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Luke 2:1-20
By Mary Kay Totty

For as long as I can remember, I have loved Christmas and all the stuff that goes with it: from the little nativity ornament I received in my pre-K Sunday School class, to the music of Christmas (at age 8, my mom had to have a little talk with me because I was singing 'O Come All Ye Faithful' far louder than anyone else in church); from Christmas cards with their family news, to the cookies only made once a year; from the angel on the top of the tree, to the hush of the world after a late night Christmas Eve service.

I am grateful for the example of the angels in Luke?s Christmas story. The angels teach us that the birth of Jesus is cause for celebration.

The one angel goes to tell the shepherds the good news and suddenly a multitude of angels fills the sky and gives this awesome concert. It is like they were so excited they had to sing and shout. That is the kind of excited joy that should be our response to God?s gift of our Savior.

My fear is that people just feel excited joy for a brief moment over some popular gift that is this year?s X-Box or Tickle Me Elmo.

We find ourselves asking: What is the cause of our Christmas celebrations? Do we celebrate the glut of consumption of material goods and food and drink? Do we celebrate the staging of the perfect family event straight out of Currier and Ives or Martha Stewart? Or do we celebrate that God loves us so much that God gave us God?s own son that we might believe and have eternal life?

Luke?s Christmas story has the example of the angels for us to follow, but it also has the example of the shepherds who went in search of the Christ child. The angels teach us to celebrate. The shepherds teach us to search.

Our Christmas celebrations are hollow and empty if they do not lead us to Christ. Our excited joy should transport us to a Bethlehem manger.

The encounter with Christ may then transform our lives into living witnesses of God?s immense, steadfast, gracious love. When we seek Christ, we find Christ, preveniently present and already loving us. Then we understand more fully the joy of the angels.

May you sing an angel chorus. May you seek like the shepherds and find Christ. And may your heart be warmed with the assurance of God?s saving love. Merry Christmas!

The Rev. Mary Kay Totty is the pastor of Providence UMC in Fort Washington.

A DEVOTIONAL
for the Discipleship Adventure

Celebrate: Rejoice in the Lord! Sing as many carols as you can today ? at the top of your lungs and with gusto!

Connect: During a worship service this week, connect with someone you don?t know ? perhaps a visitor to your congregation ? by doing an informal survey. Ask, 'What?s your favorite Christmas carol? Why? What is it about that carol that speaks to you?'

Develop: Consider the shepherds and how they sought out the Christ child. In what ways in your life do you seek out the presence of Jesus? How are you looking beyond consumerism to truly understand 'the reason for the season?' How might you put this Christ-centered attitude into action as part of your Christmas rituals and traditions?

Share: Invite someone to church this Christmas. Share with them why the Christmas story holds such a meaningful place in your life.