Mirky Miry Mirth ... or ... M A J E S T Y !
Do I love it?
Should I hate it?
Should I love it?
Do I hate it?
I really have to get over Christmas! Or, just maybe I don't. Maybe there is someplace in between.
What ever the case, I need to come to that settled place of contentment believing that The Lord of the Universe has the birth of his Son in his wise hands, and that he will continue to do so no matter what crap is thrown at it, at Him.
My restrained rant on searching for the meaning of Christmas amid the chaos goes some way in exposing my heart-felt concern about how popular culture (allegedly) celebrates the birth of Jesus the Christ.
My principal concern is that Jesus' birth has been reframed: it happens in Tinsel Town, in the world of Vomitus Maximus. Basically, in my opinion, the broadly recognisable Christmas of today finds its soul more in a rotting after-birth than in the Person. Simply, Jesus is not found there and I shouldn't think he will be found there anytime at all.
In reality, this is nothing new to God and shouldn't be to me. The death knell of the lie that started long ago in The Garden continues to ring unabated, and the stench of the many breaths that continue to breathe that same lie, in its myriad of forms, burns the nostrils of God and of those who reject its adulterations. The cacophonous peel of chrissy bells strips the world of the peace it so desperately needs because the One born the Prince of Peace is kept hidden from view.
I need, indeed we all need, to see Jesus as He is, as he lived, died and rose again. We need to see Him, as He is revealed to us by God, in all His fullness, power and authority. And we need to share with those around us all that he gives us through seeing only Him. To be sure, His robes of glory and majesty will immeasurably out shine anything the world offers in its continuing catatonic state, now seasonally adorned in the red and white vestments of a Christless Christmas.
My task, as I now view it from this Christmas Day 2004, and I hope it will be yours too, is to allow myself to be immersed in and blessed by the heart-truth of Jesus’ coming, and of his eternal omni-presence, and not have my feelings smothered by all the mirth of, what in truth is, a "Very Murky Miry Crass Mess".
For those who worship the Son in Spirit and in Truth may the blessings of the eternal One be your inheritance. For those who do not yet know the Son those same blessings are available to all who believe. Don't delay.
Glory to God in the Highest!
Amen.
Should I hate it?
Should I love it?
Do I hate it?
I really have to get over Christmas! Or, just maybe I don't. Maybe there is someplace in between.
What ever the case, I need to come to that settled place of contentment believing that The Lord of the Universe has the birth of his Son in his wise hands, and that he will continue to do so no matter what crap is thrown at it, at Him.
My restrained rant on searching for the meaning of Christmas amid the chaos goes some way in exposing my heart-felt concern about how popular culture (allegedly) celebrates the birth of Jesus the Christ.
My principal concern is that Jesus' birth has been reframed: it happens in Tinsel Town, in the world of Vomitus Maximus. Basically, in my opinion, the broadly recognisable Christmas of today finds its soul more in a rotting after-birth than in the Person. Simply, Jesus is not found there and I shouldn't think he will be found there anytime at all.
In reality, this is nothing new to God and shouldn't be to me. The death knell of the lie that started long ago in The Garden continues to ring unabated, and the stench of the many breaths that continue to breathe that same lie, in its myriad of forms, burns the nostrils of God and of those who reject its adulterations. The cacophonous peel of chrissy bells strips the world of the peace it so desperately needs because the One born the Prince of Peace is kept hidden from view.
I need, indeed we all need, to see Jesus as He is, as he lived, died and rose again. We need to see Him, as He is revealed to us by God, in all His fullness, power and authority. And we need to share with those around us all that he gives us through seeing only Him. To be sure, His robes of glory and majesty will immeasurably out shine anything the world offers in its continuing catatonic state, now seasonally adorned in the red and white vestments of a Christless Christmas.
My task, as I now view it from this Christmas Day 2004, and I hope it will be yours too, is to allow myself to be immersed in and blessed by the heart-truth of Jesus’ coming, and of his eternal omni-presence, and not have my feelings smothered by all the mirth of, what in truth is, a "Very Murky Miry Crass Mess".
For those who worship the Son in Spirit and in Truth may the blessings of the eternal One be your inheritance. For those who do not yet know the Son those same blessings are available to all who believe. Don't delay.
Glory to God in the Highest!
Amen.
3 Comments:
Oh Pete, I loved that -- "Very Murky Miry Crass Mess". !
(I am still laughing my head off even now...)
I know just how you feel ... I read your latest post and nodded my head and laughed in agreement through the whole thing. I've noticed that Christmas as the world knows it, has gotten harder for me each year. Harder, because the rest of the year I get so used to following the Spirit of God throughout the day...going where He wants me to go...doing what He wants me to do. And there is a flow to that.
Then Christmas comes along and the whole month feels forced. Like I *have* to do what the spirit of the world wants me to do. What my friends and family expect me to do. And mostly, that feels like a monkey wrench has been thrown into 'the works' and everything goes along clankety-clank-clank...if you know what I mean. No smoothness or flowing.
But still I play along. And yet--as the years go by I do try to make this Christmas season more 'mine.' More what I believe it should be and not what the world says it should be. I try to live up to God's expectations and not the world's.
I think my problem is that I try to find a happy medium and God is not really into happy mediums....smile... Yet, He is into balance. It's just a matter of finding the correct, Godly balance in most things.
But on the positive side-- I do believe in not letting the world steal our holidays. Like, some Christians don't say 'Easter' anymore because the world uses that word. Well, I don't agree with that at all. That's like letting the world steal something from us and they've already done too much of that. So I say Easter and I celebrate it the way I want. And I love Valentines Day and I celebrate that too, even though some Christians get all weird about that day.
I guess I'm mainly saying here that I've learned that Jesus is very positive and I want to stay positive, too. The world is so negative and I don't want to add to the negativity. So that's why I so often write about positive things-- it feels like I am going against the worldly grain and it feels great! And too, those positive things give people hope and I am really into doing my share in that area, also. People nowadays so need hope! I really do want to be a light shining in the darkness.
Well, anyway.... just wanted to say thanks for your post! And Merry Christmas to you--the right and real kind!
I'm really glad I met you this year.... God bless... Debra
I basically just don't like the Christmas season. I didn't like it before God brought me back to himself last year, and I don't like it now.
The delicate, beautiful sensitivity of Jesus and the Holy Spirit are what keep me going. The loud, insistent ugliness of the commercial Xmas season hammer on me for, this year, two months. I started seeing Xmas decorations in stores in October.
I just stay out of it. Or try to. I try to keep my eyes focused on Jesus.
Part of the problem is the artificial separation. Jesus knew from his birth what was coming, yet our culture makes birth and death separate events. Jesus did what he had to do, what he wanted to do, what he and his father had agreed to do before the founding of the world. Our culture has chosen which parts of the story are beautiful, and those parts are what we're supposed to concentrate on.
Jesus' birth points directly to his horrendous death. Without that we have no chance at a decent life. His death points directly to his resurrection, and that is God's promise to us. Daily resurrection, and the promise of even better to come.
Thank you, Pete, for your stories and poems.
Hi Debra, Thanks for your comment and you have my email in response... It is encouraging to know I hit a raw nerve, but in a positive manner. Truth is I too crack up over [people having] a very murky miry crass mess!
Larry, thanks for your thoughts, and take on things. I is just so absolutely necessary that we remain focused on Jesus, not just at Christmas but in everything. He said of himself, 'Without me, nothing'.
thanks both for stopping by.
Peter
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