December 25 – “Merry Christmas”

I promised I would post the Christmas story I was working on.  I really will do that, too.  I just felt like I ought to read it to Cailyn first, since she was the inspiration for it.  Well, she and Chris and Elsa and Clareese and the whole gang of imaginary friends.   As I said before, thank you for your inspiration.  I think I might just keep you around for another year … all of you. 

We had a really nice, calm Christmas Eve service last night out at Seaside.  About fifteen people were there, so the atmosphere was really intimate.  As usual we had several visitors and a few Seasiders we hadn’t seen in a while.  Here’s a special shout out to Bryan Holt for making the trip down to help with the computer.  He was a life saver, since virtually the entire service was media based. 

I used a compilation of clips from some of the old classic movies.  Good old Scrooge reminded us to look in the mirror and see what it is that really consumes us.  George Bailey reached a point where he felt like he was better off dead than alive, and many of us can relate to his feeling of drowning under circumstances.  Buddy the Elf showed a similar side to the same story.  He had plenty of big elf-dreams until he found out that he wasn’t an elf at all, but a human.  His response to shattered dreams was to pass out first, then go on an extended journey to seek out his real dad.  The reminder to Buddy and to us was that God has a way of working out things for the good of those who love him.  We did see a brief clip of a reenactment of the nativity. It was a good one except for the wise men showing up at the manger about two years earlier than they probably did.  But the idea was the same.  God did what we couldn’t do by becoming a man - at Christmas – living a perfect life, dying, and rising from the dead.  And that made it possible for us to have a love relationship with him.  George Bailey was back for the next segment in his crying out for help scene (my favorite one from the whole movie).  He has been through the sequence with Clarence and is ready to have his old life back no matter what happens to him.  He stands at the bridge pleading with Clarence to help him.  But then something changes.  He lowers his head to the bridge railing and cries out instead to God.  And suddenly it starts snowing and you hear bells in the background.  And Bert drives up (or was that Ernie) and he recognizes George again.  Whew.  Touching scene.  But  it shows what we need to do when we realize we have a sin problem.  Cry out to God.  Talk to him.  Ask for forgiveness and receive his gift of life and love.  The final clip came from the movie The Santa Clause.  Bernard the Elf was explaining to Scott Calvin that he was indeed the new Santa by virtue of the clause printed in fine print on the business card he had found.  The bottom line was, “You put on the suit, so you’re the big guy.”  Great picture of what it’s supposed to be like for us with Jesus.  When he put on the suit, Scott agreed to act like Santa, talk like Santa, eat like Santa, work like Santa.  And in the process he would actually become Santa.  When we put on the Jesus suit – become Christians – we are supposed to act like Jesus, talk like Jesus, work like Jesus … well, you get the picture … and in the process we will become “Little Christs.”  If you’re not going to act like a Christian, don’t tell anyone you are one.  You’ll just confuse him and lie to yourself.

Guess you can’t tell that I love Christmas movies, huh?  In fact, I may have one more saved on my tivo thing.  Hallmark Channel.  Great place to be during the Christmas season.  Merry Christmas!

John 1:1, 14 says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God … And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.  We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

Father, the only really appropriate Christmas prayer is … Thank you.  Amen.