2019 Worship Guide

2019 Worship Guide LINCOLN DAILY NEWS Wednesday, December 4, 2019 Page 17 S croogy McGrinchface. That’s what I’ll probably be called after this piece. Please understand, Christmas is not humbug to me. Far from it! I’m not ashamed to admit that I started working some Christmas music into my playlists back in October. And my heart is not two sizes too small either. We lit our outdoor decorations the night of the first snowfall, even though it was before Thanksgiving. So, what might I have done to warrant this moniker, you ask? Nothing. But what I’m thinking is about to get me in trouble, because I’m thinking some unorthodox thoughts about the words we normally associate with the most wonderful time of the year. Have you noticed that just like we unpack decorations and other holiday memorabilia, we also unpack our Christmas vocabulary? Adjectives like “merry,” “magical,” and “holly-jolly” start to roll from our tongues in casual conversation. Nouns like “peace,” “good will,” “angels,” “Santa Claus,” and “mistletoe” get dusted off to adorn our speech. And the verbs, don’t forget the verbs: “rejoice,” “celebrate,” “give” and its counterpart “receive” grace our cheerful greetings. Why, just this small sampling is enough to kindle the warm fuzzy feelings that brighten the long, dark days of Advent. I love these Christmas words! But these aren’t the first words I thought of when I started thinking about Christmas this year. Strangely, my thoughts were drawn to the ‘in’s. By ‘in’s I’m not referring to an agency of the federal government, nor am I misspelling the establishment that became notorious for not making room for Jesus’ birth. It just seemed that the Christmas words that kept coming to mind started with the letters ‘in.’ For instance, instead of the word joyful, it occurred to me that Christmas is invasive. Ask Mary. Despite her humble acceptance of God’s plan involving her virgin womb, you’ve got to admit that Mary’s life was set on a whole new trajectory she likely couldn’t have envisioned. Other people may have started the season whistling, “There’s no place like home for the holidays…” but I was contemplating how intrusive Christmas really is. It rolls around and interferes with the routines of life. I bet Joseph knew that firsthand. Sure, he must have been a great guy, but strap on his sandals for a minute and imagine finding out your fiancé is pregnant and you know you’re not responsible. Then imagine Making room for the ‘IN’s Hope Chapel Church of the Nazarene - Greg Wooten, Pastor CONTINUE