Looking for Christ in Christmas

By Sharon Wilhite

The loud speakers blare from store to store

Until I can hardly stand anymore.

From October through December 25th,

Rudolph, Happy Holidays and the Santa myth..

Frosty and Alvin and Winter Wonderlands,

Perry Como, Bing Crosby, and well-known bands.

After Christmas when this music's all gone,

Was there more to the season than sung in these songs?

Was it jolly Old Saint Nick who appeared to Mary on her Rooftop

and told her of a Savior to be born?

Was it Rudolph with his nose so bright who guided Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem?

Was it the magic in Frosty's hat that brought forth the King of Kings from a virgin?

Were there Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire in the Bethlehem stable?

Was there a Partridge in a Pear Tree outside the door?

Was it Donder, Dasher, and Blitzen grazing on a hillside tended by Santa's elves

who were walking around in a Winter Wonderland?

Was it a Marshmallow World with contented Jews dreaming of a White Christmas and

children dreaming of getting their Two Front Teeth?

Was it Simon, Alvin, and Theodore who took a Sleigh Ride to give gifts to the Christ child?

As followers of Christ, are we supposed to be celebrating a Holly Jolly Christmas or a Holy Christmas?

Will it be a Blue Christmas without the True Focus on Christ?

Are we looking for Santa Claus Coming to Town or remembering Jesus Christ who came down to earth to save us from our sins?

It Is The Most Wonderful Time of the Year but only because "for unto us was born a Savior."

Oh Come Let Us Adore Him, Christ the LORD!!

Advent Hope Christmas Joy

By Jeannette Doran


Advent calls for great stillness in preparation for the coming of Jesus. It is a time of longing and expectancy as we await the coming of Jesus on Christmas. We prepare for the birth of Jesus in our hearts and our world as we pray the scripture, nourishing our souls in praying with the prophets of long ago. Isaiah will fill our hearts with hope and joyous expectation when we read of a time of peace when the lion will lie down with the lamb and the lovely verse that speaks of how someday we will live where “none will harm or destroy another on My entire holy mountain, for the land will be as full of the knowledge of the LORD as the sea is filled with water.” Isaiah 11 v.9

As we reflect on the infant Jesus, God’s love is made visible we are filled with joy. In the turmoil of our world today when we learn to live in God’s presence our journey becomes softer. As we carry the presence of God in Jesus into the coming year the joy of Bethlehem and Christmas will warm our hearts over the winter. May the joy of this holy times fill our hearts this Christmas and always.

ISAIAH

By Marie Tschopp

This piece was written as a drama to be used before the lighting of the second Advent candle, the Candle of Peace, which represents the prophets who
foretold Jesus' birth.

ISAIAH

Oh, enough walking for an old man. I need to sit and rest a minute. Rest my weary bones. Even prophets like me, Isaiah, need to rest. Oh, you’re new to these parts. Perhaps you don’t know what a prophet is? Come closer, I will tell you.

Some think of a prophet as somebody who sees the future, and this is true, but it is far more. A prophet is Yahweh’s spokesman. He (or she as the case may be) speaks on God’s behalf to convey a message or teaching. We are role models, too. We model holiness and closeness to God, setting the standard for the entire community.

When the message Yahweh gives is one of prosperity, everyone is happy. Everyone loves the prophet. When the message is one of rebuke, the ones being rebuked often try and silence the messenger.

My name, Isaiah, means, “God is Salvation,” which is the focus behind many of my prophecies. God spoke to me in detail about the coming Messiah. My people, the Jews, have waited for centuries for the Messiah to come. We are waiting for Messiah to come and break the chains of bondage and set up his kingdom for us. The Lord spoke to me and said the virgin would conceive. He said to me, “For unto us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace, there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever.”

What a great privilege to foretell about the coming Messiah! God also revealed more to me. He said, “He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.”

It is only a matter of time before our Messiah comes. The prophecy God gave me is not what I expected. It makes me wonder if we will recognize him when he comes. Time will tell.

Enough talking. I have much traveling to do. But there is one more thing I want to say to you. The God who spoke to me, speaks to you. Be still before him and listen.

December 27

By Lisa Lickel

Did you know that, according to many traditions, this is the third day of Christmas? The real meaning behind the carol “The Twelve Days of Christmas” follows: From 1558 until 1829 Roman Catholics in England were not allowed to practice their faith openly. During that era, this carol was written as a catechism. Each element in the carol has a religious point which the children could remember. The third day of Christmas is a gift of Three French Hens. The Three French Hens represented Faith, Hope and Love, from First Corinthians 13.

Sing with me!

On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, a Partridge in a Pear Tree (JESUS).

On the second day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, Two Turtle Doves (OLD and NEW TESTAMENTS), and a Partridge in a pear tree.

On the third day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, Three French Hens, Two Turtle Doves and a Partridge in a Pear Tree.

…And so forth, through day Twelve.

Pretty nifty, eh? A secret code and repetition, the true mother of learning.

If you’d like to know more about the meaning of the rest of the song, check my blog (to be published 12/25/11): http://livingourfaithoutloud.blogspot.com/2011/12/twelve-days-of-christmas.html

From Lisa Lickel, author of A Summer in Oakville, with Shellie Neumeier

What Does Glory Look Like?

By Rolie Grady

A month ago I took a trip to Wesley, Iowa…my hometown.  It’s not a big spot in the road.  The population is close to 400, down from the 600 level when I lived there forty years ago.  But size isn’t important.  It’s the people that make a place special.

Last month I shared a few stories about my friend, Toots Youngwirth, a wonderful lady who departed for heaven on November 13^th.  It was an honor to attend a celebration of her life.

 But why bring up the topic of death in December?  It’s because I discovered that beginnings and endings of life have a lot in common.   In fact, they often overlap each other.  In the case of Toots, a great granddaughter was born two days before she died, and her death came the same day as her youngest daughter’s wedding anniversary. 

The church parking lot was packed with cars sprawling in every direction during the visitation.  I found a place in the long line of people who wanted to affirm Toot’s life.  The sounds of laughter and talking were everywhere, especially around the family members.  I said to their son, Tom, “The Youngwirths have built an empire in Wesley, and it’s a given that the king and queen should reign forever.”  This empire came from sharing love and compassion with the whole town.

The actual service was filled with scripture about Christ’s burial, resurrection and the promise of new life with Him.  Near the end, the choir sang the song, “I Believe” during communion.  When they came to the phrase, “every time I hear a newborn baby cry”, an infant began (almost on cue) to wail and kept going until the end of the song.  No sounds of silence there.

Afterwards I went to the dinner at Wesley’s Community Center.  So many personal touches provided a warm welcome.  The paper placemats were a drawing of St. Joseph’s Church done by Dawn, Toot’s daughter.  A little menu attached to each placemat read “My Funeral Dinner” – Catered by Jumbo (her nephew).  Scalloped potatoes/lots of ham, Cole slaw (with Wesley Legion dressing), Corn, Homemade Bread (made by Jumbo), Bars, Coffee and Milk.  It was so like Toots, who cared for every detail.

There was even a drawing at the dinner!  When Johnny and the family arrived from the cemetery, they told us the wrapped boxes were crafts Toots had made, and they wanted to give them away.  The glory of Toots, the person, was still being shared with all her friends and family.

So what is glory?  It’s the amazing essence of a person’s life.  Sometimes it gets noticed while the person is alive.  Other times we stop and ponder after it’s gone.

In the middle of a dirt-caked stable, God sent fresh life.  Jesus was filled with the glory of the Father.  Like any good mother, Mary had to wonder about this birthing area.  Yes, it was greatly lacking in warmth and ambience, but it was the perfect backdrop for sinners….one that anyone trapped in darkness could relate to.

When sin’s ugliness is exposed, we long for light.  When the darkness finally disappears and loneliness is erased, we realize what’s been missing.  It began in a tiny package. 

Every Christmas I hear a newborn baby’s cry pierce the night.  The seeds of eternal life.  Light swallows up the darkness, and all is well.  That’s what glory looks like to me.

Photo courtesy of MotionWorship.com

Empty Spaces

By Jeannette Doran

There is a longing in the human heart that only God can fill. Yes, we often spend time and energy trying to fill this space with things other than God, which cannot satisfy. This can take us time traveling through dark places, clouded with sadness, to learn that our hearts were made for God alone and only in God will one find a lasting joy beyond understanding.

       I find a certain beauty in empty spaces, in simplicity of design, such as in the clean lines in architecture and furniture and in the beauty in a Japanese floral arrangement of three flowers, where less is often better than more. As my eyes look over the December fields, I find a resting place in this vast stretch of land in the loveliness of the empty field clothed in white snow.

        Advent speaks to me of empty hearts waiting for the coming of God. It’s a quiet time of longing and desire for God alone; a time to let go of all the clutter and the whatnot that does not fill us or bring joy. Days, when we learn to seek God in the empty spaces and moments of our daily life. This time prepares one to attentively watch and wait in silence for the quiet coming of God into our empty heart.

     God’s presence will be found by the seeking heart. The heart that understands God hides in the moments of our day. We find God in the grace of the moment as we continue to look and seek in faith.  All of our advent days can be focused on seeing God in these moments with new eyes of faith.

    When the soul enters into a deep stillness, God’s image is imprinted in the innermost center. Just as the sun is reflected on the pure white snow, deep within our souls we are called to reflect the image of God. As when the sun shines on still waters a mirror is created of the sun, so when our soul rests in stillness, God enters undisturbed. As Wisdom tells us “When peaceful silence lay over all, and night had run the half of her swift course, down from the heavens, from the royal throne, leapt Your all-powerful Word.” (18:15).  When any annoyance is allowed to penetrate one’s being, the soul’s experience of God is obscured. The psalmist invites us ‘to be still’ so that we will behold God. We see in the natural world that a pure crystal pool of water will mirror the beauty around it only in stillness. If even a tiny pebble drops into the water, the ripples will hinder this image from appearing.

        In the human soul, when any commotion is allowed to enter the center of our being, the face of God is covered and one will not know God’s presence. Our God dwells in peace. When we allow negative thoughts to linger in our minds we cloud the image of God in our hearts. God’s image is formed in the depths of our being in profound stillness. “Be still and know that I am God”, Psalm 46 invites us.

        In the empty spaces of our day, of our lives we can search for and cultivate intimacy with our God, Who is always with us present in our inner being. When our days become too crowded, it is time to take a moment to look at our inner desires, our longings. What am I really seeking? What will bring me inner quiet and peace?

        Advent is a time for seeking and waiting for God to be birthed in our inner being. Only God present in our lives can bring us the true joy of Christmas. May we each learn to deepen our search for intimacy with the God of our desires and be clothed with the joy God so longs to fill us with this Christmas and always.

The Jesse Tree

By Lisa Lickel

I introduced the Jesse Tree to my new church this year. The congregation will be involved in Advent by making and presenting the week’s ornaments and verses each Sunday.

What is a Jesse Tree? For those of you unfamiliar with the concept, the Jesse Tree is the story of Jesus’s family from Genesis through his birth. It’s a great way to make looking at less familiar Bible passages less scary for those who are a little nervous about reading it. December 6 this year, 2011, represents the tenth day in Advent. At our church, we’re up to Joshua and the Hebrews ready to enter to the Promised Land. The passage is from Joshua 2: 1-21, which tells the story of Rahab who, although not a Hebrew, was faithful to a God she had only heard about, and was rewarded by being an ancestor of Christ. The ornament for the day is a rope.

Background: The Israelites were ready to enter the land that God had promised them. They sent two men into the land to find out more about the land. Rahab hid the two men in her house and then helped them to escape when the king wanted to kill them. She knew that God had promised the city of Jericho to Joshua and the Israelites, and she believed that God is a powerful God. In return, the Israelites protected Rahab and her family. Rahab hung a red rope from the window in her house so that the Israelites would remember to protect her.

The readings of the Jesse Tree are written for the whole family. When my children were growing up, they looked forward to the morning ritual before school of getting the day’s ornament for the tree and reading the passage. I made them each a Jesse Tree of their own when they married. You can find out more about the Jesse Tree, find patterns and readings, on this web site: https://www.rca.org/sslpage.aspx?pid=1602

From Lisa Lickel, author of A Summer in Oakville, with Shellie Neumeier

Introducing Helen Knueven

Heaven’s  Commentaries to Earth on Jesus Christ

We sing, “Silent Night” but I doubt the suggested silence of the first Christmas

Heaven’s First Commentary

An angel appeared to shepherds tending their sheep that first wonderful Christmas.

Luke 2:10-11, “But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.  Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.”

Luke 2:13-14 “Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,  “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."

Surely the shepherds suddenly knew that they were included in God’s beautiful plan even if they did not understand it.

Heaven’s Second Commentary

As wise men sought the Lord Jesus – a star guided them.  It charted the path for them as they searched for Jesus. 

In Matthew 2:9  “…and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.”

Even the stars cooperated with helping wise kings find the divine baby!

Heaven’s Third Commentary

Jesus came to John, the Baptist, to be baptized.  As Jesus came out of the water – in Matthew 4:16-17- the heavens were opened up, and the Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus, and a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

What a confirmation to John!

Heaven’s Fourth Commentary

In Luke 9:35 Moses and Elijah talked with Jesus about his crucifixtion.  The disciples were taken up into a cloud with Jesus.  They wanted to build three tabernacles; one for Jesus, one for Elijah, and one for Moses.

Suddenly there was a voice out of the cloud that said, “This is my beloved Son: hear him.”

The fact that Jesus alone was worthy of worship was established by the Father.

Many times it seems that heaven is silent – but when it comes to announcing Jesus Christ, it will speak.  He is not shrouded in mystery to those who seek Him.

I believe that these four commentaries all tie together into the message of Christmas.

It seems to me that heaven went out of it’s way in more than one way to speak to Earth in a way that we could understand.

I would summarize it this way:

• 1st commentary – Angelic visitation to shepherds concerning Jesus’ birth.
• 2nd commentary – Cosmic visitation and guidance to wisemen concerning Jesus’ birthplace.
• 3rd commentary – Divine public endorsement by the Father that Jesus was/is the favored Son of God.
• 4th commentary – Another public endorsement and instruction to “Hear Jesus” alone. 

We are called to go the second mile to make God known to others, but He went from heaven to earth to make Himself known to us.  I am reminded of the scripture in Jeremiah 29:13  “  And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart."  God chooses how He will speak – but He is the best communicator.

The Lord desires us to know Him.  God did not come to us in lightning bolts, but in voices of guidance.  May we truly hear what Jesus says to us by opening our hearts to Him.  

I pray that this Christmas you, too, will hear the sounds of heaven as you seek Him. 

May you have a truly Merry Christmas!

Helen Knueven

I had an encounter with Jesus Christ  that changed the direction of my life forever.

Most of the songs I write are about Him.

I teach private piano lessons and write devotional studies, short stories,Bible studies and songs.

I'm lucky to be married to the greatest guy - Mike!