Christmas Clean-Up (4 of 4)
Series: A Simple Christmas
Tony Thomas
Luke 2:15-20
For as long as I can remember, Martha Bell has decorated our building for Christmas. Greg helps by doing the heavy lifting, but Martha's the boss! The first year she decorated was the most difficult year. She emptied the attic, took inventory of all the decorations, pitched 90% of the stuff Greg hauled down, and she made do with the leftovers. It was Christmas simplified - and it's beautiful!
I love what she does - but I' a little unhappy this morning because one day this week she's put everything away! Actually, Greg will do it; Martha will tell him where to put it! When you get used to the ambiance, when you find comfort in Christmas lights, when you are greeted every morning by Magi and shepherds at the manger, it's hard to clean up!
Because our kids and grandkids didn't get together until Wednesday, I drove out to church on Christmas morning to work ahead. I turned on all the Christmas decorations, started putting my thoughts on paper, and when lunch time rolled around I walked out to the sanctuary to enjoy the decorations - b/c Martha's gonna ruin Christmas by cleaning up!
There's a fascinating verse in Luke 2 that haunts me:
20 The shepherds returned ... glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.
Christmas is over until everything returns. The angel appeared to the shepherds out of thin air; a host of angels sang, ''Glory to God in the highest,'' and those shepherds arrived in Bethlehem and worshiped the Christ-child in total silence.
We rehash those details every Christmas, just like we rehash unforgettable days of history. You remember where you were on 9.11, who you were with, what you were doing, and how you coped throughout the day.
These unnamed shepherds had the experience of their lifetime! So instead of focusing on the angelic visit, or their worship at the manger, I want to f ...
Series: A Simple Christmas
Tony Thomas
Luke 2:15-20
For as long as I can remember, Martha Bell has decorated our building for Christmas. Greg helps by doing the heavy lifting, but Martha's the boss! The first year she decorated was the most difficult year. She emptied the attic, took inventory of all the decorations, pitched 90% of the stuff Greg hauled down, and she made do with the leftovers. It was Christmas simplified - and it's beautiful!
I love what she does - but I' a little unhappy this morning because one day this week she's put everything away! Actually, Greg will do it; Martha will tell him where to put it! When you get used to the ambiance, when you find comfort in Christmas lights, when you are greeted every morning by Magi and shepherds at the manger, it's hard to clean up!
Because our kids and grandkids didn't get together until Wednesday, I drove out to church on Christmas morning to work ahead. I turned on all the Christmas decorations, started putting my thoughts on paper, and when lunch time rolled around I walked out to the sanctuary to enjoy the decorations - b/c Martha's gonna ruin Christmas by cleaning up!
There's a fascinating verse in Luke 2 that haunts me:
20 The shepherds returned ... glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.
Christmas is over until everything returns. The angel appeared to the shepherds out of thin air; a host of angels sang, ''Glory to God in the highest,'' and those shepherds arrived in Bethlehem and worshiped the Christ-child in total silence.
We rehash those details every Christmas, just like we rehash unforgettable days of history. You remember where you were on 9.11, who you were with, what you were doing, and how you coped throughout the day.
These unnamed shepherds had the experience of their lifetime! So instead of focusing on the angelic visit, or their worship at the manger, I want to f ...
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