Author Archives: reveds

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About reveds

Occupation: Pastor, Ebenezer Presbyterian Church, Lennox, SD Education: BS - Christian Education, Sterling College; MDiv. - Princeton Theological Seminary Family: Married, with Four children. Hobbies: Running (will someday run a marathon), Sci-Fi (especially Doctor Who and Sherlock), Theater, and anything else my kids will let me do.

All I Want for Christmas

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“For God alone my soul waits in silence; from him comes my salvation.”
(Psalm 62:1 (ESV)

“All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth.”  That’s what I sang in kindergarten, and I love to hear the kids sing it still today.  Unfortunately, none of my kid’s Christmas lists are quite so simple.  They want iPods, Wii games, new Thomas the Tank Engine toys, and pretty much everything else that’s advertised during Saturday morning cartoons.

My Christmas wish list isn’t any better.  Now that The Beatles are being sold through iTunes, I’ve got a wish list of music to buy.  I think the iPad looks really cool – and being the “techno-gadget-lover” that I am – yes, it is on the list (but I’ve already been told Santa isn’t bringing it).  To be honest, like my dad, I’d be happy getting socks and a new toothbrush for Christmas – I’m pretty easy to please.

Unfortunately Christmas season can bring out the worst in people, highlighting our selfishness and greed, the covetousness and envy that lies deep in our hearts.  All the advertising and marketing of the season makes it hard to avoid these attitudes.  Sometimes, we try to amend the problem, taking the high road saying, “All I want for Christmas is… world peace… success for my children… the chance to help others.”  All of these are commendable desires, but if that is really all we want for Christmas, we are still missing the mark.

The tendency of the human heart is to take the good things that God has given us in this life and hold them up as our idols – to worship the gift rather than the giver of the gift.  All the things on our Christmas lists are probably good things, especially things like peace, a loving family, and charity.  Too often, though, we get caught up in these things, and they become our priority.  We make idols out of every good gift we’ve received, and we lose sight of God.  We end up chasing after lesser gods, and wind up with lesser joy.

What I really need this Christmas, what we all need, is to be known by God and to know Him better.  This is why Jesus came; to take away our sinful and idolatrous hearts, and to give us hearts that beat for God alone.  He came to show us the Father, who He really is, and who He has called us to be.  He came to show us the love of the Father, so that we might desire the Father more than anything else in all the world.

This Christmas, all that is on my list is what David longed for in Psalm 62:1-2

1 For God alone my soul waits in silence; from him comes my salvation.
2 He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken.

SDG

Prepare ye the way of the Lord…

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“He said, ‘I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness,
“Make straight the way of the Lord…’”
(John 1:23 ESV)

Advent is upon us once again, for better or worse.  This is, I admit, my favorite time of year; but it seems to get harder and harder to enjoy.

Have you noticed the advertising on TV lately: “Now is the time to buy this new car…”  “The perfect gift for the guy who has everything…”  “Don’t miss our holiday sale…”  “Doors open at 4 a.m. …”  One would think that Advent is nothing more than a marketing season, one last ditch effort to boost the profits for retailers.  I’m all for a strong and robust economy, but is this really what Advent is all about – a reminder that we only have so many shopping days left until Christmas?

Here in the Church Advent is our countdown to Christmas.  We light candles each week signifying the coming of the light of Christ.  We decorate the church with greens and purples, with nativities and chrismons; we sing the classic carols that draw us into the “Christmas Spirit.”  Advent is our time to prepare for the celebration of the birth of Christ, the mystery of His incarnation, and God’s gracious gift of our Savior.  But, I ask again, is this really what Advent is all about?

Advent means “coming”, and as such it is appropriate that we use this time to celebrate the coming of the Christ child; but there is more to Advent, there is more to our faith than the birth of a child.  Our Lord promised His disciples, promised us, that He would come again to take us to be with Him.  Many Christians don’t talk about this promise openly because it has been the source of so much speculation and fantasy that we really don’t know what we believe. 

The Bible teaches that Jesus will come again, in a very personal and powerful way.  His coming will not be missed, as He will be joined by clouds of glory and a heavenly fanfare (1 Thess 4:13-5:11).  At His coming, the faithful in Christ will experience a rapture – we will be taken up in the air to meet Christ as He comes.  We will not be whisked away in secret, but will meet Christ in the air as He returns and take part in His triumphal return.

Advent is our time to focus on the return of Christ.  As Christians, we should always be vigilant in our watching and waiting for Christ’s coming.  Though we do not know when this will be, we are to be prepared.  May your Advent prepare you for the celebration of the birth of our Savior, and may you also be filled with anticipation and expectation of His return.

SDG