The Music of Christmas

My last post walked through several ideas for maximizing the potential to keep our focus on the true meaning of Christmas in the midst of all the hustle and bustle of the holiday season. But there was one element that wasn’t addressed in that post because, at least for me, it stands alone and therefore needs to have its own post. And that’s the music of Christmas.

Last week I attended a Women’s Christmas Dinner at our church and sat at a table with a couple people I knew and a few I didn’t. One thirty-something woman proudly announced that Christmas music was only played at their house from about noon on Christmas Eve until about noon on Christmas Day. After I picked myself up off the floor (metaphorically speaking), I couldn’t help but feel a little sorry for what she and her family were missing throughout the season.

You see, music has always been a welcome guest and held a special place in our home; and so it has been natural for Christmas music to also be held in high honor. This might be too much for some people, but the first Christmas music of the season begins over two months ahead of December 25^th for me – probably a holdover from years in worship ministry where practice and preparation of music for the season had to begin long before the actual performance/presentation dates.

Why this great love affair with Christmas music? There are several reasons:

► Christmas music puts me in a good mood because it reminds me of good memories from my past and the cozy feeling that accompanies those memories. Music can bring generations together in ways that nothing else can.

► The Christmas music I listen to has been carefully selected and honed over 40+ years of gathering and includes nearly a hundred CDs, about a dozen LPs, and even a few cassette tapes (yes, I still have a stereo that plays all three types!). In order to even get through all of them once a season, I have to start playing Christmas music pretty early in the Fall!

► But here’s the catch: while I enjoy several popular Christmas songs, most of the albums I listen to are by Christian artists and therefore focus my attention on the true meaning of Christmas and the One who came as a baby to bring us hope, peace, and joy. Music can touch our souls in ways that nothing else can, and Christmas music with lyrics about our Savior and King helps to keep my soul tuned into what really matters during an otherwise busy and stressful season.

► Many of the lyrics in traditional Christmas carols and many contemporary Christian Christmas songs remind us of who God is and what he has done for us, and this can bring comfort to us if our lives or the world around us don’t seem to be working very well. Words like:

“The wrong shall fail, the right prevail

With peace on earth, goodwill to men.”

(from “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day”)

 

“God is with us, God is for us, God is in us”

(from “The Promise” by Michael W. Smith & Ryan Smith)

 

“Immanuel, our God is with us

And if God is with us, who can be against us?

Our God is with us, Immanuel”

(from “Immanuel” by Michael Card)

Space does not allow me to list them all, but there are dozens more meaningful lines. These and lyrics like them bring me to my knees in worship of my God and remind me that he is still sovereign and intimately involved in both my life and the world around me. They keep me from fretting over things that are stressful and provide a vehicle for finding true peace in the setting of beautiful music.

I hope you will choose to turn most of your attention to the Reason for the Season and that you will allow music to become an important part of your journey to true peace and joy this Christmas season, drawing you closer to the Savior who came as a baby for all of us.

Purposeful Christmas-ing

You’ve heard me say it before: I love Christmas! But as I was getting out my decorations this weekend and starting to plan for the upcoming season, I was once again reminded of how easy it is to get off track and become absorbed with the trappings of Christmas instead of the true meaning of Christmas. And I remembered a post on this blog from many years ago about trying to find the balance and infusing the trimmings and activities of Christmas with real purpose beyond our enjoyment. I hope you won’t mind a replay of portions of that post in order to start our December with some meaningful thoughts. Here are some suggestions I gave before to guide our thinking:

1) Jesus said, “I am the light of the world.  Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12).  Each time we look at the beautiful Christmas lights, we can remind ourselves about the True Light and the difference his light makes in the world.

2) What about the special foods and the baking?  My ability to enjoy these once-a-year delicacies should lead me to praise God, “who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment” (1 Timothy 6:17), for his constant provision for me.  Too often we overlook God’s role in providing for all of our needs, but Christmas can be a time to shift our focus in this area.

3) In 1 Thessalonians 5:19, we are told not to “put out the Spirit’s fire”.  Every time we light a fire in the fireplace this Christmas season, we can remind ourselves of the gift of the Holy Spirit and the flames that he fans in our lives to do what he calls us to do for the kingdom of God.  I am so thankful for his work in my life as comforter, counselor, and guide (see John 16); and I want to remember that when I’m enjoying a fire in my fireplace.

4) It is easy for gift-giving to get out of hand and fail to be God-honoring.  There are probably many different practical approaches to avoiding this (limiting our spending, choosing gifts that are edifying, focusing on giving rather than receiving, etc.).  But the most important thing we can do is to use the giving and receiving of presents as a tool to remember God’s lavish giving of blessings to us – and to cultivate hearts that are truly thankful beyond this season.

5) I enjoy receiving Christmas cards and letters from those I don’t otherwise see or hear from often.  This year, as the cards arrive, I want to try and focus on the gift of God’s constant messages to me – through his Word as well as the Spirit’s promptings in my life.  Whether we keep in touch with those we know here on earth, our God is always “keeping in touch” with us if we will just listen.

6) And the Christmas tree should remind us of another tree – the one God willingly created and nourished in order to provide a means for the sacrifice of his own Son for our redemption.  Imagine how our focus would change if we saw the cross every time we looked at our Christmas trees!

7) Since my adult children have not always lived in close proximity to me, spending time with family is an especially important part of this time of the year for me.  But I don’t want to glorify my earthly family over my heavenly Father.  We can choose to enjoy our families in the way God intended – by remembering that they are an earthly picture of the heavenly principle of God’s church and the broader family of believers that we belong to.

8) And as we decorate our homes with beautiful Christmas things, we can remember the importance of decorating our own lives on a daily basis with the things that God considers beautiful:  

“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.  Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another.  Forgive as the Lord forgave you.  And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.”  (Colossians 3:12-14)

This year, I want to take every opportunity that this wonderful season affords to focus my heart in the right direction.  I’ll always love Christmas, but I’m hoping to become more purposeful about my reasons.

A Shared Faith

We don’t attend the same church, and we don’t live in the same town. In fact, we’ve never even lived in the same state. But the bond between my grandchildren and me is based on something deeper than physical proximity and shared experiences, even if they don’t completely understand that yet. We have the bond of a shared faith; and on a recent Skype call with one of my granddaughters, there was a special moment.

Three generations (my son, his daughter, and I) joining together in an impromptu hymn of praise ("Great is Thy Faithfulness") to the One we all love and trust. At age eight, my granddaughter doesn’t have a lot of personal experience yet with God’s faithfulness; but my son and I have many stories we can (and do) tell about the God we have each individually come to know as completely trustworthy.

Stories about God’s blessings in our lives and his sometimes miraculous provision for all of our needs; stories about God’s gift of love in our lives and his guidance for major life decisions like marriage, jobs, housing, and moving; stories about answered prayers and God’s sufficient grace through difficult times, including healing of illnesses like cancers and a liver transplant; stories about four adoptions that were masterminded by God; stories of God’s strength and constant presence with us; and stories of spiritual growth.  So many stories of God’s faithfulness.

Sometimes I get discouraged about the physical distance between my grandchildren’s home and mine. We are separated by four states and over 1800 miles. To be honest, it is sometimes easy to be envious of friends who get to see their grandchildren regularly. There is too much time between hugs, and I miss the physical touch. And while I am thankful for modern technology, Skype can’t replace being with those we love in person.

But most of the time I remember that these kinds of thoughts are not a good place for my mind to stay, and I heed the words of 2 Corinthians 10:5 to “take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ”. I am also reminded of what 1 Thessalonians 5:18 says: “give thanks in all circumstances”, as well as the words of Philippians 4:8: “ . . . whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things”.

So during this Thanksgiving week, I want to count my blessings, not focus on what I wish was different. How grateful I am for children who love God and grandchildren who are learning what that means! And for all the stories from our past that recap God’s constant and continuous faithfulness to us. May we all take time, especially this week, to count our blessings and thank the gracious God from whom all blessings flow.

 

For This Child I Prayed

Today is Veteran’s Day – a day when most people in our country are taking time out to celebrate those who have served in our military, many of whom have fought for our freedom. But I have celebrated something different for the last three and a half decades . . . the birthday of my second son.

He wasn’t due until November 19^th, but he decided to make his appearance a week early. His unexpected arrival gave me a glimpse into what life with Brad would be like. Unpredictable, unconventional, and undeniably unique. There hasn’t been a dull moment since he showed up ahead of schedule 36 years ago today!

After nearly two years of infertility, it goes without saying that this child was incredibly wanted, fervently prayed for, and deeply loved. We felt incredibly blessed to be given the opportunity to parent another child. And while his natural strong will was extremely challenging at times, there were a lot of joyful times as well. As soon as he could talk (which was very early), he provided our entire family with many moments of laughter.

Our adventurous son, Brad traveled to Illinois to play college football; and he completed a Master’s degree while studying on Mt. Zion in Jerusalem, Israel. He’s climbed some mountains and tried a lot of things the rest of our family hasn’t. At the age of twelve, he was the one who socialized and connected the best with the people in Honduras on our family’s mission trip.  

 

  

There is much to celebrate with any child. But today I am most grateful for Brad’s hard-fought battles to maintain his relationship with God through many ups and downs . . . for his choice to trust God during the long wait for his wife, Dani      . . . and for his continued commitment to obey God and bring glory to him. And I am grateful for the faithfulness of God and the way he meets each of us right where we are and lovingly molds us into what he knows is best for us.

Happy Birthday to Brad, and Happy Veteran’s Day!