There is a song on the radio a lot these days made famous by Steven Curtis Chapman. The words to the chorus are:
‘Cause Christmas is all in the heart, that’s where the feeling starts
And like a fire inside, it touches every part
‘Cause Christmas is all in the heart
And even if no white snow falls, that’s all right because
The joy can still be found, wherever you are
‘Cause Christmas is all, all in the heart.
If Christmas is all in the heart, then the heart must be ready for Christmas. We must be prepared for the coming of the king through hearts filled with love and longing to experience the presence of Christ like the shepherds of long ago.
The sad thing is that many hearts today are hardened or indifferent to the Christ of Christmas. In each of our hearts, there is a flicker of flame, a pilot light, that is just waiting to burst into flame. No better time for that spark to ignite than at Christmas. Jesus’ birth offers us the hope for living in our difficult world now and the hope of eternal life.
I’d like to reflect with you this evening about the spark of Christmas.
1. Yule log
We moved to Buhl last year. Our new house has two wood stoves. I have never lived in a house with a fireplace. When I grew up, we used a cardboard fireplace to hang our stockings on. I always wanted to be the one to put it together. I really liked staring at the little wheel above the lightbulb that made the fire look real.
Why Santa comes down the chimney?
No other way to come into the house because all the doors and windows are locked. The chimney is a secret entrance into the house. In Germany and Scandinavia often Santa comes through the door.
The analytical among us want to know how he can come down a chimney with a fire going, or how about a house without a chimney?
Why does Santa like to go down chimneys? Because it soots him!
But isn’t he afraid he’ll get stuck? Yes, he gets Santa Claus-trophobic.
Won’t all that soot make him sick? No. He’s had his flue shot.
But what if there’s a fire in the fireplace? Santa then becomes Krisp Kringle!
Q. What goes in a chimney red and comes out of it black?
A. Santa Claus.
Q. How much did Santa pay for his sleigh?
A. Nothing, it was on the house!
The past few days, I have been thinking a lot about fires and how they provide warmth. We heat our house primarily with our fireplaces.
2. Chestnuts roasting on an open fire
Chestnuts roasting on an open fire,
Jack Frost nipping on your nose,
Yuletide carols being sung by a choir,
And folks dressed up like Eskimos.
There are a lot of hearts that are dressed up like Eskimos because they have not warmth to them. Their fires have not be ignited and the pilot light is growing dim.
3. The temptation today in our country is to take Christ out of Christmas. When we take Christ out of Christmas, we end up with a mess.
The scriptures offer us hope and the promise of renewal:
the people dwelling in darkness
have seen a great light,
and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death,
on them a light has dawned.”
(Matthew 4:16 ESV)
for my eyes have seen your salvation
that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
and for glory to your people Israel.”
(Luke 2:30-32 ESV)
5. The light of fire creates a warmth that spreads throughout our body.
6. When camping, usually one of the first things we do is build a fire (at least where it is legal). There is something cozy and assuring about sitting around a warm fire. Christmas is a perfect time to let God reignite the fire within our souls.
7. The warmth of Christmas
Christmas offers us a time to gather as families, to experience the warmth and peace that comes when we are with our loved ones. There have not been many times when we have been “home for Christmas,” as the song goes.
8. God comes to us with a promise at Christmas time.
John 1:4-5: “In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”
John 8:12: “Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’”
Luke 1:76-79:
And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High;
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,
to give knowledge of salvation to his people
in the forgiveness of their sins,
because of the tender mercy of our God,
whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high
to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the way of peace.”
The call of God is strong on a person’s heart. God ignites a fire within him or her that urges that person to be obedient and to try new ventures.
We need the Holy Spirit to come and kindle a fire within us that will spread to our community.
What does it take to experience the fire of Christmas? It only takes a spark to get a fire going.
Fuel:
- An openness to receive Christ, like the Shepherds and Wisemen
- Huge cultural battles that could easily distract us from what really matters. Politics, economy dominate the news.
- A willingness to be used, like the disciples on the Day of Pentecost;
- An awareness of those around us. A sensitivity that comes as we listen to the leading of the Holy Spirit within our lives.
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