Hope When the Bottom Falls Out
Scene: Mathew 1:18-25
Biblical Character: Joseph
Christmas Movie: National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation
I love Christmas!!! It’s my favorite holiday. I begin watching Christmas movies in October because I want my Christmas season to last longer. Although, I must admit that I’ve had some difficult Christmases. One in particular was the first Christmas without my grandmother. She is the person that instilled in me the joy of Christmas. I remember saying to God, “Lord, how can I celebrate Christmas without the only other person in my life who loves Christmas just as much as I do?”
Oh, but God with his love and mercy restored my hope and joy by giving me the words “It’s still a merry Christmas.” I wrote a song with that title and the chorus says this: “It’s still a merry Christmas because Jesus came to save us.” Those words alone gave me the right reason to celebrate Christmas.
In the movie, National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, Clark Griswold thought he was going to get a big bonus from his boss so they could pay for a swimming pool as well as have a big family Christmas, instead, he received “Jelly of the Month Club membership.” Even after all the mishaps and disasters he and his family faced, Clark Griswold found a reason and the ability to still celebrate Christmas.
Although very different from mine and the Griswold clan, Joseph had plans that first Christmas. He planned to put Mary away quietly and go on about his business. However, we all know how that story goes – God intervened, and the rest is history! This holiday season, don’t forget Jesus because he is truly the reason for the season.
Darlene Dickson
More About Scenes of the Season
The Advent season is upon us, a time when we prepare our hearts for the coming of the Christ child at Christmas. This special season is full of familiar stories – from the family anecdotes that get told over and over again, to the holiday movie classics we watch year after year, to the well-known stories of scripture repeated each Advent. The four main characters in the Advent story, Mary, Joseph, Zechariah and Elizabeth, each had their own unique way of preparing for the first Christmas. This Advent, we will focus on the scenes in scripture that tell their story, revealing to us how we, too, are invited into the narrative and become a part of the Christmas scene. Invite a friend to join us for worship as we experience the joy and excitement that Christ brings to us through the Scenes of the Season.