Calvin Synod Herald, 2007 (108. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
2007-11-01 / 11-12. szám
12 CALVIN SYNOD HERALD The Holy Day Continued from page 11 The Wonder of it All- The COMMERCIALIZED gift giving and the profit generated by it. The generosity: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son” John 3:16, cannot be reciprocated by us with a matching present. Our gift-giving love only partially reflects that divine affection that gave His only begotten Son. The decorated windows do not reflect either the simplicity of the manger in Bethlehem.- It is said that Christmas is the holiday of love. Without any doubt the happiness of the family celebrating together, especially when three or four generations are involved, is very heartwarming, and we feel the SENTIMENTAL nature of this holiday. Yet we wish that everybody would sense the SPIRITUAL meaning of Christ’s birth as well. Please read our text how Apostle Paul had summarized the major events of Jesus’ life in his first letter written to Timothy. Can we see through the Christmas light the radiation of the empty tomb Easter morning?- The other nature of Christmas is that it has become the HOLIDAY OF THE FAMILY. Somehow we like to NARROW the celebration of Christmas centering it on our beloved ones, while on the other hand, GOD WANTS TO WIDEN the consequences of Jesus birth, as Titus had written: “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men.” Titus 2:11. Please read also Acts of Apostles 1:8.- WE LIKE TO BEHOLD the beautiful decorations; should they be seen in the sanctuary, in stores, private homes and public places, our senses are gratified with the beauty of the Christmas trees and the sweet tastes of the holiday delicacies, yet these are not the most important. What makes Christmas a true holiday is the INVISIBLE divine love through which we become adopted children of our heavenly Father: “he (God) predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will.” Ephesians 1:5.- We receive gifts that can be used IMMEDIATELY, just ask the children how long are they willing to wait to play with the new toys? God, on the other hand, had not promised any reward that will be ours within days. His purpose is - is it has been through ages - our salvation. Please read John 3:16. Let our Christmas joy and celebration lead us beyond the sparkling decorations, nicely packaged gifts, and the special holiday meals to the invisible, divine, spiritual gift, through which we receive forgiveness and redemption. The seal and guarantee of this divine grace is the New Bom King lying in the manger. Life can be ordinary and dull or it can be fantastic. The choice is ours to make. I am sure we have all heard the old saying, “Take time to smell the roses.” Psychologists often tell clients they need to get in touch with the inner child. While I disagree with their philosophy here and would not use that term or method in counseling there is a truth here. There is a wide-eyed child amazed by self and the world around them with each of us. We need to make contact with that child. When life comes at us hard and fast we often get stuck in a rut and life becomes dull at best. It has been said that all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. It can be a fault and even dangerous to our well being to procrastinate and never complete anything. However, this is one more place we need to leam perspective. Some things require immediate attention, most however will still be there tomorrow. Taking time to pamper self is good medicine and makes facing difficult situations much easier. I have always appreciated beautiful flowers, yards, and gardens. My busy schedule never let me really enjoy these things, much less endeavor to have one of my own. God in His graciousness caused me to be down for a couple of months when I had to have a hip replaced. Bored beyond belief I purchased a small garden pond with the idea of creating a small area around this pond like I saw in magazines. Being in a wheel chair at the time was no hindrance; I simply recruited my wife and daughter to do the real work. That is said tongue in cheek, but also is very true too. Our pond and garden area will not win any prizes in the next landscaping contest, but it has brought many happy moments to us. Just the process of stopping life and taking time to create this garden spot was of great value to all of us where we realized it then or not. All that aside however, I learned a great lesson from this time out. I uncovered a green thumb of sorts that had always been there but I was too busy to take out and exercise. Now when life gets really rough and I am meeting myself coming in the door as I exit the same door I just stop. I stop and visit my own little garden and enjoy the wonder of new life a great gift of God for calming the nerves and mind. With trowel in hand and the smell of fresh soil all around the trials and tribulations of the day fade rapidly and I can get lost in the wonder of it all. I found that we have the time to do exactly what we want to do. What once seemed like work itself is a great enjoyment and all of life is a bit sweeter because of the time out to smell the roses, literally. The beauty and glory of God is all around us. It is a sad person who cannot see and be amazed with what God has done. Paul in the book of Romans says this natural creation all around us reveals God to us. He continues and says it reveals even the glory and sovereignty of God. Release the child with yourself and enjoy life. Life is much too short for the tribulation most of us allow it to become. Dr. Chuck Baynard Clover EPC Clover, South Carolina Rev. Mr. Alexander Jalso First Hungarian Reformed Church of Homestead Munhall, Pennsylvania □ □
