Rediscovering Christmas: Playing Reindeer Games

“This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."
Luke 2:12 NIV






When we lived in Oregon we traveled down a winding road to get our home. On one particular evening as we came home after dark, the car headlights lit up a deer crossing sign. I remember Riley, my son, asking what the sign was about. I recall telling him it was a sign that was warning us that there were deer in the area and we should be watching as to not hit them. That teachable moment seemingly slipped by as the conversation ended.

I don’t remember how long before the next event took place: We are driving down the same road and the headlights hit the sign again. It was long after the lights slipped past the sign that Riley cried out, “Dad, Dad! I saw one!”

I replied, “What did you see?”

He responded, “A deer, a deer!”

Now I had not seen a deer, but not wanting to doubt him I asked, “What was the deer doing?”

He paused for a moment and then like any child born in Indiana he replied, “He was playing basketball!”

I immediately began to laugh and this began a game that we now play nearly every time we see a deer crossing sign. It is our reindeer game.

I have apparently been witness to deer playing basketball, cards, monopoly, yahtzee, soccer, football, ping-pong, swimming, hockey, bowling, and my personal favorite – hop scotch. I guess there really is no end to the games that reindeer can play.

I chuckle every time I am alone in the car and see a deer crossing sign. I wonder what the deer might be up to that I can’t quite see. That got me thinking about the signs that we miss, or more importantly the joy that we miss when take the signs for granted that are a part of our everyday lives.

“This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

There was a sign 2000 years ago and many missed it.

It was subtle.

It was shared with a few shepherds and they shared it with others, but

like so many amazing events in life, with time, the wonder and amazement lessened.

A baby was born, a sign was given. The shepherds were told. They looked for the sign and discovered Joy at the sight of the newborn.

“This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

The star that the Magi followed certainly shown in the sky above the shepherds that night but it took an angel from God to point out the sign to them.

Life is a continuous series of adjustments. Life is busy. Sometimes the most important details are lost in the midst of being busy.

“This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

Babies are amazing. They do absolutely nothing and we watch with joy for hours. I believe it is a picture of true worship: God does not need to do anything more in order to receive our worship. And yet He does. He shows up in person in a manger to be with us. How can we not respond in worship and adoration.

As you have heard the Christmas story this year, for the first time or for the 50th time,

Did you see the signs?

A baby is born and God is with us.

Do you have the Joy that comes from knowing God’s son?

Have you made the adjustments to your life to allow room for Jesus?

Have you given God the adoration and worship He is due at all times good and bad?

“This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

Do you have the Hope that God offers through Faith in Jesus Christ?

See the signs,

Believe the miracle.

Receive the God’s Gift given this Christmas season.

The signs are all around.

Don’t miss the celebration?

Merry Christmas!

Rediscovering Christmas: The Grinch

“Maybe Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. Maybe Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more.”







In a recent national survey, more than 62 percent of respondents said watching a holiday movie is a tradition in their home, making it a more popular tradition than baking holiday cookies or hanging stockings. Additionally, respondents felt shopping (35.4 %), traveling (20.5 %) and hanging Christmas lights (17.9 %) were the worst part of the holidays, which is perhaps why so many identified with The Grinch from "How the Grinch Stole Christmas," who was voted the #1 holiday movie character (18.6 %). The bad-tempered Grinch beat out unforgettable characters like Ralphie from "A Christmas Story" (13 %) and even Kris Kringle from "Miracle on 34th Street" (13 %).

The Grinch is the popular cartoon character created by Dr. Seuss. He first appeared in the 1957 children's book, How the Grinch Stole Christmas! In 1966, Ted received a call from his old friend Chuck Jones, now a successful animator. Jones convinced Ted to adapt How the Grinch Stole Christmas! for television. It was a painstaking task, as Jones used the full-animation technique that had been popular at Disney. The idea behind full animation is that one could follow the story, with or without the benefit of narration. With full animation, a half-hour television program would require approximately 25,000 drawings—over 12 times as many drawings as most animations of equal length.

The length of the story, the color of the Grinch, and the development of a script that did not end on a trite or overly religious note also had to be addressed. Again, Ted was always very particular about colors, and it took some convincing by Jones for Ted to concede to paint the Grinch green with evil red eyes. The songs were a collaborative effort between Ted and composer Albert Hague. The result had the Grinch forever immortalized by a popular television special, produced by MGM and directed by Chuck Jones. The voice of the narrator and of Mr. Grinch was unforgettably delivered by the legendary Boris Karloff.

Since then The Grinch has become a Christmas standard, and parodied or featured outside the Dr. Seuss brand frequently around the holiday season. The character is referenced by the media often in instances where a holiday display is ruined by vandals, or holiday burglaries are committed. Outside Christmas, the term "Grinch" is synonymous with "grouch", as in someone that shows great disdain for something wholesome.

The Grinch carries a theme common with other Christmas classics like The Christmas Carol by Dickens and the grouchy Ebenezer Scrooge or the film It’s A Wonderful Life and the despised Mr. Potter. But this character is so much more fun, more green, more fuzzy, more silly, that it couldn’t possibly be about me.

As with seemingly all classic Christmas cartoons there is a great moral lesson:
Maybe Christmas doesn't come from a store. Maybe Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more.

Now I am all for teaching good morals, but never forget that truth is not relative. Truth is a gift from God that is absolute.

In How the Grinch Stole Christmas! remember there was a problem. Dr. Seuss had a concern that the story not end in a way that was trite or overly religious. So, the script called for a star to rise to the heavens (rather than drop from the heavens) in order to emphasize the power of the heart.

Let me repeat that: concern that the story end in a way that was not trite or overly religious . . . so, the script called for a star to rise to the heavens (rather than drop from the sky) to emphasize the power of the heart.

I guess here is where my problem with the world’s view of Christmas (and that includes Dr. Seuss!):

Christmas no matter how you want to dissect it - will always be about the celebration of the birth of Christ. Not a celebration of the human spirit. Not a celebration of the good of humanity. Not a celebration of generosity.

During December 2008 in Washington DC there was a bus advertising campaign that was paid for by the American Humanist Association. (Fox News 11-12-08) The thought provoking campaign borrowed from the holiday song “Here Comes Santa Claus” and asked and then answered a simple question, “Why believe in God? Just be good for goodness’ sake.”

Following the campaign, a competing campaign was launched. It will covered the Washington DC busses with the following message presumably from God, “Why believe? Because I created you for goodness sake. Signed God.”

Do we really think that change will come as a result of a slogan on a bus?
Or in the Grinch’s case as the result of a bunch of ‘Whos’ singing on Christmas morning?

Do we as Christians really believe that change is that easy?

Did Dr. Seuss have it right? Could we simply have a change of heart all on our own?

God has been at work changing people’s hearts since the beginning of time. God used radical means to get our attention. A virgin gave birth. A sinless life was lived.

Jesus was radical as well in His messages. Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount changed all perspectives for all times: The least became the most. The last became first. The lost became found. The forgotten remembered. Jesus brought a message of change and of hope.

Do not forget that the power to change is not found with in you, But with Christ.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! I Corinthians 5:17 NIV

Shortly before his death, when Dr. Seuss was asked if there was anything left unsaid, he pondered the question and finally responded: “The best slogan I can think of to leave would be: ‘We can . . . and we’ve got to . . . do better than this.’”

Church we must do better than offering slogans and good morals. Church we must be willing to be people of change. Change will not come to this world, this community, our neighborhoods, or our homes, until we first change ourselves.

Because of this decision we don't evaluate people by what they have or how they look. We looked at the Messiah that way once and got it all wrong, as you know. We certainly don't look at him that way anymore. Now we look inside, and what we see is that anyone united with the Messiah gets a fresh start, is created new. The old life is gone; a new life burgeons! Look at it! All this comes from the God who settled the relationship between us and him, and then called us to settle our relationships with each other. God put the world square with himself through the Messiah, giving the world a fresh start by offering forgiveness of sins. God has given us the task of telling everyone what he is doing. We're Christ's representatives. God uses us to persuade men and women to drop their differences and enter into God's work of making things right between them. We're speaking for Christ himself now: Become friends with God; he's already a friend with you. I Corinthians 5:16-20 The Message

Christ’s final words on this earth implore us to go tell others the good news.

Why?

So that others might know what we know, Behold all things are new!

Even for a Grinch, even for me, and yes even you!