Countdown to Christmas: After Christmas

The Message:
In the tradition of the shepherds and the wisemen, we will give many gifts this Holiday season. Some will be meaningful, some will be frivolous. Some will be gaily wrapped, others unwrappable. Some will be expensive, some will come from the heart. None can match the priceless gift that was given to us.

Will we bring a gift to our worship? What might we offer as we kneel before the manger? Gold, Frankincense, and Myrhh seem strangely out of place this time.

What might we give as we kneel before the cross? Even a lamb will not do this time, for Jesus was the sacrificial lamb. Perhaps we might give a favorite sin, a heavy burden, a prideful spirit. Perhaps we could give obedience, our love, our will. Perhaps, we could offer our hands or even our heart.

And should we choose to give our heart to Jesus, he would give to us a new heart...a softer more obedient heart. He would take us and make us his. He would teach us to be like him.

I¹m Trying To Be Like Jesus (Children¹s Songbook p. 78)

Countdown to Christmas: Day Five

Historians tell us that the wise men did not really kneel at the manger. They came much later, perhaps as much as two years later.

The wise men, or Magi, came from afar, and unlike the common, humble shepherds were men of wealth, influence, and power, perhaps even kings.

And so we see that the Savior did not come to just one nation or class of people. The Savior’s mission was to all people, rich and poor, learned and ignorant, humble and influential, Jew and gentile. All men, no matter what their race or station can come to the Savior and become whole. We are reminded that when he comes again every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is the Christ.

We feel a sense of wonder as we imagine the Wise Men opening their treasures for the small Jesus. Their gifts were so well chosen.

Gold, a gift reserved for royalty, a gift representing a crown, a gift befitting a king.

Frankincense, a type of incense used by the priests in the temple . This was given as a symbol of his priesthood, his divine power, his Priestly nature. Frankincense was used in the temple for sacrificial offerings, and was given to the baby Jesus--Jesus, who would one day teach us much about sacrifice--Jesus, who had come to sacrifice himself for us, that we might live again.

The third gift, myrhh, was a type of perfume used for burial, a gentle reminder that Jesus would one day die for us.

Don't you love these images:

Learned men searching for Jesus, the source of truth and knowledge;

Influential men traveling through the darkness, to find the light of the world,following the star to seek the bright and morning star.

Perhaps even Kings, bowing before the King of Kings.

Sing: With Wondering Awe (Hymns p. 210)

*Note: There is an additional message which you can read on Christmas Day, or sometime next week. I think you'll enjoy it. It will be posted tomorrow.

Gratitude: The Forgotten Key

There is something lovely about autumn. The days are crisper and there is a sense of purpose in the air. I enjoy the fall color and the gently falling leaves. I breathe deeply. I smell change.

As I watch the leaves fall, I ponder change. I wonder about the future. I look inside myself and enjoy the stillness. I step softly into my heart and take inventory. I embrace my gifts and examine my baggage. It is a good time for letting go.

What will I let go of this autumn? Some of my baggage is old and familiar. Shall I be done with it, at last? Is it time to move on? Can I let it go, like softly falling leaves, and allow it to gather at my feet, where I can sweep it up and carry it out?

Can I let go of judgement? Deceit? Bitterness? Self-Pity? Resentment? Anger?

Some thoughts have lodged in my heart for so long, they seem like family.
Who would I be without these guests? Guests are they, or perhaps intruders?

I examine each piece of baggage, each intruder, and wonder why I have kept it close for so long. In the corners of my heart I find hidden containers. Secrets. Do I know them?

Inferiority. Not good enough. Not smart enough. Not pretty enough. No one likes me. It’s too late. I never… I always… How long have those bags been hidden in my heart? Who put them there?

Not I. Surely not I. Have I just been storing them, then, til someone claims them? Let them fall. I shake my inner tree and let them go.

I sweep the corners and gather the dust of loneliness, the cobwebs of despair, the skeletons of self-judgement, the bones of isolation.

Autumn feels good. With joy, I release things that no longer serve me. I let them go. I sweep up the leaves of yesterday and carry them out.

So much garbage. Did I get it all? Maybe not, but there is more room in my heart now. Room for shiny new gifts. Room for a jar of love, a box of forgiveness, a sack of friendship. Room for a cup of kindness, a tin of tolerance, and a can of cooperation.

With the baggage gone, I see a door that I didn’t noticed before. It was hidden behind the intruders. The word PEACE is painted on the door in pretty script.

What lies behind that door ? A closet? A hallway? An adventure? The door is locked. I search for a key. There it is hanging from a ribbon on a nail. The key is ornate, the ribbon delicate, and it is labeled gratitude.

Gratitude is the key.

"Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow." (Melodie Beattie)

I turn the key and enter. It’s not a hallway or a closet. It’s a beautiful room. Silently, it speaks the word on the door. It whispers peace.

The room is lovely. Fresh flowers grace the table. A fire crackles in the fireplace. The walls are decorated with things I love, meaningful art and pictures of things I am grateful for. I see faces of family and friends. I see happy memories frozen in time. These are precious gifts.

I explore this comfortable room. I sit at the piano and caress the keys lovingly. A tender melody flows from my grateful fingers. The music of my heart fills the stillness with gratitude. The gift of music sweetens my life.

I am drawn to the bookshelf where I notice my favorite books are mingled with some I have never read. I touch each one, feeling gratitude for the power of words. I am delighted that there are always new words to read. My fingers rest lovingly on the scriptures. I am grateful for the words of life.

Light filters in through a single window. I stand at the window and gaze at a charming garden alive with gracious plants. I throw open the window to breathe in the colors of life—the colors of gratitude. I find joy in this garden.

Inside this cozy room I become aware of my gifts, which are many. They bring meaning and enjoyment into my life. They bring me peace. I gather these gifts in my arms and carry them close to me, as I move toward the fire.

There is a mirror above the fireplace. As I look into the mirror, I am surprised to see not one, but two faces reflected there. I see my own face, and also the face of my Savior. I see that His life is woven together with mine. I see that His love and support makes my life meaningful. Gratitude swells within my heart.

A comfortable chair waits for me in front of the fire of love. It is inviting and has embroidery on the back. I trace the stiches with my fingers. At first the words are difficult to read, but as the fire tosses light onto the chair and fills the room with love, the words become clearer.

I can read the words now. Remember Who You Are. What a gift.

It’s a beautiful chair. I think I’ll sit a while.

Linda Garner