Have you ever taken apart the story of Christmas?

The holiday season is in full swing. Black Friday deals are now things of the past and we are looking with anticipation and exhaustion toward Christmas. It seems each year we seem to put more and more on our plates during the holidays. Be it traveling, jobs for extra money, shopping, decorating, or other time-consuming tasks, we struggle to fit it all in. After the holidays are over, we lament because there was not enough time or they just do not seem to mean the same thing anymore. I have often hear it said that Christmas has become commercialized, and I would agree that it has. There is another word that comes to mind now that supersedes commercialism when I think about Christmas and the holiday season. The word is marginalized. We have literally become so busy over the Christmas season that we have marginalized its true meaning.

Most of us can tell the story of Christmas. We can tell about a baby being born in a manger and angels announcing to shepherds that the event had taken place, yet we speed through this season and the actual meaning of Christmas gets a momentary footnote in our otherwise full schedule. Have you ever just taken apart the story of Christmas piece by piece and asked why? Why shepherds? Why wise men? Why Mary? Why Jesus? Why the humble surroundings? Let your mind silence the noise for a few minutes and ponder those questions.

Angels prior to the birth of Christ appeared only to those called with a specific purpose by God. The people being spoken to by heavenly beings were set apart. Now God sends his messenger to shepherds, commoners, and announces the birth of the Messiah. What does that mean to you and I? It means that God is wanting to have a conversation with mankind. He is revealing the salvation of all mankind to us even through we smell like sheep. Even the star has significance. It was more than just a heavenly sign. In the beginning God said let there be light and light broke forth. Man sinned and the decay of humankind began to darken the world. The star coming forth and the angelic declaration that the Messiah was now here, represented the light that came from the very words of God.

The Christmas story is miraculous. The savior of the world was born. He was worshiped by the wise men and presented with gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Each one prophesying what was to come for him. Without his birth our salvation could not attained because we are not perfect. His love was shown for us in the greatest gift ever given. What if the Magi were too busy observing the skies? What if the shepherds were too busy corralling the herd to hear the voice of the archangel? That brings me back to us. Are we too busy to stop and worship? Are we too busy to turn down the noise of our lives and hear the voice of God speaking? It seems so impossible. Luke 1:37 says that For with God nothing is ever impossible and no word from God shall be without power or impossible of fulfillment. Mary came to this realization. She made the decision to believe and yield to the voice of God speaking light into the dark world.

Christmas falls on a Sunday this year. What an amazing time to start a new journey with your family. God wants a relationship with you and your family that is more than two days a year. I encourage you to get plugged in. We would love to have you come and worship with us at Washington First Assembly. We will have a Candlelight Christmas Eve service on Dec. 24, at 5 p.m. We also will have service on Christmas Day starting at 10 a.m. Come and experience Christmas through the creation story. We are located at 1602 E. Washington Street, across from the bowling alley. Merry Christmas from our house to yours.