A LINCOLN DAILY NEWS.COM PUBLICATION
2015 Worship Guide
Page 17
The other day I read a story about a
family that had the custom of putting large
plywood letters bordered with Christmas
lights on their roof each year. The letters
spelled out the word, “
NOEL
.” One year
the dad was a little slow in getting the
letters up on the roof. Finally, late one
Saturday afternoon in mid*December, he
got the project underway. The letters were
large and hard to handle. It was a very
windy afternoon. While he struggled to
put these large letters in their place, he was
heard to mutter some very “unchristmasy”
declarations under his breath. At last the job
was done and he climbed down the ladder in
triumph. He called his wife and children out
of the house and told one of them to plug in
the lights. But when the lights came on and
blazed out against the dark sky, everyone
burst into laughter. Up on the roof, the
illuminated letters read, “
LEON
.”
That story helps to illustrate an important
reminder that Christmas can be a very
frustrating and confusing time. Instead of
being a time when people are filled with
joy, happiness, and inspiration, Christmas
can become a drudgery. Perhaps this is
part of the reason why Elvis Presley’s
“Blue Christmas” became so popular. The
key words of hope, love, and cheer are
replaced with hassle, labor, chore. Strained
marriages, the loss of loved ones, and family
conflicts takes the “Merry” out of Merry
Christmas. Many people in the world are
searching for meaning and many more find
themselves stuck in a proverbial rut in life.
The true message and meaning of Christmas
is that...
* Jesus came so we wouldn’t have to stay in
the hole of depression, fear, and loneliness.
* He willingly came and was born into our
world to help us.
* He came as the Light of World to guide
us through the dark periods and to keep us
from stumbling.
* He came as the Prince of Peace to restore
order to our chaotic lives.
If Christmas becomes a time only about
decorations, trees, presents, and wrapping
paper, it can indeed be a blue time.
But Jesus came for much more than that.
He came to say...
“Come to me, all you who are weary and
burdened, and I will give you rest.”
- Matthew 11:28
Michael Mallick, Sr. Minister at
Jefferson St. Christian Church
There’s blues this season…,
and there’s Jesus
Jefferson St. Christian Church
