The Day After Christmas by Pastor Fred Liggin
by Fred Liggin, Lead Minister Williamsburg Christian Church
Much ado is made about Christ during the Christmas season. You see it everywhere, from Facebook to Twitter to bumper stickers to refrigerator magnets, all adorned with phrases such as “Jesus is the reason for the season” or “keep Christ in Christmas.” Then there is the music!
And though this may seem a bit premature to ask, what about the day after Christmas when all we are left with is great memories, stuffed bellies, and new things. Christmas comes and goes, along with all the hyper-active talk about Jesus and, for many, the passionate, intentional focus on generosity and the Christmas Story. Personally, I can live without the abundance of hyper-active “keep Christ in Christmas” Facebook statuses and bumper stickers. But I can not live without the Christmas story. Especially the day after Christmas when all of life returns to “normal.” So with that in mind, I offer you 12 truths of Christmas day-after:
1. The day after Christmas we remember the truth of the Incarnation, that the “Son of God became a man so that we could become sons and daughters of God” [1]; “He became the Son of Man so that God could dwell in man.” [2]
2. The day after Christmas we remember that even in God’s silence, He is listening, working, and moving for our good and His glory, just like we remembered at Christmas.
3. The day after Christmas we remember that the King of the Universe began His work of making His Kingdom available to all when He entered into our messy world through a messy stable so that our messy lives could be forever changed.
4. The day after Christmas we remember that God can always be found when we seek Him, but He is often found in the most unexpected of places, just like we remembered at Christmas.
5. The day after Christmas we remember that big movements of God often have the smallest of beginnings, just like we remembered at Christmas.
6. The day after Christmas we remember that love is wrapped up in a blanket of grace and rests in a manger of mercy, and so do our lives, just like we remembered at Christmas.
7. The day after Christmas we remember that we love because God first loved us, just like we remembered at Christmas.
8. The day after Christmas we remember that the kind of love God gives is the same He desires us to give: unconditional, humble, sacrificial and faithful. And He will empower us to do so if we surrender, just like we remembered at Christmas.
9. The day after Christmas we remember that Jesus is not really the “reason for the season,” as much as He is the reason for true life.
10. The day after Christmas we remember that the best way to “keep Christ in Christmas” is to keep the Christ of Christmas as King of your heart and Lord of your life.
11. The day after Christmas we remember that the world often reveals that it is a dark place in desperate need of Light. Jesus became the Light of the World and when those who trust Him love Him and others with both our lips and lives, we allow the Light of Christ to shine through us making this world a better place.
12. The day after Christmas we remember that in Jesus Christ as King, God brought heaven to earth as He showed us what true life, love, joy and peace look like, and has invited us to live in such a way that we do the same.
The day after Christmas and every day that follows, live your life as though you know the Christ of Christmas. Through a life of generosity and kindness offer grace to the graceless, mercy to the merciless, hope to the hopeless and love to the unloved. After all, God has done this for us in Jesus, not for a day or a season, but forever.
A little over 2,000 years ago God came to earth in the form of a baby who, through His life, death and bodily resurrection, wanted you to know that He was choosing you. He did this so that when the day after Christmas comes you will have the chance to choose Him. But why wait until then?
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1. St. Anthanasius of Alexandria, A.D. 296 – 373
2. 2. St. Augustine of Hippo, A.D. 354 – 430
Williamsburg Christian Church is a non-denominational church family and faith community “joined in God’s pursuit of restoring lives.” Follow Willliamsburg Christian Church on Twitter (@WmbgChristian), Facebook or atwww.williamsburgchristianchurch.org. Messages can be found on the website or found on iTunes.
Fred Liggin was given the gracious honor to serve as Lead Minister of Williamsburg Christian Church in October 2010. He is the husband of Alison Glenn, daddy to his son Ian and deeply thankful for his church family. He received his B.A. in Ministry/Bible at Amridge University and is completing his M.A. in Christian Ministry from Abilene Christian University. He enjoys hanging out with his family, reading, live music and a good cup(s) of coffee. Fred constantly finds himself in need of God’s mercy and grace every day, and is prematurely balding. He has a deep love for God, His Gospel and His Kingdom way of life. Fred is also passionate about seeing God’s people learn what it means to participate in God’s mission as everyday people in everyday places who offer tangible Kingdom-expressions of love, mercy and hope in everyday ways.
Follow Fred on Twitter (@Liggin), Facebook or his Blog (www.fredsforehead.wordpress.com)
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