Christmas

The Journey of the Magi: A Christmas Reflection

REBEKAH COCHELL | GUEST James Tissot, Journey of the Magi, 1894, Minneapolis Institute of Art. Public Domain. There is a Christmas poem that has haunted me ever since I read it years ago: The Journey of the Magi by T. S. Eliot. It is not your typical cheerful Christmas poem; it has a somber tone, contrasting the Birth of Christ with death. Yet I keep revisiting it, finding truth and beauty—and, ironically, Christmas cheer. If you are unfamiliar with it, you can read it here. A Brief History Between 1927 and 1931, the publisher Faber & Gwyer created Christmas pamphlets called the Ariel Poems. Each pamphlet was a collection of beautifully illustrated Christmas poems meant to be given as Christmas cards. They were collaborations between popular poets, artists, and typographers. Among them, Eliot’s Journey of the Magi (1927) stands out as a strange inclusion. It begins: ‘A cold coming we had of it, Just the worst time of the year For a journey, and such a long journey: The ways deep and the weather sharp, The very dead of winter.’...

The Journey of the Magi: A Christmas Reflection Christina Fox2025-11-28T15:31:14+00:00

Waiting in the Hope of Coming Redemption: Walking with Our Sister Anna

ELIZABETH TURNAGE | CONTRIBUTOR “Lead us this day, Lord Christ, that we might walk its paths in the light of the hope of our coming redemption. Amen.”[i] As we move through the season of Advent, which literally means “coming forward,” we remember that God’s chosen people once waited for our Redeemer to come and now await His final return. Advent is a season of waiting. What indeed does it look like to walk the paths of each day “in the light of the hope of our coming redemption”? Anna, the prophetess and widow of Luke 2:36-38, shows us the way. When we meet her in Luke 2, Anna is an older woman, either 84 or 104.[ii] Widowed as a young woman, probably around the age of 20, and apparently childless, Anna had no means to support herself. She likely became a recipient of Ancient Near Eastern welfare, moving near the temple, where she could access food and shelter. Despite her many losses, Anna avoided the secondary suffering that can add to affliction—she refused to indulge in self-pity. Instead, she devoted her life to waiting for redemption. Over time, she became known as a prophetess, someone who delivers messages from God. As we study how Anna spent her days, we discover a compelling portrait for walking each day in the hope of redemption. Anna shows us how to wait for our returning Redeemer who will one day come to restore all broken things...

Waiting in the Hope of Coming Redemption: Walking with Our Sister AnnaChristina Fox2025-11-28T15:27:35+00:00

Jesus: The Perfect Gift

SHARON ROCKWELL | CONTRIBUTOR When our children were growing up, Christmas celebrations included gifts under the tree that appeared Christmas morning. During the season, the kids would make lists of their desired presents, mostly based on the recently advertised toys. But rarely did they receive something on their list. As parents, we took delight in finding the perfect gift for each child. I once overheard our second oldest tell his younger siblings not to waste their time making lists. The gifts they would receive were always far better than the ones for which they wished! Our Father’s Perfect Gift Our heavenly Father sent us the perfect gift, the gift of His only Son. Some had wished the promised Messiah would come as a king, saving them from their enemies. But our heavenly Father knew we lived in darkness, so He sent the perfect gift, Jesus, who would bring light into the darkness. When Jesus started His earthly ministry He declared, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12)...

Jesus: The Perfect GiftChristina Fox2025-11-22T18:45:11+00:00

A Wonder-Filled Advent

MARIA CURREY | CONTRIBUTOR What sparks wonder in your mind and heart? Psalm 77:11-12 is our call to WONDER! “I will remember the deeds of the LORD; yes, I will remember Your wonders of old.” Oh, that this will be an Advent season of wonder for you! When you consider who God is and what He’s done for you, how do you behold Him in amazed wonder and awe? Childlike Wonder Children understand what WONDER means. They are filled with wonder over the smallest things: the feathers of a bird, the amazing, assorted animals at the zoo, the yummiest flavors, a creeping caterpillar. Meandering our way through the wonder of their favorite animals, my grandchildren enjoy many-striped zebras, long-necked willowy giraffes, floppy-eared, giant grey elephants, all created by our God of wonder. How about favorite childhood flavors? My mom is a 92-years-young woman of wonder; she was a foodie before they were named as such. She happily lavishes favorite flavors on her family, lovingly making rhubarb custard pie for my oldest brother, carrot pudding and vanilla sauce for the youngest, all thoughtful flavors of wonder. These lighter-level delights make me think that in a much grander and more WONDER-filled way, God loves us. He surrounds us with wonder in all of His Creation, lavishing us with tangible reminders of His wondrous love!...

A Wonder-Filled AdventChristina Fox2025-11-22T18:29:46+00:00

His Blessings Flow

SARAH IVILL | CONTRIBUTOR I’m always glad when our church puts up Christmas decorations and we begin singing hymns about Jesus’s advent and birth. Many of those hymns haven’t been sung by the congregation since last Christmas, so though they are familiar, they are also fresh. One such hymn is Joy to the World! It’s one of my favorite hymns, so I want to share some reflections on the third stanza to assist us in preparing our hearts to worship the King this Christmas season. “No more let sins and sorrows grow” This phrase would be discouraging to anyone who is unaware of God’s amazing grace. There is not one person who has the ability to stop sinning. You likely know how difficult it is to be told to do something when you don’t have instructions, tools, or the capacity for doing it. It’s disheartening, to say the least. But thankfully, for those who trust in Christ alone for our salvation, we have been given everything we need to live a life of godliness (2 Pet. 1:3-4). Because of God’s grace and power, we can “walk by the Spirit” so that “we will not gratify the desires of the flesh” (Gal. 5:16). But what about sorrow? In this broken world you and I will have lots of sorrows. Broken relationships, dashed dreams, loved ones dying, infertility, financial ruin, depression, prodigal children, and things like these. How do we keep sorrow from ruining us? When the apostle Paul pleaded with the Lord to deliver him from a “thorn…in the flesh” He replied, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor. 12:9). And so it was. Paul could be content with sorrows “for the sake of Christ…for when I am weak, then I am strong” (v. 10)...

His Blessings FlowChristina Fox2024-12-05T15:12:34+00:00

Celebrating Christmas with Hope

BETHANY BELUE | CONTRIBUTOR Christmas is my favorite season with children, with all the lights, decorated yards, Christmas festivities, and the awe they experience as they soak in each fun holiday activity. It’s a sweet time of joy and celebration and I make every effort to enjoy each moment with them and let go of my stress and anxiety that sits just below the surface. That’s because, in the midst of all the celebrations and joy, the hard parts of this life still exist. In my community, there are broken relationships, marriage hardships, the first Christmas without a parent, another Christmas with empty arms, and the longing to celebrate this holiday with a spouse. The pain I see all around me is real and deep, and yet Christmas is coming. All those sorrows will not disappear in the middle of feasts and festivities. I often wonder what it looks like to hold both joy and sorrow as we approach this special holiday. During a recent conversation with a friend, I was reminded of something Tim Keller said while I sat under his teaching, “Christmas means that you will never be alone.” I remember that season of life when I heard those words and how they filled my heart with peace. No matter what my life may look like, no matter what sorrows I’m sitting in, or unmet desires I’m waiting for, I am not alone. Jesus was born so that I may never be alone...

Celebrating Christmas with HopeChristina Fox2024-12-05T15:02:53+00:00

The Way Prepared

SHARON ROCKWELL | CONTRIBUTOR In California, we are constantly admonished to prepare for earthquakes. They can happen at any time, and the threat hangs over our heads. The “big one” can happen tomorrow, or a thousand years from now. Most of us don’t take the preparation warnings as seriously as we should – like collecting flashlights, medications, and water and food for several days use (plus a can opener!). Those who live in California know the feeling of unexpectedly having the ground shake beneath their feet. We immediately turn on the TV to check for the epicenter. We text our loved ones to see if they are safe. We survey our house for damage. And likely regret not preparing despite all the warnings to do so. The Call to Prepare Seven hundred years before the coming of Christ, the prophet Isaiah records a call for preparedness, for deliverance of the Jewish people and the redemption of mankind by Christ. He warned God’s people to prepare themselves by making their ways straight, that is by repenting of evil inclinations and believing in the promised Messiah to come. “A voice cries: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken” (Is. 40:3-5)...

The Way PreparedChristina Fox2024-12-05T14:41:23+00:00

Come All the Not So Faithful

MARYBETH MCGEE | GUEST I wept quietly, hoping no one would notice, as I sat among our church family at the annual Christmas concert. I had never heard the song before, but the first line was like a sucker punch after many years of trials. This is the time of year when the old familiar songs begin to echo through the air and you hear the call “O come, all ye faithful, joyful, and triumphant.” But what if you are entering this Advent season feeling more like the lyrics of a not as well-known Christmas song by Sovereign Grace Music, O Come, All You Unfaithful? “O come, all you unfaithful Come, weak and unstable Come, know you are not alone O come, barren and waiting ones Weary of praying, come” [1] I had experienced much of what those lyrics described. I felt unfaithful, weak, and unstable. Especially after nearly a decade of infertility genetic testing confirmed that God had knit a forever barren womb into my DNA. I was also weary of praying for a foster care placement that would result in adoption. This was followed by more waiting, only to then become even more weary of praying for an answer that would solve the many challenges that come with raising children with ever increasing special needs. Trials of so many kinds had washed over the bow of our family’s little boat of life, like waves on an unpredictable sea. And yet, James had the audacity to tell us that our trials should be counted as joy? “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.” (James 1:2-4)...

Come All the Not So FaithfulChristina Fox2024-11-22T17:00:56+00:00

The Gift God Gave Before Christmas

JAMYE DOERFLER | CONTRIBUTOR “In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah, and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, and she exclaimed with a loud cry, ‘Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord’….So Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months and then returned home.” Luke 1:39-45, 56 Though it’s not specified in this passage, the baby that leapt in Elizabeth’s womb was John the Baptist. Every single gospel account connects the conceptions and births of John the Baptist and Jesus, stating that John’s ministry was to prepare people for Jesus’s ministry. How much more special is it that the two were related! In fact, as I reflect on this passage, I see a merciful thing God did by making them in the same family: he gave the beautiful gift of mutual support to these mothers. Miraculous Pregnancies Both Elizabeth and Mary became pregnant in miraculous ways. Prior to this passage, Luke tells Elizabeth’s story: her husband, Zechariah, was a priest, and he and Elizabeth were “both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statues of the Lord” (Luke 1:6). However, they had no children, and Elizabeth was now too old to conceive naturally. An angel visited Zechariah and told him that his wife would become pregnant with a special child. This son, whom he was told to name John, would bring the people of Israel back to the Lord (Luke 1:13-17). Mary, on the other hand, was a teenage virgin. The angel Gabriel also foretold of her pregnancy with a special child—the Messiah they had been awaiting. The son, whom she was to name Jesus, would be given the throne of David, and “His kingdom will never end” (Luke 1:26-28)....

The Gift God Gave Before ChristmasChristina Fox2024-11-22T16:55:20+00:00

The Good Portion of Christmas

MEAGHAN MAY | CONTRIBUTOR As a child, I was fascinated by the tiny nativity set at my grandmother’s home. These little figures told me a big story. But as an adult, I ponder if these sets are realistic. Mary is fresh-faced, neatly pressed, and beautifully dressed. She doesn’t seem uncomfortable with her flapping stomach after her recent labor. The baby Jesus is giggling while placed in the animals’ snack bowl and dear Joseph doesn’t seem overwhelmed by the task of caring for his betrothed and new child. Does the pristine nativity scene set unrealistic expectations for our own celebrations? I have found that some of my own Christmases have been more of a mess than they have been merry. Each Christmas I have a list of key elements that I think, if I can just pull all this together, we will have a Merry Christmas. But I can tell a lot about what I long for at Christmas when I start to name what I am worried about. I am tempted to think that because things have gone awry, God is holding out on me. I fail to consider that God is offering me something more than what I am requesting....

The Good Portion of ChristmasChristina Fox2024-11-22T16:44:40+00:00