In our house, we experience “tension” this time of year. This tension arises because it’s early November. We’ve just had Halloween, All Saints’ Day, and Veterans Day. We still have pumpkins everywhere, cinnamon muffins, and lovely fall décor…and yet four-fifths of my family (including Brittany, our dog) are ready to barrel toward Christmas.
I am not in the majority here.
As a kid, we often went to Colorado for Thanksgiving, packing all our Christmas albums. On the way out, we’d listen to all sorts of different music. But on the way back? It was Christmas music all the way. It was so ingrained in me to wait—Santa passing by Macy’s on Thanksgiving morning was the official green light for Christmas. To skip over Thanksgiving feels like bypassing a rich tradition that deserves its moment.
Recently, I was visiting with a congregant who also commiserates about skipping straight to Christmas. They asked, “What did Thanksgiving ever do to them?”
I get it. You can have pumpkin pie with Christmas décor.
You can listen to Mannheim Steamroller while carving a turkey.
You can hang stockings and watch Planes, Trains and Automobiles. It feels wrong…but technically, you can.
So how do we resolve this tension? How do we fix it?
The truth is, this isn’t something to be solved. It’s a heart posture to remember.
Technically speaking, from a church calendar perspective, Christmas doesn’t start on November 1st…or mid-November…or even after Thanksgiving. It doesn’t start on December 1st with your cute Advent calendar filled with chocolates. Christmas starts on—wait for it—December 25th.
All the days leading up to Christmas, beginning with the four Sundays prior, are part of Advent. This is a time for preparing our hearts and minds to welcome the birth of our God and King, our Savior and Messiah, our Deliverer, Rabbi, and Friend—Jesus of Nazareth.
Then, for 12 days, we bask in the beauty and wonder of Christmas. That’s what the “12 Days of Christmas” actually are—shocking, I know.
In fact, my mom’s family would decorate for Christmas on Christmas Eve. I suggested we try that once in our marriage…it didn’t go over well.
So, does it matter if we decorate for Christmas now? No.
Why? Because we are called to be people who are always joyfully waiting with eager anticipation for our coming King—hearing and proclaiming the good news of great joy.
Similarly, can we remember Easter outside of Easter? Yes, of course. We are Easter people. Every Sunday, we remember Jesus’ resurrection, His victory over sin and death. Every day, we proclaim that good news of great joy.
These rhythms, traditions, and the liturgical church calendar aren’t restrictive. They’re intentional ways to turn our hearts and minds toward the story of our God and King. So, it doesn’t actually matter if your Christmas tree is up on November 1st or December 24th. The point is: Are you living with great expectation, waiting on our God and King? Are you embracing the good news that came for you and me?
When we live like that, Christmas isn’t about John Legend songs, Pentatonix albums, peppermint mochas, John Denver and the Muppets, fake snow, or even Christmas trees. It’s about waiting on our God and King and living faithful lives until He appears again.
In Exodus, Moses is on the mountain meeting with God. Meanwhile, the people grow tired of waiting. So what do they do? They make their own god out of gold and worship it. It seems insane…and yet, don’t we often do the same? We tire of waiting and default to our own desires.
As people living on this side of Jesus’ life, death, resurrection, and ascension, we are called to proclaim God’s good news to the ends of the earth. We are called to bless the world, to be a royal priesthood that helps others see and know our great and mighty God. We are called to transform the world, to live out the Kingdom of Heaven now.
We are called to welcome others to know Jesus, to abide in Him, to be changed by Him, and to embody His ways for the glory of God and the good of others.
We have a job in this waiting…and it isn’t just crossing off wish lists on Amazon.
Our job is to live and love in such a way that people are drawn to Jesus. Yet, many of us, like the Israelites at Mount Sinai, get distracted. We bow to false gods, dedicate ourselves to lifeless pursuits, and turn from our one true love.
Over the next month and a half, let us wait upon the birth of our King. Let our hearts and minds be prepared to welcome this good news of great joy. Let’s not worry about strict dates on a calendar. Instead, let’s focus on becoming more like Jesus, so that when people encounter us, they catch a glimpse of God and His incredible love.
Should we wait to decorate? I think so…but that’s just me.
The bigger question is: Are you waiting on God? Are you listening for His still, small voice? Do you spend time in solitude and prayer with the Creator of the universe who knows and loves you?
Do you sense that this God has great plans for you? Are you living into those plans and calling?
Do you live in such a way that embodies the ways of Jesus, transforming the world to reflect the Kingdom of God? Do you love God with everything you have and love people with everything you have?
These are the things that matter.
So, decorate or don’t—I don’t really care. (Just don’t tell Sarah or my boys I said that.)
More importantly, love and love well. Live and live well. Be like Jesus in this world. These things matter far more than when you hang your stockings or put up a tree.
Join us each and every week while we wait upon the Lord, following in the footsteps of Jesus, drawing nearer to him as we abide in him, are changed by him, and embody his ways for the glory of God and good of others.
Lots of great stuff coming up. Check out details below.
- I am out this weekend, but no worries, Sarah will still be there. I know it is going to be a great time with Branden Campbell preaching. Branden is a regular fill in with us and he will continue in our journey through Ephesians. You will not want to miss Ephesians 5 on Sunday morning at 10am at The Chapel.
- We have a noon prayer hour every Tuesday at noon. We partner with our friends at 30A Prays for a guided prayer time. Come and go as you need.
- Bible studies are wrapping up for the semester. Our Thursday, young adult Bible Study will meet tomorrow morning at 8am and our Men’s Study on Wednesday that meets from 8am-9am on Wednesdays and our Women’s Study that meets from 9:30-10:30 on Wednesdays will wrap up next week.
- Tomorrow will be our last gathering of our young adult/20’s and 30’s group study.
- All of our studies will be back in the new year.
- This Sunday, November 17th we will have a Night Of Worship led by Daniel Pratt, Nate Kelly and friends at 6pm at The Chapel.
- We will launch an Advent Study Guide that will start December 1st. We’ll have digital and physical copies soon.
- In case you didn’t know all of our sermon and our Bible Study teachings are available on podcast. We launched a Bible Study recap podcast called Chapel Study Notes, and we think it’s pretty great. Check them out on Spotify here, Apple Podcast here, or wherever you stream.
- If you are out of town, under the weather, or just need to worship from home, you can watch our live-stream on our website, thechapelatseaside.com, on our Facebook page, Facebook.com/TheChapelAtSeaside and our Vimeo page, Vimeo.com/thechapelatseaside.
Let us know if you have any questions and we look forward to seeing you soon.
Blessings,
Andrew.