The Christmas Season is one of the most joyous times of the year. However, it can also be one of the most stressful times of the year. A number of years ago I wrote a poem that has been re-run and recited several times that began,
Away in a manger, I wish I were there;
Away from the hustle and worry and care
One "Silent Night" would be quite a sight
But my schedule right now is simply too tight
There's presents to buy and cards to send out
Meetings and parties and greetings to shout
Travel and family and eggnog to make
Programs to go to and cookies to make
Decorations to hang and carols to sing
Christmas it seems has become a big "fling"
I think you might agree with those sentiments. Christmas can be one of the most stressful times we face.
What we want to do during this time leading up to Christmas is very simple. We want to try to find in some simple ways a way to capture the essence of what Christ coming to earth means and then we want to respond in an appropriate way. It may seem impossible to do, but we're going to work really hard at it.
For the next several weeks we are going to look at Mary. We want to see how she was able to face everything she encountered with such grace and serenity. We want to unlock the hidden secrets of her life. I think it will surprise you how practical all of these things can be.
Nazareth, the home of Mary and Joseph was an interesting town. It wasn't a big town but it was a town that was acquainted with life. Just outside the town the main trade highway divided into three. Nazareth then became a very popular spot for travelers. Nazareth was also a popular meeting place for priests. The priestly work at the temple was divided between 24 groups (or teams) or priests. When their turn came they would all gather at a local town and travel to Jerusalem together. Nazareth was one of those towns. Nazareth was a place where the world and the temple met.
Now I know what you're thinking. You say, "who cares?" Let me give you my slant on things. The cosmopolitan nature of the town meant that no one in Nazareth was naive . . . not even Mary. These were no gullible individuals. They knew what the real world was like. So when the angel told Mary she would bear a son that was not born of her betrothed but of God, I think Mary knew exactly what the risks were.
Second, the strong tie to the temple meant that the moral awareness of people was heightened. A girl getting pregnant before her wedding . . . .this was a shameful thing. I'm sure Mary wondered how she would handle the public scorn when word leaked out. And since Nazareth was a small town . . . Word would leak out.
We easily forget that Mary was most likely a teenager when Gabriel came to her. What she was asked to do was extraordinary. By having a child at this point she was risking her health, her marriage (and perhaps any future hope of marriage), her reputation, possibly her family (who could always disown her for the disgrace), and there was a chance she could lose her life due to the charge of adultery. That is no easy request to handle for a teenager.
I admire Mary's faith. I wonder how this person (teenager or not) could handle such a mission as this. How did she "hold it all together?" How did she "keep perspective?" I know my situation and yours is nothing like Mary's . . . however, what she learned might just be valuable to us.
Mary was with Elizabeth for three months. Do you see the wisdom of this? Mary took time to think through her situation. She was willing to do whatever God asked of her . . .but she needed time to understand what she was agreeing to. I would suggest that during this time she planned what she would say to Joseph when she returned. Maybe she thought through what she would say to parents and friends.
I also think Mary used this time to pray. What an awesome responsibility to bear the Son of God. It is likely that the reason Mary left Elizabeth after the three months time was because John (the Baptist) was about to be born. The entire community would be coming to share in the joy. This was no place for a woman pregnant without a husband. I'm guessing that the embrace as they parted was long and emotion packed.
Mary went to see her relative (probably her aunt) Elizabeth. Let's face it, how would you tell your parents (and fiancé) what just happened to you? How do you think they would respond (how would you respond) if you said, "I saw an angel today and the angel told me that I was to be the mother of the Messiah."? You know how you would react. You'd suggest she get more rest, watch less late night television, stop hanging around with those religious extremists . . .you would think she was a little crazy.
The angel makes it a point to mention Elizabeth. Who would better understand what she is going through? Elizabeth would understand. She too was involved in a supernatural pregnancy. Uncle Zechariah hadn't been able to speak since he reportedly saw an angel. If anyone would listen . . . it would be Elizabeth. Elizabeth was older, wiser, the wife of a priest. Her counsel would be invaluable.
It turned out to be a good move. Can you imagine what it meant to Mary when Elizabeth sees her and says, "Blessed are you among women and blessed is the child you will bear!"? For Mary, it meant that she was not alone. Someone did understand, believe in and affirm her. The strength Mary gained from those words of Elizabeth are beyond our imagination.
This simple story of Mary after she heard the news from the angel Gabriel can teach us how to make sure the Christmas Season does not pass us by. Let me give you four principles:
One of the best things we can do this Christmas is to step back and gain some perspective. We get so caught up in the details that it becomes difficult for us to see the big picture. We see the same thing at Thanksgiving: we get so wrapped up in the preparations for the meal that we don't enjoy the people who are our greatest blessing.
We can become so consumed with our Christmas Lists that we forget WHY we are buying gifts in the first place. It is not supposed to be a "task to get done". Christmas is supposed to be a time to celebrate the life that God has made possible in Christ.
We need to find a few free moments to see the big picture. What do you want your Christmas Celebration to be? What are you looking for? In order to enjoy the season we have to ask, "What am I aiming for?" If we realized that what we want is to: celebrate the Father's love and to extend it to those around us . . . then I think we would approach things differently. Take the time. Clarify your focus. Know what you are aiming for.
There was a wonderful illustration in this week's advent devotional,
In her book Celebrate with Joy: Transform Your Christmas Season, Sondra Burnett uses a pint jar, seven walnuts, and a cup of shelled sunflower seeds to illustrate why the Christmas you've always longed for doesn't happen for most of us. The jar represents the season, the sunflower seeds everything we think we need to get done for Christmas to happen, and the walnuts represent everything actually essential to the true meaning of Christmas. She points out that when the jar is filled with sunflower seeds, there is no room for the walnuts. What we need to do is put the walnuts in first, then pour the sunflower seeds around them.
We need to step back and remind ourselves what the "walnuts" are in our lives.
Mary needed time to sort things out and to think . . . so do we. We need to build times of stillness into our lives. I have found that the times when I need to pray and study the most (when I am busiest) I tend to do it the least. This is not the right formula. It is in hectic times that we must be most disciplined in our quiet times.
A man was working in an ice plant amid the ice, and the sawdust in which it was stored, lost a valuable watch. His fellow workmen searched with him for more than two hours, but were unable to find it. They left the plant for lunch and returned to find a little boy with the watch in his hand. "How ever did you find it?" they inquired. He replied, "I just lay down in the sawdust and heard it ticking."
We find God in the same way . . . we have to be still and listen. With all the activity, the noise, the celebration it becomes hard to hear the "tick" of the Spirit. We must carve out quiet periods for reflection and re-orientation.
We can be still by
If we want to enjoy this Christmas....if we want it to be the Christmas we always longed for, then we have to build times of stillness into it.
Christmas is a celebration. Mary was originally afraid but then rejoiced at the honor that was hers. The Shepherds were afraid when they first saw the angels but after they had seen the Christchild they danced and told the world what they saw. So should we. Christmas is to be the time when we proclaim to the world the greatest news they could ever hear: God Cares!
Think about it . . . Christmas reminds us that we are not biological accidents but people created by a Loving God for an eternal purpose. Christmas tells us that in a wicked world there is hope, in frightening times there is peace, in confusing times there is purpose.
There is no other time (with the possible exception of Easter) when the world seems most ready to hear the gospel than at Christmas. The message is in the songs around us, and on the specials we watch. It takes so little to ask, "Do you think people really understand what Christmas is all about?" Or "Have you ever thought about the implications of Jesus coming into the world?" Or "Have you ever wondered WHY God would become man?" Simple questions that can lead to incredible opportunities to share the good news.
You can see this season as a time of increasing burden or incredible opportunity. It can be a season to dread or to enjoy. It's all in your approach. So, I encourage you to build time for fun into your Christmas celebration. Sit down and watch a Christmas movie, even though you have seen it a hundred times before. Make popcorn. Decorate the tree. Sing carols. Entertain friends in simplicity and intimacy. Don't make it all so much work! Enjoy the celebration. Christmas is about GOOD news of great joy . . . . it is not something to endure, it is something to share.
Our goal is to find a way to slow down
What do you enjoy about the season and what do you dread? Is there an activity or two you could cut out? How can you cut back so that you are not so tired that you can't enjoy the people around you?
Cut back on your giving. Look for more creative rather than more expensive gifts. Buy for durability not novelty. Look for non-material ways to express your love.
Cut back on decorating. This will save time and money. Go "all out" every other year.
Look for new ways to deal with old problems (the antagonistic relative, the relative that drinks too much, the person who measures love by price tags.)
Look for a special gift to give to the Savior. I'm not talking about giving money somewhere . . . I'm talking about a real gift. For example: you can get up a half hour earlier to meet with God. You can volunteer to help in some ministry to others. You can get more involved in the church. You can set aside some time during each week (or each day) to read and learn more about your faith. These kinds of gifts develop your relationship with the Father and that's what He wants most of all.
The bottom line is this . . . we know that the days ahead have the potential to be both good and bad, and we must slow down to ensure that this special time is the best that it can be. When the churning begins ask yourself: "What am I trying to accomplish this Christmas season. Be honest with yourself . . . if you are churning it is probably because you are more concerned with impressing others than with honoring Christ. And if that's the case then you might find that this would be a good time for you to be visit your Aunt Elizabeth too!