NOW WHAT?

Christmas is over.  Yeah, there are still a few family gatherings, but December 25 is behind us. 

The shepherds have returned to their flocks.

County basketball games are starting.

Kids are spending their gift cards.

The Wise Men are still following that star.

All those decorations have to be put away.

AND

Hallmark Christmas movies have moved into the rerun category and Winterfest movies begin next weekend.

Hopefully, you realize the above was written as sarcasm, but the question still remains:

CHRISTMAS IS OVER – NOW WHAT?

Now what?  I need a battery.

Christmas Eve service was almost over.  We were to take communion, pick up a candle, and turn it on when we began to sing Silent Night.  Everyone was in a circle around the sanctuary.  The lights were dimmed.  The music began:  Silent Night, Holy Night,…

  

MY CANDLE DID NOT WORK!  It would not turn on.  Yes, we use battery operated candles and I like that.  No smoke.  No candle wax dripping.  No fires when little Billy gets too close to Miss Mary’s scarf.   (Just an example.  Bill did not catch anything on fire.)

I looked around and there were a couple other people with the same problem – no light.  A friend, standing next to me, was in the same boat and we got the giggles.  A very solemn, respectful time and we were trying hard to giggle quietly.  It was then we opened up our candles.

Empty!  No batteries!  An usher realized the problem and brought replacement candles to us.  He gave one to a young lady and one to the giggling gentleman to my left.  HE ONLY BROUGHT TWO!  He ran out!  I was still a dark spot in a room softly glowing, with All Is Calm, All is Bright coming from the lips of everyone around the room. 

My sweet hubby (aka little Billy) held his candle out for me (aka Miss Mary) to hold with him.  A shared light.

Isn’t that what we are?  A shared light?

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.  Matthew 5:16

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world.  Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”  John 8:12

On our own, we are like the candle with no battery.  With the light of Jesus, we are His light so all can see.

I put batteries in and – by golly – LIGHT.

Just think.  If two small, AAA batteries will light a candle which can be seen across a sanctuary…

Just think.  If the human eye, according to various big thinkers, can see the light of a candle at a distance of 2.76 kilometers (1.7149844906 miles)….

Just think how far the LIGHT OF JESUS will carry --- 

Acts 13:47- from The Message:  Paul and Barnabas spoke to the Jews and ended with: 

It was required that God’s Word be spoken first of all to you, the Jews.  But seeing that you want no part of it – you’ve made it quite clear that you have no taste or inclination for eternal life – the door is open to all the outsiders.  And we’re on our way through it, following orders, doing what God commanded when he said,

I’ve set you up as light to all nations.

You’ll proclaim salvation to the four winds and seven seas!

When the non-Jewish outsiders heard this, they could hardly believe their good fortune.  All who were marked out for real life put their trust in God – they honored God’s Word by receiving that life.  And this Message of salvation spread like wildfire all through the region.

Don’t worry about those batteries --- The door is open.

Grab the Light of Jesus and proclaim away!!!

Advent is the arrival of a notable person, thing, or event.

The Christian Advent season is the four Sundays preceding Christmas and either Christmas Eve or Christmas Day.  The advent wreath has four or five candles.  There are three purple candles, one pink candle on the wreath and some include a white candle in the middle.

                                    -----------------------C A N D L E-----------------------

ADVENT                    COLOR           NAME                        REPRESENTS

1st Sunday                  Purple              Prophecy                     Hope

2nd Sunday                 Purple              Bethlehem                   Love

3rd Sunday                  Pink                 Shepherd’s                  Joy

4th Sunday                  Purple              Angel’s                       Peace

Christmas Eve or

  Christmas Day          White              Christ                          Purity

The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat,

the calf and the lion and the yearling together;

and a little child will lead them.

The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together,

and the lion will eat straw like the ox.

The infant will play near the hole of the cobra,

and the young child put his hand into the viper’s nest.

They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain,

For the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.

Isaiah 11:6-9

I cannot even begin to imagine what this will be like.  When I look back, there were days I just would have been thrilled if the kids could be in the same room without a battle.  When I look at today, I wonder what a world at peace would feel like.  Peace … Peace … Peace.

Peace … Peace … Peace.  Quietly say peace three times.  Slowly.  As if all anger is carried way.  All bitterness.  All hate.

Try it again, but this time close your eyes and take a deep breath, as you silently exhale the word peace. 

That is the feeling I wish was in our lives.  In our world.  A calm.  A quiet.  Peace.

The angels proclaimed peace:

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

Luke 2:13-14

Jesus explained peace:

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace.  In this world you will have trouble.  But take heart I have overcome the world.”

John 16:33

Peace did come to us that day.  Sadly, the world has not accepted this gift.  So how do we have peace?  We have peace IN Jesus.  There will be trouble.  But, our peace comes in how we handle that trouble.   We can hold on tightly to the trouble.  The anger.  The bitterness.  The hate.  OR --

We can take heart and know a little child will lead them and the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord.

Peace … Peace … Peace.  Quietly say peace three times.  Slowly.  As if all anger is carried way.  All bitterness.  All hate.

Try it again, but this time close your eyes and take a deep breath, as you silently exhale the word peace.  As the song says, Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me.

THIS CHRISTMAS, MAY YOU FIND HOPE AND LOVE AND JOY AND PEACE.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Advent is the arrival of a notable person, thing, or event.

The Christian Advent season is the four Sundays preceding Christmas and either Christmas Eve or Christmas Day.  The advent wreath has four or five candles.  There are three purple candles, one pink candle on the wreath and some include a white candle in the middle.

                                    -----------------------C A N D L E-----------------------

ADVENT                    COLOR           NAME                        REPRESENTS

1st Sunday                  Purple              Prophecy                     Hope

2nd Sunday                 Purple              Bethlehem                   Love

3rd Sunday                  Pink                 Shepherd’s                  Joy

4th Sunday                  Purple              Angel’s                       Peace

Christmas Eve or

  Christmas Day          White              Christ                          Purity

When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.  In a loud voice she exclaimed; “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear!  But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?  As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for you.  Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!”

Luke 1:41-45

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.  An angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.  But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid.  I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.  Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord….”

JOY:  the emotion of great delight or happiness caused by something exceptionally good or satisfying; keen pleasure; elation.  One dictionary described JOY as bliss and another used “warm fuzzies” as a synonym. 

I do not think warm fuzzies even comes within 2,198,742,831 miles of this JOY.  A JOY so great John the Baptist leapt while in the womb.  A JOY so great Elizabeth knew Mary was the “mother of my Lord.”  A JOY so great a heavenly host joined the angel proclaiming the birth to the shepherds.

This tiny baby, foretold in the scriptures, is the GOOD NEWS!  This tiny baby, born to a virgin, brought JOY to all.  Brought JOY!

As you celebrate Christmas, do it with JOY!  Do it with GREAT DELIGHT!  And HAPPINESS!  And ELATION!

(Jesus reading in the synagogue in Nazareth) The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him.  Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written: (For reference: Isaiah 61:1-2)

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me,

because he has anointed me

to preach good news to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim freedom

For the prisoners

And recovery of sight for the blind,

To release the oppressed,

To proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.

Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down.  The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened to him, and he began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”

Luke 4:17-21

GOOD NEWS!  FREEDOM!  RECOVERED SIGHT! RELEASE OF THE OPPRESSED!  SCRIPTURE FULFILLED!

If this does not fill you with JOY, then you are Mr. Scrooge and the Grinch all rolled up into one.  But remember – Mr. Scrooge bought the prize turkey and the Grinch’s heart grew three sizes.  That means there is still hope that you will be filled with JOY. 

Advent is the arrival of a notable person, thing, or event.

The Christian Advent season is the four Sundays preceding Christmas and either Christmas Eve or Christmas Day.  The advent wreath has four or five candles.  There are three purple candles, one pink candle on the wreath and some include a white candle in the middle.

                                    -----------------------C A N D L E-----------------------

ADVENT                    COLOR           NAME                        REPRESENTS

1st Sunday                  Purple              Prophecy                     Hope

2nd Sunday                 Purple              Bethlehem                   Love

3rd Sunday                  Pink                 Shepherd’s                  Joy

4th Sunday                  Purple              Angel’s                       Peace

Christmas Eve or

  Christmas Day          White              Christ                          Purity

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given,

and the government will be on his shoulders.

And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Isaiah 9:6

When I close my eyes and see the sweet baby Jesus, my lips curl into a smile.  A baby – a gift from our Heavenly Father to the world.  To me.  To you. 

With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last.  The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.  And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, heard his cry and saw how he died, he said, “Surely this man was the Son of God.”

Mark 15:37-39

Then I think how he died.  And, as much as we would like to, we cannot skip that part.  To skip the death, would make the gift useless. 

God loved – LOVES – us so much …..

I use clip art – a lot!  It takes time to search for just the right one.  I searched for the word LOVE.  And I found it!  It was pretty.  Lots of curves and swirls, with LOVE right in the middle.  It could be formatted to another color.  It was perfect.  Then I saw: Love in Graffiti.  Graffiti?  I would take a peek.  What could it hurt?

What could it hurt?  It did not hurt, it made me humble.  Looking at this picture, I remembered:  for unto us.  God did not send his Son for a few?  He did not send his Son only for our family and those people we like.  My goodness, he did not send him only for those that call themselves good and honest.  God sent his Son for everyone!  God sent his Son for me.  For you.  And for the person that painted the word love – on a wall – in graffiti. 

God’s love came to earth and opened the door to eternal life for US!