Sounds of Christmas!

Oh yes, we're all singing them, Joy to the World, Hark the Herald Angels Sing, Silent Night, and Away in a Manger, but what other sounds of Christmas are there?  I've heard the Salvation Army bells ringing since before Thanksgiving, along with Christmas music in the mall for weeks.

My favorite sound though is my son.  Almost, all the time I love to hear him.  He says "love you too" now, counts, has a little attitude, but I love it all.  He loves to pretend to be "daddy".  This means that he "preaches", "reads" (the book/bible), and in general stands at the front of church and plays "pastor".  This last week we did something new for the first time.  We blessed our Christmas tree!  My husband found a neat take home resource for our congregations and it suggested blessing your Christmas tree.  I loved the sound of my husband reading scripture while Martin pretended with his own bible.

With some twinkling lights in front of us I heard "In the name of God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  Amen.

This tree is a blessing to our home.  It reminds us of all that is beautiful and of God's goodness to us.  It stands in our home as a tree of light, a sign of Jesus' presence with us as the Light of the World.  He was the shoot that grew from the stump of Jesse, becoming a branch that gives us shelter.

In Jeremiah 33:15-16 it says In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David; and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land.  In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will live in safety.  And this is the name by which it will be called:  "The Lord is our righteousness".  


We pray God of all Creation, we thank you for this tree.  Bless us as we gather around it.  May its lights light up our hearts with your love, joy and peace, and may the gifts placed under it remind us of the great gift of your Son Jesus.  Amen.  (Taken from the Vibrant Faith Institute, "Taking Faith Home"...Nov. 29, 2009) 


We hear it again and again, Jesus is the gift.  What sound does our faith make as we declare that we know Jesus is the gift?  The sound of Christmas should be year round.  It should be the sounds out of our lips everyday, the Gift is here and we are loved and forgiven.