Too Soon?

     I remember how excited I used to get when the Christmas decorations first went up on the streetlights in my town growing up. It usually happened right before Thanksgiving and it was the signal that Christmas would soon be here. Well, things have changed. Now I complain when I see Christmas decorations before Thanksgiving. I have a hard and fast rule, no Christmas until after Thanksgiving. No decorating, no music, let's not rush past Thanksgiving.

     I am starting rethink that position. I am beginning to think 5 year old me knew better than 50+ year old me. Christmas is something to look forward to, it is something to get excited about. The creator of the universe came to Earth as a child to bring salvation for a broken and fallen world, that deserves more than a few weeks of celebration, that deserves a lifetime of celebration.

     Now, I am not going to start listening to Christmas music year round, I will still wait until after Thanksgiving. I am not going to start decorating for Christmas the day after Halloween. I am going to stop complaining about those that do though. I think they may have it right, Christmas is more than just the month of December, it is the entirety of time.

Are We Doing it Wrong?

     So today is Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving has always been one of my favorite holidays, it is probably tied with Christmas as my favorite. As a food guy, obviously I like it for the food, but really I like it for the focus on family. Most of my favorite memories are centered around Thanksgivings at my grandparent's house in New Jersey.

     Now a days it has become popular to make a list of the things we are thankful for. I have seen people listing one thing every day for the month of November. I think this is a great idea, but as a Christian I think it may be missing the point. We are called to be thankful, period. There are no more qualifiers after that, just be thankful. Is it okay to be thankful for family, friends, jobs, house, whatever? Sure, but we need to go deeper. We need to be a thankful people; not because of our circumstances but just because.

     It is great to have a long list of the things we are thankful for, but what if we didn't have them? All through the Bible, in fact throughout the history of Christianity, you see countless people thanking God in their lack, in prison, facing death. So don't let your thanksgiving be governed by your circumstances, just be thankful.

Hebrews 12:28 "Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe."

Every Sunday

     Every Sunday morning when the alarm goes off he thinks, "Ugh. Sunday morning." He rises and puts on his finest clothes, gathers up the family and heads off to church. Once there, he locates his normal seat; not in the front, but close enough so everyone will know he was there. Glancing around he notices someone wearing jeans and a slightly wrinkled shirt and thinks, "How can someone dress like that in church?" He mumbles through the songs and slips in and out of sleep during the sermon. On the way out he loudly greets the pastor and hurries home, thankful to have done his duty for the week.

     Same Sunday in a different house. He awakes before the alarm and immediately whispers a prayer of thanksgiving, "It's Sunday!" He dresses hurriedly, not really caring what he looks like. His only thoughts are on going to church and joining fellow believers in worshiping God. From the moment he enters the church he is transported to the very courts of God and breathes in every bit of it. Before he knows it it is time to leave. On the way out he lets the pastor know that he will be praying for him daily.

     If you look around your church next Sunday, you will find that both of these people attend your church. In fact, if you look in the mirror, you may find that one of them is you. Jesus spoke about these two people in Luke 18: 9-14. It is the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector. In Jesus' words only one went home justified. I pray that when I look in the mirror I see the face of the tax collector. What about you?

Luke 18:9-14 9To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: 10"Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other people-robbers, evildoers, adulterers-or even like this tax collector. 12I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.' 13"But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.' 14"I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted."