Dear Church of the Open Bible,
In a couple of seconds, I’m going to come across as a poor husband and a bad father. I’m willing to take that risk hoping that you’ll read a bit further. Wait for it...I don’t allow Christmas music in our house until December 1st.
I’m instinctively ducking in my chair right now from imagined ornaments being thrown in my direction. But before you call me, “Scrooge!” and deck me with boughs of holly, let me give you my defense.
We live in a day and age where we have to wait for very little. If I’m cold at home, I don’t have to wait for hours after throwing more logs in the fireplace. If I’m hungry, I can get drive-thru and be eating a meal in less than three minutes. If I want to know how something works, I have access to hundreds of videos on YouTube explaining it in mere seconds. Now, these aren’t bad things but convenience comes at a cost. One of the things we lose the more quickly we are satisfied is anticipation.
“But Christmas?” you might ask. Yes, especially Christmas! Waiting and anticipating are part of the actual celebration. Anticipation for that first Christmas began almost at the beginning. It began when sin entered the world but God promised to provide a way to make it right. Of course, we tried time and time again to rush the job ourselves, but that only confirmed the mess we were in. Those who recognized our inability would trust God patiently, anticipating the day that He would come to make things right. That is what we celebrate at Christmas, the fulfillment of anticipation, a Savior born to us, Jesus Christ the Lord.
“Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word;
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 2:29–32
If you can maintain anticipation over two months, good on you. I can’t. And I don’t want familiarity to breed contempt. I don’t want the 25th to get here with an exhausted, “Finally!” I want the anticipation to build as we wait and watch. The snow is here. Lights are starting to appear on houses. Music will begin to play. Trees will get set up. Soon cards will arrive in mailboxes. The smell of cookies and other baking is just around the corner. Presents will appear under the tree. All in anticipation of celebrating something that was long-awaited, salvation available to us through Jesus. So that on the 25th, we can celebrate, like our kids, with an excited, “Finally!”
In Christ,
Pastor Jeremy Koleba