EMMANUEL - Christmas 2012

Good afternoon/evening my friends!

So, just as promised, here I am blogging twice in one week! aghast! But I was really motivated this time to talk about something I noticed was a constant theme this year during the Christmas season.  Not only was it a theme to be reminded of during the hardships of the month of December worldwide but also I went to TWO separate Christmas eve services where this topic was referenced in the sermon... and, well, there's a christmas carol "O Come, O Come..."....

EMMANUEL

The word "Immanuel" comes from a combination of a few Hebrew words.   Simple words really.  But they have an enormous impact.  "Imm" is a participle and cane having meanings of "with" or "among." The second portion "anu" refers to a 1st person plural of "us" or "our." And the final part "el" is actually a translation for "lord, master" but in the couple times it appears in the biblical text, refers to the LORD or God himself. According to the BDB manual for Hebrew words it means "with us is God" and symbolizes the presence of God to deliver his people.  Isaiah 7:14 use it and the Gospels point to this as the description of Jesus the Messiah...Immanuel, God with us. In fact, Matthew quotes the Isaiah text to point to Jesus' birth...

After understanding the meaning of the word--it is easy to see why this is important to the Christmas story.  It is one of the names of Jesus (next to the term "Messiah") that steams from the history of the Old Testament that predicts a coming deliverer or savior that will actually mean God has come down to His people.  It is a reflection of God amongst the Israelites in the wilderness, in the tabernacle, living in the Holy of Holies.  Ironically, this is the connection that John makes in his Prologue when he is talking about the WORD and dwelt among us.  It is the same meaning in Greek for the Hebrew of tabernacling.  

Connecting it to modern events : bad things have happened around the world this Christmas season.  Newtown, CT, China, Philippines, ongoing war in the middle east... And people always want to ask "Where is God." And though I feel personally like my response would not necessarily help someone going through a tragedy, I always want to point out this theme, this word... that God is with us.  It's not a question of where is He, because He is already there...the question is much deeper... more like why did this happen and how am I to move on... but blaming someone or trying to avoid the question cane sometimes be easier. 

So in conclusion-- I think we should all think of Christmas as the Immanuel Season...the time of year we are reminded that God came to be with us, to live among us and to guide us through the life He not only experienced beside us but that He also has full control and authority over.  

--Shalom in Christ!--

CHRISTMAS IS A NEW BEGINNING...

Once again, blog delayed.  In order to proper blog-- must keep up to the daily thing.

So, I figured since the Christian's year starts just before christmas... what better time to restart the blogging! And as I write this, I am watching the ever christmas favorite "Muppet Christmas Carol." ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Muppet_Christmas_Carol )  And the reason I prefer this version of the time-honored Dickens' story is 1) The Music, 2) the Muppets and 3) the Message.   Here are the reasons why....

1) Music
       The music for MCC is unique.  For once a Christmas movie doesn't take the traditional songs and bash them or take the department store songs and play them over and over.  The songs I believe are written for the movie, involve both the storyline and the characters (which is part of the reason I watch this version.)  It reminds me of Jim Henson's funeral...the Muppets (including Big Bird and Elmo) were part of the service. Here's a link http://youtu.be/KSE1Mtnnm4Y 

2) The Muppets
      Unlike most muppets movies, this is one that uses the muppet characters as characters in the Dickens' story.  In fact, Gonzo is Dickens with commentary from Rizzo the Rat.  Kermit is Bob Cratchet, Fozzy as one of Scrooge's employers.  Working with the humans (which, btw Michael Caine makes the best Scrooge, especially after you think of him as Batman's butler and so forth...)  I think as a kid using the muppets made something familiar understandable and enjoyable.  Something we probably need to remember as a life lesson somewhere down the line.

and the most important....

3) The Message
    Now--the Christmas Carol message of giving and selflessness is standard.  You expect the ghosts, you expect the change of Scrooge.  It's part of the tale.  HOWEVER... most christmas carol stories are afraid to play this out.  Afraid to even describe it.  But with MCC, Dickens (aka the Great Gonzo)  is narrating the story... so there is no adjustment from the book (minus creative interpretation.) MCC also incorporates the traditional muppets message of peace and giving.  Hence the ending song "the Love we Found..." It points to the importance of what Christmas leads to: the gift that came, the selflessness act of God coming as a child in Jesus.   Something unique to christmas stories.  Yay for Muppet Christmas Carol...

Yay for Jesus!

So remember the true meaning of Christmas.... and enjoy your christmas traditions that bring you there...