'Twas a week before Christmas (an oldie, but goodie)


‘Twas a week before Christmas and all through the land
The Church reminded us that the Savior’s birth was at hand.
The season is not about the perfection of glitter
But about a loving God who would not leave us bitter.
And so God sent us his Son wrapped up like a present
In the garb of our mortality, the human flesh of a peasant.
The cookies may not be made, the decorations may not be hung,
The cards may not be sent, the lights may not be strung.
Yet let us all make the true preparations for the coming of our Savior
And open our hearts and lives to the Lord’s loving favor.
No more precious gift has ever been received.
It is up to us to remind the world what we truly believe.
Not in jolly old elves, talking snowmen or reindeer in flight
But in God, who loves us with all of his might.
So stop for a moment and take a deep breath,
As we await the Christ, the true conqueror of death.
Let go of the need to fulfill a secular call to perfection
And allow Jesus’ sacred will to become our motivation.
To praise God, from whom all blessings flow,
To all God’s creatures, above and below.
May the bright joy of Christmas envelope your spirit,
And shine forth to a world that really needs to see it!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Give God the Glory

Reflections on Chapters 12-14 of the Book of the Acts of the Apostles Years ago, I had a grandparent chargingly ask me if it was OK for her to be proud of her granddaughter, because she had been taught, “Pride goeth before the fall.”   I assured her that being proud of her grandchild was not a sin when the feeling was offered in thanksgiving of the accomplishment and not boosting up one’s own ego. “Look at what I have done,” has been the down fall of many people because they neglect or forget those that helped them achieve their goals. The Book of Acts shares story after story of the importance of acknowledging that all power and might comes from God, to whom we should offer our thanks and praise.   When our egos take over and we congratulate only ourselves for what we have done, we become idolatrous. Chapter 12 records an terrible story of King Herod’s response to the apostles.   He outright kills James and then arrests Peter, who is guarded by over 30 men....
Read more

Good Lord, Deliver Us

Today is the “Hallmark Holiday” Valentine’s Day.  Some of us will mark the occasion by wearing red or remembering at the last minute to buy a card or flowers of one’s beloved.  But my thoughts and prayers are with the 17 families of Parkland, Florida who mark today as the first anniversary of living without a loved one who was killed in a shooting at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.  It seems hard to believe a year has past since that awful day, which also happened to be Ash Wednesday.   Due to that fact, I was not as “plugged-in” that day and only got snippets of information between services.   As the details emerged, it was tragic and heartbreaking, taking on a surreal shimmer as most unthinkable acts do. Unfortunately, it was quite real, and the aftermath will be felt forever. I don’t know any of the victims, however I feel a connection to Carmen Schentrup, who was a 16 (almost 17) year old senior with big plans. She was also Episcopalian. ...
Read more

Transformation

Reflections on Chapters 9-11 of the Acts of the Apostles A little over a year ago, on the Feast of St. Paul’s Conversion (January 25), I wrote a blog post entitled “People Don’t Change – Until They Do.”   In our cynical world, too often we dismiss the idea that transformation can be a reality: that a criminal can be rehabilitated; an addict can remain in recovery, a “sinner” can become a “saint.” It is true that, being human, many of us fall short of complete change (I’ve lost and gained the same 40-50 lbs. many times in my life). However, such skepticism neglects the power of the Holy Spirit at work in peoples lives.   As we continue to read through the Book of the Acts of the Apostles, an essential art of what the author is sharing with us are amazing stories of such radical transformation that the only thing that can account for it is the Holy Spirit. And it begins with Saul.   He is the perfect villain in the story of the apostles.   No one was more opp...
Read more