Monday, December 25, 2023
Christmas Day: The Nativity of the Lord
(click here to listen to or read today’s scriptures)
On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me
The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light. You have brought them abundant joy and great rejoicing.
Kevin and Kathy Brown live a few blocks behind us at Adirondack and Walhill. They’ve lived there 40 years, and for the last 15 or so they’ve put up Christmas lights, lots of blow-ups, and a few wooden pieces, including a beautiful white nativity scene lit up perfectly under two blow-up dinosaurs kissing. Constantly. On the mouth. It’s a kids’ paradise, and Miles and Jasper couldn’t get enough of it last night. The owners are happy when kids explore their blown-up Christmas world, which takes them less time to put up and take down than I expected. Like a couple long weekends each, they told us.
To us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
We drove those few blocks after church, which was packed with candle-holding folks singing “Silent Night,” just after our soloist sang “Ave Maria.” Hail Mary, full of grace, blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Pastor Matt remembered the revolutionaries that came before: Samson, Samuel, David, John, and finally the greatest revolutionary of all, the one all the others were building up to, to Jesus. All of them turned toward God, and all of them turned the world upside down. Or rather, as Matt repeated several times, they turned the world right side up.
Heady stuff, accompanied by hot chocolate and cookies, setting off a beautiful picture corner with a line of families ready to smile. We recognized some of the family members, but always there were sons and daughters or fathers and mothers together with our friends just for tonight. And tomorrow. Perhaps a bit longer. Let’s get a picture!
There were shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them. Then a great company of the heavenly host appeared, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace and good will toward men.
During the service I checked the West Side schedule in Springfield, where Chris and Melissa were also in church. Their last Christmas Eve service coincided with ours. We shared Christmas with them a couple of weeks ago, when we were in Illinois. Marc and Evie will be with them today.
We’ll be together with Miles and Jasper and the rest of the Tomitas all day today. So sweet to be split between so many people that we love, and that love us. Day after day, no matter what.
Christmas Eve takes so many shapes for all of us. As just a little boy, I learned to love oyster stew just as Mom learned from her parents, the Brummers. When she married and became a Sandel, those oysters came with her. She ordered a gallon of oysters in November, and they were always ready to be covered in milk, butter and cream on Christmas Eve.
Every year the Tomitas play The Snow Game, emptying a Kleenex box as fast as we can. This year I think Jasper was the winner, although he might have had  a little help. Fruit, salami, shrimp, artichoke dip, a frittata, crackers, cheese and Andi’s Christmas cannoli cake made a great Christmas buffet at our apartment, our part each year of the hosting at Christmas.
Today at Andi’s, we’ll open presents of course, but not at the break of dawn – gifts are not even the first thing on the schedule. A bit of breakfast, an enactment of the Christmas story, a picture of everyone dressed as a Paw Patrol character, and then … the gifts. more than three each for Miles and Jasper from those pesky sets of grandparents, who seem to have much bigger ambitions.
We’ll bring food from an unfamiliar country (me – the North Pole, Margaret – France), play more games, take a walk on what’s expected to be a beautiful Austin day, hopefully get a nap … the grace of Baby Jesus filling each moment for us all.
Jesus’ mother Mary treasured all of these things and pondered them in her heart. And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.
(Isaiah 9, Psalm 96, Titus 2, Luke 2)
(posted at www.davesandel.net)
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