It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas

Yesterday I went with a couple of friends to Manchester College in North Manchester, IN to visit a friend of one of my friend's friends. We visited and talked with her, then we spent some time praying for her and the campus. We procured a guitar and some drums and went to Worshiptown in the chapel. Afterwards we went to Warsaw and got some cheap and delicious chinese food (they gave us free sweet rolls). We went across the street to Central Park and ate watching the Christmas lights.

Here are a few shots from the park:




You may notice that the title of this blog is a line from a famous Christmas song. I'd like to talk about that now. Christmas songs.

I don't understand why people don't sing Christmas songs all year round. I am thankful every day that Jesus became a man to walk the earth that He created. Once when I lead worship last year I tried to do a Christmas song and it was discouraged because it wasn't Christmas time (the song was "O Come, O Come Emmanuel"). I'm not talking about songs like "I'm Dreaming Of A White Christmas" or "Jingle Bells." I'm talking about real Christmas songs. I find that a good portion of songs like "Silent Night" and "We Three Kings" do have moments of praise, but are primarily stories about stars and journeys. I'm talking about songs that glorify Jesus Christ, born and risen.

I think the main reason that I don't enjoy that this happens is because I see Christians getting swept under the "Christmas rug," or sorts. We can redeem Christmas (trust me, there is a LOT of pagan ritualism in almost every corner of the Christmas secular tradition), but it's going to take us acting differently and believing differently, and showing that we are not alright with what is happening to the celebration of the birth of our Lord.

God is jealous for our attention at all times, not just after Thanksgiving and before New Years.