How to have a meaningful Christmas
Here's quick recap of GBCK's Christmas Conspiracy series that looked at four keys to keeping the true meaning of Christmas alive.
1. Remember the Reason: It all starts with Jesus; no Jesus, no Christmas. Remembering the birth of Jesus isn't merely a historical exercise. It's remembering that the King of the Universe radically broke into humanity in order to redeem his creation back to himself. Jesus came so we can know God.
2. Give Presence: Presence cannot be given in a box with a bow. Presence is simply the gift of relationships; it's being near to those whom you love, and to those who are far from God. You can't buy presence in a store, it's given with your life.
3. Mind Your Margins: We can lose the meaning of Christmas under an avalanche of busyness. By making sure we have extra space (margins) in our lives we allow refreshment for our souls. We clear our minds for a moment for reflection and gratitude.
4. Live with Hope: Sin is hopeless. Jesus came because we were in a hopeless situation. Jesus came so that we can believe that tomorrow will be better than today. We can rely on the One from whom all hope and comfort comes. Jesus is the anchor of hope for our souls. (Hebrews 6:19)
Open before Christmas
We're breaking with tradition this year. Usually we open gifts on Christmas day, but today we are allowing the boys to open one gift today (Christmas Eve).
However, the gifts they will open are symbolic gifts; they are gifts that symbolize a character trait that's developed in their lives over the last year. Julie and I want to affirm their growth, and to encourage them to continue to grow.
Symbolic gifts aren't expensive, but they are rich in meaning.
For Josiah, 8: a plant that symbolizes his growth in many areas: academics, athletics, relationships, physically (he's up to Julie's shoulder). He's starting to sprout and bloom.
For Micah, 6: a pack of his favorite gum that symbolizes his ability to stick-to-it. He's learning to push through the hard parts whether it's piano practice, puzzle making, scripture memory, etc.
For Aaron, 4: a little magnifying glass to symbolize a year of discovery. He's discovering the world around him more and more. He's discovering his physical abilities, social norms, vocabulary, his love for his brothers, etc.
These gifts will be presented tonight at our backyard camp out complete with hot chocolate and roasted marshmallows.
Yes, we're breaking with tradition but hoping to start a new one.
Simplification through Elimination
I read a great quote this morning: "The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak." ~ Hans Hofmann.
What a great reminder, especially during the Christmas season when everything gets so cluttered. If we want the true message of Christmas to speak loud and clear in our lives we need the ability to eliminate the unnecessary. Yet, this idea of simplification isn't reserved only for Christmas; it about life as a whole.
I'm trying to simplify my life into three pursuits: 1) develop my faith (to know God), 2) deepen my connections (to know others), 3) devote my life to God's purpose (that God would be known).
The obvious question is, "What do I need to eliminate that is preventing me from faith, connection, and life?"
I'm learning to pray as the Apostle Paul did when he prayed that we would determine what really matters (Philippians 1:9-10), and eliminate the rest.
The Power of Laughter
Last night I had a great dinner with some friends. What made it a good time wasn't the food, it was the laughter. I think we laughed the whole time. Some say laughter is the best medicine, and science is starting to prove this. Laughter is said to lower blood pressure and increase circulation. Laughter lowers stress levels and greatly improves a person's emotional well-being.
Everyone at last night's dinner is a pastor and most of our laughter came from ministry stories. If you've been in ministry any length of time you will have funny stories to tell. Why? Because ministry is about people and people do funny and bizarre things. And because pastors are people too, we do funny and bizarre things. We had a good laugh at ourselves too.
We all need a good dose of laughter. I ended the night feeling very refreshed and grateful for good friends. I needed that.
God’s Will
I had a thought this morning about God's will, here it is: Knowing God's will is more about education than revelation. Reading from Ps. 143:10, David requests of God, "Teach me to do your will..." This jumped out at me because I often ask God to show me his will. But David asks God to teach him. Moses asked the same thing in Exodus when he asked God to "teach me your ways".
Here are some distinctions between teach me and show me:
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