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12/17/2010

Christmas Time is Here!

Deck the Halls with bells of holly for It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year! You know There is No Place Like Home for the Holidays, but don't worry, I'll be Home for Christmas. It Came Upon a Midnight Clear, on a Silent Night, these Three Kings.  Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer is leading Santa Clause, who is Coming to Town.
We walk in stores, turn on the radio, hear people humming, Christmas music is in the air! The trees are popping up in people's windows, lights appearing on the roofs, wreaths on the windows, It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas.
We go through our list. Are all the decorations up? Are the presents all bought? Have I wrapped them all? Oh, Jane has more than Bill, I must get more for Jane. Let's get a Christmas card together. Can I have help addressing these? What about this question: Why do we celebrate Christmas?

Luke 2 (NIV)

 1 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 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 nearby, 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 Savior 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 favor 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.


Jesus was brought into the world to save the world. So how will we spend our holiday in a way that is glorifying to God? Remembering that the true reason for the season makes this life worth living. 

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