FROM 'BAH HUMBUG' to blessed

by Pastor Kaitlyn Forster (kaitlynf@lordoflife.org)

By now, we are well within the ‘Christmas Season’ that seems to begin around Halloween and will end right around New Year’s. It’s a spectacle of lights and purchases, decorations and displays, and way too many opportunities for overindulgences. All for what? Santa coming to town? The birth of a baby in a manger? A reason to get energized in the darkest months of the year? Maybe a combination of all of those.

Do you get excited for Christmas? If so, what about it gets you excited?

I don’t ask that to be an Ebenezer Scrooge crying, “Bah Humbug” on this beloved holiday. But there is some truth to the overcommercialization that we’ve gotten into. Almost as if we do not do all the things and check off all the lists—the nice ones, of course—that we’re somehow doing it wrong. And quite honestly, I’m not sure I’m interested in all of that pressure, especially this year.

When Charles Dickens wrote A Christmas Carol in 1843, “Bah Humbug” was a fairly common phrase that became popularized by this novella. A ‘humbug’ is something that is intended to deceive or mislead. So, when Ebenezer Scrooge shows us his crabby pants, it isn’t to simply be a grump. He’s naming that the Christmas cheer

FROM 'BAH HUMBUG' to blessed................2-3 BIBLE 101: NATIVITY .......................................4-5 community life / confirmands ..............6-7 GIFT IDEAS / LIGHT THE WAY ........................8-9 CHRISTMAS MUSIC / contacts ............... 10-11

FROM “BAH HUMBUG” TO BLESSED

was something he found to be a sham. A hoax. Fake news. He had learned from experience that manufactured happiness wasn’t how the world operated and instead of getting swept up in the moment to stand his ground.

It wasn’t until he relived some of his previous experiences, when he had a change of heart. In doing so he saw the beauty of family coming together. He saw the ways in which he needed to ask for forgiveness. And in many ways, that’s when he became changed by the relationships in his life. He found value, joy, and hope through the people and things that were already right in front of him.

This year, Christmas, and the holidays in general, are bound to look very different than past years and it could be very easy to cry, “Bah Humbug.” But maybe we can learn from Scrooge’s mistakes and figure out what makes these days important for us.

One of the miracles of the Christ child’s birth that we celebrate is that God breaks through to us, wherever we may find ourselves. God defies our expectations, meets our reality, and promises to be with us on the journey of life. So, we don’t have to buy into all the hype if we don’t want to. We don’t have to do things the way they have always been done. We can instead find ways for God to be known while keeping our relationships safe, and by reminding our loved ones just how loved they are. This day and every day. May you all have a safe and joyous holiday season. Enter into the holiday season with the gift of an Advent prayer journal. Each day, receive a prompt and take some time to reflect on what this season means for you. To reserve your free copy, go to lordoflife.org/Christmas. Merry Christmas!