ChristmasReading2022A - Flipbook - Page 44
DAY Twenty-One: December 18 - Sunday
One Week Away
When do you put up the Christmas decora ons? It’s an old debate that
comes every year as regularly as pecan pie. Retailers start cashing in on
the season earlier and earlier. In America it’s called the “Christmas
creep.” Christmas begins to creep into our periphery, into our wallets
and onto our calendars at the end of October these days. The
Philippines, it appears, claims the champ’s belt for longest Christmas
season. The answer to the ques on “When?” is August. August!
Really? It’s the Christmas season before it’s football season, Christmas
before Thanksgiving? Apparently so.
Growing up, it was always on my middle brother’s birthday: December
10th. We would decorate the tree—always fresh—and listen to
Christmas music. My father had the largest collec on of Christmas
music ranging from Johnny Mathis to Gene Autry. We enjoyed the tree
immensely and listened each evening to the music of the season on a
stereo the size of a bu et.
In those two weeks leading up to Christmas Day, it was easy to keep
the “reason for the season” in focus. These days it seems a bit more
labored to do so. It takes a lot of energy, planning and cash to keep the
holiday spirit going over an extended me.
Thankfully, today is Sunday.
Sunday is the day of the week we, as disciples, gather together to
worship God and to be reminded, at the same me, why we do so. God
is love. Jesus reveals that love. The Holy Spirit pours that love into our
hearts. We have received extraordinary gi s. Let us be reminded. Let
us be thankful. Let us sing.
O Come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant
O come ye, o come ye to Bethlehem
O come and behold Him, born the King of Angels
ti
ti
ti
ft
ti
ti
ff
O come, let us adore Him
O come, Let us adore Him
O come, let us adore Him
Christ the Lord