Tag Archives: Christmas

Traditions Aside

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Some of us didn’t go to church yesterday. It was Christmas and service interfered with our tradition of getting up early and allowing the children to open and play with their gifts to their hearts content. We didn’t want to mess with tradition, the one we’ve held for years. I understand tradition. Years ago I bought a book full of ideas for making family memories. This has always been my desire. I want my sons to have etched in their minds that the Smiths did this on that holiday, went there those summers, made that for the birthdays and did this just because. I haven’t read the book, only glanced through it and haven’t tried any of its suggestions, but I have worked to create on my own memories throughout the year with visits to the park and libraries, baking a treat at least every couple of months and me chasing the boys around the house about once a week.

And, of course, we have our Christmas traditions: making cookies, opening up stocking stuffer gifts and watching Christmas DVDs on Christmas Eve, and having Christmas Eve brunch with my mom, siblings and their families. We managed to keep up some of the traditions this year though they looked a little different with my mom being in the hospital, today marking six weeks her being there.

Instead of leisurely, we hurriedly made cookies during commercials of one Christmas movie we found on TV, tiredly opened up our stocking gifts, and had a rushed brunch after church at my brother’s so we could all go to spend some time with my mom in her hospital room. The weeks since prior to Thanksgiving have been full of care and concern for my mom, has had me pulling double household duties and has left my whole family with little time and energy to do what we normally do. I have been laser focused on honoring my mother while still caring for my children and loving my husband. If I weren’t in strong black woman recovery I would need to be in somebody’s recovery program because the stress of my life would have me stressed out. But I welcomed unsettled movie watching, quick cookie making, blurry-eyed gift exchanging, and brief brunching knowing that my change in traditions would be for my mom’s betterment. And to see her eyes brighten and cry upon seeing all her grandkids sealed my feelings all the more. God’s leading must lead our traditions out of our way.

One day some Pharisees and teachers of religious law arrived from Jerusalem to see Jesus.
They noticed that some of his disciples failed to follow the Jewish ritual of hand washing before eating. (The Jews, especially the Pharisees, do not eat until they have poured water over their cupped hands, as required by their ancient traditions. Similarly, they don’t eat anything from the market until they immerse their hands in water. This is but one of many traditions they have clung to–such as their ceremonial washing of cups, pitchers, and kettles. ) So the Pharisees and teachers of religious law asked him, “Why don’t your disciples follow our age-old tradition? They eat without first performing the hand-washing ceremony.” Jesus replied, “You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you, for he wrote, ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship is a farce, for they teach man-made ideas as commands from God.’ For you ignore God’s law and substitute your own tradition.” Then he said, “You skillfully sidestep God’s law in order to hold on to your own tradition.—Mark 7:1-9 (NLT)

When we decide to focus on what we have always done we miss what God is doing now. When we focus on our tradition, we miss what God is teaching. When we honor ourselves, we dishonor God and sometimes this dishonor comes when we decide to stay home from church to have our Christmas, effectively taking Christ, the object of Christmas and the one who commanded us to gather together, out of the holiday. We decided that we would follow our tradition and forget God’s tradition of assembling with the saints to worship Him together (Hebrews 10:25). And this following ourselves and not God concerns me. God has our best intentions in mind, but when we follow our ways and not His, surely we will not receive the best for ourselves. So I wonder, what type of heartbreak are we setting ourselves up for when we focus on man’s tradition above God’s tradition? What happens when the tradition breaks beyond our control? When a loved one dies, when we get sick and don’t have the strength that we usually do? What happens when our esteemed traditions change or don’t happen at all?

Traditions will change because people and circumstances do. The only way we can prepare for the change and not fall and STAY apart is when we do our part and follow God’s traditions. I am so grateful for God’s plans, those that inherently unreliable man can never change.

My One Thousand Gifts List

#371-380
Justus gurgling
Joshua telling me I’m the best mama in the “entire United States”
Cancelling lunch with a friend without being overwhelmed because I couldn’t go
For children who have the ability to cry, fuss, holler and complain
Parkman Branch library
A blog message
A reimbursement check from my insurance company
Extra monthly income
God sustaining me through a long day
God inhabiting my praises when I REALLY needed Him to today

Special Obligation: Christ for Christmas

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Photo courtesy of www.visualphotos.com

I’ve only bought one Christmas gift and we don’t even have up a tree. Yep, it’s four days until Christmas and we only have stockings and lights on the mantle, occasional Christmas music wafting and much talk from my 9 year old about wanting a gaming system. Praise God that my husband did some shopping online and picked up a stocking stuffer, but I have done almost nothing. This is not the Christmas season I planned, though it looks closer to the one that I’ve wanted for years. I have wanted to do away with a tree, most of the fattening foods we eat, and gifts that I still can’t figure out what have to do with celebrating someone else’s birthday. I wanted to give up the feverish frenzy of planning, shopping, plotting and hiding, trying to perfect a day whose traditions I question greatly. I wanted to focus on Jesus, celebrating His life that came to earth as human to save all of our lives.

My first major step toward this was writing the blog series “The 39 Days of Christmas,” where for 39 days I examined one Old Testament book each day for Jesus’ presence. Revisiting the posts this year has kept me centered on the One who gives life to this season. Tending to my mom, who has been hospitalized five and a half weeks and has had at least three near-death experiences, has kept me centered on the giver of life this season. Knowing that it was humanly impossible for my best friend’s 91-year-old grandma and her elderly aunts to escape the fire that consumed their home but not them this morning keeps me focused on the giver of life this season. Knowing that I have met insanity, depression, weariness, and frustration this season, but they have not become my friends, helps me rejoice this season about Jesus! Jesus must be the main focus. If not we will succumb to the ones whose job is to kill our joy, frown our smile, drown our spirit and muffle our praise. But Jesus gives life, preserves life and balances life. He is life (John 14:6). So the Christian has the special obligation to have Jesus as the central focus at Christmas time. No other way will do.

What are some ways that you have focused on Jesus this Christmas? What do you need to change in order to make Jesus the focus of Christmas? Please, tell me what you think.

Harmless Lies

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“There is no Christmas without Santa Claus.” This I heard an 8-year-old girl say after a little boy told her he didn’t believe in Santa Claus. They went back and forth a bit, trying to reason with each other as only innocent 8 year olds could do. I was silent, pondering the conversation and seeing how easily she, even knowing that Christmas is a celebration of Jesus’ birth, could be drawn into the myth of Christmas. Continue reading →

Merry Christmas: Have Fun in Christ

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Tomorrow I will look at a tree and see what’s meant so much to me for years: a heaping of hedonism. But that tomorrow will become my yesterday because of how I’ve labored with creating my greatest Christmas gift ever from God to me and from me to you: “The 39 Days of Christmas.” For three months I have been consumed with Christ, reflecting on His biblical presence before His physical presence on earth. And now this blog series is complete and wholly ready for you to use this Christmas or next or any other time that you need to remember that Jesus is the reason for Christmas and why we even exist. I have compiled the beginnings of each post here for you to sing to the tune of “The 12 Days of Christmas.”* You can also click select links to read posts from this series.

Have a Merry Christmas. I hope you enjoy singing this and have fun in Jesus Christ.

On the 1st day of Christmas my true love gave to me a man to usher Him in (Malachi 3:1).
On the 2nd day of Christmas my true love gave to me a way to balance my dualities (Zechariah 9:9-10).
On the 3rd day of Christmas my true love gave to me a vision of a better temple (Haggai 2:9).
On the 4th day of Christmas my true love gave to me a look at His judgment and His peace (Zephaniah 1:2-7).
On the 5th day of Christmas my true love gave to me feet like hinds’ feet (Habakkuk 3:19).
On the 6th day of Christmas my true love gave to me His peace in the midst of wrath (Nahum 1:2-8).
On the 7th day of Christmas my true love gave to me greatness as a baby (Micah 5:2).
On the 8th day of Christmas my true love gave to me an offer to repent after day three (Jonah 1:17 & 3).
On the 9th day of Christmas my true love gave to me, three reasons to always believe Him (Obadiah 15-21).
On the 10th day of Christmas my true love gave to me a God who gets the job done (Amos 9:11-15).
On the 11th day of Christmas my true love gave to me His word to sustain me (Acts 2:37-38).
On the 12th day of Christmas my true love gave to me a savior who purchased me (Hosea 3).
On the 13th day of Christmas my true love gave to me a vision of destroyed kingdoms (Daniel 2:34-35).
On the 14th day of Christmas my true love gave to me a picture of reigning reality (Ezekiel 21:27).
On the 15th day of Christmas my true love gave to me a God who will weep over me (Jeremiah 3:20-22).
On the 16th day of Christmas my true love gave to me a righteous, beyond super King (Jeremiah 23:1-6).
On the 17th day of Christmas my true love gave to me a face to change my reality (Isaiah 52:14).
On the 18th day of Christmas my true love gave to me a love that would ever be true (Song of Solomon 7:10).
On the 19th day of Christmas my true love gave to me the one shepherd who could guide me (Ecclesiastes 12:11).
On the 20th day of Christmas my true love gave to me, wisdom, the key to all life (Proverbs 8:35).
On the 21st day of Christmas my true love gave to me a chilling prophecy (Psalm 22:16 & 18).
On the 22nd day of Christmas my true love gave to me a God who redeems from tragedy (Job 19:25).
On the 23rd day of Christmas my true love gave to me a God who gave up comfort for me (Esther 4:11).
On the 24th day of Christmas my true love gave to me the power to build anew (Nehemiah 2).
On the 25th day of Christmas my true love gave to me His faithfulness and restoration too (Ezra 10:10).
On the 26th day of Christmas my true love gave to me a temple for his honor and glory (2 Chronicles 2:1).
On the 27th day of Christmas my true love gave to me a word for those who feel defeated (1 Chronicles 4:1)
On the 28th day of Christmas my true love gave to me, hope, grace and life to settle me (2 Kings 4:3-7).
On the 29th day of Christmas my true love gave to me wisdom to help me daily (1 Kings 3).
On the 30th day of Christmas my true love gave to me, a glimpse of eternity (2 Samuel 7).
On the 31st day of Christmas my true love gave to me, a prophet, priest and a king (1 Samuel 7).
On the 32nd day of Christmas my true love gave to me a savior fit to redeem even me (Ruth 4-8-9).
On the 33rd day of Christmas my true love gave to me a ruler as a savior and king (Judges 4:4).
On the 34th day of Christmas my true love gave to me a leader with the ultimate guarantee (Joshua 3).
On the 35th day of Christmas my true love gave to me a prophet sent to guide me (Deuteronomy 18:15).
On the 36th day of Christmas my true love gave to me a promise that he’d always be with me (Numbers 14:14).
On the 37th day of Christmas my true love gave to me a burnt offering for all of my sins (Leviticus 1:1-17).
On the 38th day of Christmas my true love gave to me a guide out of my slavery (Exodus 3:2-10).
On the 39th day of Christmas my true love gave to me a promise of Satan’s defeat (Genesis 3:15).

The difference with my “The 39 Days of Christmas” is that each day gives you a singular gift—Jesus Christ—so when you sing about the gifts from days 2-39 you announce the singular gift, i.e., On the 3rd day of Christmas my true love gave to me a vision of a better temple, a way to balance my dualities and a man to usher Him in.

Copyright 2010 by Rhonda J. Smith

Care-less Christians-The 1st Day of Christmas

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On the 1st day of Christmas my true love gave to me a man to usher Him in (Malachi 3:1).

A sister told me she heard financial guru Dave Ramsey say this: “Don’t try to keep up with the Joneses. They’re actually broke.” In this season a lot of us needed to hear that, like months ago. We skipped paying bills, maybe worked some overtime, borrowed some cash or charged our cards to the limit to buy our children Christmas toys so they wouldn’t feel left out, so we wouldn’t feel left out, so we could keep up with the Joneses. We forget that as Christians, we were never meant to fit in, to be like everyone else, and that includes how we operate during the Christmas season.

Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts.—Malachi 3:1

Here in Malachi God the Father tells of the role of John the Baptist as the herald of the Lord Jesus. In Matthew we see John in action and as a man who wasn’t trying to fit in and didn’t care a bit what people thought about him.

In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea,” Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight.'” Now John wore a garment of camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. Then Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region about the Jordan were going out to him, and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruit in keeping with repentance.—Matthew 3:1-8

  • John preached in an unconventional place.

    • He was in the wilderness, but those dry in spirit and wet with curiosity came to him.

  • John preached to unconvinced people.

    • He didn’t try to be like the religious leaders but challenged the Pharisees and Sadducees not to be hypocrites.

  • John wore unusual clothes.

    • Camel’s hair was different than the common clothes of linen, flax and wool.

  • John ate strange food.

    • I suppose that when you are in the wilderness, follow a Nazarite diet, and your main mission is to tell people about the coming of Jesus, insects and sweetener are prime food choices.

    John was a minimalist so he could focus on the maximum message of the coming of Christ. This is our message: to minimize things that gratify our flesh so we give fully to ministering the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. He came. He died. He rose again. He did it for all and will be with and in all who accept His sacrifice and receive Him as Savior and Lord. This is what we are to give at Christmas, caring less about what’s under the Joneses’ tree and more about who may not be in their hearts.

    Copyright 2010 by Rhonda J. Smith