Christmas Day 7: War Eagle

It wouldn't be Christmas without Bowl Season. I'll be eating, drinking, and sleeping football for the next several days. And eating my black-eyed peas tomorrow. War Eagle!!

Christmas Day 6: First Sunday in Christmas

John 1:9 There was the true light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. 11 He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. 12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, 13 who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. 14 And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Christmas Day 5: Christmas Clothes

I was ambitious with my Christmas sewing this year. Peter's church outfit is a Nelona batiste shirt with a hand-embroidered spoked collar, paired with velvet pants. (I'll pair the shirt with other pants after Christmas.) For his play outfit, I smocked Magi.

Christmas Day 4: The Christmas Pageant

The Christmas pageant is a sentimental cliche because that is what our culture has made of Christmas. Popular Christmas stories commonly present an implied theology consisting of "redemption by babyhood," or, even more frequently, "redemption by giving." The simple presence of a wondrous infant, or a single act of kindness by a previously sour and alienated character, are seen as being sufficient to transform the world. And of course there is much emotional truth in such stories, or they would not have the appeal that they do. But they are not the gospel. They are not the Christmas story... They do little to challenge children to wonder why this birth is so long awaited and so joyfully hailed.

Gretchen Wolff Pritchard, Offering the Gospel to Children, p. 81

Christmas Day 3: How to Tell a Co-Sleeper

I asked him to put Jesus in his bed. So he did. Then he put Mary in the bed, followed by Joseph.

Christmas Day 2: Tillich Immersion

"Santa is dead," my 3-year-old niece sadly said.

"No," her mother explained, "he just doesn't exist."

They've never done Santa, lest it interfere with faith in Christ. I once thought likewise. If I tell my child all about Santa, then later say it was all imaginary, will they then think all I told them about Jesus might be imaginary too?

These days, though, I think that the Great Santa Pessimism might just as easily teach Paul Tillich's closed universe: One man couldn't possibly visit every chimney in the world-- least of all know the names of every single boy and girl! He certainly couldn't be at Macy's and Belk's at the same time. And reindeer do not fly. Put your silly thoughts of hooves on the roof behind you, however much you want to believe.

As for me and my household? We're gonna stick with Santa. Learning how to believe is good practice for Christ.

Christmas Day 1: Hark, the Herald Angels Sing!

Mild he lays his glory by, born that we no more may die,
born to raise us from the earth, born to give us second birth.
Risen with healing in his wings, light and life to all he brings,
hail, the Sun of Righteousness! hail, the heaven-born Prince of Peace!


P.S. And to think these words are sung in the finale of the Rockettes Christmas show!