WAKE UP!!!

One of life’s certainties is that nothing stays the same. Everything changes. Individually we orchestra our lives and seek to move it in the direction we would like it to go. Sometimes it comes easy and other times, not so much. Have you ever tried so very hard to do something and found it totally allusive? For the last six week I have tried to be calm through Christmas. We even ventured into a sermon series on the Calm Characters of Christmas. This past Sunday we even looked at the shepherds. I imagine those working the night shift were enjoying the calm night. To me I envision them lying on the grass, gazing up at the star filled night, talking quietly amongst themselves. Talking about what they were going to do in the morning, or how much sleep they had yesterday. They might even have been telling stories or jokes or maybe even talking about the Rabbis sermon last Saturday. God only knows. All we know is things change instantly.

External influences change us just like it changed them. Night after night, year in year out they did the same thing. Yes they were waiting patiently for the Saviour to show up but He had not come. They might have even forgotten to keep praying for Him to come. Life took over in importance. There were bills to pay, sheep to herd, shear, butcher. The wife, the kids, even fixing the roof and redecorating the kitchen. So much of life continued to take their focus of the coming Messiah.

And that is what has happened to almost all of us this past month. We have been busy. Busy doing stuff. Doing many of the same things the shepherd did. Pay bill, go to work, spouse, kids, pets and even fixed the loose tile in the bathroom. On top of this we collapsed exhausted each evening on the couch, stared at the muted television, and ended up quietly talking. Talking about what to buy for who. Where and who we would be visiting and on which day. Oh yes, so and so are coming over, might have to get up two hours early that day to clean house and shop for some munchies, short bread and Christmas cake. Notice something? We too have forgotten that the King is Coming!  

When all is said and done, we will wake up Christmas morning. Life will have changed. We have not missed the Baby’s coming. It took a heaven filled with angels to wake up the shepherds as the sheep continued to sleep. What is it going to take to wake us up? Christmas is not about us, not about the presents we get and give, it is about Him and Him alone. It’s about God coming into our world and changing it in the person of His Son. The child who changed the world forever, still changes our world. We just have to calm our hearts, see the Glory of God in His Son and let Him live within our hearts now and forever. 

Have a Happy Christmas with the one for whom we celebrate.

Something to think about.

Rob

Always The Shepherd

“Always a bridesmaid, never a bride”. We have all heard those words said by young women who is looking for love and a wedding cake. Boys have their lines as well, but not so dramatically. With boys it’s more like, “Always been a shepherd, never a Joseph”. Once in my life I was a Wiseman, the third one chosen. But that was as high up the ladder I ever ventured. Inevitably I seemed to get relegated to be part of the heavenly host, with the white dress, tinsel wings and halo.

The interesting part about this whole Christmas Pageant thing was, the three most important parts were none speaking parts. To a young boy, that didn’t matter. You see, Joseph was the top dog to every boy, speaking or not. Well, as an adult and a minister I guess I have been making up for it the rest of my life.

You see, you can only be silent for so long. No, I never wanted to be the inn keeper who shouted, “There’s no room”, then slammed the door. Wonderfully I realized the shepherds said more than, “Let’s go and see”. After leaving Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus, they could not stop telling everyone else what they saw, even after being up all night. A while later the Wisemen came in silence. Their gifts spoke for themselves. After seeing Christ, they made their way home, undoubtedly telling everyone they came in contact with about the Christ child.

That must be what also happened to me as an angel in the back row or a shepherd, or even as a third string Wiseman standing in front of the manger scene. What I saw was and is something so amazing, so wonderful that it changed my heart and I have never stopped sharing what I saw, and heard. Today as I stand before that crudely made manger I no longer want to be that Joseph. I imagine he stood there in silence thinking about his responsibility of being a step-father to God’s son. Today, I’m just me, a quiet methodical shepherd who is always ready to shout out every time I can; “Immanuel, God with us”. How about you? Merry Christmas!

Something to think about

Don't forget!

Had a conversation with my brother just the other day.  Eventually the conversation turned to the national pastime of all Canadians – weather. Yes, we all talk about the weather, complain about weather and even celebrate weather depending on your preference or daily inclination. On that subject, have you noticed, there has been little white stuff since that early one back in November? I knew you didn’t.

What stuck out in my mind from this conversation was how we have gone through day after day and haven't really taken notice that we have had little or no snow.  Well, except for Buffalo. Have you started to forget what the snow was all about? Don’t. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m a believer in winter snow that should show up overnight on Christmas Eve and then disappear on Boxing Day. But back to the mind. Strange how the mind forgets some things as we deal with our everyday existence.

Something else we are forgetting.  Now don’t get bent all out of shape wondering what you forgot. Women are especially prone to get stressed when they think they have forgotten something. It can’t be all the gifts we are purchasing for those we hold dearly. It can’t be the extra groceries or the baking. Can’t even be the Santa Claus that the children are writing to.

What we could sometime forget in the rush to Dec. 24 is Jesus. We sometimes leave Him behind. We forget it’s His birthday party. Not only do we forget Him, but we forget to give Him our gift, or have a cake or realize the party is for Him. Those who attend church, go and celebrate.

If you are one of those people who are spiritually minded and love Jesus Christ, but have given up on church, and don’t attend church anymore, I want to encourage you to go sometime in the next few weeks. I really don’t care why you left church, that’s between you and God. You see, many of us still believe in Christ. We believe He came to earth to not just to die but to show us a God who loves us and cares about us and wants to know us more deeply as we get to know Him more intensely. I want you to go just once, and I don't care which building you go into. Go more if you like but I don't want any of us to forget, IT'S HIS BIRTHDAY. Go to the party and give Him the best gift you can give, your heart. Then sing Happy Birthday Jesus in your new heart, because He gives it back to you to use.

RB