Category: Christmas

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Christmas holiday

Good News and Bad News

Good News and Bad News

“Bad news travels at the speed of light; good news travels like molasses.”

Tracy Morgan Via BrainyQuote.com

We have no trouble finding bad news. It practically hits us in the face every time we turn around. Doom and gloom is a trillion-dollar business. We would like to think that we prefer the good, but there is something within us that reacts more strongly to the bad. How much gossip is about the good qualities of a person anyway?

“And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy.”

Luke 2:10 (KJV) via Bible Gateway

On the night the Messiah was born, glad tidings didn’t go to the Roman Emperor, though he ruled the known world. It didn’t go to the puppet king of Israel. In fact, when he eventually heard the good it, he reacted very negatively.

Lowly Shepherds

The people that the world thought mattered didn’t hear the good report that night. If they did, they would have kept it to themselves anyway. Good news travels generally travels like molasses!

Instead, it went to lowly shepherds. When they saw it, they did their best to share it with everyone. Still, the family of the newborn Messiah was able to keep a low profile.

Glad Tidings This Christmas

As a result, in the last couple of years, Christmas has taken a back seat to all the bad. There is plenty of bad news to go around.

  • The pandemic drags on and a new variant threatens to spread like wildfire
  • Tornadoes caused death and destruction to America’s midsection
  • Nations continue saber rattling

Therefore, we need a little joy. We need a little Christmas, even though the first one was humble and mild. We need a savior, a redeemer. Yes, we need a hero. But having someone come to save us usually doesn’t make the news. It makes for great stories, but not click-bait headlines.

Let’s pause, take a breath, and look for the good. It is out there. After all, we can do something good. There are plenty of needs out there. We don’t have to single-handedly save the world, but we can help one person, one family at a time. Let’s be kind in a world that has forgotten how to be gentle.

We can make some good news. Our actions may not travel fast and furious across the world, but they can make a big difference this holiday season.

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Christmas holiday

The Third Sunday of Advent is about Joy

Advent Candles

Joy has been something we’ve all sought the last two years. We’ve kept hoping the pandemic would be over soon, only to realize more challenges were on the way. Where is our Christmas joy?

Last night, I saw a battle under a Christmas tree. An adult got a remote-controlled toy at a Christmas party. The children were thrilled and the adult allowed them to try it out.

One preschool boy was having a blast but was a little rough with it. When he steered the toy into a wall, the adult knew this wasn’t going to end well. So he took the toy from the boy. The boy’s joy quickly turned into a grinchy pouting match. It looked a little like this cartoon:

Cartoon of an annoyed girl and a boy with a santa hat

I’ve had a few tips in the past that are easy to implement when you’re giving advice, but challenging when you are in the midst of pacifying a preschooler with a wounded ego, and dashed Christmas hopes.

How to teach your kids about Christmas Joy

Joy can be challenging when things aren’t going our way. But when our faith is based on a foundation much stronger than our circumstances, it is possible! As we light the third candle of Advent this Sunday morning, we can remember there is someone coming who brings glad tidings of great joy!

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cartoon Christmas holiday

Santa Baby Revisited

Santa Baby Revisited

The other day, my seven-year-old niece and her mom were decorating the Christmas tree while listening to Christmas music. Santa Baby came on the smart speaker. As my niece listened to the lyrics, she remarked, “That lady doesn’t sound very content!” It was music to my ears because the Sunday school lesson that day was on contentment. Thank you Sunday school teachers!

Four years ago, I remarked how Santa Baby wasn’t my favorite song. It’s a bit strong on the avarice and innuendo. It ranks down there for me with Baby it’s Cold Outside. Come one, people! We don’t want to explain these away to elementary kids. And they definitely should not be in the queue for Sunday morning worship.

Please! No “Santa Baby!”

I went ahead and redrew the cartoon I did in 2017. I wanted a steadier line and a color version. Thanks to my niece, I was reminded, once again, why I’m not a fan of this little ditty.

Cartoon of a guy talking to a guitar player. He says, "For Christmas Worship, don't you dare play, 'Santa Baby!'"

Even if it is cold outside, I recommend sticking to a classic such as, Let it Snow.

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Christmas holiday

The second Sunday of Advent is About Peace

Advent Candles

Peace is something all of us would like, yet is in short supply. We would like peace with others as well as inner peace. If people would just see things our way, then there would be peace in the world, right?

We like what the angels sang to the shepherds. It sounds like music to the ears when we hear:

“…on earth peace, good will toward men.”

Luke 2:14 (KJV) Via BibleGateway.com

When I’ve done personality tests, most of them show I lean towards being a peacemaker. I like to get people working together, especially if they aren’t used to doing so. But I’ve come to realize the phrase, peace at any cost, is no peace at all.

Yes, we all desire peace. True peace brings wholeness and reconciliation. A false peace that only appeases and doesn’t bring wholeness leaves everyone empty. It doesn’t last for long.

May you find peace, both within and with others this holiday season. May it be a true peace that brings wholeness, rest and reconcilation.

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Christmas church cartoons holiday

Where can pastors find sermon inspiration this year?

Cartoon of a pastor staring at an Elf on the Shelf. He says, "Don't just sit there. I need a sermon illustration!"

This has been a challenging season for everyone. No matter how you slice it, inspiration has been hard to come by. It has been especially so for pastors. Where can pastors find sermon inspiration during COVID-19? There are so many questions they have to deal with.

  • How do you inspire and minister to others when you are forced to pivot to all video services?
  • Who can you call on when you and half your congregation needs tech support in order to view a church service?
  • What happens when you are dealing with the virus in your own family?
  • How can you administer pastoral care when you can’t visit a parishioner in the hospital?
  • What do you do when the two biggest holidays in the church calendar are threatened by this virus? (Looks like Easter and Christmas services will be virtual at my church)
  • Do you address the whole vaccine controversy?

I thought about all these things when I had the idea for this cartoon. It’s must be a challenging time to come up with some sermon inspiration that would bring on a chuckle, yet address some hard issues we’ve all faced this year.

We had such high hopes at the beginning of this year. I was thinking about risk and reward earlier this year. Who knew the risks for 2020 would be so much more prominent than whatever reward we envisioned?

Here’s to next year! May there be some relief for everyone, including the men and women that have had to deal with their own stuff while ministering to others! In the meantime, I do hope all the pastors find some sermon inspiration during COVID-19. Maybe the elf on the shelf could offer some mirth. After all, he shows up in the most curious places.

I drew this cartoon for the November 2022 CHOGNews.

Cartoon of a pastor staring at an Elf on the Shelf. He says, "Don't just sit there. I need a sermon illustration!"