SUNDAY SERVICES:

The Symbolic Power of Christmas Attire

Christmas is a season when the world becomes a festive wonderland filled with lights, decorations, and notably, distinctive attire. From Santa hats to Christmas sweaters, the clothing we select during this time carries more than just a fashion statement—it holds deep symbolic significance.

This custom of dressing up acts as a connection between the material and spiritual worlds, mirroring the profound themes of the holiday.

The Wilderness as a Symbol of Transformation

In the rich tapestry of the Christmas story, the wilderness emerges as a wonderful symbol of transformation. Often overlooked, this barren land is where the magic happens.

The wilderness, with its wild landscape and lack of human structures, sets the stage for divine moments and spiritual refreshment. It's in these quiet places that characters in biblical stories experience big changes, opening the door to a new understanding of faith and purpose.

I have long wanted to be a person who wakes up in the early morning to start the day with productivity.  

I can see it now:

While I drink my morning cup of chai, I would have my quiet time with God.  I would read the entire Bible in a year, have focused prayer time where my thoughts don’t wander, and keep a prayer journal.

Since I still have time in the morning before my kids are up, I would leave the house for 30-60 minutes of aerobic activity.  Who knows?  Maybe I am training for a half marathon.

I would come back home revived, refreshed, and ready to greet the day (after a nutritious breakfast, of course).

Can you tell this is a fantasy?

Barb and I were packing for a few days at a beach. So when we reached the end of the road or destination, we figured a T-shirt, bathing suit, and flip flops was about all we needed.  Our dog, Sammy, even less, a water bowl and food bowl.  And I packed my newly purchased book, Chess For Dummies.  

We, along with several others at New Covenant Church, have been mentoring at Orange County Academy in Bithlo on Thursday mornings.  Erik, my 11-year-old mentee, clobbered me in a game of chess this past week.  Hence, the beach reading material.  (Barb’s brother, Walter, was an honest to goodness for real chess master, and made a living playing Backgammon. I would love to have him as a coach but he’s now with the Lord).

A Bowl of Fruity Pebbles.

Saturday Morning cartoons sometimes had accessorizing cereals, and one of the most deliciously disgusting is Fruity Pebbles. These colorful rice smushings have been sugared and marketed with great success for over a generation.

You can read more about them here, watch how they are made here, and find out where to buy them here (as if you don't know). 

I thought about Fruity Pebbles yesterday after Mark’s gospel account of Jesus’ temptation. Temptation is by definition tempting, and it presents itself to us in a variety of colorful, sweet, immediate ways. 

And, unlike Jesus’ successful refusal to turn stones into bread, temptation’s victory over us can leave us feeling as though we’ve just eaten a bowl full of rocks.

Mammon thinks it rules. 

Money and the lust for it, and the power of it, sure seems to be king in our world.  Listen to what is important news:

“Elon Musk passed Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos as richest man in the world last week.  Musk’s net worth this week stood at $183.8 billion, $1.4 billion ahead of Bezos.” 

Makes you want to say “Alleluia” doesn’t it?  Except in Lent, of course.

Anger. Hopeless. Trust.

Despair. Hope. Confusion. Trust.  

 For most lament is rarely a straight path. It is a wandering towards God in the midst of pain.

Do you feel like you're in the wilderness?  Have you completely lost your bearings?

Are you in the ocean depths—overwhelmed and under pressure?

Are you floating in an open sky—feeling disconnected from everyone and everything?

“Wait a minute...that’s what I weigh? Is that right?”

“That’s what the scale says, sweetie. Don’t feel bad, that’s everybody this year.”

I knew 2020 had been a year of stress eating.  My daily dose of stress relief during quarantine was anything covered in cheese dust (popcorn, Cheetos, Pringles, chips, goldfish, etc.).  

And yet I was still slack-jawed in the doctor’s office, staring at that number.   I just wasn’t prepared to see exactly how much I had gained.  

That was a week ago, right before Christmas.  And now...to plan.