12/16/2025
Christmas is a wonderful time of year. Hallmark and other movies contain bits of magic. My personal favorite is Miracle on 34th Street. For Christians, it’s a time of deep celebration as we consider the profound mystery of Immanuel – God coming to be with us. That’s right. This is the same God who went BANG and created a whole universe. Now He becomes a humble human. He not only shows us a better way to live but makes that way of life possible.
A college professor once pointed out that where God builds a church, next door, you’ll find that the evil one has built a chapel. That seems to be what has happened with the celebration of Christmas. It has become all about prepping Christmas letters and cards, big dinners, politics of family, finding presents, putting up decorations. It can also be painful for people who feel alone or who are living through their first holiday season after loss. How can you not be preoccupied with these things?
A few weeks ago a couple of people at our church wrote a new lyric to the tune of “The Twelve Days of Christmas.” It was called, “The Twelve Stressors of Christmas.”
In the chaos of the holidays, we prep for many things:
1. The politics of family
2. Christmas cards I'm sending
3. Burnt turkey dinner
4. Haven't bought the presents
5. I'm all alone!
6. Lights are not lighting
7. No time for cleaning
8. Prices and inflation
9. Which family are we seeing
10. First year after loss
11. Uncle Buddy's drinking
12. Aunt Tilley's judgment
Several of us had fun performing it, and everyone could identify with one or more of these stressors that so easily take our hearts away from observing the real celebration that God is with us.
Peace & blessings to you during this season.
(Pshew – got my Christmas letter done. Which stressor do I need to face next - 😉)
