Merry Christmas

A Christmas tree. 12/2022 dwm

It's the season, it's the day to gather as a family to celebrate togetherness and the birth of a baby two-thousand years ago.

The rituals of Christmas - attending church, hearing the story, singing hymns, doing some of the same old things remind us of the Christmas story.

For ten years I was part of the annual service put on by the students in kindergarten through either grade eight or nine at St. Paul Lutheran Church.  We had verses to memorize and hymns to sing in a gym packed with hundreds of people.

My family tradition after the service was going home where we unwrapped presents by a fire in the fireplace.  

 

Most years we got up on Christmas to drive south to join grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins for a holiday feast and exchanging more gifts.  The various families took turns hosting so it was every four years when the extended family drove to us.

I enjoyed getting presents, my two most memorable were a Schwinn Sting-Ray and five plates of glass that Dad and I used to build an aquarium, none of them lasted.  What endures is the gift of salvation from the First present, not for anything I did but because of Him.

The story of Christmas:

 

So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David.

 

He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.

  

While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.

  

Our nativity scene in 2015. dwm photo

 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.

  

 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.  But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.

 

 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign
to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

  

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

"Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

  

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger.  

 

Luke 2: 4 - 16 ESV Follow the link to read the rest of the chapter.