We are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. — Ephesians 2:10 I had wanted a red coat for years. But paying full price for a coat seemed excessive when I had several perfectly fine coats in my closet. So, each year I…
Your Christmas Story
Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. — Luke 1:26-27 What if Joseph and Mary had shown up in furs with a…
God’s Greatest Gift: The Christmas Child
After spending nearly two years investigating the identity of the Christmas Child, I was ready to reach a verdict. For me, the evidence was clear and compelling. Yes, Christmas is a holiday overlaid with all sorts of fanciful beliefs, from flying reindeer to Santa Claus sliding down chimneys. But I became convinced that if you…
Away in a Manger
In a 1996 poll to find the most popular Christmas carols in the United Kingdom, “Away in a Manger” came in second. Not bad for a youngster. This one’s only been around for about 130 years. In that time it has garnered more tunes than probably any other carol. It has also generated considerable confusion…
Life Is Best Lived When You’re Awake
I never noticed that. — Scrooge, in the 1984 movie version, after the Ghost of Christmas Past points out that Belle “resembled your sister”. Scrooge’s life went astray sometime when he was a young man. We can, with reasonable certainty, say he didn’t wake up one morning and think, Hm. I’m content where I am.…
Searching the Night for a Light
So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.” — Matthew 1:22-23 On the night when Jesus was born, I…
The Miracle of God Coming to Be with Us
In many households, expectations around Christmas are high. Not in mine. ‘When will Dad be ill?’ is a fairly frequent comment from the children, who are used to the fact that by Christmas Day vicars get to the point where they run out of resistance to any disease going. Or, ‘So what’s going to…
Christmas Lights
You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. — Matthew 5:14 No one loves Christmas more than my dad. My parents had a way of making it magical every year, and a huge part of that experience was the decorating. There was only one kind of Christmas…
Tucked Away Jesus
He knows the secrets of the heart. — Psalm 44:21 NKJV It was a small nativity scene. A little box holding a few plastic pieces my mother had brought home from her travels. I had hesitated before I shoved it onto a shelf. Shouldn’t I just put it in the garage-sale box? I had wondered.…
It’s Your Serve
Through love serve one another. — Galatians 5:13 I remember him as a large man, built like a concrete block. He wore a crew cut, neckties, and short-sleeved white shirts with an ever-present pocket protector. I was one of four fourth-grade boys who attended his Bible study each Wednesday at the Parkview Church of Christ…