Christmas Glory

I hope everyone was able to have a joyous celebration of Christmas with family and friends.  Ours was full of activity, laughter, good food, sight-seeing, and silly girls. 

Did your Christmas list include Glory this year?  Your top ten list probably included things like joy, peace, love, gifts . . . maybe even miracles (maybe even whiskers on kittens and warm woolen mittens.)  Would glory be in the mix?

As I was looking at words for the Candlelight service Christmas Eve, I have a hunch glory could characterize the spirit of Christmas as much as any other word.  Glory is found throughout the scriptural account of Christmas.  Mary gave God glory, the angels announced it to the shepherds, when John wrote about Jesus he wrote “we have seen his glory!”

Glory is all woven throughout the Christmas story.  I wonder why we do not use it more.  I wonder if we are uncomfortable with glory.  An athlete or entertainer who draws so much attention to oneself is a “glory hound.”  An individual who takes all the credit in a team project wants or “takes all the glory.”  Maybe we do not like people who like glory.

Maybe the Christmas story glory is more about God.  Maybe giving glory to God is not about performance it is about God’s presence.  Maybe by definition God is glorious and worthy of praise.  When applied to God, does glory invoke “honor and excellence?”  God’s presence is found in the glory of creation, which is why we need to take care of it.  Glory is in the Christmas story because Jesus came to show God’s glory.  Are we not then created to show God’s glory? 

Come help us give God Glory this Sunday.  Sunday, December 30^th, we have only one service at 10:30.  It is a service of carols and readings.  Please join us as we continue this Christmas season and give God glory through word and song.  See you Sunday!

In peace,

Pastor Stephen