Unsanitized Christmas

Many people live a sanitized life. They go through life selectively choosing what experiences they will permit themselves to experience close up and which ones they will only view through a television camera or the pages of a glossy magazine. I heard of a person from the city that had decided they wanted to look for land in the country where they might build a house. But they only got a couple miles from town when they caught a whiff of cow manure being spread on a farmer’s field. At the first opportunity, they turned the car around and headed for the city. The picture-perfect calendar of life in the country had failed to prepare them for the reality that country living sometimes has an aroma all its own.

I think the same is true of the Christmas story. We somehow have created this warm and glowing picture of the holy family happily hunkered down in a livestock lean-to. I think that we forget that these were real people whose lives had been interrupted by multiple crisis and they were being forced to make the best of it. And while the baby Jesus is sleeping serenely on clean straw in the manger, the reality of his ultimate destiny is lost on many who simply gaze at a holiday crèche so artfully displayed on the fireplace mantle. The destiny of Jesus was to provide himself as a sacrifice for the sin of all mankind.

I learned a long time ago that people do not like to see mangers and crosses displayed in the same image. In a Christmas musical that I directed several years ago there was a song where Mary held Jesus and softly sang that she knew he would be a king. And as the soloist sang, “I know they’ll crown you a king” the choir, portraying an angry crowd, began to sing “crucify him”. It was meant to unsettle the audience and help them understand that Jesus came with a purpose and a destiny already determined. But not everyone in the audience received the message as we had intended. One lady filled out a comment card with these words – “There is no room for the Easter story at Christmas.”

She wanted a sanitized Christmas, free from the reality of the gospel and the mission on which Jesus had been sent. She wanted the sweet smell of the straw but was unwilling to recognize the stench of the sin of mankind. We all need to remember that what God initiated at Christmas he finalized at Easter. 

So as you celebrate the birth of the Savior this year feel free to leave it “unsanitized”. Remember that a Savior was only required because we were sinners. The little baby in the manger came with the express purpose of giving his life as a ransom for many. The cross can never be far from the manger.

The Real Thing

When our son, Shane, was a teenager he decided to decorate his room with a Coca-Cola theme. It’s surprising how many decorator items can found or made to fit the motif. And soon friends got in on the fun and the collection grew to even include bottles of coke from Korea, Poland, and England.

One of the things that he and I had always talked about was visiting The World of Coca-Cola in Atlanta.  Well, before we took him to the plane to end his most recent visit, we experienced The World of Coca-Cola. Ruth, under protest, came along also. We were amazed at all of the collectables that have been created over the years, all of the advertising that has been produced and all of the luck and good management it has taken to make the Coca-Cola brand a worldwide phenomenon. 

Although not stated overtly, the entire tour was a celebration of the mission of Coca-Cola. Their mission is: To refresh the world in mind, body and spirit. To inspire moments of optimism and happiness through our brands and actions. To create value and make a difference. Wow! What a noble and lofty sounding mission!

But at the end of the day, when the party’s over and the friends have gone home it’s really just a bottle of soda pop. Don’t get me wrong, they have done an amazing job at convincing us that “things go better with Coke” and that it’s “the real thing”. As a Christian worship leader “I’d like to teach the world to sing in perfect harmony…” but it’s not to come about just because I’d “… like to buy the world a coke …”

It occurred to me that the mission of the church of Jesus and the mission of Coca-Cola are remarkably similar. We are to refresh our world in mind, body and spirit; we are to inspire people with the optimistic hope that God has a plan for their life now and their future beyond this world; and we are to add value to people’s lives and make a difference in how they live.

But the difference is this: Jesus is the one who brings true significance to people’s lives. It is his atoning work on Calvary’s cross that brings about true change in the lives of individuals and communities throughout our world. And his advertising campaign is not created by cameras and slick print media, but rather by the reality of his presence in our lives – lived before a needy and desperate world.

So, the next time you reach for a coke ask yourself, “How am I doing at being a reflection in this world of ‘the really thing’?”

Declutter

Our health insurance provider is concerned that those they insure be actively engaged in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. As incentive to make that happen they pay us to take health surveys, participate in health challenges and practice habits that promote healthy living. That’s right – if we log on and spend a few minutes they will pay real money to our health savings account. 

One of the things that my insurance provider has suggested to lower anxiety and bring more serenity to my life is to eliminate clutter. Who knew that clutter can cause anxiety but I guess it does? (Actually, my wife has been telling me this for years.) They suggest that I spend 10 minutes per day decluttering. Now that this little piece of information is my head I can’t walk by a cluttered room without thinking, “Maybe I should spend 10 minutes in that room decluttering today.” (I’m sure when Ruth reads this she will be overcome with joy that my packrat ways may soon be under control. Time will tell.)

As I have reflected a little on this it is not just the dining room table and the office desk that get overwhelmed with unwanted and un-needed stuff. Clutter happens in our spiritual and mental life too. How many things do you have that take up space in your heart and mind that just need to be laid to rest? Unforgiven wrongs, un-met expectations, guilt, regret and the list go on and on. So how do we find time to deal with the clutter?

God has given to us a model of work and rest. We rest from our work so that we restore our energy and replenish that which has lacked. God’s intention for a Sabbath rest has not changed. It is a time to be restored in all of our relationships and to de-clutter our busy minds. Let me remind you that we have three primary relationships that need to be regularly restored. The first is with our heavenly father – that is why worship on Sunday needs to be a priority. When we gather to sing, and participate in the Lord’s Supper and give our attention to God’s word, we have the opportunity to restore and strengthen our relationship with him. 

Secondly, we need to take time regularly to build our relationships with our family and our closest friends. Keeping the lines of communication open and asking for and receiving forgiveness helps keep our hearts and minds uncluttered.

Thirdly we need to have time alone to reflect on our own lives and to be restored in our own spirit. Many people feel guilty about taking time for themselves, but if we don’t take time to be refreshed and renewed our lives become filled with stress and anxiety. We don’t often think about having a relationship with ourselves, but that is exactly how we have to think about the inner life. To quietly and thoughtfully reflect on our lives and invite the spirit of God to reveal our hidden dysfunction and to restore joy and peace to our hectic lives.

So, a few minutes a day will help me get my clutter under control. And a better understanding of the restoration that comes with a Sabbath rest will help us get our cluttered hearts and minds under control. While I can’t guarantee that money will show up in your account if you honor the Sabbath, I will promise you that each one of your relationships will be richer for it.