Christmas Reflections

I admit it. I am kind of slow to leave things. It is part of my reflective nature.

While people pack up their Christmas decorations, mine stay up until Epiphany.

I like to linger around the Christmas narrative in the Scriptures. Like pulling arugula out of my garden this week (yes it is still growing!), while most in the region have set their gardens to sleep, mine continues to give little but delicious culinary delights. This morning I saw a repetitive phrase in the Gospels.

With the announcement of Christ's birth to the main people came the words:
"Do not be afraid." Interesting all of these were in conjunction with angelic visits.

Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist heard it first. Luke 1.13
He was in the Holy Place of the temple, lighting the incense. The darkened area suddenly was lit up with Gabriel's glow. The good news was Elizabeth, his wife, was going to have a son in her old age.

The next visit was to Mary, in the town of Nazareth. Luke 1. 30
Once again Gabriel brought wonderful news. Because Mary was troubled at the greeting and full of wonder, Gabriel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary."
Her fear was rooted in her humility.

When the news of Mary's pregnancy is revealed to Joseph, he has in mind to stop the consummation of the marriage by a quiet divorce. An Angel of the LORD appeared to him in a dream once again with these very words, "Do not be afraid." This was in reference to Joseph going ahead with the marriage, even though he knew that he was not the father of the baby Mary was carrying. He obeyed immediately.

Finally, on the night Jesus was born in Bethlehem, Angels appeared to shepherds out in the fields nearby. As the Glory of God lit up that field, the words once again were, "Do not be afraid." These guys were terrified. We would have been too! One minute you are out there with your pupils adjusted to the midnight darkness,the next second the sky lights up and the fields are brighter than ever and there is an angel talking to you!

The Gospel is the Good News. The Good News includes these words, "Do not be afraid."

Those Gifts That Keep On Giving

There are some gifts that carry the wonder of Christmas in them. They last for a long time, maybe a lifetime, spanning generations even.

Each Christmas I love making up DVDs for my family. I put some current clips on it, then some old home videos.

This year I pulled out a video from Christmas 1987, 25 years ago. My dad had just got his first camcorder. My brother and he were learning the nuances of it while taping the family festivities of Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. It is quite a tape!

This past year my Dad left for heaven This Christmas is my brother's 13th one there. We watched it and laughed and even cried a little yesterday morning at my daughter's home as my brother and Dad were "among" us again.

My brother, Mark, had great ideas. Two revolved around documenting family history. The first one we did the day after Christmas 25 years ago. We rode into Queens and Brooklyn, visiting the places where our family roots are as my Dad narrated. It was great.

Before Mark got sick he said he wanted to sit Dad down and tape him telling the stories we grew up with. He never got to do that. But 10 years ago I carried out my brother's idea. I made that tape. Last year my girls each received a DVD of their Poppa telling the stories they loved to hear. Now their kids are enjoying them too.

These are all wrapped up in love and wonder. Merry Christmas!

Twas the Day Before Christmas

Just three more small gifts to wrap then I am done!

I fed the birds early. They are enjoying their breakfast.

I am remembering the unbridled excitement felt in those years of childhood on this day. It was impossible to stay calm. My mind would go to my wish list. Would I get what I asked for? My brother, Mark and I would talk about it.

I remember the year he got his electric raceway. We set it up in our bedroom we shared. That week the neighborhood kids came over for tournaments. It was great.

Now 45 years later, it is fascinating to see my grandkids unable to keep calm on this day before. Tis the Season!

Merry Christmas!

Tiny tots with their eyes all aglow will find it hard to sleep tonight.

The Christmas Rush

Luke 1.39, (26-45)
2.15-16 (8-18)

We are coming to the end of the Christmas Rush. If you are brave enough to venture to the stores the next 24 hours you have my sympathies. About 15 years ago I took my teenaged daughter to the mall on Christmas Eve. There were cars parked on the grass, traffic barely moving and people rushing everywhere.

But the rush has been going on for weeks. Last year, out in front of Penney's, I found someone's cell phone. I waited for a call to in on it, answered it, and found out who its owner was. Her dad came to the parsonage to retrieve it with a Christmas bag of chocolates for me! 2 years ago I found a wallet in the middle of Higbie Lane in West Islip. A man had gotten gas in his car and left it on the roof. I looked up his name in the phone book. I called and his wife came over with great thanks. Both of these thing occurred because of the Christmas Rush.

News 12 Long Island featured a story last night. They went to the Roosevelt Field Mall and asked shoppers yesterday if they were done with their Christmas Shopping. One after another said no, some had just begun. At the end only one lady sad she was done. The Christmas Rush will go on looks like for today and tomorrow.
E-mails coming this morning from retailers, "There's Still Time To Pick the Perfect Gift."
Used to be by tomorrow night...
Song:
Greeting cards have all been sent, the Christmas Rush is through...
But as I heard people can and will shop on line all the way into Christmas Day.

Haste does make waste but sometimes we are moved by the LORD to hurry.

There was some hurrying going on that first Christmas, in the beginning of the first century.
Mary hurried
The Shepherds hurried

Hurry
Outline of Biblical Usage:
1) haste, with haste
2) earnestness, diligence
a) earnestness in accomplishing, promoting, or striving after anything
b) to give all diligence, interest one's self most earnestly
This hurrying was not haphazard but was coupled with purpose and attention.



1. What They Were Hurrying For
Excitement about the good news
Motivated by love for the LORD/ His Word to them
God was doing something wonderful.
His Story was being made.
Jesus was coming/ had come!
Mary had wonderful news, Elizabeth too. Mary wanted to share it with her. The haste indicates intense desire.
The shepherds went immediately, with no doubt, lost no time.

2. What We Are Hurrying For?
Money, security, fear
Position
To make an impression, martyr role
Not even sure

3. What Are You Passionate About?
What moves you deep within?
What is your deepest desire?
What in the news grabs your heart?
What grabs your heart when you are alone?
What grabs your heart when you are out?

4. What's Your Hurry?
We tend to rush over things that don't matter and drag our feet with things that do.
Martin Luther, “I have so much to do that I shall spend the first three hours in prayer.” That aways gets to me!
At the end of this year, it is a good time to look at these things... To make changes

II Peter 3.12

You may say, "We've lost the real meaning of the season." You are right. As a country we have.
"The early Christians did not say in despair, "Look what the world as come to." Rather in delight, "Look What has come to the world!!!" - E. Stanley Jones
We need to do the same.

Thoughts Before Christmas

In a few hours schools will close for the Christmas Vacation. We used to say to our teachers back in Martin Avenue Elementary School, "See you next year!"as we left to go home.

At Mepham High School, we were treated to concerts in the gym and food in the cafeteria the last day of school in 1971. Jamie Glaser was one of our classmates so you can imagine the caliber of the music.

My Christmas shopping is all done, food and all. I am laying low as I am fighting a bad cold. This afternoon I may even throw on an old Christmas movie as I recover.

Last night I was giving thanks for a warm home and a comfortable bed. Quite the opposite for the Baby Whose birth we celebrate when He was born.

Praying For Grandparents of the Children of Sandy Hook

A selection of scripture was posted on Facebook in a number of locations since the horrific loss of sweet innocent children this past Friday in Newtown, Connecticut.

It is found at the end of the Christmas Story after the wise men, having been warned by God in a dream, return to their own country by another route.
Matthew 2.
16 When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. 17 Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled:
18
“A voice is heard in Ramah,
weeping and great mourning,
Rachel weeping for her children
and refusing to be comforted,
because they are no more.”

The loss of a child from a mother's heart is something I cannot fully comprehend. She carried the baby in her womb, as my mother has told me. In the 33 years that I have been a pastor, this pain that I have witnessed is unique beyond my ability to describe.

Interestingly God describes the tragedy in Bethlehem 2,000 years ago in terms of Rachel. She was the great grandmother (38 generations back) of these baby boys.

I have had funerals for babies. I have heard the wail of mothers who lost children. I have had to break the news to grandparents. Those events are fresh in my mind although some are over 30 years ago.

We pray for the mothers and fathers today in Newtown. I cannot even begin to imagine their pain.

Being a grandfather myself, and hugging my grandkids the past 5 days, this morning, I began to think about the grandparents. The stories are beginning to come out.

As you pray for the parents, pray for those dear grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins. Their lives are forever changed. We have them in our hearts today and we bring them in prayer to the God of all comfort.

How God Views The Least

Micah 5.1-5
Matthew 2.1-18

Matthew 25.31-40
The least of these my brothers...
They are His brothers.
They are mystically connected to Him.
He points this out for us to take note.


Bethlehem was and is a very small city, six miles from Jerusalem.
Bethlehem a town where sacrificial lambs were raised for use in the temple sacrifices. Those shepherds watching their flocks that night Jesus was born could very well been part of this.


1. Do not despise the days of small things.
Zechariah 4.10
The large things have polluted our minds to the point that we have little or no appreciation for small things.
The Box Store mentality influences our thinking about everything, even the Kingdom of Heaven.

It was right that our Saviour should be born in Bethlehem and that because of Bethlehem's history, Bethlehem's name, and Bethlehem's position—little in Judah.
Rachel died there. Jacob buried her there.
Rachel weeping for her children... This past week we studied it. Friday it was being quoted over and over again. Matthew 2 we pray for all the families of the Sandy Hook Elementary School and Newtown, Connecticut today.
Naomi left there with her husband and sons and came back empty. But God did wonders through Ruth and Boaz which blessed her greatly.
David was born there.
Jesus' birthplace.

2. Do not use the standards of worldly measurement.

1 Corinthians 1:26-29 Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him.


Jesus always goes among the little ones. We use that verse, those words of Jesus, "Matthew 18:20 For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.” Small gatherings of prayer. This sees to be His direction. I know it has been a blessing for me for 11 years, or 20 years.

My observation. Large groups, lots of speaking, easy distractions. Small groups more focused. Are you against large groups praying? Not at all. I am just trying to follow Jesus and see where His emphasis was.

Moves of God always began with small prayer groups. Big movements of God all had very humble, wuiet, insignificant beginnings.

3. Stay open to God's ways which are not our ways.
Isaiah 55.8-9
66.2 Has not My Hand made all these things, and so they came into being?" declares the LORD. "This is the one I esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at my word.

Big hearts never get Christ inside of them; Christ lieth not in great hearts, but in little ones. Mighty and proud spirits never have Jesus Christ, for he cometh in at low doors, but he will not come in at high ones. Remember the manger. - Spurgeon

This Christmas Season, let's humble ourselves before Almighty God. Let's allow our hearts to be broken. Stay away from complaining about how messed up everything is and look into the eyes and hearts of people whose lives have been torn apart by sin. Let's pray that Christ will be born in them today.

O Little Bethlehem
Oh Holy Child of Bethlehem be born in us today, Cast out our sin and enter in, Descend on us we pray. We hear the Christmas Angels, the great glad tidings tell. O come to us, abide in us, our LORD, Immanuel!

Packages Arriving

Today several packages arrived at my house. One came through the regular mail, one through UPS. One contained a special gift I had ordered, one a gift from a friend.

Its Christmas time, a time for giving and receiving. When I was young it was all about getting. As I got older it was a mixture of giving and receiving. Now it is all about giving, well almost. I still enjoy getting gifts. The enjoyment of giving is greater these days, much greater.

Any reader of this blog knows how much I enjoy feeding the birds. As I write they are out there enjoying an afternoon snack. My grandkids enjoy it too. We had a first yesterday, a pair of Downey Woodpeckers, a male and female together! How beautiful! I love to see God's creatures enjoying themselves in my yard.

I cannot even begin to imagine the thoughts God had in sending His Son to this earth. It was the greatest gift ever given! Thanks be to God for His indescribable Gift!

Its The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year!

I listened to Andy Williams singing that familiar anthem of the season.

That is true. I love this time of the year! But it can be the most difficult tine of the year if someone you love is not well. My friend, Dr. Wayne Overton, told me a few years ago that there are more funerals this month than any other. Depression runs high.

Loneliness can be overwhelming during December. Adjusting to loss in your life is the most challenging during the tine when there are parties and decorations and joyful music.

There are people at this most wonderful time of the year who are just trying to get through the day. A dear friend who lost a loved one told me, "I just want to go to sleep and wake up in the second week in January."

Still this is a season of Hope. This is a time on which human history hinged. Interestingly out in the backyard most things have begun their winter slumber. At the same time we are getting some of the most beautiful birds at our feeders. Several woodpeckers are there regularly. Their color is spectacular

It reminds me of the Wondrous event of Jesus being born in Bethlehem over 2,000 years ago. Into a world crushed by sin Christ came to save people from it.

Listen and look for those who need Him and share His love with them today.

December Has Arrived

Out in the backyard things are beginning ti slumber. The gardens are getting ready for a long winter's nap. The suet cake at the bird feeders have been active with woodpeckers, both Downey and Red Bellied. The Juncos (snowbirds) have returned, coming south to the Island for winter. As I write this there is a beautiful male cardinal at the feeder. There color gets brighter in the cold weather.

As the Radio City Music Hall song goes, "Restaurant signs swaying, Blue skies are graying, everyone's  saying, "Its Christmas in New York." The sky is gray, the wind is blowing, the yard for a few months stops growing, but the interim is most wonderful!