In only 8 days we will be celebrating Christmas. It's so hard to believe how fast this year breezed right by. Right after Halloween, families put their Christmas lights up on their homes and started decorating. Stores began displaying Christmas items and of course, Black Friday was it's usual nightmare. Ahh, Christmas 2019!
As a kid, Christmas had two meanings for me. Being raised Catholic we had our Christian side of it. My brother and sister all knew growing up that the real meaning of Christmas was the birth of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ. Our Family displayed the nativity and of course we went to Catholic Mass on Christmas Eve which was probably and hour long but felt like 8 hours. Since I wasn't allowed to talk to my brother during mass or whisper loud, I used to count the number of lights the church had or I would look at the stained glass windows and pretend my friends were on the windows not St. Joseph or St. Luke. I would also daydream about what Santa was bringing me for Christmas. Our family joke was always that I asked Santa for a Lite Brite in 1st grade and he must have made a mistake and gave it to some other kid. My brother kindly gave me one recently to amend the bad error by Mr. Claus.
The second meaning was always the fun part. Santa Claus, decorations, lights, shopping last minute and of course watching every possible Christmas cartoon or show usually on CBS or ABC right after the Thanksgiving holiday. Rudolph the Red nosed Reindeer, The Year without a Santa Claus, Frosty the Snowman, Santa Claus is coming to town and of course...A Charlie Brown Christmas. I must have watched these shows a gazillion times and I have many of the lines memorized. I always made the excuse that as an adult I watched it because my kids were watching it. Of course being a children's pastor I did have to relate to all kids!
A Charlie Brown Christmas has always been a special show for me. It was first aired when I was 1 years old so I probably first watched it when I was 4 or 5. Out of every single Christmas cartoon or show, this cartoon is the only one that ever mentions the "Real" meaning of Christmas. In one of the last scenes, Linus gives a speech and in it he quotes a scripture which is in Luke Chapter 2 "For unto us is born this day in the City of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord." I don't know a whole lot about Charles Shulz, the creator of Peanuts. All I know is that in 1965 when he created this Christmas cartoon he wanted to be sure that everyone knew what was the real meaning of Christmas. A Savior Jesus has been born to us this day.
Please don't get me wrong I am not saying we should ban every other Christmas cartoon. What I am saying is we need to remember the guest of honor and who's birthday we are really celebrating! Merry Christmas everyone!! Happy Birthday Jesus! May God bless you and your families!!
p.s. I will not be blogging next week and will try to squeeze in one more blog before New Years Day 2020!
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