Sunday December
21-V-The virgin birth used to be a standard question for ministerial
candidates. What sort of human vessel would be proper for the birth
of the Messiah? It points to biology not being destiny. It points to
the truth that facts are not the whole story. As the angle says to
Mary, with God nothing is impossible. God can use the ordinary in
extraordinary ways. God works through us to express miracles.

Monday-W-wassail is a
spiced, hot wine, often served in a big bowl for a party. It is an
Anglo-Saxon word that isn’t the drink but a toast to one
health, to be hale and hearty, to be whole. What is your favorite
toast? When did a toast touch you or make you laugh? In its way, the
birth of Jesus was a divine toast to humanity to become what it could
be. What would happen if we viewed worship as making toasts to God?

Tuesday-X Xenophilia is
Greek for the word usually translated as hospitality. The Holy Family
met a form of xenophobia, fear of strangers, for there was no room
for hem to stay to give birth the Good Samaritan story is a good
example of offering hospitality. We live in fear not only of
strangers, but strange ideas and strange customs. What fears of the
different inhibit you? What offers of hospitality have improved your
life? How are you inhospitable to the presence of Christ? Where do
you welcome the presence of Christ?

Christmas
Eve--Y-Yuletide is another one of those older Christmas words. It
apparently was a pre-Christian winter festival that last 12 days, the
precursor of the 12 days of Christmas, perhaps. Tide meant a time or
season in Old English. Do you have special Christmas Eve and
Christmas Day traditions? Do you like snow for the Christmas season?

Christmas Day-Z-I was
going to go for the obvious, zeal, but chose zest instead. Since it’s
a brand of soap, it isn’t used much. If nay day gives a zest
for the spark of life, this is it. Opening presents under the tree
adds zest to the day. What is an obstacle to a zestful life? What
contributes to it? What are your favorite parts of Christmas Day?
Consider reading the stories in Mt. 1 and Lk. 2 again, or maybe some
of the passages in Isaiah such as 1: 3, chs. 9, 11, 35, 60 that help
express messianic hope. You can keep Christ in your Christmas.

Friday-The day after
Christmas can be a bit of a downer. The house looks empty without all
of the presents under the tree. On the other hand, it’s Friday,
so we can make one long Christmas party. It may well be part of a
long weekend for you this year, a Sabbath time. Are there things you
like doing the day after Christmas? If you’ve been around
infants, sit for a bit and consider Jesus as a newborn. Stay with
that awhile and consider the vulnerability of God’s hope in
that one infant.

Saturday-Some folks
start taking down the Christmas decorations, and others leave them
until New Year’s or January 6^th for the Magi. Some
folks try to keep the decorations up for as long as possible. How can
you decorate your life, so as to keep some of Christmas, even while
the decorations are being boxed up? What in your life needs to be
boxed up and put away, maybe even discarded?