My daughter Emily and I were in the car the other day listening to Christmas music on 101.1 FM when, what to my wondering ears should appear, but John Denver singing "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer." Of course, it didn’t take long until they played Bing Crosby’s, "White Christmas" (and yes, it seems it is only a dream). And then there was Burl Ives, Amy Grant, Natalie Cole, Elvis Presley--which pop singers haven’t done a Christmas album?
So there’s the music of the season. Plus the lights, cookies, parties, decorating, shopping, Christmas cards, seasonal movies and TV programs (my favorite is "A Charlie Brown Christmas"): this must be the most tradition-laden event in the year (at least, it is for our family).
A risk in reenacting such cherished traditions is that we’d lose sight of the big picture; God’s designs for the first Christmas can get buried under piles of wrapping paper as we open gifts around the tree. To push back the steamroller of pleasant customs and recover the God-exalting core of Christmas, we need to pay attention to the details of Scripture.
Let’s take the shepherds, for example (Luke 2:8-20). In fact, the story of shepherds "abiding in the fields" can itself degenerate into a holiday ritual of soothing words and nothing more. But if we prayerfully re-read this account with our eyes and minds wide open, we’ll see some striking details. Like "suddenly" in 2:13: "Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.'" It isn’t enough to know that first one angel spoke and then many others appeared as well. We must realize that the appearance of the "host" was sudden and unexpected--they burst onto the scene.
What does this imply? That there was energy and zeal and anticipation in heaven to announce the breathtaking Incarnation. God’s great plan had been riveted on this event since eternity past, and now its time had come! So picture the array of angelic singers (and the text suggests a massive company--at least thousands...) all lined up and ready to go; imagine them, as it were, right behind the curtain, all set, on pitch, waiting for the cue to explode into visibility. Waiting, still waiting, no not yet, not now, wait, wait, any second, hang on: NOW! Glory to God in the highest!
May your Christmas also bring sudden bursts of praise to Jesus Christ, the Newborn King!
So there’s the music of the season. Plus the lights, cookies, parties, decorating, shopping, Christmas cards, seasonal movies and TV programs (my favorite is "A Charlie Brown Christmas"): this must be the most tradition-laden event in the year (at least, it is for our family).
A risk in reenacting such cherished traditions is that we’d lose sight of the big picture; God’s designs for the first Christmas can get buried under piles of wrapping paper as we open gifts around the tree. To push back the steamroller of pleasant customs and recover the God-exalting core of Christmas, we need to pay attention to the details of Scripture.
Let’s take the shepherds, for example (Luke 2:8-20). In fact, the story of shepherds "abiding in the fields" can itself degenerate into a holiday ritual of soothing words and nothing more. But if we prayerfully re-read this account with our eyes and minds wide open, we’ll see some striking details. Like "suddenly" in 2:13: "Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.'" It isn’t enough to know that first one angel spoke and then many others appeared as well. We must realize that the appearance of the "host" was sudden and unexpected--they burst onto the scene.
What does this imply? That there was energy and zeal and anticipation in heaven to announce the breathtaking Incarnation. God’s great plan had been riveted on this event since eternity past, and now its time had come! So picture the array of angelic singers (and the text suggests a massive company--at least thousands...) all lined up and ready to go; imagine them, as it were, right behind the curtain, all set, on pitch, waiting for the cue to explode into visibility. Waiting, still waiting, no not yet, not now, wait, wait, any second, hang on: NOW! Glory to God in the highest!
May your Christmas also bring sudden bursts of praise to Jesus Christ, the Newborn King!
