Merry Christmas!

Today marks the end of our "Christmas in July" journey to Bethlehem, that place where God meets us through dark and difficult times. It's been a great deal of fun and learning for me. I hope it has for you also. I hope as a result of our time together you will have a better grasp on the significance of Christmas when it rolls around this December. Maybe, just maybe, your celebration of Christmas will never be the same again. That has been my goal.

Merry Christmas!

Dallas Willard on "The Great Reversal"

Dallas Willard, in The Divine Conspiracy, writes of what he calls The Great Inversion. Commenting on the story of the widow contributing a penny in the temple, he writes...

“The scene at the offering box in the temple is an illustration. What turns up so graphically in that case is actually a general structure that permeates the message of the Bible as a whole and the reality portrayed therein. This structure indicates that humanity is routinely flying upside down (ED: italics mine), and at the same time it provides a message of hope for everyone who counts on God’s order, no matter his or her circumstance. There are none in the humanly ‘down’ position so low that they cannot be lifted up by entering God’s order, and none in the humanly ‘up” position so high that they can disregard God’s point of view on their lives. ...To become a disciple of Jesus is to accept now that inversion of human distinctions that will sooner or later be forced upon everyone by the irresistible reality of his kingdom.” (pp. 89-90)

Thus, the Christmas story's "Great Reversal" reaches deep into God's reality.

What a reversal: The Lamb is a Lion

Another writer pointing to the theme of God’s Great Reversal (see Luke 1:46-56) is singer/songwriter, Michael Card. The text for his song, “The Lamb is a Lion,” is based on Jesus’ overturning the tables of the moneychangers (Matthew 21:12-16; Mark 11:15-18; Luke 19:45-47; John 2:13-16). It goes like this...

Weak from the journey,
The long traveling days,
Hungry to worship,
To join in the praise.
Shock met with anger
That burned on His face,
As He entered the wasteland
Of that barren place.

And the Lamb is a Lion
Who’s roaring with rage
At the empty religion
That’s filling all their days.
They’ll flee from the harm
Of the Carpenter’s strong arm,
And come to know the scourging
Anger of the Lord.

The priests and the merchants
Demanded some proof.
For their hearts were hardened
And blind to the truth.
That Satan’s own law
Is to sell and to buy.
But God’s only Way
Is to give and to die.

And the Lamb is a Lion
Who’s roaring with rage
At the empty religion
That’s filling all their days.
They’ll flee from the harm
Of the Carpenter’s strong arm,
And come to know the scourging
Anger of the Lord.

The noise and confusion gave way to His word.
At last sacred silence so God could be heard.

And the Lamb is a Lion
Who’s roaring with rage
At the empty religion
That’s filling all their days.
They’ll flee from the harm
Of the Carpenter’s strong arm,
And come to know the scourging
Anger of the Lord. (© Michael Card)

The kind of truth that leads to the cross

Writing in a way consistent with the theme of God’s Great Reversal (where the high are brought low so that the low might be brought high – see Luke 1:46-56), German theologian and Christian martyr, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, wrote:

“The people who love, because they are freed through the truth of God, are THE most revolutionary people on earth. They are the ones who upset all values; they are the explosives in human society. Such persons are the most dangerous. For they have recognized that people are untruthful in the extreme, and they are ready at any time, and just for the sake of love, to permit the light of truth to fall on them. This disturbance of peace, which comes to the world through these people, provokes the world’s hatred. Therefore, the knight of truth and love is NOT the hero whom people worship and honor, who is free from enemies, but the one whom they cast out, whom they want to get rid of, whom they declare an outlaw, whom they kill. The way, which God’s truth in the world has gone, leads to the cross.” (From A Testament to Freedom, p. 206)

The Great Reversal

In Mary’s Magnificat, or “Song of Praise’ (Luke 1:46-56), Luke introduces the theme often called God’s Great Reversal, or Great Inversion. The high are brought low so that the low might be made high. It’s a powerful theme. Luke presents it as God’s “new thing,” proclaimed in Isaiah 43:19.

The Great Reversal is probably THE most difficult theme for me surrounding Christmas for two reasons. First is the lingering question, “What if I am amongst ‘the high’ who are brought low?” After all, Americans’ standard of living exceeds that of most of the world, and I am no exception here. I am ‘richer’ financially than millions across the globe. What responsibility does this give me in God’s eyes to be part of His “new thing?”

But the second reason The Great Reversal is so difficult for me is that it often seems so difficult to see the truth of it. What Great Reversal? The rich seem to get richer, the powerful seem to get more powerful – often seen in “merger mania” across corporate America (I write this as Rupert Murdoch’s purchase of Dow Jones is again in the news!). Is there a Great Reversal that began with the birth of Christ? Where do I look to see it?

I plan to dedicate this blog over the next several days to quotes from various writers who, in one way or another, speak to the theme of The Great Reversal. (Thanks to Teresa Rossy for posting my blog each day. I am away at Wesley Choir Camp with 142 kids this week! Pray for us!)

Luke lifts up the lowly

By entering human history as He did, especially in the announcements to the lowly shepherds, God identified with the powerless, the oppressed, the poor, the homeless. Among THEM God would do a new work. Shepherds were despised people. Although the reference to shepherds evokes a positive, pastoral image for us – and though it underscores Jesus’ association with King David (1 Sam 16:11; 17:15; Ps. 78:70) – by the first century, shepherds were scorned as shiftless, dishonest people who grazed their flocks on others’ lands.

Ironically – and, I suspect, on purpose – Luke begins his story with Caesar Augustus (representing the human conception of power) and ends with the shepherds in Bethlehem (revealing the real source of power). Mary’s song (Luke 1:46-56) exalts the humble and lowly celebrating, in fact, that God would put down the rich and powerful. This is precisely what we see going on as Augustus orders the “worldwide” census while God is slipping in the back door. Augustus – and his empire – are but shadows in the dustbin of history. Jesus is still worshiped and obeyed. Wow.

Mary's Little King

Member Betty Sullivan sent me this poem that she wrote, entitled “Mary’s Little King.” It was inspired by the song, “Mary, Did You Know?” written and performed by Mark Lowry. “I was so impressed by the image of Mary and her thoughts as she held our Lord that I wanted to write a poem, though the theme was not original to me,” she writes. Here’s her poem ...

I wonder if Mary realized,
That her little child was a king,
As He grasped her finger with His tiny hand,
Was she aware of the grace He would bring?

When she counted His little fingers and toes,
And touched His soft baby cheek,
Did she whisper His name and stroke His hair,
And dream of the thousands He’d seek?

Could she picture the miracles He’d perform,
And feel the breath of goodness surround Him,
As she looked upon His holy face,
Did she hear a murmur of angels around them?

When she sang a mother’s lullaby,
could she sense God’s presence there,
Did she see the golden halo,
Around His golden hair?

When she looked into His unforgettable eyes,
Was there a tear on her heart filled with joy?
Could she see a cross where He’d die one day,
Her precious little boy?

Or on that night of nights when our Savior was born,
And His mother held Him close in her arms,
Did she simply breathe the fragrance of His life,
And bask in her baby’s charms?

Christmas and Outsiders

The Magi were NOT “one of us.” Given the fact that the Magi are so much a part of our December cut Christmas, this is hard for us to absorb. But the Magi were not one of us. They were outsiders. They were not descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob – they probably hailed from Persia or Parthia (immigrants?) – so they were not one of “God’s people,” at least from the Jewish culture’s point of view. They were “THOSE people,” the kind not welcomed here. The kind we put up signs and build fences to keep out or enact laws to keep at bay.

How does Christmas in particular and the Bible in general – especially God’s concern for the stranger in the camp – inform our current debate about immigration reform? That question is worth of a blog all by itself. But for now, I just point out how, again, the REAL Christmas story is more like REAL LIFE, dealing with issues we face everyday.

God has been warning that He would do exactly this – include outsiders – ever since His call to Abram in Genesis 12, when...

The LORD had said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; (so far so good!) I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. (Better still!) I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you." (Genesis 12:1-3, NIV)

And hence, “blessed to be a blessing.” Blessing implies responsibility to be good stewards of the blessing. Which means sharing it with outsiders. Ouch. We usually want more of the Blessing!

C. S. Lewis on Gift-giving

What does that wonderful Christian writer, C. S. Lewis, think about the modern Christmas practice of gift-giving? In God in the Dock, Lewis writes...

"Three things go by the name of Christmas. One is a religious festival. This is important and obligatory for Christians; but as it can be of no interest to anyone else, I shall naturally say no more of it here. The second (it has complex historical connections with the first, but we needn’t go into them) is a popular holiday, an occasion for merrymaking and hospitality. If it were my business to have a ‘view’ on this, I should say that I much approve of merrymaking. But what I approve of much more is everybody minding his own business. I see no reason why I should volunteer views as to how other people should spend their own money in their own leisure among their own friends. It is highly probable that they want my advice on such matters as little as I want theirs. But the third thing called Christmas is unfortunately everyone’s business.

I mean of course the commercial racket. The interchange of presents was a very small ingredient in the older English festivity. Mr. Pickwick took a cod with him to Dingley Dell (The Pickwick Papers, by Charles Dickens); the reformed Scrooge ordered a turkey for his clerk (A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens); lovers sent love gifts; toys and fruits were given to children. But the idea that not only all friends but even all acquaintances should give one another presents, or at least send one another cards, is quite a modern and has been forced upon us by shopkeepers. Neither of these circumstances is in itself a reason for condemning it. I condemn it on the following grounds:

1. It gives on the whole much more pain than pleasure. You have only to stay over Christmas with a family who seriously try to "keep" it (in its third, or commercial, aspect) in order to see that the thing is a nightmare. Long before December 25th everyone is worn out – physically worn out by weeks of daily struggle in overcrowded shops, mentally worn out by the effort to remember all the right recipients and to think out suitable gifts for them. They are in no trim for merrymaking; much less (if they should want to) to take part in a religious act. They look far more as if there had been a long illness in the house.

2. Most of it is involuntary. The modern rule is that anyone can force you to give him a present by sending you a quite unprovoked present of his own. It is almost a blackmail. Who has not heard the wail of despair, and indeed of resentment, when, at the last moment, just as everyone hoped that the nuisance was over for one more year, the unwanted gift from Mrs. Busy (whom we hardly remember) flops unwelcomed through the letter-box, and back to the dreadful shops one of us has to go?

3. Things are given as presents which no moral ever bought for himself – gaudy and useless gadgets, "novelties" because no one was every fool enough to make their like before. Have we really no better use for materials and for human skill and time than to spend them on all this rubbish?

4. The nuisance. For after all, during the racket we still have all our ordinary and necessary shopping to do, and the racket trebles the labor of it.
We are told that the whole dreary business of it must go on because it is good for trade. It is in fact merely one annual symptom of that lunatic condition of our country, and indeed of the world, in which everyone lives by persuading everyone else to buy things. I don’t know the way out. But can it really be my duty to buy and receive masses of junk every winter just to help the shopkeepers? If the worst comes to the worst I’d sooner give them money for nothing and write it off as charity. For nothing? Why, better for nothing than for nuisance."

I couldn’t have said it better myself!!

Gift of the Magi

So what role DO the Magi play in the Director’s-cut Christmas? The Magi DO offer Jesus, Emmanuel – God with us – gifts. But those gifts have a very specific purpose: to signal the fulfillment of what God foretold in scriptures about the nations coming to God. And in what scriptures does God foretell such things? Scriptures such as Psalm 72:10-11...

The kings of Tarshish and of distant shores will bring tribute to him; the kings of Sheba and Seba will present him gifts. All kings will bow down to him and all nations will serve him. (Psalm 72:1-11, NIV)

And Micah 4:1-2...

In the last days the mountain of the LORD's temple will be established as chief among the mountains ... and peoples will stream to it. Many nations will come and say, "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths." (Micah 4:1-2, NIV)

And Isaiah 60:4-6...

Lift up your eyes and look about you: All assemble and come to you; ... the wealth on the seas will be brought to you, to you the riches of the nations will come. Herds of camels will cover your land, young camels of Midian and Ephah. And all from Sheba will come, bearing gold and incense and proclaiming the praise of the LORD. (Isaiah 60:4-6, NIV)

The Magi represent "the nations." And their gifts are given to signify the prophetic vision of all the nations streaming to God to proclaim His praise. All peoples come to the One whose name is "God is with us."

In the Director’s-cut Christmas, even the gifts signal the praise of God. So next year when you’re opening that new 500 terabyte iPod, or that new iPhone, praise God – not for the gift, but for who He is – a God ever faithful to His promises.

The History of Santa Claus

I state in sermon #2 that I believe the role of the Magi in the Christmas story is vastly misunderstood, even corrupted. They have become the biblical basis for the Christmas tradition of gift-giving, i.e., giving gifts to one another (in the Bible’s story, it is JESUS who gets the gifts).

This gets us to the idea of Santa Claus and the modern practice of gift-giving. Where did this custom originate? (My thanks to Wikipedia here...)

When the Dutch came to America and established the colony of New Amsterdam, their children enjoyed the traditional ‘visit of Saint Nicholas’ on December 5th, for the Dutch had kept this Catholic custom even after the Reformation. St. Nicholas was said to have lived in Myra (Turkey) in about 300 CE. Born an only child of a wealthy family, he was orphaned at an early age when both parents died of the plague. He grew up in a monastery, and at the age of seventeen became one of the youngest priests ever. Many stories are told of his generosity as he gave his wealth away in the form of gifts to those in need, especially children. Legends tell of him dropping bags of gold down chimneys or throwing them through the windows where they landed in the stockings hung from the fireplace to dry.

Later, when England took over the formerly Dutch colony, which then became "New York," this kindly figure of Sinter Klaas soon aroused among the English children the desire of having such a heavenly visitor come to their homes, too. The British settlers were soon caught up in this custom. However, the figure of a Catholic saint and bishop was not acceptable in their eyes, since many of them were Presbyterians, to whom a bishop was repugnant. Also, they did not celebrate the feasts of saints according to the ancient Catholic calendar. Transferring the visit from December 5th to the winter solstice (Christmas) and reinventing ‘Santa Claus’ solved the dilemma. Thus, the Catholic saint was completely replaced by an entirely different character. Incidently, in 1809, Washington Irving published his satirical ‘A History of New York’, by ‘Diedrich Knickerbocker’, a work that poked fun at New York's Dutch past -- St. Nicholas included.

Each Protestant country or region eventually developed its own gift-giver. In France, he was known as Pare Noel ("Father Christmas"). In England he was Father Christmas, always depicted with sprigs of holly, ivy, or mistletoe. Germany knew him as Weihnachtsmann, or Christmas man -- this later mutated into Christkindlein and ‘Kriss Kringle’.

The 19th century and early 20th saw the final development of the modern image of Santa Claus. In 1821, a New York printer named William Gilley issued a poem about a ‘Santeclaus’, who dressed up in fur and drove a sleigh pulled by one reindeer. The man-sized version of Santa became the dominant image around 1841, when a Philadelphia merchant named J.W. Parkinson hired a man to dress in ‘Criscringle’ clothing and climb the chimney outside his shop. In 1863, a cartoonist for ‘Harper's Weekly’ named Thomas Nast began developing his own image of Santa. Nast gave his figure a flowing set of whiskers and dressed him in fur from his head to his booted feet. Nast's 1866 montage entitled ‘Santa Claus and His Works’ established Santa as a maker of toys; in 1869 a book of the same name collected new Nast drawings with a poem by George P. Webster that identified the North Pole as Santa's home. Finally, a Boston printer named Louis Prang introduced the English custom of Christmas cards to America, and in 1885 he issued a card featuring a red-suited Santa. Santa Claus in his red suit had become a standard image by the 1920s. The jolly, red-and-white garbed Santa Claus figure was established years before artist Haddon H. Sundblom drew his first Santa portrait for Coca-Cola in 1931. Sundblom, a commercial illustrator, began to work for Coca-Cola in 1924, and from 1931 on he created at least one painting of Santa Claus every year for use in advertisements by The Coca-Cola Company.

Thus, more and more, the emphasis of Christmas became the gift-giving, and Santa Claus. If one needed a biblical basis for this, the Magi were the perfect foils. Tomorrow we’ll look at their biblical role in Christmas.

The Venerable Bede - Namer of the Wise Men

It’s probably from the Venerable Bede, an 8th century Anglo-Saxon historian, that we get the names of the Magi. He wrote...

The magi were the ones who gave gifts to the Lord. The first is said to have been Melchior,
an old man with white hair and a long beard...who offered gold to the Lord as a king. The second, Gaspar by name, young and beardless and ruddy complexioned... honored him as God by his gift of incense, an oblation worthy of divinity. The third, black-skinned and heavily bearded, named Balthasar... by his gift of myrrh testified to the Son of Man who was to die.

Even poor Mr. Bede was the victim of a cultural misinterpretation, however...

Bede was born in Britain in 672 or 673 A.D., the height of “the dark ages.” An Anglo-Saxon, he was a Benedictine monk at the Northumbrian monastery of Saint Peter and its companion monastery, Saint Paul's, both in the English county of Durham. He was placed in the monastery at the age of seven, he became a deacon when he was nineteen, and a priest at thirty, remaining a priest for the rest of his life. It is not clear whether he was of noble birth but we do know he was well known as an author and scholar. His most famous work was The Ecclesiastical History of the English People. In that work of five books and 400 pages, Bede describes the history of England, ecclesiastical and political, from the time of Caesar to the date of its completion in 731. This work gained him the title "The father of English history".

Bede became known as Venerable Bede soon after his death on May 25, 735. He was not considered for sainthood by the Roman Catholic Church, so the title “venerable” is somewhat unusual. His title is believed to come from a mistranslation of the Latin inscription on his tomb in Durham Cathedral. It was intended to be: "Here lie the venerable bones of Bede," but it was wrongly interpreted as: "Here lie the bones of the Venerable Bede." And the name stuck. So did his names for the 3 Wise Men!

"Happy Holidays!"

Many Christian folks are bothered that "Happy Holidays" is taking the place of "Merry Christmas" in our culture’s holiday parlance – especially in the retail sector, which can’t afford (literally) to offend any customers. It seems to me that this is not really anything new. It just continues the trend begun about a century ago when the "holy-day" became a "holi-day" with the increasing emphasis on retail – an emphasis we Christians, for the most part, have supported. When, as a kid, I noticed the Sears catalogue started arriving in the mail earlier and earlier every year, that was a clue.

How should we respond? As the Magi, with their desire to search out and join what God is doing in the world? Or as Herod, with equal and opposite power politics? I suggest we think about these things:

* Instead of complaining picking about what the retailer calls the holiday, be patient with the people who work there. Give them a warm smile and a kind word. Even if they aren't allowed to wish you a "Merry Christmas" that doesn't keep you from wishing them one. Then stop shopping there on Sunday. If the store didn't make so much money on that day they'd close and let their employees spend the day at home with their families.

* If it bothers you that the town in which you live doesn't allow a scene depicting Jesus’ birth, then just get rid of a couple of Santa's and snowmen and put in a small Nativity scene on your own front lawn. If all Christ’s followers did that there wouldn't be any need for such a scene on the town square because there would be many of them all around town.

* Stop worrying about the fact that people are calling the tree a holiday tree, instead of a Christmas tree. It was Christ who made all trees. You can and may remember Him anytime you see any tree. Decorate a grape vine if you wish: He actually spoke of that one in a teaching explaining who He is in relation to you and what each of our tasks were (John 15:1-8ff).

* Encourage people to, instead of writing George complaining about the wording "Happy Holidays" on the cards his staff sent out last year, write and tell him that you'll be praying for him and his family this year. Then follow up.

* Instead of giving your children a lot of gifts you can't afford and they don't need, spend time with them. Tell them the story of Christ’s love and why He came to live with us down here. Hold them in your arms and remind them that Jesus loves them.

* Pick someone that has hurt you in the past and forgive him or her.

* Did you know that someone in your town will attempt to take their own life this Christmas season because they feel so alone and hopeless? Since you don't know who that person is, try giving everyone you meet a warm smile it could make the difference. Also, you might consider supporting the local Hot-Line: they talk with people like that every day.

* Finally if you want to make a statement about your belief in and loyalty to Christ, then behave like a Christian. Don't do things in secret that you wouldn't do in His presence. Let people know by your actions that you are one of Christ’s.

Just a thought.

The Name

On to week #2. Now I’ve REALLY taken to meddlin’ now! I mention in sermon #2 that the name of the Child found in the manger is very important. Joseph was told in a vision what name to give this Child to be born to Mary. (The same name was given by an angel to Mary in Luke’s gospel.) His name is to be "Jesus." Why is that important?
In our December-cut Christmas, the name hardly matters at all. He might has well be named George, Paul, John, or Ralph, for the name plays no part in our celebration except telling us what to call this Child. But in the Director’s-cut Christmas, the name is vitally important. After all, BOTH Joseph and Mary are given the same name for Him. "Jesus" is the Greek form of the Hebrew Yeshua, or "Joshua," which in Hebrew means "God saves." Saves from what? Sin. The built-in human bent toward self-deception, self-gratification, blame-shifting, rebellion against God. It’s not a pretty sight. Very common in everyday life, but have you ever seen any Christmas cards that depict sin? Probably not. Yet sin – the almost infinite variety of ways we screw up our lives and the lives of those around us – is very much a part of the Director’s cut Christmas. The very name of the Child – Jesus – is in fact, a reminder that God knows the day to day reality of our lives. And that God does not leave us to our own devices, but intervenes to save us – from ourselves.
"So you mean to say even Christmas reminds us of our sinful nature?" Afraid so.
I was reminded of this through an incident that happened to a friend years ago. Let’s call him Paul. He gave a present to his brother, Ned. Ned opened Paul’s gift, but instead of being grateful, he started complaining that Paul’s gift cost less to buy than Ned’s gift to Paul. They actually got into a big argument about this. I’m not sure whether Ned’s sin would be called "greed" or "coveting," but either way, it’s on the "big list" of sins.
Now you see what I mean about taking to meddlin’! Who wants to think about our sinfulness during Christmas? But it is very much a part of the Director’s-cut Christmas. The Christ Child would not have needed to come into the world, there would be no need of Christmas, if it were not for the fact that human beings stubbornly insist on doing life "my way" (as Frank Sinatra crooned). "Jesus" came to save us from all that, to offer us a vision of doing life "God’s way."
So next time you’re opening a Christmas present, why don’t you silently confess your sins!

Joseph the Widower??

Here’s a little break from my “rant” of the last couple of days about Christmas celebrations. I mentioned in sermon #1 how modern tradition sees Mary and Joseph as two young people in love. When Joseph finds out Mary is pregnant, in this view, his pain comes from his mourning the loss of innocence of young love. His fiancé has been unfaithful to him. His love of Mary and his hopes for the future are dashed.

But there is an older tradition that sees things quite differently. It’s a view that still has important influence in the Roman Catholic Church even today. In a document called The Infancy Gospel of James, (which you can read by clicking here), Joseph is not a young man. He is a widower with children from his previous marriage. He is assigned by divine lot to be guardian, caretaker of the young Mary. His job is to watch out for her and to keep her pure. When Joseph returns from building houses (he was a carpenter), he discovers Mary is “swelling” (you gotta love those ancient writers!) He is beside himself with grief. He struck his face and threw himself on the ground in sackcloth and wept bitterly, "How can I look to the Lord God? What will I pray about her, for I took her as a virgin from the temple of the Lord and did not guard her? Who has set this trap for me? Who did this evil in my house? Who stole the virgin from me and defiled her. Has not the story of Adam been repeated with me? For while Adam was glorifying God, the serpent came and found Eve alone and deceived her and defiled her - so it has also happened to me."

In this tradition – which incidently, Catholics use to explain how Jesus had brothers (see John 7:1ff) if Mary perpetually remained a virgin – Joseph is still overcome with pain at discovering Mary’s “news.” But in this telling, it is not the loss of innocence or the hope of his future with Mary that Joseph mourns. It is his failure to abide by his promise to God. Joseph feels he has failed God. He does not yet know that it is GOD who is responsible for this situation. In this tradition, Christmas involves our awareness of how much we have failed God – even as God is using that very same situation to save us.

I encourage you to check the Infancy Gospel of James and see what other Christmas traditions are rooted in it.

How We Celebrated Christmas/Epiphany

As a follow-up to my blog yesterday, let me tell you about the impact Michelle’s scolding had on me!

As Lauren, and then Eric, came along, we kept this old family tradition on Christmas Eve of acting out the nativity. But now I was determined that my children would know the REAL story. So I made a pledge to read the Christmas story from the Bible from now on. My later two children’s memories are always of hearing the story read from the Bible, never the free form version.

We also decided to teach them more biblically by separating the arrival of the shepherds from the Wise Men. And to build a little excitement and sense of anticipation. When Advent begins, we set up the nativity set. Mary and Joseph – and Mary’s donkey – are placed on the other side of the room. Each day, as Christmas approaches, one of the children would get to move Mary and Joseph – and Mary’s donkey, let us not forget Mary’s donkey – closer to the manger. Meanwhile, the Wise Men – and their camels, let us not forget their camels – are placed in another room. On Christmas Eve, as mentioned yesterday, we read the Christmas story from Luke and the children placed Mary, Joseph, baby Jesus, the shepherds, sheep, and cows in the manger. What was unusual – and perhaps unique to being a preacher’s kid – my children actually looked forward to Epiphany. As Epiphany approached, we moved the Wise Men and their camels closer and closer to the manger. Then, on January 6th – Epiphany, which celebrates the unveiling of the Christ to the Gentiles – we would remove the shepherds from the manger and place the Wise Men. Then we would read the Christmas story from Matthew. To this day, my kids – now grown – look forward to Epiphany more than most. Perhaps it didn’t hurt that we gave them another “Christmas gift” that day as well!

An Idea Whose Time Has Come!

It seems that several other area organizations have latched on to the “Christmas in July” idea. Were they all reading our web-site??

* The Alley Theatre is celebrating “Christmas in July” with a special advanced ticket offer for the annual production of A Christmas Carol, A Ghost Story of Christmas, which runs November 20 through December 29, 2007.

* Second Baptist Church is using the theme “Christmas in July” to promote the Samaritan’s Purse “Operation Christmas Child” and their back to school drive giving opportunities.

* Saint Arnold Brewing Company, the oldest craft brewery in Texas, is flipping the calendar ahead and celebrating "Christmas in July" by releasing a special summertime batch of Saint Arnold Christmas Ale. A centerpiece of the brewery's celebration of "Christmas in July," the special batch consists of approximately 30 kegs and 600 cases.

* The Houston Astros are celebrating “Christmas in July” on July 27 at their 7:05 p.m. game vs. San Diego. The first 10,000 fans will receive special “Astros” Santa hats!

* Houston radio station KHCB (105.7 FM) plays ALL Christmas music on Wednesday, July 25, between their schedule programming. They do this every July 25th and always receive lots of positive feedback. (For what it’s worth, they also do “5 days of Christmas” programming every year on December 21.)

* And last, but by no means least, the Houston Cross Stitch Group is celebrating “Christmas in July” at their July meeting. Members are urged to bring their Christmas stitching, Christmas cookies, and enjoy stitching to their favorite Christmas music.

"That Is NOT How It Goes!"

To follow up on my rant of the last couple of days about the truthfulness of what we teach our children about the Christmas story, I’m reminded of a true story in our family. (Watch out when a preacher tells you that. You’re in for a long one!)

When my oldest daughter Michelle – now a recent graduate with her “doctor of pharmacy” degree from Texas Tech! – was a little child, on Christmas Eve it was our tradition to go home from church and get out the nativity set Susan’s cousin, Grace, had made her right after we were married, and tell the Christmas story. Because Michelle was so young, I told sort of the “Reader’s Digest–formulated for a 2-3 year old” version of the story. As I told the story, Susan and Michelle would act out the part for each of the nativity roles as they placed that part in the nativity scene. Michelle always did this with great fanfare, ascribing all the dialogue suitable to being a shepherd, or sheep, or cow, etc.

As I said, for the first couple of years of her life, we told a child’s version of the story. But one year, when Michelle was probably 5 or 6 years old, I decided that she was old enough now to hear the REAL story read from the Bible. So as we gathered for the story – which by now was a genuine, bona fide Johnson family Christmas tradition – I read from the Christmas story from the BIBLE. After reading from Luke and closing the Bible to watch what always came next, Michelle looked at me disapprovingly. She was not pleased. Something was different. The words were new. The concepts were strange. With the all the sincerity of a child she scolded me by saying, “Daddy, that is NOT how it goes!!”

I guess that was when I first began to notice the importance of traditions to our celebration of Christmas. Whatever is old, whatever is familiar, whatever is “what we’ve always done,” whatever feels comfortable and traditional becomes more important than what the Bible really says. Whether we’re 5 or 50.

A letter from a listener

I received this e-mail about the series and thought it was worth posting. Notice the importance of the small group! I have the author's permission, though she wants to remain nameless...


"Bob, I am amazed how very much I am being impacted by your sermon series Christmas in July. I love Christmas - the story of the Nativity, Advent, Children's pageant, Santa, food, gift giving, cards, family and friends - all of it! But I must confess that it is the Lenten journey culminating in Easter that has ever been my closest connection with God. Christmas has always been a celebration of love, but Easter was what my faith is all about.
The sermon plus my small group last night has given much, much more depth to the real meaning of Christmas to me. I want to thank you for giving us this opportunity to stretch.
I wish everyone could participate in a small group during this time. Our group had a great time discussing and going deeper into the subject.
I approached this sermon topic sort of "luke warm" (Not an attended reference to the real St. Luke). I will participate now with enthusiasm and great interest as to what is coming next!
Again, thanks to you and Liza for vitalizing our summer worship."

Christmas - A Serious Spiritual Problem?

So I feel guilty about continuing to teach the Christmas story to children in a way that I know isn’t biblical. (See yesterday's blog.) But there’s more. Murray Abraham Pura writes...

“The popular Christmas story is familiar to everyone. Christmas cards and other modern renditions give us glimpses of a flawless Mary in pristine wrinkle-free clothing, a steady and unperturbed Joseph in an equally immaculate robe, a cheerful stable with clean straw and friendly animals, and the arrival of shepherds in newly laundered snow-white tunics with dirt-free sandals on their feet. It is a romanticized version, of course, and can cause problems for our own spiritual growth if we take it too seriously.” (From The Renovare Spiritual Formation Bible)

Problems for our spiritual growth? Sounds serious. What possible problem for our spiritual growth could this celebration of Christmas cause?

One of the largest churches in United Methodism is located right here in the city of Houston. Pastored by Rev. Kirbyjon Caldwell, this church is THE largest Methodist church in our city, with over 7,000 attendees each week. I’m speaking of Windsor Village UMC on the southside. Windsor Village UMC does not celebrate Christmas as a church. It’s not that Pastor Caldwell does not celebrate the birth of our Savior, or the incarnation of God in human flesh. He believes in these passionately. But he is concerned that the way we celebrate Christmas can cause problems for the spiritual growth of his flock. So Windsor Village does not celebrate Christmas as a church. Do you think Pastor Caldwell and Windsor Village UMC have over-reacted? How do you feel about what Murray Abraham Pura writes?

Feeling Guilty About Christmas

A wave of guilt lies behind my deciding to preach on the theme Christmas in July: The Director’s Cut. I thought about all the children influenced by my ministry throughout the 20+ years now that I’ve been doing this. I thought especially about the ones who appear in our Christmas pageants year after year. Landing the role of Mary or Joseph – and in some cases, baby Jesus – is always a highlight for a young person and their family. Important auxiliary roles are those of the Wise Men and the shepherds. Perhaps some child will relish the role of the innkeeper because it calls for a little acting ability to say, "There is no room in my inn. But you can use my stable out back."
As the pageant typically unfolds, Mary and Joseph kneel worshipfully by the creche – looking as holy as they can in their modified bathrobes. Then here come the cute little shepherd boys (and girls), often with other children portraying sheep in tow. Cotton swabs can be made to appear amazingly like wool. Finally, the Wise Men majestically approach the scene. Always three of them. Usually wearing fake beards and carrying their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh, they present their gifts to the Child in the manger with royal plush. I wonder if any of our child actors ever think to themselves, "I’m sure glad I don’t get gold, frankincense, and myrrh for Christmas!" In the climatic scene in our Christmas pageants, the holy family, the shepherds and their sheep, and the Wise Men all stand in worshipful, silent reverence over the plastic baby Jesus. Often we try to salvage the moment by teaching the children something about what all these characters were doing – worshiping the Savior.
But now this all bothers me. Why? Because I know that the Wise Men and the shepherds never appear together in any of the scripture’s portrayal of Christmas. The shepherds appear in Luke’s gospel – only Luke’s – and come to Jesus the night He is born. The Wise Men are from Matthew’s gospel – only Matthew’s – and come to Him long enough after His birth to give them time to travel to Jerusalem and on to Bethlehem. Matthew even says they came to the Child "in a house." And Matthew never mentions how many Wise Men there were – 3 or 103. Luke never even mentions an innkeeper. The "inn"of which he speaks was probably more like a large room in a family house rather than a commercial establishment.
Maybe I seem curmudgeonly about all this. Isn’t there such as thing as artistic license? What’s wrong with letting the children continue the tradition of the usual Christmas pageant, even if it does condense the story? Here’s why this made me feel guilty – As a pastor, I realize that these children trust me to teach them the truth. "If Bro. Bob (the folks in my churches always called me "Bro. Bob") taught us this, it MUST be true." And sure enough, I DID teach them that. So some day they find out the truth about Santa Claus. That notches Christmas down a bit, and perhaps their trust in adult teaching. Then, perhaps in that time of intellectual awakening known as sophomore year of college, they find out the way the Bible really portrays Christmas. And then they wonder – "What else was I taught in church by Bro. Bob that isn’t true?" Score one for a loss of credibility. And, to add to my angst, the Bible does say I’ll be held accountable for that some day (James 3:1).
How can we help our children understand what the Bible really communicates about the Savior’s birth? I guess it begins with our knowing the story as the Bible tells it so that we can teach it ourselves. What constitutes "crossing the line" in modifying the story? Leave a comment about what you think.

Christmas Cards: Friend or Foe?

Christmas cards. They are a big part of our “December cut” Christmas tradition. Most of us send them and receive them. But do we ever consider what message we are communicating with them? What do the cards we receive – and send – say about Christ and Christmas?

Many of the cards I’ve received portray beautiful and pastoral Currier and Ives winter scenes. There’s usually snow, often a horse drawn sleigh, maybe with a Christmas tree on board. Or there’s cute little animals – not only reindeer, but also chipmunks, raccoons, cardinals, and cute gray mice. Or friendly, cherubic angels. Even the religiously-themed cards seem a far cry from the biblical story. To look at the holy family in these cards, you can tell instantly that these are not real human beings. In the midst of lives in a mess, they look unruffled and serene. Bright gold halos surround their heads like crowns. Inside, these cards stress themes like love, goodwill, cheer, happiness, warmth.

These cards attract perhaps through their portrayal of a simpler time. As Philip Yancey points out in The Jesus I Never Knew, Christmas did not sentimentally simplify life on planet earth. Yancey says, “Christmas art depicts Jesus’ family as icons stamped in gold foil, with a calm Mary receiving the tidings of the Annunciation as a kind of benediction. But that is not at all how Luke tells the story. Mary was ‘greatly troubled’ and ‘afraid’ at the angel’s appearance, and when the angel announced the sublime words about the Son of the Most High whose kingdom will never end, Mary had something far more mundane on her mind: But I’m a virgin!”

As I try to point out in the sermon series Christmas in July: The Director’s Cut, the biblical portrayal of Christmas is much more like real life. God comes to us in the midst of the most difficult circumstances. God even uses difficult circumstances to come to us. I don’t mean to make anyone afraid to send me a Christmas card – which will be, I suppose, the natural effect of my ranting about them in this way! – but I wonder if we ought to require of ourselves that our cards reflect our gospel? Can we select cards to send that bear some resemblance to the actual scripture story we reverence?

Just a thought to make your December Christmas just a little more meaningful.