Hope is on the way 7: Why we have Christmas trees?

Today, Tia, Rebekah and Elizabeth is helping Louise to put the Christmas decorations and off course decorating the Christmas tree. The three of them were in charge of putting the Christmas tree up. Not forgetting Louise, Hannah and Michal, they are the member of the congregation and there were in charge of putting the Christmas decoration up.

You guess what songs the three young adults sang of course O‘Christmas tree only the first verse.

O Christmas Tree! O Christmas Tree!
Thy leaves are so unchanging;
O Christmas Tree! O Christmas Tree!
Thy leaves are so unchanging;
Not only green when summer's here,
But also when 'tis cold and drear.
O Christmas Tree! O Christmas Tree!
Thy leaves are so unchanging!

The three of them put the Christmas tree up and decorate.

Rebekah asked Elizabeth “Why do have a Christmas tree?”

Everyone stopped what they were doing and listened to what Elizabeth has to say.

“Well Rebekah, what a good question. “The evergreen fir tree was traditionally been used to celebrate winter festivals (Pagan and Christian) for thousands of years.

Michal carried on what Elizabeth said “Pagans used branches of the fir tree to decorate their homes during the winter solstice, as it made them think of the spring to come. The Romans used Fir Trees to decorate their temples at the festival of Saturnalia. Christians use it as a sign of everlasting life with God. Sorry for interrupting Elizabeth.”

Elizabeth said to Michal, “No worries.”

Tia said to Elizabeth “When was the Fir three was was first used as Christmas trees”

Elizabeth answered Tia question “Nobody is really sure when Fir trees were first used as Christmas trees. It probably began about 100 years ago in Northern Europe.”

Tia said to Michal, Who was the first person to bring Christmas trees to their house?”

Michal answered Tia question, “The first person to bring a Christmas Tree into a house, in the way we know it today, may have been the 16th century German preacher Martin Luther. A story is told that, one night before Christmas, he was walking through the forest and looked up to see the stars shining through the tree branches. It was so beautiful, that he went home and told his children that it reminded him of Jesus, who left the stars of heaven to come to earth at Christmas. Some people say this is the same tree as the 'Riga' tree, but it isn't! The Riga tree originally took place a few decades earlier. Northern Germany and Latvia are neighbours.

Elizabeth said “I remember my Mom telling me how the fir tree became the Christmas tree?”

Rebekah went, “Elizabeth can you tell that story to us?”

“Of course I can Rebekah. This is the story of how the fir tree became the Christmas tree. At the time when the Christ Child was born all the people, the animals, and the trees, and plants were very happy. The Child was born to bring peace and happiness to the whole world. People came daily to see the little One, and they always brought gifts with them.

There were three trees standing near the crypt that saw the people, and they wished that they, too, might give presents to the Christ Child.

The Palm said: "I will choose my most beautiful leaf, and place it as a fan over the Child."

"And I," said the Olive, "will sprinkle sweet-smelling oil upon His head."

"What can I give to the Child?" asked the Fir, who stood near.

"You!" cried the others. "You have nothing to offer Him. Your needles would prick Him, and your tears are sticky."

So the poor little Fir tree was very unhappy, and it said: "Yes, you are right. I have nothing to offer the Christ Child."

Now, quite near the trees stood the Christmas Angel, who had heard all that the trees had said. The Angel was sorry for the Fir tree that was so lowly and without envy of the other trees. Therefore, when it was dark, and the stars came out, he begged a few of the little stars to come down and rest upon the branches of the Fir tree. They did as the Christmas Angel asked, and the Fir tree shone suddenly with a beautiful light.

And, at that very moment, the Christ Child opened His eyes—for He had been asleep—and as the lovely light fell upon Him He smiled.

Every year people keep the dear Christ Child's birthday by giving gifts to each other, and every year, in remembrance of His first birthday, the Christmas Angel places in every house a fir tree, also. Covered with starry candles it shines for the children as the stars shone for the Christ Child. The Fir tree was rewarded for its meekness, for to no other tree is it given to shine upon so many happy faces.”

Since everyone has finished making the Chapel very festive, they walked around the Christmas tree and sang rockin around the Christmas tree.

Rocking around the Christmas Tree
at the Christmas party hop
Mistletoe hung where you can see
Ev'ry couple tries to stop

Rocking around the Christmas Tree
Let the Christmas Spirit Ring
Later we'll have some pumpkin pie
and we'll do some caroling

You will get a sentimental feeling
When you hear voices singing
"Let's be jolly; Deck the halls with boughs of holly"

Rocking around the Christmas Tree
Have a happy holiday
Everyone's dancing merrily
In a new old fashioned way

You will get a sentimental feeling
When you hear voices singing
"Let's be jolly; Deck the halls with boughs of holly"

Rocking around the Christmas Tree
Have a happy holiday
Everyone's dancing merrily
In the new old fashioned way

Hope is on the way 6: This is HE whom Christmas is about.

As normal, Tia picked up Rebekah and walked to the Chapel and not forgetting Lawrence. Pete decided he was going to listen to what Elizabeth, Tia, and Rebekah are saying. 

Elizabeth said, “Today I have got myself prepared and going to speak at the front and tell you something, I did this last year at my Church and would like to share it with you people. “

This morning there are looking at Matthew 1:1-17 and Luke 3:23-38.

Here is the first reading.  

1 This is the list of the ancestors of Jesus Christ, a descendant of David, who was a descendant of Abraham. 2-6 From Abraham to King David, the following ancestors are listed: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Judah and his brothers; then Perez and Zerah (their mother was Tamar), Hezron, Ram, Amminadab, Nahshon, Salmon, Boaz (his mother was Rahab), Obed (his mother was Ruth), Jesse, and King David. 7-11 From David to the time when the people of Israel were taken into exile in Babylon, the following ancestors are listed: David, Solomon (his mother was the woman who had been Uriah's wife), Rehoboam, Abijah, Asa, Jehoshaphat, Jehoram, Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah, Manasseh, Amon, Josiah, and Jehoiachin and his brothers. 12-16 From the time after the exile in Babylon to the birth of Jesus, the following ancestors are listed: Jehoiachin, Shealtiel, Zerubbabel, Abiud, Eliakim, Azor, Zadok, Achim, Eliud, Eleazar, Matthan, Jacob, and Joseph, who married Mary, the mother of Jesus, who was called the Messiah. 17 So then, there were fourteen generations from Abraham to David, and fourteen from David to the exile in Babylon, and fourteen from then to the birth of the Messiah.

Here is the second reading.

23 When Jesus began his work, he was about thirty years old. He was the son, so people thought, of Joseph, who was the son of Heli, 24 the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melchi, the son of Jannai, the son of Joseph, 25 the son of Mattathias, the son of Amos, the son of Nahum, the son of Esli, the son of Naggai, 26 the son of Maath, the son of Mattathias, the son of Semein, the son of Josech, the son of Joda, 27 the son of Joanan, the son of Rhesa, the son of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, the son of Neri, 28 the son of Melchi, the son of Addi, the son of Cosam, the son of Elmadam, the son of Er, 29 the son of Joshua, the son of Eliezer, the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, 30 the son of Simeon, the son of Judah, the son of Joseph, the son of Jonam, the son of Eliakim, 31 the son of Melea, the son of Menna, the son of Mattatha, the son of Nathan, the son of David, 32 the son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz, the son of Salmon, the son of Nahshon, 33 the son of Amminadab, the son of Admin, the son of Arni, the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah, 34 the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son of Terah, the son of Nahor, 35 the son of Serug, the son of Reu, the son of Peleg, the son of Eber, the son of Shelah, 36 the son of Cainan, the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem, the son of Noah, the son of Lamech, 37 the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch, the son of Jared, the son of Mahalaleel, the son of Kenan, 38 the son of Enosh, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.

“This past Friday was "Black Friday," a rather "colourful" name for the first major shopping day of the "Christmas Season." It gets its name from the belief that it is the day on which most retailers finally become profitable. Some have claimed it to be the biggest shopping day of the year. In reality it's about the fifth most profitable day of the year for retailers. It can lay claim, however, to being the busiest shopping day of the year as people swarm to the stores to take advantage of "Christmas Specials.

You may have noticed, however, that Christmas shopping and decorating has been taking place for a lot longer than this past Friday. For the first time in my memory, "all Christmas music radio stations" were already pumping out seasonal tunes well before we sat down for our Thanksgiving turkey dinners. It's a common refrain, I know, but does our society really know what Christmas is all about anymore? How about you and me? Do we really think about Who Christmas is about, or are we just caught up in the hustle and bustle of the shopping, parties, carols, and the generally festive atmosphere? In some ways, at least for me, Christmas has been losing its luster for a long time, as the meaning and purpose of the celebration is moved further and further into the back of people's hearts and minds. In a certain sense, "Black Friday" might also signify the loss of the meaning of Christmas - God's gift of love and forgiveness in Christ - for so many.

Our Scripture readings for today are among the most "boring" Scriptures we could ever read - at least on the surface. Matthew and Luke both give an account of what happened on the first Christmas. Matthew leads into it with a genealogical history of the One they called Jesus - Saviour - Emmanuel – “God with Us.” Luke leads into his genealogy with an accounting of the events leading up to the first Christmas as well as the events that transpired on that first Christmas. Yet, regardless of the location of these genealogies in their narratives, the point of the genealogies is the same. Christmas is about God fulfilling His plan of salvation for the world through the incarnation of His Son, Jesus the Christ. The Word became flesh, John tells us in his Gospel. His origin is from of old, each of these genealogies reveals. He is the true reason for Christmas - the only reason for the season.

By the power of God's Word and Spirit, Matthew and Luke bless us with a sure and certain identification of the One whom we worship and adore. They provide us with the evidence of history that the Baby born in Bethlehem of a virgin is the Messiah promised by God to Adam and Eve on the day they broke away from Him in their disobedience. By God's grace, Matthew and Luke take the time to trace Jesus' lineage to remind us He is both God and Man - that only He could be the true Saviour of the world, for only He could suffer and die for the sins of all humanity.

Entering the "home stretch" of the Christmas season, we hear the resurrected and ascended Christ identifying Himself for us in Revelation. He reminds us that He is truly the One promised by God to bring hope and peace into our lives. He reminds us that it is He who restores us to our heavenly Father as our only Saviour. He points us to Himself and assures us that in Him there is life and peace, forgiveness and hope, salvation and eternal life. Our true anticipation of the Christmas celebration is the anticipation of receiving the Christ-Child into our hearts once again, reminding us that God became Man and lived among us (Jn. 1:124), for He truly became one of us to save us.

It's most certain that no gift we put under the tree or gift we unwrap on Christmas can possible save us or anyone from Sin, Death, and Satan. Without Jesus, Christmas is just another day - another "HOLY" day -which has been absorbed into the everyday fabric of culture and has no real meaning. “

I would like you readers to take a few moments to read the Scriptures and be reminded Who Jesus really is and that it is He whom Christmas is all about.

Hope is on the way 5: Is the Grinch stealing your Christmas?

Tia picked up Rebekah once again and they also picked up their friend called Lawrence since Rebekah and Tia had so much fun exploring why we celebrate Christmas and Lawrence liked the idea of it. Amongst the three of them, they talked about what they would like for Christmas.

They walked in the chapel, it was just Elizabeth, she started the book club meeting with an icebreaker question “Do you remember the popular children’s show The Grinch Who Stole Christmas?

Rebekah said “Yes he was a mountain lair, the Grinch observed the people of Whoville happily preparing for Christmas. He decided to go down to their village and steal their joy. Secretly at night he removed food from the pantry, decorations from the walls, and presents from under the trees. Then he waited eagerly for the Christmas dawn to expose their emptiness. Instead, the dawn exposed his emptiness.” 

Tia and Lawrence had no idea what was Elizabeth nor Rebekah are saying.

Elizabeth knew that Tia and Lawrence had no idea what there were talking about by their blank expression. Elizabeth said to Tia and Lawrence that “All the Whos love Christmas, yet just outside of their beloved Whoville lives the Grinch. The Grinch is a nasty creature that hates Christmas, and plots to steal it away from the Whos that he equally abhors. Yet a small child, Cindy Lou Who, decides to try befriend the Grinch.”

Elizabeth went on saying “Many Grinches threaten to steal our joy and peace at Christmastime. We think we are buying just the right gift for someone, but it receives a cool reception. The rush of the season, long lines, and slow traffic replace our joy with frustration. Some relatives try our patience. After the season passes, unmet expectations dampen our spirit and the holiday blues move in. With the arrival of the New Year, we are relieved the Christmas stress has passed instead of our being refreshed by the promise of Christ.”

Rebekah said “More than we would like to admit, we allow the craziness of the Christmas season to be the Grinch that comes into our hearts to steal our joy. We should have new perspective, God can give us a transformed heart so that our circumstances don’t dictate our attitude. “

Elizabeth said “The new perspective we need is this:

G.R.I.N.C.H.

G od

R eached

I nto the world

N ow

C hrist brings

H ope

Lawrence, Tia and Rebekah said “Why would that new perspective benefit us?”

Elizabeth answered this question by saying “During the holidays, we often strive to make the season just perfect. We want it to be magical for our kids and acceptable to our relatives. If we are honest, our striving is often to fill a need in our own hearts with love, approval, acceptance, or satisfaction. The holidays tend to highlight this void. It is a season of expectation, but we often come up short. In the midst of the parties, gifts, shopping, and activities, something does not meet our expectations, and we feel disappointed, or a little empty.

The heart of the Christmas message can give you a new perspective. In essence, God says to you, “I have stepped into the world to satisfy your soul and bring you joy.  That is why I sent Jesus. Circumstances and people may disappoint, but your joy, hope, and expectations can be filled in me.” This is what the Christmas story is all about.”

Rebekah said to Elizabeth “But what are the practical ways of keeping the Grinch at bay while securing our soul to the promise of Christ. “

Elizabeth answered Rebekah by saying, I was getting to that Rebekah.”

Elizabeth said “Shall we look at some practical ways we can keep the Grinch at bay while securing our soul to the promise of Christ?”

Tia, Lawrence and Rebekah said a big “YES!” to Elizabeth.

Elizabeth said, “Firstly we need to listen.”

What does that mean Elizabeth? Said Rebekah

“Rebekah, it means Inaugurate the season by treating yourself to a CD of Christmas classics, not songs of White Christmas or Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire, but great hymns such as Joy to the World or Angels from the Realms of Glory. Ruminate on the rich message from Hark! the Herald Angels Sing. God and sinners are reconciled because Christ, our everlasting Lord was pleased to veil Himself in the flesh of man and dwell in our midst. He, the Prince of Peace, the Son of Righteousness, Immanuel, was born that we might be cleansed of sin and clothed in righteousness. Let the joy of the gospel penetrate your soul and flow through you to others. A mind fixed on Christ provides renewed strength and peace for stressful seasons. Said, Elizabeth. “Secondly, we need to read.”

Lawrence, said “what does that mean?”

Elizabeth said, “Lawrence it means open up the Bible to the Gospel of Luke and read the familiar story with new eyes. Put yourself in the place of various characters. For example, consider the story from Mary’s perspective. What must it have been like to be that young girl receiving a message from God after four hundred years of silence? How would she have felt? What would it be like to face your fiancé and family pregnant? How would you have handled the rejection, misunderstanding, and gossip that Mary surely encountered? Imagine the apprehension of giving birth to your first child far from home or family and placing him in a feeding trough for animals. What can you learn from her faith and trust in God or her commitment to accept the call despite hardship and persecution? How have her circumstances or character mirrored yours as you labor in ministry? Remember Mary’s story as you encounter aggravating people and circumstances over the holidays. Thirdly we need to reduce. “

Tia said to “Elizabeth, what does mean?”

Elizabeth answered “Tia question by saying “Do you really need to throw that Christmas party in your home, host the school party, bake cookies, decorate like Martha Stewart, send cards, or buy multiple gifts? Prayerfully consider how you might reduce the demands on your schedule. We can expend so much energy celebrating the season that we run out of steam to celebrate Christ. Give yourself permission to decline an invitation, buy rather than bake cookies, or skip the Christmas cards so that you can maintain room in your heart for worship. Fourthly we need to adjust.”

Rebekah, said to Elizabeth. “What does mean?”

Elizabeth said to Rebekah. “Rebekah it means set expectations to match your reality. Life does not turn out perfect and neither does the holiday season. Turkey’s burn, family grumble, relationships at home or church remains strained. As you experience disappointment around you, keep in mind that Christ entered into a broken world to bring healing and peace. Though you cannot change others, ask God to work in your heart so that you can exemplify His love, joy, peace, and patience to the hurting world surrounding you.

Shall we end this book club with a hymn?

All three of them said a big “YEPEE!”

Elizabeth put angles from the realms of glory on YouTube and they sang their heart out.

Angels from the realms of glory,
Wing your flight o'er all the earth;
Ye who sang creation's story,
Now proclaim Messiah's birth:
Come and worship,
Come and worship,
Worship Christ, the newborn King!

Shepherds, in the fields abiding,
Watching o'er your flocks by night,
God with man is now residing,
Yonder shines the infant Light;
Come and worship,
Come and worship,
Worship Christ, the newborn King!

Sages, leave your contemplations,
Brighter visions beam afar;
Seek the great desire of nations,
Ye have seen His natal star;
Come and worship,
Come and worship,
Worship Christ, the newborn King!

Saints before the altar bending,
Watching long in hope and fear,
Suddenly the Lord, descending,
In His temple shall appear:
Come and worship,
Come and worship,
Worship Christ, the newborn King!

Remember, the Grinches are lying in wait for you this Christmas season. Plan now so they do not catch you by surprise and steal away your joy. Embrace fully the coming of our long-expected Saviour and allow Him to release you from the bondage of expectations the holiday season brings. Place your joy and hope in Him as you allow the magnitude of His birth to penetrate your being and rest assured that those sneaky Grinches cannot crush a heart satisfied in Christ.

The very first Christmas lights and who is your Grinch?

                                                  Red and green, all colors bright

Are a sure sign of Christmas now

It seems we can’t put up enough

To celebrate the season.

Are decorated to the hilt.

We think about the Christmas lights,

At the end of Thanksgiving day.

To the first of all Christmas lights.

God lit up a star, most lovely of all.

To announce our Savior’s birth.

As it shone on the Shepherds there.

To light the way to Baby Jesus,

That star over Bethlehem.

In the light of all lights to shine.

Then a Heavenly chorus of Angels,

While they worshiped the Lord.

The night that Jesus was born.

No decorations we have today could equal

Our windows, doors, and front yards

But, lets look back over two thousand years

Oh ! I wish I could have seen it,

Just to hear and see an Angel,

That was the glorious first Christmas,

That very first Christmas light.

                          Who is your Grinch?

Who is the Grinch trying to steal your Christmas

Who is the Scrooge making you grimace?

Is it the Brother Neal who chooses to ignore?

Is it Uncle Bill who is a bore?

Is it Aunt Sally who insists on ham

Or is it the in-laws who don’t believe in the Lamb

I have a recipe to slay the Grinch

I know how to make him wince

You can do it, yes you can

As long as you follow the plan:

Instead of boxing gloves,

1 Cup of love.

Another Cup of forgiveness

Instead of your fist.

You won’t need a “piece”

If you have 1 Cup of peace

And finally 1 Cup of joy

For any who tend to annoy.

Covering all should be a large helping of grace

Oh, and try to do it with a straight face.

“Impossible” you say!  "I cannot do it."

“You do not know Mr. Schmitt”

He is a beast, a bear, a nincompoop

And Mrs Schmitt’s eyes droop.

But stop! Do not give up

It may not be as easy as a layup, 

But every Grinch will feel out of place

When it sees love, joy, peace, and grace.

Where to find such ingredients, you ask?

How to conquer this incredible task?

Love, joy, peace, and grace are only found

In the One about whom Angels sing with a joyful sound

Allow Him to fill you with what you need

To keep you from making the Grinch bleed.

No, indeed, Grinchs are never beyond

The gift of grace, instead of a bail bond

Hope is on the way 4: What Christmas is all about?

The normal suspect was at the chapel, so that is Tia and Rebekah.  

Elizabeth started the book club with “Sometimes I feel very much like Charlie Brown, especially this time of year. I desperately want to find the most crowded mall in town, get everyone’s attention, and cry out my favourite line from A Charlie Brown Christmas: “Isn’t there anyone who knows what Christmas is all about??? I don’t mean this in a self-righteous, bah-humbug-on-the-other-holidays sort of way.  This is more rooted in my deep yearning for people to know and actually experience what it truly means to partake in God’s “peace on whom His favor rests” (Luke 2:14).

Rebekah went, “That what I want to do! We should ban father Christmas.”

Elizabeth had a very different opinion to Rebekah. “No, we shouldn’t ban the jolly fat man from our homes just because his name is an anagram for s-a-t-a-n, nor should burn the pagan “Christmas” trees or cry “foul” when we hear “Happy Holidays” instead of Merry Christmas. Because sometimes in our efforts to take the moral high ground this time of year, we end up trampling over (or even on) the very people Jesus came to earth to save! So may I humbly suggest that we focus on what the incarnation of the Word is all about as defined by the Word of God? 

Rebekah said “In other words, this is what Christmas is all about Charlie Brown:”

Elizabeth said “Let’s make an anagram.” So all four of them made an anagram and this is the result. 

C  Christ came into the world to save sinners (1 Timothy 1:15).

H  The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth (John 1:14).

R  But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons (Galatians 4:4).

I  “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him “Immanuel”—which means, ‘God with us’” (Matthew 1:23.)

S  For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all people (Titus 2:11).

T  Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift! (2 Corinthians 9:15).

M  And he will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6).

A  But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:10).

S  This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins (1 John 4:9-10).

Elizabeth ended book the club meeting with “At Christmas, it’s critical that we focus on the amazing gift of salvation we have in Jesus Christ.  When we take our eyes off ourselves and put them on THE Cause, we have a great opportunity to show that wise men and women still seek Him.

And let’s never forget that this is one of the most opportune times of the year to boldly proclaim the reason for the season in winsome and winning ways.  C.S. Lewis obviously did not feel that having Father Christmas in Narnia diminished the greatness of Aslan, nor should we take it upon on our sometimes grinchy selves to “save” the meaning of Jesus’ birth.  Let us just go out in the power of the Holy Spirit for THE Cause of the gospel and let people witness the holly, jolly joy of our salvation in every aspect of our lives because as Christians, we should not sound sad. Why, we should all sound glad! We want every person down in Sandhurst, the tall and the small, to be singing because of Jesus, the greatest present of all!”

Hope is on the way 3: Christmas preparation is worth it!

Today is the 1st December that means you get one piece of chocolate from your advent calendar. I did get one from my parents but decided to give it away to the library someone else have the joy of opening the door on the calendar and get a piece of chocolate. My joy this year is not having chocolate; unbelievably it is to write a piece of advent writing.

Tia picked up Rebekah and they walked down to the chapel, they wondered who else was going to be there, to their astonishment, no one was there apart from Elizabeth. What a great relief for the young adults.

When Tia entered the chapel, suddenly she went “Now, the Christmas season can start!”
Rebekah and Elizabeth looked at Tia with a funny expression. After they had time to absorb the information and gather their thoughts. Rebekah and Elizabeth said together “Your point is?”

“Well, think about it. With Christmas adverts, decorations and songs creeping into the early stages of winter it seems that Christmas starts earlier and earlier each year. Should there be a point where we say enough is enough? 1st December is a reasonable time to engage with the Christmas spirit rather than 3 months before.

Rebekah goes, “Yes because it gives people who work in retail a break. It would also mean we can remove some of the commercialisation and advent calendar says so.”

Elizabeth follows on what Rebekah by saying, “Yes, I agree with you, to some content. However, mainly I say no because it does not allow for preparation and Christmas is the season of good will and positivity, surely this a good thing we want to last as long as possible.

Rebekah and Tia said “Is it worth it? Is it worth all the effort? Where does the joy in preparation for Christmas when you’ve got a million other things to do, and you can’t even go to a supermarket without hearing Christmas songs?”

Elizabeth took a massive breath and said “For true joy in this Advent time of Christmas preparation. Put yourself in the sandals of a poor woman who came from a nice family, married a handsome prince, but rebelled, ran away, and ended up in the gutter as a prostitute, beaten down, covered with sores, coughing, hacking, wheezing, dishevelled, and dirty and huddled in the rubble of a bombed out city. She reaches into her pocket for a half-used Kleenex to wipe her runny nose and discovers a crumpled piece of paper with a poem from the prophet Isaiah, a song that causes her heart to warm up and makes it seem like the sun just broke through the dark clouds. The message? A prince is coming and announces to her, “I’m going to marry you.”

The poor, destitute prostitute found joy in the call to prepare for the arrival of her prince. Her smile widened and her whole face lit up as she unfolded the poem from her pocket and read about what he would bring her. “The LORD has made proclamation to the ends of the earth: ‘Say to the Daughter of Zion, “See, your Saviour comes! See, his reward is with him, and his recompense accompanies him (Isaiah 62:11)”. Normally, a reward is something earned. “

Rebekah had a provocative question to ask Elizabeth. “Nevertheless, what could that poor, broken-down woman earn other than contempt and ridicule? What reward had she earned?”
Elizabeth answered Rebekah question. “The answer is nothing. However, her prince had gone into battle and conquered his worst enemy and hers. He earned the victory and brought that victory, his reward, as a gift to her. He promised, “I am going to marry.”

Jesus once told a story about ten bridesmaids who were supposed to welcome the groom to the wedding reception. They knew he was going to arrive soon but did not know exactly when. Five bridesmaids had their lamps lit. Five did not. Five were prepared. Five were not. I am going to add one element to that story – the bride .The wise bridesmaids had plenty of oil to keep their lamps burning. Don’t you think the bride did, too? Don’t you think she would let the lights of her house appear as she looked forward to her groom’s arrival, especially if she happened to be that broken-down woman who had pulled Isaiah’s poem from her pocket and read about her prince and all he would do for her.



Rebekah being Tigger” That reminded me a song. You know the give me oil in my lamp?”

Tia went “No!”, Elizabeth said “yes”. Since Rebekah said it, very loud, even Pete said “Yes” and even hymned the tune. That only meant one thing, to sing to the first verse and refrain.

1 Give me oil in my lamp, keep me burning.

Give me oil in my lamp, I pray.

Give me oil in my lamp, keep me burning.

Keep me burning till the break of day.

Refrain:

Sing hosanna, sing hosanna,

sing hosanna to the King of kings!

Sing hosanna, sing hosanna,

sing hosanna to the King!

2 Give me love in my heart, keep me sharing.

Give me love in my heart, I pray.

Give me love in my heart, keep me sharing.

Keep me sharing till the break of day. (Refrain)

3 Give me joy in my heart, keep me singing.

Give me joy in my heart, I pray.

Give me joy in my heart, keep me singing.

Keep me singing till the break of day. (Refrain)

4 Give me faith in my heart, keep me praying.

Give me faith in my heart, I pray.

Give me faith in my heart, keep me praying.

Keep me praying till the break of day. (Refrain)

Try again they sang the whole song. Who would blame them, such a wonderful hymn? Don’t you think?

Elizabeth ended the book club with “Prepare the road to your heart, prepare to receive the reward your Prince brings, and prepare to enjoy your new status. Our Saviour is coming, and that is what makes all of our Christmas preparation worthwhile.”