Christmas Day 1: the Beginning of Advent

Today marks the first day of Advent. The countdown to Christmas, the birth of our King, officially begins! This holiday season is my favorite, but it has nothing to do with receiving gifts, or the tree and decorations, or even the catchy songs and lovey dovey movies that started long before Thanksgiving had even arrived. No, it has to do with the people. Family--Friends--Acquaintances--Strangers. The holiday season brings out the cheeriness, the thankfulness, the love.

Of course, with the way we've commercialized Christmas, as well as all of the violence and hatred going on in our country and around the world, it can be hard at times to remember what Christmas was meant to be about. Christmas is a celebration of joy and love, of people and giving, of Jesus and God and the miracles of life.

So this Christmas season I'm gong to try my hardest to keep Christ and the joy and people front and center, and I challenge you to do the same. I thought maybe a good way to keep this focus was a daily reflection. And what better place to reflect than right here?

The best place to start, I suppose, would be the Bible and the original story of Christmas. Matthew and Luke both give an account of the story. This particular version comes from Luke 2:4-20. (The wording varies a little based on which Bible you use, but the following is from our family Bible.)

And Joseph too went up from Galilee from the town of Nazereth to Judea, to the city of David that is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, to be enrolled with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. While they were there, the time came for her to have her child, and she gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

Now there were shepherds in that region living in the fields and keeping the night watch over their flock. The angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were struck with great fear. The angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For today in the city of David a savior has been born for you who is Messiah and Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger." And suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying: "Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests."

When the angels went away from them to heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let us go, then, to Bethlehem to see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us." So they went in haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the infant lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known the message that had be told them about this child. All who heard it were amazed by what had been told them by the shepherds. And Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart. Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, just as it had been told to them. 

 Jesus. Jesus is the "reason for the season" as people like to say. This sweet little baby, who would one day grow to be the man who gave his own life to save us from our sins.

When we celebrate a child's birthday we generally throw a party. We let them choose how we celebrate: a specially decorated cake, gifts they ask for, maybe a special activity like swimming or skating. Christmas celebrates Jesus's birth, so how would he want us to celebrate?

I think I'll leave this post here. A question for us all to ponder. A great question to consider as Advent begins and we move into the Christmas season. How would Jesus want us to celebrate?