Have you ever had a Christmas that just didn’t make sense? Well last year I had my first Christmas not in the UK and instead in Poland. In Poland, Christmas Eve is the day/night of the big meal and Christmas day is a very low key and laid back affair. Compared to helping out with the church Worship team on Christmas day for the busiest Sunday (after Easter) of the year at the church I grew up in…this was a big mind-shift.
Of course, the reason for the season (as they say) didn’t change and although I was left waiting for…something special the whole day, the fact of the matter is that it always was special, even if there weren’t any obvious signs to the outside world.
The Word Became Flesh
I love this part of the gospel of John and the different ways I’ve seen it written.
- The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. (NIV)
- And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us (ESV)
- So the Word became human and made his home among us (NLT)
- The Word became flesh and took up residence among us. (HCSB)
- The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood. (MSG)
There’s a lot of similarities between these with little differences that I love reflecting on. It’s an amazing and powerful reality that God became human, flesh and blood and was with us, here. I love the touch in the message version “moved into the neighborhood”. It’s so intimate.
That’s the truth about this time we are celebrating Jesus coming, God reaching down from heaven, where we couldn’t reach up to. The act of saving grace from above.
Cultivate Christmas No Matter What
So in this busy time, when there is so much going on (both traditional and perhaps more unusual for you), make sure to cultivate that spirit of wonder, thankfulness and Christ centered nature. Here are just a few quick ideas.
- read through the different gospel accounts
- Meditate on one particular gospel account
- plan some time on certain days to get away from the rush
- look into the origins of your traditions (find the spiritual roots)
Speak your mind...