Christmas.

Warm cozy attire, classy holiday songs, aromatic christmas kitchens, colorful holiday decorations, creative christmas greetings and family photos, special secrets and surprises, hugs and kisses all around, and nostalgic traditions that make each year a new memory yet strangely tied to every other memory. Are these the things that make Christmas, Christmas?

Technically speaking, it is not really Jesus' birthday, the kings from the east didn't really come to worship that night, just a couple shepherds. We gather around every year and read "the Christmas story" but does this season really have any ties to the miracle of God incarnate?

Nope, not really. Then why do we celebrate? Why do we even have Christmas to begin with?

I do not know about you, but I celebrate Christmas because it is a time set aside specifically to reflect on what it means that Jesus entered into to the refuse of humanity in such a lowly way when he came from a state of eternal blessedness up in heaven. This past semester we had to memorize Philippians 2:5-11 for one of our Pull Questions. If I remember it correctly it goes like this:

"Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking on the form of a servant. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow on heaven and on earth and under the earth and ever tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father." But how do you reflect? How do you "celebrate this"?

Veggie Tales tell us in "The Toy that Saved Christmas" that the true meaning of Christmas is to give to others and not be selfish because God gave us the greatest gift of all. Maybe this is true.

But now, we have three different messages of what we are to do about our christmas. On one hand we have the world telling us that Christmas is about sipping a glass of eggnog as we sleepily dance to some Crosby and dress up as santa and kiss under the mistletoe, on the other we have Christians telling us that we are to be celebrating Jesus' birth, and our children are being told that Christmas is about giving. Who is right? What makes Christmas, Christmas? Or maybe the better question: what ought to make Christmas, Christmas? Should we even think about this?

What if we are doing too much eggnog sipping and not enough reflecting? What if we are doing too much reflecting and not enough dancing? What if we are doing too much giving and not any receiving?

Gratitude, my friends, gratitude. Take joy in all things and be thankful for every good and perfect thing. For the gifts both given and received, for God incarnate, and for joyful memories. I know that's not an answer for the question of what makes Christmas, Christmas, but it's good enough to remind me not to caught in the trap of stress, unmet expectations, and the red and green christmas appearance.

May the Lord shine light, warmth and love on your Christmas!