In the Zone

Let me share a pet peeve with you. I hate seeing nativity scenes depicting the wise men at the manger. I know.  I'm a Christian and a pastor and I probably shouldn't use words like hate, but it aggravates me to see the wise men standing over baby Jesus.  I'm even willing to forgive the fact that there were probably more than three and that they weren't really kings. But I have a hard time seeing them there with the baby Jesus. Because they weren't.  Scripture is clear the wise men came to Jesus' house.  Time had passed, probably as much as two years.  Yet, churches everywhere put the nativity up and there are the three wise men, dressed like kings, presenting baby Jesus with their gifts. I really should get past this, but I can't. Here's why. As believers in Christ, we should know better.  We have the scriptures to guide us, but we let culture interfere.  We let popular songs and traditions override what the book of Matthew says. And pe...

We get a lot of messages at Christmas. I opened my mail box the other day and was bombarded with them.  Flyers advertised the latest sales.  Christmas cards shared greetings from friends and family.  Letters pleaded with us to give to various causes.  Newspapers told stories of Christmas events. Even television inundates us with commercial messages about Christmas, letting us know when, where, and how to buy certain products.  The news programs tell us about the hottest gifts.  Christmas specials encourage us to buy more, spend more and give more. It seems we get all sorts of messages this time of year. The shepherds received a message that first Christmas too.  In Luke 2, we read that an angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord shown around them.  The event must have lit the sky brighter than any man-made bulb ever could. The message that night had nothing to do with spectacular light displays, fabulous savings or am...

I remember when my daughter was first born. Amid the excitement and joy came an overwhelming feeling.  This baby, which I held in my hands, was now my responsibility.  When she got sick, needed feeding, required a diaper change, or had to be corrected and taught, those responsibilities fell to me as her father.  In a matter of a few minutes, I had been entrusted with a new life on planet earth. Looking back on that day six years ago, I was excited but scared.  Yet, that is nothing compared to the responsibility Joesph must have felt.  Joseph was a righteous man, according to scripture, and he knew one thing for certain - Jesus was not his biological son.  Thus, he planned to divorce Mary quietly and be rid of the whole matter. And before we vilify Joseph, know that he could have done much worse.  By law, Mary could have been stoned to death.  His divorce was a form of mercy.  She would live and he would be rid of the stigma of an unfait...

In the clip from the movie "Elf" (one of the few Christmas movies I really like), Buddy the Elf, played by Will Ferrell, gets great news:  Santa is coming.  In fact, he screams out in joy at the prospect of seeing Santa. There is true excitement.  He jumps and screams and can't wait to tell everyone (including fellow workers at the store) that Santa is coming.  A few scenes later, we see him decorate the store in preparation for the big arrival. Buddy is excited. Contrast that with Mary from Luke 1:26-38. In Luke 1, an angel appears and lays out God's plan for her.  He tells her that the Messiah is coming and she's been chosen to be his mother.  She will carry and birth the son of God. Mary, who is probably around 14 years old at the time, isn't too thrilled with this news initially.  We know from scripture that she's a virgin, but that doesn't make her naive.  She knows where babies come from.  She would be well versed in the birds...