It's Christmas!

It is almost Christmas. I have not felt less festive in all my years of teaching. School is very busy and I have so many assessments to get the kids through it is almost unbelievable. If  I am feeling this much pressure, goodness knows what the students are feeling.

Still, it is important not to forget the reason for the season (sorry). I read something yesterday that made me think. It said that if you want to keep Christ in Christmas, you need to feed the hungry, clothe the naked and defend the weak. What an excellent thought. The wife and I have had a guest staying with us for a couple of weeks now. She has been without a job and without a home for a little while (both now sorted, thanks to an amazing God) and it has been a pleasure. I can't say it has been perfect, giving home to someone who isn't a family member. Our routines have had to change and our lives have been impinged upon a little bit. Thing is, I would do it again in a flash.

At this time of year, I have noticed that people get a little bit funny with their attitudes to Christianity. I am confident of seeing a couple of things this year. There will be my atheist friend who posts about how we stole Christmas from Pagans. How we took all our Christmas liturgy and tradition from Mithras or the cult of Dionysus or various other things. Funny how it is always us who appropriate, despite evidence that it was the other religions who took from us. Another thing I am confident of seeing more of is the political statement using the Christian story (you know, the sort of people who say 'Jesus had two dads and he turned out ok' when discussing same sex issues, despite this not being true as he had one father and one step father). The most common one this year has been a picture of Mary and Joseph travelling to Bethlehem accompanied by the text 'If only we had a story at this time of year about a Middle Eastern couple struggling to find shelter while fleeing persecution'. It is meant to guilt us into feeling bad about the huge numbers of refugees in Syria and other places. Well done, very funny, see what you did there. Again not true. Mary and Joseph weren't fleeing persecution. They were travelling for a census. They were turned away from nowhere. They easily found room, probably with family.

People misunderstand Christmas all the time. It isn't (just) about Peace on Earth and Goodwill to all men. Life should be like that all the time. I am not supposed to like people just at Christmas. Peace is for life not just Christmas for goodness sake.

Don't even get me started on the Christmas jumpers! I'm a scrooge apparently because I haven't been out and bought a jumper that shows some unfunny or twee Christmas scene. I don't want to dress like an elf, be a walking advent calendar or have my jumper flash whilst playing a tinny version of jingle bells.

The TV is good though, as is the food! Modern Christmas isn't all bad really. It does remind many people that there is something more. Church attendance rises and the opportunities to share the gospel are wonderful.

I read an interesting article yesterday in the independent
Interesting article
I know it isn't about bums on seats (an awful phrase) but what a remarkable opportunity to share the gospel with people. Not the gospel of an orange, some dolly mixture and a candle. Not the gospel of Peace on earth and goodwill to men. Not the gospel of smile for a couple of weeks and think about others.
I mean the gospel that's in Luke chapter 2

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In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2 (This was the first census that took place while[a] Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 And everyone went to their own town to register.
4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.
8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields near by, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.’
13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
14 ‘Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favour rests.’ 15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.’
16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 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.
21 On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise the child, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he was conceived.
Jesus presented in the temple 22 When the time came for the purification rites required by the Law of Moses, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord 23 (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, ‘Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord’[b]), 24 and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: ‘a pair of doves or two young pigeons’.[c]
25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. 26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. 27 Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, 28 Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:
29 ‘Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss[d] your servant in peace. 30 For my eyes have seen your salvation, 31 which you have prepared in the sight of all nations: 32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.’ 33 The child’s father and mother marvelled at what was said about him. 34 Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: ‘This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, 35 so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.’
36 There was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, 37 and then was a widow until she was eighty-four.[e] She never left the temple but worshipped night and day, fasting and praying. 38 Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.
39 When Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth. 40 And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was on him.
The boy Jesus at the temple 41 Every year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the Festival of the Passover. 42 When he was twelve years old, they went up to the festival, according to the custom. 43 After the festival was over, while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it. 44 Thinking he was in their company, they travelled on for a day. Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends. 45 When they did not find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him. 46 After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. 47 Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers. 48 When his parents saw him, they were astonished. His mother said to him, ‘Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.’
49 ‘Why were you searching for me?’ he asked. ‘Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?’[f] 50 But they did not understand what he was saying to them.
51 Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart. 52 And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.

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Look at that passage about peace on earth. What do people often forget? The bit the comes before the peace on earth is so important. Glory to God in the highest. Give God the glory at Christmas. He deserves it.
Then look later in the chapter. The bit when Jesus meets Simeon at the temple. What a powerful passage this is. People need to be reminded that Christmas isn't our main time of year. That's Easter. We need to remember that Easter is just down the road. This year Christmas is on a Friday. Vicars, pastors, priests and preachers would do well to remember another Friday that'll be coming up soon.
Even the end of this wonderful chapter is instructive. Plenty of people like to remember the sweet silent (!) baby in the manger .
(I hope you will allow me an indulgence here for one of my favourite scenes in movies. It is from Talladega Nights. It is somewhat irreverent but nicely shows what people think of Jesus at times. Don't click if you don't want to be amused/offended)

Prayer from Ricky Bobby

You see, this baby grew up. He grew into a man. The only perfect man. This is the Jesus I am going to try and think more about this festive season.
Now, where are the mince pies ...