CHRISTMAS SEASON

Christmas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . William Arthur Ward Christmas is more than a time of music, merriment and mirth; it is a season of meditation, managers and miracles. Christmas is more than a time of gaiety, greenery and gifts; it is a season of wonder, worship and wisemen. Christmas is more than a time of tinsel, trees and toys; it is a season of preparation, prayers and peace. Christmas is more than a time of festivities, family and friends; it is a season of generosity, gladness and gratitude. Christmas is more than a time of carols, cards and candy; it is a season of dedication, direction and decision. Christmas is more than Santa, stockings and surprises; it is Christ, care and concern. The Presence of Christmas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . William Arthur Ward "Christmas is not just a season, Christmas is not just a day, Christmas is more than a reason For parties, presents and play. Christmas is truly the essence Of joy that the Savior brings; Christmas is surely the presence Of Jesus, the Kings of Kings!" Act Christmas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Anonymous "It is easy to think Christmas, and it is easy to believe Christmas, but it is hard to act Christmas." A Christmas List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Anonymous "Fear less, hope more; Eat less, chew more; Whine less, breathe more; Talk less, say more; Hate less, love more; And all good things will be yours." A New Way of Living . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Frederick Buechner "Listening to Your Life," Christianity Today, Vol. 37, no. 15 "The birth of Jesus made possible not just a new way of understanding life but a new way of living it." Christmas Wishes . . . . . . . . . . Judy Bourgeault, Blue Mtn. Arts "In life, there will always be many paths to follow; I hope you always choose the right one…If you give a part of yourself to life, the part you receive back will be so much greater. Never regret the past, but learn by it. Never lose sight of your dreams; a person who can dream will always have hope. Believe in yourself; if you do, everyone else will. You have the ability to accomplish anything, but never do it at someone else’s expense. If you can go through life loving others, you will have achieved the greatest success of all." Where to Search for the Lord . . . . . . . . . . . .James F. Colaianni, Sunday Sermon Masterpiece Collection, Vol. II, p. 694 "The Christmas story reminds us once again it was not man’s idea that the Son of God should be born in a stable. And so the first thing we learn from Jesus’ birth is that the Lord will not always be found where we expect to find Him. We tend to look for Him in the nice, the clean, the warm. We expect Him to be in churches and in the Bible and in hymns of praise and in Christmas cards which have Scripture verses on them…And if these are the only places we search for the Lord, then we’re not looking in the stable. This reality is expressed with dramatic force in these lines from Michael Quoist’s book called Prayers: I am not made of plaster, nor of stone, nor of bronze. I am living flesh throbbing, suffering. I am among men [and women] and they have not recognized Me. I am poorly paid, I am unemployed, I live in a slum. I am sick, I sleep under bridges, I am in prison. I am oppressed, I am patronized. I sweat men’s blood on all battlefields. I cry out in the night and die in the solitude of battle. And yet I said to them: ‘Whatever you do to My brothers [or sisters], however humble, you do to Me.’ That’s clear! The terrible thing is that they know it, but don’t take it seriously." A Prayer for Christmas Morning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Henry Van Dyke The day of joy returns, Father in Heaven, and crowns another year with peace and good will. Help us rightly to remember the birth of Jesus, that we may share in the song of the angels, the gladness of the shepherds, and the worship of the wisemen. Close the doors of hate and open the doors of love all over the world… Let kindness come with every gift and good desires with every greeting. Deliver us from evil, by the blessing that Christ brings, and teach us to be merry with clean hearts. May the Christmas morning make us happy to be thy children, And the Christmas evening bring us to our bed with grateful thoughts, forgiving and forgiven, for Jesus’ sake. Amen. from A Treasury of Christmas Stories. Henry Van Dyke edited by James S. Bell, Jr. Harold Shaw Publishers, 1993