I was wondering this week what the term “Christmas Season”
means. Is it a specific calendar space of time or is it a result of snow
falling and windows being painted with images of reindeer, snowmen and Santa
figures? I see the term seasons’ greetings, happy holidays and happy new year
everywhere yet I have yet to see a nativity painting. I see the mall parking
lots bursting at the seams yet church parking lots and services are all but
bare. It appears as though the buying frenzy is answering the call of gift
desperation and the true meaning of Christmas is being camouflaged with colored
lights and loud music.
To be fair, I do see most churches being adorned with the
proper trappings to let everyone know that we are to celebrate the birth of
Jesus. We all know that Jesus was not born in December but our culture has a
long standing tradition of celebrating this time of year. That is what the
Christmas Season should really be. It should be a time of ramping up our
message to the world and our community that the miracle of Jesus’ birth
happened against all odds. It happened against all the wishes and efforts of
kings and kingdoms that felt threatened by the coming of the true messiah. The
marking of Jesus’ birth is even today, a threat to kings and kingdoms of
another type. The huge retailers wish to cash in on Christmas without
acknowledging Christs’ birth. The atheist’s must surely dislike this time of
year because the sweet sound of Christmas carols in our community have the
power to drown out their denial of God’s existence.
I witnessed a dedicated group at the First Baptist Church
erecting a nativity backdrop and a wonderful poster of invitation to Christmas
services. I am aware that church bodies in our community, ours included, will
be dedicating certain services to music presentations that will sing the
praises of the Lamb. We will again be celebrating and sharing the true miracle
that happened 2016 years ago. Jesus came unto man without fan fair. He lived a
simple life among us, died an undeserved death, asked the Father to forgive us
and rose again to go and prepare a place for all who would come into His house.
His quiet existence and influence for over two thousand years is as powerful
today as it was back then. That, my friends, is what we should all remember and
celebrate this “Christmas Season”.
Mike Shindruk
www.mastershandministry.blogspot.ca
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