REAL PEOPLE. REAL EMOTIONS. REAL DRAMA.

As I was wondering what to discuss in our Sunday School class, I came up with: Christmas: Emotions On Steroids -- Then And Now. Hopefully it will make for an interesting discussion. My goal is to put life into the Christmas Story. To make it real.

We hear the Christmas Story over and over. We might not know it word for word, but could tell it pretty close. That can be a problem. When we hear the same thing over and over, we can quit listening. Our minds wander. We forget the joy! We forget the people, the emotions and the drama were real.

Just think about Mary. There she is, minding her own business, when Gabriel came to her and said, "Greetings." Now how would you react if you were mowing your yard and an angel appeared saying, "Greetings."? Don't worry about your reaction. Mary was a bit un-nerved too. Luke 1:29: Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be." TROUBLED? Mary was not only troubled, but greatly troubled.

Just think about Joseph. Joseph's day was not going exactly as planned. (Ever had one of those days?) He had found out his soon-to-be-wife was with child. Wow. Can you image the back and forth going on in his head? And his heart? Decisions. Decisions. Decisions. Enough to make anyone tired. Slumber gave Joseph the answer he was searching for. He had a dream. He not only had a dream, he remembered the dream and obeyed.

Yes, real people with real emotions and enough drama to be the lead story on the evening news. Maybe the networks will even break into the ball game with a news alert. Ok. In today's society, breaking into a ball game might be a stretch, but there is plenty of drama.

• A walk of 70 to 90 miles, depending on who is doing the measuring, by a pregnant teenage
• No room at the inn
• A baby is born
• Angels everywhere
• Shepherds arriving
• Wise Men headed their way
• A very mad King Herod
• An escape to Egypt

Real people. Real emotions. Real drama.

Do you remember my goal for the Sunday School class? "My goal is to put life into the Christmas Story. To make it real." That is my goal for all of us and we can accomplish this by not just reading about the birth of Jesus. Instead we need to close our eyes and picture each action. We need to open our hearts and feel each emotion. We need to allow the drama to unfold before us.

Take time - yes, we are all busy - and read MATTHEW 1:18 - 2:18 and LUKE 1:26 - 38 and LUKE 2:1-20

Once more read these verses by section or activity. Stop and consider the emotions each person would have been going through. Fear? Surprise? Anger? Frustration? What was going on around them? Was it quiet? Noisy? Dusty? What did the sky look like to the shepherds? What did it sound like when "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.' "?

Position your arms as if holding a baby and ask, "What did it feel like to hold Jesus?"

Jesus does not want you to read His story every year just so you can say, "Well, of course we read it. Doesn't everybody?"

Jesus wants you to read His story and proclaim, "Mary was with child and gave birth to a son. She named him Jesus. He is great and is called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God gave him the throne of David and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end."

AMEN!!!