December 27, 2007

"Here We Come A'Caroling"


The Martin Family Christmas Chorus

Kim and I continued a Martin family tradition of going door to door during the Christmas season to sing carols to unsuspecting neighbors, last Saturday night. We may not go out every year, but since I have been in the family (33 years) we've managed to go out more years than not. Some years we have more people singing and some years less. Other years we might have non-family members join in the Martin Chorus. No matter who shows up, one thing is for sure, it is always a fun time to sing choruses of Winter Wonderland and We Wish You a Merry Christmas with this family of singers.

Sometime in the late 1960's, the tradition started when Kim's parents, Kelly and JoAn Martin, decided to pile the family into their vehicle and serenade their friends at their houses with Christmas carols. Kim recalled how his dad invited those they sang to, to join the caroling party. Many of their friends would join the ban of carolers and continue along their way singing Christmas carols to neighbors. Kim added that the evening of caroling usually ended up with hot chocolate and a party at his family's house.

Now we have introduced the caroling tradition to a 4th generation of Martins through our grandchildren, Regan and Aidan. They and the other children in the family enjoyed going door to door to be greeted by delighted residents as we all sang Hark, the Heralded Angels Sing or some other carol. Sometimes the people even give out candy or cookies that you can imagine is a big hit with the kids. This year our Aidan and Regan, with cousin Gabe standing timidly by, would station themselves in front of the chorus to add an "interpretive dance" to our singing. The kids were clearly having a good time.

In the spirit of the first caroling party, although not as impromptu, we ended the evening with a party back at our house. It brings me pleasure to continue this spirited tradition and offer a Christmas song to our neighbors. I'm thankful that Kelly and JoAn thought to start such a fun event. Even during the rush of the Christmas season, it is a happy surprise that family and friends want to take part in the caroling. It is my hope that we will continue going Christmas caroling for years to come.

December 20, 2007

Christians Go To Heaven

Do people still say, “the Church of Christ think they are the only ones going to heaven”? An expression I haven’t heard in a long time was mentioned in a Bible class at church last night. I just can’t imagine anyone would still ask that about us today unless they heard it from an older generation of Church of Christ folks. In fact I’m 55 years old and no one ever seriously asked me that question when they found out I was going to the Church of Christ. It was like an urban legend. You heard about its happening, but never experienced it. However, there are those of the Church of Christ persuasion that claim it is true and has happened to them. Oh, and before I go any further…No, we don’t believe we are the only ones going to heaven. God would be mighty lonely in heaven if that were true.

Christians, followers of Jesus, seekers, sinners, righteous, faithful believers in the Son of God are the only ones going to heaven. I don’t believe that Elijah was a member of the local Church of Christ or any other fellowship when he was taken up to heaven. Christ had not been born in the manger yet, so how could he? What’s more, Jesus was Jewish! A Rabbi! Not a member of The Church of Himself.

In Hebrews 11, Paul writes about many men from ancient times that were made righteous through their faith in what they could not see. He writes that God has prepared a place for them. Therefore, we see it is the faithful, righteous believers that will go to heaven.

(Hebrews 11: 13b-16) …And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth. 14People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. 15If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. 16Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.

That country the strangers are searching for is not the Church of Christ. When we hear about the wars, death, pain, and suffering the Evil One is causing on earth, all of mankind should long for a better place. That place is heaven where we won’t cry, have pain, or die. We can’t be so ignorant as to believe that Church of Christ Christians are the only ones that long for a better place. How absurd to even think that would be true!

To my Church of Christ brethren, let’s squelch this urban legend right now. Make it a page on the Snopes website and people can see that it simply isn’t true. Let’s teach them it isn’t true by our acceptance of fellow Christians of all faiths to illustrate that the same blood of Jesus saves us all. Our mission should be more about getting the Good News about Jesus Christ out to the people who truly don’t know Him, than trying to answer absurd questions. Questions or responses to questions about which church is going to heaven should never even come up in our conversations. Let us not put thoughts into people’s minds who are trying to formulate opinions about Christians by bringing up old rumors. Drive that old topic over the cliff with the demonized swine. Don’t rescue it by dragging it up again in any conversation about God.

The Church of Christ is part of a diverse family of Christians created by God. It isn’t your church affiliations that will save and give you a home in heaven. Christians are believers in Jesus Christ and follow his teachings to be born again. Christians, not a particular religious group, believe they are going to heaven.

December 14, 2007

Xmas

I must give some credit here to Heartlight.org for the picture. I was drawn to the tiny toes peeking out from the little blanket.

The photograph shows a well crafted manger and the baby has some nice "swaddling clothes" wrapped around him. Although, I would venture to guess that the manger Jesus lay in was not even as nice as the one in the picture. Luke didn't say anything about the accommodations other than, "...there was no room for them in the inn." Surely, Mary or Joseph put more cloth over all of that itchy hay for the infant of royal lineage. It could be that Jesus was like the princess in the Hans Christian Andersen tale The Princess and the Pea. If the noble skin of royalty could feel a mere pea beneath the weight of many mattresses, just think what all of that hay felt like under one thin layer of cloth swaddled around King Jesus. Ouch!

The birth of Baby Jesus is written in the Holy Bible in the books of Matthew and Luke, but not in Mark or John. The latter books get straight to the point of Jesus ministry as an adult. Were it not for Matthew and especially Luke's account, we might not even know about the manger and the lack of rooms in the inn. I wonder, if it were not for the writers, Matthew and Luke, how our celebrations at Christmas might be today.

While growing up in a conservative Church of Christ family at Christmas, there was no more emphasis than usual about the birth of Jesus The church we attended basically said that we celebrated the birth, burial and resurrection of our Christ each time we assembled together as a church body, which was basic theology of the time in many congregations of that particular belief. Today, many Church of Christ congregations honor the Birth of Jesus in Christmas pageants and carols sung during worship services on and leading up to December 25.

Of course, another reason I was told we didn't celebrate Jesus' birth at this time was because no one really knows the exact date that Jesus was born. As a child, I accepted those teachings and just thought all those other religions were misinformed and were making a lot of noise about a non birth on December 25.

Maturity and knowledge, of course, has taught me that it is perfectly acceptable to acknowledge the birth of Jesus on December 25. Still, it is difficult for me to think of the Baby Jesus first over all the elements surrounding the Christmas season. Even though Christmas is literally a mass, or festival, for Christ, I still think about decorated trees, Santa Claus and wrapped presents first when gearing up for this time of year. Those are ingrained teachings of my childhood. Jesus, I think about everyday, on Sundays and "anytime the saints assemble to worship".

December 25 is just a date in time to me. The date has no more meaning for me as a Christian than any other day. Now I hope that doesn't sound sacrilege to any one reading this blog. It is not my intention to shake any religious foundations or upset my brothers and sisters in Christ. Nor do I wish to imply by my title, Xmas, that I want to take Christ out of Christmas. In fact, if you followed the link, you'll notice "this X and P arose as the uppercase forms of the Greek letters χ and ρ),used in ancient abbreviations for Χριστος (Greek for "Christ")." Therefore, Christ is in Xmas, it's just Greek abbreviations.

"So, what is your point?" you might ask. My point is that when I was a child in the 50's/60's, it was common teaching at my church that we celebrate Christ' birth everyday, not just on December 25. The fact that I celebrate Christmas more as a secular holiday rather than a religious holiday makes me no less a Christian. Nor does it mean that I am a gift monger, grabbing all the goodies I can get. The Christmas season can hold different meanings for individuals whether they be of a religious nature or not. There is nothing wrong with pretending Santa Claus leaves treats and gifts for good little boys and girls. Some kids need all the incentives they can be offered to behave. Although, I was never taught to believe in the mythical jolly old man, I don't assume to advise a parent to the contrary. Nor would I advise lying to children about the existence of Santa Claus, or Saint Nicholas. For truly there was a St. Nick, who was a third century bishop from Lycia.

As a result of my mother's teaching, that it was alright to pretend there was a Santa Claus, but not to believe in him, I didn't "believe" even as a young child. However, neither did I believe that Christmas was about Baby Jesus. So, for me Christmas was, for the most part, about having days off from school, parties, and parades with the red-suited man sporting a fake white beard while riding on a firetruck. More than that, though, it was about a time to be with my family, to submerge in all the noisy conversations, laughter and time spent making up for missing them during the previous months. Christmas for me has always been my favorite time of the year. Not for the commercial buying and giving frenzy, nor the Christian belief that it is Jesus' birth, but simply because it is a guaranteed time of enjoyment and happiness with family.

So, do I recognize Jesus birth at Christmas? Sure I do and on all the other 364 days of the year. As a Christian I praise God for the birth of Jesus because without it, he would never have died for my sins. He is my savior, and for that I am eternally grateful. Therefore, I do not write Xmas as an attempt to remove Christ from the holiday, but as the Greeks, to write of Christ's name in line with a festival. A time of celebration in which Christians in particular will join in the singing of carols and pageants during this winter season of joy. Even though I didn't grow up with the idea that Christmas is about Jesus' birth, I am trying to think more on Luke's account of the holy night than I normally would at any other time of year.

"I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord." Luke 2:10-11.

Merry Xmas to you all,
ML

December 11, 2007

Embracing Today

For all of the years I was at home and even for many years to follow, aunts, uncles, cousins, brothers, and my grandparents, all gathered at my parent’s house for Christmas. My mom’s parents, who lived a short drive away, celebrated with us every year. My dad's parents lived in Oklahoma and I have assumed all of these years it was because they just lived too far away.

(Picture: Some of my family, about 1986 or '87.)

If the Abilene relatives drove down by Christmas Eve, mom and her sister would bake in the kitchen for the next day. While that was going on, we kids would play games, the men watched football on TV, and at some point in the evening a domino game of Forty-Two would start up. What a great memory for me to recall the shouts of victory, explanations of why someone had lost or the laughter as a team caught up to the winners. Those happy sounds were a real comfort to me as a child.

All the beds in the house, plus sofa beds and pallets on the floor, were filled on Christmas Eve with family members. When us kids woke up, we'd head straight for the Santa presents. I had to be careful not to reveal Santa’s true identity to my younger cousins. Mom explained the Santa thing sort of like this: "It’s fun to pretend there is a Santa Claus, but we are the ones that bring your presents." I never "believed" in Santa as a real person, but I sure believed in Christmas. I loved the decorated tree, the presents, the fun I had with my cousins and all the wonderful food my mom, aunts and grandmother would fix. Those are special times locked away forever in my memory.

Just thinking about all the scrumptious foods prepared at Christmas makes my mouth water. My aunt and mom were experts at making fluffy white divinity candy so sweet that one piece was all you could eat. Mother's pecan and coconut cream pies were a standard for the holidays. She baked a ham, yams, potato salad, baked beans, fruit salad, hot soft rolls and often, turkey and dressing, in spite of having just had it on Thanksgiving. There was always enough food to feed "Cox's Army" as my mom would say. It all came so naturally for her to make Christmas a joyous time to be with family.

The last Christmas we celebrated in my childhood home, was in 1992. Mom cooked her usual spread of Christmas food for all of us who gathered. We played games and laughed ourselves silly. However, mom was sick and would not be with us for the next Christmas. She passed away in May 1993 with cancer. That same year, my brothers and I learned that Daddy’s forgetfulness wasn’t just natural aging. He had Alzheimer’s disease. Mom and Dad's passing closed the book on my childhood. Even though I was an adult, as long as my parents were living, I felt that I was still a child.

Though I made attempts to continue my mom’s kind of Christmas with my brothers and sisters in law at our house, it never caught on. We all knew it was time to split up where we spent the holiday. I have spent many happy Christmas holidays since with my husband's family. Their traditions became mine. While there may not be a lively game of Forty-Two, there is sure to be a spirited conversation usually revolving around politics. Although, political talk isn't my idea of fun, singing with the Martins is an experience I've grown fond of.

Christmas 2007 will be at our house and I anticipate a wonderful day with my husband, our three sons, daughters in law, and two grandchildren. With Mom’s recipes, I can prepare some of the tastes from my past and honor her. Traditions are perhaps a past generation’s ideal and I am learning that it’s okay to let them go. Our kids will come with their energy and youthful joy to fill our house with laughter and fun. So, this year I’m dusting off my Christmas Spirit and embracing the present generation through our children while fondly remembering my parents. Hopefully, I’m learning that holidays don’t have to be a memorial for what we had in the past, but can be a celebration of what we have in today.

December 10, 2007

Christmas with the Guys (and Gals)

This is our youngest son, Ryan, and his Pekingese dog, Augustus. They are sporting the latest in Christmas fashion, the Rudolph Blinking Nose. I couldn't resist snapping a picture of those "reindeer".

Here it is two and a half weeks from Christmas Day and my tree is up, stockings are hung and decorations are set out around the house. Never did decorating for Christmas happen this early before I retired from teaching school. I not only have one tree up in our living room, but I even have another small 4 foot tree in the breakfast area. My grandson, Aidan was visiting with us Saturday. He and I had fun decorating the little tree with my old school ornaments. He was so patient with me as I fumbled around trying to find a short string of lights that worked.

This is the first Christmas since all three of my sons were married that "the schedule" is working out. You all are probably familiar with a "schedule" of some sort around the holidays. That is where the married kids have to share the holidays with their own families and the in-laws. Thanksgiving is spent with one spouse's family, then Christmas with the other side. The next year the schedule flip-flops. They will have Thanksgiving at the house where they had Christmas the previous year, and Christmas with the family they had Thanksgiving with last year. So, my boys have been trying to make that plan work for several years now and for one reason or another, it had not worked. This year the boys spent Thanksgiving with their in-laws and we get all of them here for Christmas Day. Needless to say, I'm thrilled to have our family together for this holiday.
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