!

When Christmas Was All About Me

       Well, its Christmas time and I'm a little nostalgic again. I think about the Christmases my brothers and I had when we were growing up. They were traditional and festive. Mom and dad tried their best to give us a good Christmas and mother made sure that the dollar amount spent on each one of us was exactly the same. Dad was around more on Christmas... as we gathered with family and friends to celebrate and open our gifts. Since we weren't a religious family, Christmas, for us, was a time when we gathered together, had fun, and opened gifts.
      There was more drinking than there needed to be, but Christmases were good for my brothers and me because we always got more than enough presents. As a kid, I looked forward to Christmas, but I was concerned that things were "just right." It was up to me to give just the right gifts to others, and I had lot of anxiety about receiving just the right gifts myself. Even as we gathered to celebrate, I had a secret fear that I would disappoint someone... or be disappointed myself... which brings me to the Christmas when I received a shotgun instead of the bowling ball. I was bowling in league at the time and I wanted my own bowling ball. My father, on the other hand, wanted me to join him and my brothers on their hunting adventures. He didn't take many days off, but sometimes, he would get up extremely early and hunt pheasants in a farm field... or take a day trip to his duck blind. I'm sure that he saw hunting as a right of passage and as something we could bond around because he wasn't into sports... but I hated hunting and my heart was set on a bowling ball.
      I made my wishes known for weeks before Christmas, but come Christmas morning, there it was- a brand new shotgun. My number one, central gift, was a stupid shotgun... and I was devastated! My Christmas was ruined because it didn't meet my expectations. It didn't play out as I had envisioned it and I was heartbroken. I was fixated on what I wanted and I couldn't appreciate what I had actually been given. Christmas, it seems, was all about me. I couldn't let go and celebrate the joy that others were experiencing. And I kept struggling to accept things as they were until I first believed! Yes, until I first believed.

      When I accepted that God had sent his Son to save my soul, I felt loved for the first time in my life. A peace that I had not known before came over me, and knowing that I had been accepted by grace... freed me to accept others. Now, I look forward to Christmas without anxiety because I am focused on Christ instead of myself. Indeed, once I had got out of the driver's seat and "let God," the ride became much more enjoyable, and I know that Christmas will be good because things are good when God's in charge! My brothers are gone now and I would give anything to see them at Christmas. Mom and dad are gone too, and it's been over 60 years since I received a shotgun as a present... but if I could do it over again, I would say, "Thank's for the gun, dad. It's beautiful. Do you have time to take us out shooting later this week?"