Tonight’s Blog, April 5, 2013

Many of us will read this blog tomorrow, preparing for the first Saturday after Easter, with a sense of

anticipation as we feel more and more that Spring, and yes, even Summer is almost here. It might help you to take one last look back at he best part of winter. What is that? Christmas, of course! “Always winter but never Christmas” is one of the saddest lines in C.S. Lewis’s book, “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.” Surely we can enjoy winter a bit, for the sake of Christmas… right? 

Anyway, tomorrow is the birthday of a man you might not remember, but you can’t hear his song without thinking of Christmas. The man is Edmund Sears. The song he wrote is “It came upon a Midnight Clear.” Every time we hear that song, we think about the birth of Emmanuel, GOD WITH US, our GOD and Savior, Jesus. What you may not know is that Mr. Sears was not a traditional Christian. He was a Unitarian minister. Most Unitarians were not able to affirm the divinity of JESUS. Edmund Sears wrote a beautiful hymn, and was able to affirm his belief in the doctrine in question. “I believe and preach the divinity of Christ” was his affirmation.

 

Regardless of our theological background, we should be able to celebrate the birth of Jesus. His birth should make it possible to celebrate even our problem areas. If you call JESUS, “LORD”, we have a common ground for dialogue. We can even sing songs that are from different styles, backgrounds or might even vary from our ideas. I love that about Jesus, don’t you…. that HE still surprises us once in a while, just when we think we are 100% right and in total agreement!

 

Part of my thoughts for the next series is to prod myself, and perhaps even you, my dear friends… to think out of the box and celebrate fellowship, true fellowship as is defined in 1 John, and is described by Jesus and HIS crew of disciples.

 

Next time you think about Christmas, remember these words:

 

It came upon the midnight clear,

That glorious song of old,

From angels bending near the earth,

To touch their harps of gold:

"Peace on the earth, goodwill to men

From heavens all gracious King!"

The world in solemn stillness lay

To hear the angels sing.

 

For lo! the days are hastening on,

By prophets seen of old,

When with the ever-circling years

Shall come the time foretold,

When the new heaven and earth shall own

The Prince of Peace, their King,

And the whole world send back the song

Which now the angels sing.

My prayer tonight is that we, yes, all of us, can find areas to agree more than we find ways to disagree... that we can love Jesus enough to love and fellowship with everyone HE loves. Who do you think that includes? Who do you think that excludes? GOD Bless us all tonight! big marv