CHRISTMAS TALES VIII

Every family develops its own Christmas traditions, like opening presents on Christmas Eve or choosing to open them on Christmas morning. With our own children, a family tradition involved traveling to visit family over the Christmas holidays. We lived in Lincoln, Nebraska, so we would set off to visit Lois' parents in Kansas, followed by a visit to my family in Concordia, MO. We also frequently visited David [Lois' brother] & Carmen [his wife, my cousin] & their kids over the holidays. During one infamous Christmas break, we all came down with pink eye, & had to receive prescription eye drops more than once. What a joy it was to pin Sarah down on the bed while we administered the drops.

RANSOMED

Isaiah 43:1-3a  "But now the Lord who created you, O Israel, says, 'Don't be afraid, for I have ransomed you; I have called you by name; you are Mine. When you go through deep waters & great trouble, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown! When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned . up--the flames will not consume you. For I am the Lord your God, your Savior, the Holy One of Israel." The Living Bible

DEATH

"Jesus did little preaching or teaching about death. He didn't see death as a roadblock to our relationship with God. Jesus emphasized life & its fulfillment. His own death was overcome by His victorious resurrection. Jesus didn't say much about what happened to people after they died, but He promised everlasting life to all who believed in Him." Philip Williams, Men's Devotion Bible

THE NATURE OF FAITH

"But it is the nature of faith that it does not judge or reason by what it sees or feels, but by what it hears. It clings to the Word alone, & not at all to sight or appearance . . . Thus it happens that whoever believes in Christ must perceive riches in poverty, honor in dishonor, joy in sorrow, life in death, & hold fast to them in that faith which clings to God's Word & expects this." A Year in the Gospels with Martin Luther  I find this especially relevant as we celebrate our Savior's birth. If we judged Jesus' birth by reason or by what we see or feel, we would reject Him as the Son of God & Savior of the world. Who would expect the Savior to be born in barn & placed in a feeding trough? He was born into poverty. Many would have considered His birth a dishonor--not at all worthy of God. Yet, as we consider the Christ Child, our faith is focused on a God who loved us so much that He was born a human baby.

FORGIVENESS

"In the world, everyone seems to love pointing fingers & casting blame, but they refuse to call anything sin--& so there is no forgiveness . . . The world is about condemnation unto damnation; the Church is about conviction unto forgiveness. The world seeks vengeance for a wrong; the Church seeks redemption from a wrong. So while the world continues to accuse & blame, Christians gather in the safe ark of the Church to drag our sins before the throne of grace so that we might be separated from guilt & disgrace--forgiven." Matthew Richard, Minute Messages

A SAVIOR IS BORN

"Good vs, evil, moral failure followed by redemption, forgiveness, unconditional love, sacrifice, equality, free will, liberty; these are concepts deeply ingrained in the human spirit regardless of a person’s religious beliefs.They are the themes of great novels and movies. Civilizations have been established on their principles—“We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, the Pursuit of Happiness...”

"These are not concepts that evolved on their own, millennia after we supposedly crawled out of the primordial soup. They are what set us apart from the animals, what negate the law of the jungle, turning Neo-Darwinism’s "survival of the fittest” on its head . . . 

"Satan tried to silence the message and The Messenger in another garden—Gethsemane. Herod tried in Bethlehem when he ordered the slaughter of the innocents. The Romans and the Jews tried it on that dark day when the Son of God hung on a cross between Earth and Heaven.

“It is finished,” Jesus cried and all thought they had finally succeeded. But three days later, an empty tomb proved them wrong and changed history forever. “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.” Merry Christmas everybody." Gregory Rummo, Townhall, 12/25

A CHRISTMAS PRAYER

"O God, our Maker & Redeemer, who wonderfully created us & in the incarnation of Your Son yet more wondrously restored our human nature, grant that we may ever be alive in Him who made Himself to be like us; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives & reigns with You & the Holy Spirit, one God now & forever. Amen." Collect for Christmas Day, Lutheran Worship

CHRISTMAS HYMNS

Now Sing We, Now Rejoice (LSB #386, Sts. 1 & 4)

Now sing we, now rejoice, Now raise to heav'n our voice; He from whom joy streameth Poor in a manger lies; Not so brightly beameth The sun in yonder skies. Thou my Savior art! Thou my Savior art!

Oh, where shall joy be found? Where but on heav'nly ground? Where the angels singing With all His saints unite, Sweetest praises bringing In heav'nly joy & light. Oh, that we were there! Oh, that we were there!

Joy to the World (LSB 387, St. 4)

He rules the world with truth & grace And makes the nations prove The glories of His righteousness And wonders of His love, And wonders of His love, And wonders, wonders of His love.

A Great & Mighty Wonder (LSB #383, St. 1)

A great & mighty wonder, A full & holy cure:  The virgin bears the infant With virgin honor pure! Proclaim the Savior's birth:  "To God on high be glory And peace to all the earth!"

What Child Is This? (LSB #370, St. 1)

What Child is this, who, laid to rest, On Mary's lap is sleeping Whom angels greet with anthems sweet While shepherds watch are keeping? This, this is Christ the king, Whom shepherds guard & angels sing; Haste, haste to bring Him laud, the Babe the Son of Mary!

Infant Holy, Infant Lowly (LSB #393, St. 1)

Infant holy, Infant lowly, For His bed a cattle stall; Oxen lowing, Little knowing Christ the Child is Lord of all. Swiftly winging, Angels singing, Bells are ringing, Tidings bringing:  Christ the Child is Lord of all! Christ the Child is Lord of all!

Once in Royal David's City (LSB #376, Sts. 1 & 4)

Once in royal David's city Stood a lowly cattle shed, Where a mother lid her Baby In a manger for His bed:  Mary was that mother mild, Jesus Christ her little child.

And our eyes at last shall see Him, Through His own redeeming love; For that child so dear & gentle Is our Lord in heav'n above; And He leads His children on To the place where He is gone.