Christmas Eve

When I was a child, Christmas Eve was that wondrous night of nights when Santa Claus came to my house. We usually attended Mass on Christmas Eve and then we returned home to find gifts under the tree. We would open our presents and then go to bed reluctantly. On Christmas morning we awoke to play with all our new toys while the adults fussed over a huge meal to be prepared all day and consumed in a matter of minutes. Today is a very different kind of Christmas Eve.

First, this is the last "work day" of the year for me. I will finish up a few tasks around the office and then prepare for our candlelight communion service this evening. After worship, we will get in the car and drive to Tulsa to spend Christmas with our children and grandchildren. No Santa at my house this year; no midnight mass, no toys to unwrap. Instead, I will enjoy the presence of family and the joy of watching children unwrap home made gifts and Christmas candy. We will celebrate the love God sent us this night and listen to stories of how God has blessed us in the past year. Then we will share a meal with friends and family as we ponder what lies ahead in the coming year.

Second, this is different because now I know so much more about what Christmas is all about than I did 40 years ago; even more than I knew just 10 years ago. Christmas is about hope, peace, love, and joy. Christmas is about God being here with us every moment of every day. Christmas is about how we respond to God's love as we do our best to live our lives according to Christ's example.

One thing I know for sure is that we have not done a great job over the last 2,000 years at representing the love of God to the world. We have taken the gospel and made it all about us instead of all about God. This Christmas, I pray that more of us can come to understand that our relationship with God isn't about us at all...It's all about God. We urgently need to recognize that God's plan is far superior to ours and we need to get out of God's way. We can't force God's hand or predict God's action. What we can do is love God and God's every move. We can share our abundance with God's Creation and we can wait in joyful hope for that day when we join God in eternal joy. That's the best we can do and the hardest task we have...Letting God truly lead us and allowing ourselves to follow. Gosh, that's a tall order!

I pray for you and your what I pray for my family, that you will appreciate the wonder of Christmas and anticipate God's action in the coming year. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! May the blessings and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you always.

Pastor Don