I was reminded of something today while I was reading an article by Debbie Macomber. I remembered the word "expectations". Two years ago I read an article by her. She shared that every year she picked a word and focused on that one word for a year, journaling and looking for ways it happened in her life. I thought I'd give it a try, but like most of my writing and blogging, I haven't done so well.
This year my word was "expectations". I started well, but quite truthfully forgot as the year went on. Until today. And realized how appropriate that word has been. My expectations have been quite challenged this year-with the church, with ministry, with family, with my marriage, with my self, and with Christmas.
I think this is at the heart of my struggle about the meaning of Christmas and how to observe its celebration. It comes down to expectations. Trying to reconcile the Christmas of my childhood with Christmas now. How the world celebrates versus how we celebrate as Christians. How we celebrate as Christians with how should we be observing Christ's birth. Making the yuletide stay. What I want, what I'm dreaming of, what I wish for, what I'd like Christmas to be. Expectations...
So I'll be continuing to explore these expectations. And, oh, yes, I'll have to be choosing another word for 2014. So I will be going from transformation to expectations to ??? And we'll just see how it all ties in with a "very different Christmas".
I will close by wishing you all a very blessed Christmas, filled with the joy of the Lord's presence and the wonder of God's redeeming love through the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Christmas can be challenging I know, but it really is all about Jesus and His love for us. Shalom!
Tuesday, December 24, 2013
Sunday, December 15, 2013
Christmas Programs
So we survived another Christmas program which we called an Advent Celebration Service. To me, a Christmas program involves children and families. Unfortunately, our church is down to a handful of over 70 year olds. Still we try to do something special every year. This year we read the book "The Sparkle Box" in four readings with Christmas carols in between. Then we gave them a sparkle box to take home with instructions to write down their acts of kindness which are gifts for Jesus and put them in the box. Then on the 29th bring one of those pieces of paper to put in the big box, and we'll share. Then on the 29th we'll encourage them to keep it going through the year. So different in that we'll come back in two weeks with the box, and want to keep bringing it up over the coming months.
But I confess that these programs bring out the worse in me. It's me and Bruce coming up with the service. We run it by the leadership board and the two ladies who make up the music committee, but we do all the work. It's not that they don't appreciate it, we did get some compliments. But when there is no effort to invite friends and family, and it's just us, why? I long for ownership in the church and more than anything I long for children and families.
So why do a Christmas program? Christmas programs in my mind should be 1) an outreach event and 2) a time to celebrate the children and families of our congregations. It should be something that the congregation gets involved in, not a handful of overworked people. It should be something the congregation gets excited about.
And a special Christmas service could be a cantata or other music service. It could be a number of things. But again, something that is done with joy and not the feeling of "Oh, great. It's that time of year again."
The irony is that our program today was about acts of kindness done as a gift to Jesus. So, yes, I suppose the time and effort Bruce and I put in could be seen as that. But when does a Christmas program cease to be fruitful for the life of the church? When does it need to be let go and something different done? When is it best just to continue with the regular morning worship?
When am I letting my perfectionism do me in? My need to live up to some unknown expectation? When is it okay to say they really don't care anymore if we have this or not? Hmmm....
Stay tuned...Christmas is now just ten days away. Will I be glad when it's over? Right now I would say yes. But a lot can happen in ten days.
This week I tackle one last prayer guide that I've been writing for the church (see above paragraphs) on the subject of love. If I thought joy was tough....but God is in control even when I am not, and the joy of the Lord is in my heart!
But I confess that these programs bring out the worse in me. It's me and Bruce coming up with the service. We run it by the leadership board and the two ladies who make up the music committee, but we do all the work. It's not that they don't appreciate it, we did get some compliments. But when there is no effort to invite friends and family, and it's just us, why? I long for ownership in the church and more than anything I long for children and families.
So why do a Christmas program? Christmas programs in my mind should be 1) an outreach event and 2) a time to celebrate the children and families of our congregations. It should be something that the congregation gets involved in, not a handful of overworked people. It should be something the congregation gets excited about.
And a special Christmas service could be a cantata or other music service. It could be a number of things. But again, something that is done with joy and not the feeling of "Oh, great. It's that time of year again."
The irony is that our program today was about acts of kindness done as a gift to Jesus. So, yes, I suppose the time and effort Bruce and I put in could be seen as that. But when does a Christmas program cease to be fruitful for the life of the church? When does it need to be let go and something different done? When is it best just to continue with the regular morning worship?
When am I letting my perfectionism do me in? My need to live up to some unknown expectation? When is it okay to say they really don't care anymore if we have this or not? Hmmm....
Stay tuned...Christmas is now just ten days away. Will I be glad when it's over? Right now I would say yes. But a lot can happen in ten days.
This week I tackle one last prayer guide that I've been writing for the church (see above paragraphs) on the subject of love. If I thought joy was tough....but God is in control even when I am not, and the joy of the Lord is in my heart!
Saturday, December 14, 2013
Re-Claiming Joy
So I begin a new blog today with prayers that I will do better posting with this one! My purpose with this blog is to re-think and re-frame Christmas. I'm not sure this is the equivalent of Luther nailing his 95 Theses to the Wittenburg door, and yet...
I just know that I am sick and tired of Christmas. There are several reasons for this. One is that I just can't reconcile the Christmas of my childhood with Christmas now at 51. Another one is my pastoral study and what I've discovered about historical inaccuracy and how little we teach about Jesus' birth, the background information. A lot of it comes from the consumerism, greed, paganism and idolatry that is so much of Christmas anymore, even in the church and in Christian families. There's a lot that comes from the passing of my mom last year. She made Christmas for us, and so much of the magic and meaning died with her.
Every year anymore I come down with a bad case of "the bah-humbuggies". There simply is no joy. And I think about my Aunt Vivian who never lost her joy at Christmas. I always thought she was a little too extreme-no tree, no cards, no, well, Christmas. And I certainly am not prepared to give up a lot of what is Christmas and has been for years. Still, I wonder, looking back, if she knew something. Was her relationship with Jesus Christ and His presence in her life more important? Was she not willing to sacrifice that? I know it could be hard on my cousins, and I wonder if now they, too, see it from a little different perspective.
So what I would like to do with this blog, even after Christmas is over, is to share thoughts and wrestle with how we as Christians might re-think and re-frame this whole Christmas thing. How we might be counter-cultural and maybe, just maybe, start a reformation. At least where Christmas is concerned.
Aunt Vivian, this blog is dedicated to you. Your approach to the holiday season has challenged and puzzled me for years. But I can't argue with the fact that you never seemed to lose your joy. I want mine back, and I'm praying that your walk with the Lord might help my own.
I just know that I am sick and tired of Christmas. There are several reasons for this. One is that I just can't reconcile the Christmas of my childhood with Christmas now at 51. Another one is my pastoral study and what I've discovered about historical inaccuracy and how little we teach about Jesus' birth, the background information. A lot of it comes from the consumerism, greed, paganism and idolatry that is so much of Christmas anymore, even in the church and in Christian families. There's a lot that comes from the passing of my mom last year. She made Christmas for us, and so much of the magic and meaning died with her.
Every year anymore I come down with a bad case of "the bah-humbuggies". There simply is no joy. And I think about my Aunt Vivian who never lost her joy at Christmas. I always thought she was a little too extreme-no tree, no cards, no, well, Christmas. And I certainly am not prepared to give up a lot of what is Christmas and has been for years. Still, I wonder, looking back, if she knew something. Was her relationship with Jesus Christ and His presence in her life more important? Was she not willing to sacrifice that? I know it could be hard on my cousins, and I wonder if now they, too, see it from a little different perspective.
So what I would like to do with this blog, even after Christmas is over, is to share thoughts and wrestle with how we as Christians might re-think and re-frame this whole Christmas thing. How we might be counter-cultural and maybe, just maybe, start a reformation. At least where Christmas is concerned.
Aunt Vivian, this blog is dedicated to you. Your approach to the holiday season has challenged and puzzled me for years. But I can't argue with the fact that you never seemed to lose your joy. I want mine back, and I'm praying that your walk with the Lord might help my own.
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