Season in Review
January 2, 2012 – 10:47 pm by Dale PilgrimI’m back where I started in November. The only remnant of Christmas 2011 is our Christmas tree standing tall in the Living room, waiting for us to tackle it and pack it up for another few months (there’s only ten months to go before we pull it out again!). Sorry, I couldn’t help myself.
There have been dinners and family times and our traditional Christmas eve story time. Walking through Advent with our faith community, all of which culminated in celebration with a Christmas Eve Candlelight Service and Christmas Day “birthday bash” – more food and desserts! Serenades, gift-giving (and receiving), and hearing stories about people who said “you made my Christmas”. All in all, it has been … could I say “successful” without soiling the Season with a ‘program’ mentality?
The challenge for all of us now is keeping Christmas alive all year long. The principles to do that are just as applicable on January 2 as they were on December 24.
First, remember Who it’s about. Excluding Jesus from Christmas is like having a birthday party but forgetting to invite the one born! Yeah, it’s a party of sorts but it does not have the same ‘punch’ as having the “guest of honour” front-row-center. Things would not have felt right or complete when I flew to Nova Scotia to celebrate my mom’s 70th birthday, if she wasn’t in the picture. Why bother?
Second, remember who it’s about. It’s all about you – and me! God is always so desperate to be in relationship with us, he pursues us relentlessly! Any time we stop to realise we are loved deeply, unconditionally, enough that the Lover would even die for us, we become consumed with a response that is generous, excited and joyful. We can’t help ourselves!
Well, it’s time to get the tree packed away. I hope though today, January 2, 2012, marks the moment when everything that tinsel, bulbs and gift-wrap represents is now unleashed in my living. Christmas, 24/7.




