Christmas Day with Emmaus Church Promo

The word “holiday” in English is exactly what you think it is – the combination of “holy” and “day.” This means that, at the very least, the Christmas holidays (and other holidays throughout the year) have the potential to be essential parts of our spiritual formation and sanctified personal growth. The Scripture, while clear that holidays and observances are not mandated because of the cross (Colossians 2), is FULL of “celebrations” and “festivals” and “feast days.” These “holy-days” were intended to remember something important that they had seen God do in their midst or commemorate who God was with a picture of his nature, and they celebrated with all that they had when the opportunity arose. Nehemiah’s excellent admonition that “The joy of the Lord is our strength” is directly tied to a celebration with food and generosity, and the future of the church as described in the book of Revelation is also full of feasts, celebrations, and joy.

Joy, and its active partner Celebration, are essential Christian virtues. It only takes a moment if we stop and reflect to see how many of our simple traditions can be helpful to us as a church this Christmas season.

 

Call to action: Even if you’re not a particularly “festive” person, typically, find a small thing today that you can really celebrate. Even if you’re not totally feeling it, put on that crazy sweater or sing that Christmas song with extra umph! We celebrate what’s important to us – so go all out!

Psalm 34:3, Psalm 118:24, Luke 15:10

One of the most essential parts of holiday celebrations…is food. It almost wouldn’t be Christmas without turkey, ham, dressing, stuffing, cranberry sauce, the horribly unhealthy but delicious signature side dishes that every friend and family member brings…or whatever particular food it is for you! The meals at holidays have a prime place in our traditions, and there’s a relational and spiritual reason that the “feast” part of a “festival” is so important. Hospitality was an essential virtue in the culture where our Christ was born, and the fasting and feasting cycle in the Scripture played a huge role in expressing the spiritual temperature of God’s people. Fasting was seen as an expression of trusting God’s provision through an act of self-control, and Feasting was viewed as a picture of receiving and reveling in God’s bounty and good gifts. The pictures are similar for us as believers today. We know that the invitation of Jesus and the Scripture is to “come to table all who are hungry,” to “taste and see that the Lord is good.” When we invite people to table, we are stepping into and extending that invitation, in kind, to others. So, in that sense, sharing food and gathering at table allows us the opportunity to “work out your salvation.” When we joyfully give and joyfully receive while sitting around a table, we share the blessings of communion with and fellowship in Christ with those we love.

 

Call to action: Ok, I know this sounds crazy, but think of someone outside of your family unit to join you for Christmas dinner. Maybe it’s too late for that. Maybe you’re reading this while you’re at the table. So, invite them over for Christmas left-overs or a meal later in the week. It’s still the Christmas season! Whatever it looks like, take the time and plan to CHOOSE the hospitality of feasting. And when it happens – don’t skimp! Make the extra side. Roll out the cheese board. Get the pumpkin and the pecan pie! Really share and celebrate. Make the table you spread long and bountiful.

Matthew 25:31-40, Luke 15:22-24, Acts 2:42-47, 1 Peter 4:7-11

The tradition of giving gifts often gets a bad “wrap” (see what we did there?) There is so much commercialization and apparent greed that accompanies the industries that create the “things” in the world today, that we feel the need to downplay the entire idea of gift-giving as being of lesser value. “It’s not all that important, but we do it anyway” becomes the mantra for giving and receiving during Christmas. Sometimes, we try to counter the culture by making presents a direct symbol of Jesus as the gift of God to the world. In doing this, we can eliminate any enjoyment or appreciation found in the tradition as a trap for selfishness in and of itself. And look, I get it – it’s easy to get distracted by shiny objects. However, we don’t have to make presents a symbol or make pretzels out of our emotions in order to find Gospel truth in the practice of giving gifts. One mark of a believer – one who has been renewed and restored by the gift of Jesus – is a life that is filled with the spiritual discipline of generosity. We find this example in the advent, ministry, and sacrifice of Jesus himself! While it is the Gospel message that sets us free from sin, it is also the Gospel example that sets for us a standard of kindness and generosity to follow. Sacrificial and loving concern for others is all over the pages of Scripture. In Romans, we’re admonished to “outdo one another in showing honor.” The author is almost gamifying the act of showing other people how much they mean to us – it’s an almost comical picture. So make a game out of it! “The person who shows the most care and honor wins!” Whether you look at this Christmas tradition as essentially symbolic of the Father’s gift of grace in Jesus, or whether you’re partaking in the example of Christ in generosity and loving sacrifice, the giving of gifts is a spiritual exercise that we can practice with joy and gratitude.

 

Call to action: ENJOY YOURSELF! Express your gratitude for the gifts you receive with even more enthusiasm than you feel – to God and the ones who gave them to you. Follow the admonition in Romans and “outdo one another in showing honor.”

Acts 2:42-47, Romans 12:10, Philippians 2:1-4, Galatians 5:22-25

Let’s be honest, traveling for the holidays is a challenge – not only to our schedules and our nerves, but also to our relationships and our sanctification. Someone is always slowing you down, changing things at the last minute, or endangering you on the road. Our expectations of arriving quickly, promptly, and without interference are constantly shattered and we, along with the entire world, seem to be on the shortest fuse of any other time of the year. It can be a nightmare to travel on the holidays. But, if we were to allow ourselves to see the opportunity for gospel grace and generosity that the inconvenience, the ruined expectations, and the travel time could be, we would see that holiday travel provides an incredible opportunity to reach out to the people around us. Whether it’s in long car rides with kids, the TSA line with hundreds of other disgruntled flyers, or on a tandem bicycle with a complete stranger, every moment of interaction has the potential to communicate love, concern, generosity, grace, and joy. And more than any other time during the holidays, you actually have moments to fill when you’re traveling! You’re not preparing a dish, cleaning the house, or wrapping presents when you’re traveling (ok, I’ve done that last one before). So we have the time to breathe and look around at the people who are in the space with us. People that, probably, could use some love, joy, peace, patience, kindness…you know the list. If we would take the time to recognize the potential, we would see that even the travel of the holiday season carries with it an opportunity for gospel grace and growth.

 

Call to action: Use the time in your car ride to uplift the people you’re traveling with. Make a joke, ask a silly “would you rather” question – choose to bring joy to a situation that typically has so much stress involved. And then, after the ice is broken, you might check in with your people and find out how things are truly going under the surface.

Luke 10:38-42, Galatians 6:2, Acts 2:42-47

The holidays – as much as we talk about joy to the world and peace on earth – are often just hectic. We travel, we clean, we host extended family, we go to more parties and buy more white elephant gifts than we can fit in the schedule, and sing Christmas songs until we don’t have a voice left to sing. It’s crazy. At the end, we often feel like the whirlwind has left us too exhausted and drained emotionally for a time that’s meant to be a respite and a celebration.

But the Bible, church history, and the example of Jesus does have an answer to the crazy, if we’re willing to see its wisdom. 

 

Stop. Breathe. Pause. 

 

As impossible as it seems during the Christmas season, this may just be the spiritual discipline we need to take a load off of our hearts and minds during the holidays. Whether you observe what you call a quiet time, go to your prayer closet, meditate on Scripture on a walk outdoors, or just pause for a brief moment of quiet before you turn off your car, the church has always valued taking time to get away from the busy and the loud to enjoy the silence and the solitude. Jesus himself would often seek out the “wilderness” (the Greek word eremos, which is also translated “a solitary place” or “a quiet place”). We see him retreat even in his busiest moments, because he knew the value of resting in the Spirit for body, mind, and soul.  So, take a moment and sit with the question “Do I need to stop something this season? Do I need to let something go? Is there a period of time when I can clear my schedule to just be alone and quiet?” If you are tired, stressed, or worn out in the middle of a season that is supposed to be filled with joy, challenge yourself to stop and allow the Spirit to speak the peace that is beyond comprehension and the grace of the gospel to your heart. “Come to me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”

 

Call to action: Break away – steal 5 minutes somewhere quiet in your house and breathe. Release the tension of the muscles in your body, expressing gratitude to God for the breath that helps ease it away. Then just be still – focus on the blessings the day has brought and the sense of respite that your five minutes brings to you. Don’t try to come up with some eloquent prayer, just stop. And then when you’re done – say a simple “Thank you,” and then go back in peace.

Psalm 23, Isaiah 26:3, Philippians 4:6-7

SPECIAL NOTE: It is all well and good to talk about solitude, but that word can carry multiple connotations. You may be in the situation where you read the last entry and found yourself thinking that there is already too much silence and solitude in your life – and perhaps that’s not by choice. There is a difference between solitude and isolation (loneliness). As a church, we are called to live in compassionate community with one another. If you are feeling isolated, then, as followers of Jesus, you may be in a rather unique position. In a very real way, you have a unique flock of people to shepherd, because only a person who has felt that loneliness can minister as effectively to other people who feel that same loneliness. When a person with seemingly everything going for them says “God’s got a plan for everything” it can seem empty. “Maybe for you, he does.” But when a person who has walked through dark nights and their soul has come out with greater strength and vision, then the simple “I see you, I know you” becomes a balm to the soul. It think of Jesus on the shore of the Sea of Galilee after his resurrection telling Peter to feed his sheep, knowing FULL WELL what Peter’s deepest shame was doing to him. Our Savior saw him – “surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows.” Perhaps, like our Savior, you can find the grace to see your own isolation as a gift to others, and as you do, nurture a community who deeply needs your heart and your perspective.  Henri Nouwen said, “When we live with a solitude of heart [a heart postured to sit quietly apart from its own sense of urgency and its wants and needs], we can listen with attention to the words and the worlds of others…[Reaching Out: The Three Movements of the Spiritual Life, 38]”

 

In addition, we want to try to be that community for you, as well. We want to encourage you to reach out to other members of the church body – even if you’ve only had a brief moment of connection. This is an essential area where the church can “bear one another’s burdens” during this season that is meant to be joyous, but is often so hard for people.

 

Call to action: Do the same exercise as listed above – only instead of quieting the noise of the business around you, you will need to quiet the noise of the busyness inside you. Find that your Savior brings you rest even from your own isolation and fears. Release the anxiety of feeling rejected or inadequate and be still and at rest in his grace and his love for you. Don’t try to come up with some eloquent prayer, just stop. And then when you’re done – say a simple “Thank you,” and go call a friend or a family member. If none of those are available, reach out to us at the church. We’d love to get you connected with the wonderfully hospitable people of Emmaus Church.

If you are church member who is not walking through this particular season, take a moment to think through who in your sphere may be in need of connection and reach out yourself. 

Psalm 40:1, Romans 12:12, Hebrews 4:14