Thank You Stanta…
Scripture:
Matthew 2:8-15 (NIV)
Matthew 2:8-15 (NIV)
And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch
over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the
glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel
said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great
joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to
you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a
baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel,
praising God and saying,
“Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
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.”
Devotional:
My parents just gave me a new book on the origins of
Christmas traditions, Stories Behind The
Great Traditions of Christmas by Ace Collins. The introduction talks about before Christmas
celebrations became what we know. I had
read in the past about how December 25th became the date in which we
celebrate Christmas. The date was chosen
because of winter celebrations and pagan holidays. In fact it wasn’t until the 1800s that we
really began celebrating Christmas as we know it. Most churches didn’t even hold services. Not much thought came for the celebration of
Jesus’s birth. It was used as another
excuse for sinful acts and abuse.
It wasn’t until commercialism came about that reverence
started to appear. The night before
Christmas and A Christmas Carol are large influences in our current celebration
of Christmas.
I know we tend to look at commercialism as ruining
Christmas. Now I look at it in a
different light. True we are losing the
true meaning of our celebration. If we
are not careful we can slip back into paganism.
But Good ole Saint Nick helped us find Christ in Christmas. Charles Dickens helped us to see Christmas
for what it really is. Thank you Santa
and thank you Mr. Dickens.
Remember Christmas is not about shopping, gifts, lights, and
all that fancy stuff. It is a time to
gather with our families and celebrate the birth of Christ our Lord and Savior…
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