I remember when I was a kid and these nineteen days were the longest in history.

I would move the little snowflake, day by day, one step closer to the goal of 25 (which is where my little calendar stopped).

As a child, it seemed like the tree would be in the house for ages.

The gifts under the tree were there just to tempt me to peak inside.

I have to admit I did at least a time or two. Sorry mom.

Pressure of the Season

Now I hear 19 days until Christmas and I beak out in a slight panic!

Cards to send out, goodies to bake, lights to hang, house to decorate, programs to attend, tree to put up, parties to be seen at, presents to buy… and wrap.. and bow… and label… and ship.

I think I am breaking a stress sweat just thinking about it. Unfortunately for me – it doesn’t look anything like a glow!

The preacher’s house can’t be the only house on the street with no Christmas lights! Talk about pressure!

Okay, you might not relate. You might hang loose until December 24, pick up a few gifts that look like they will work and toss them in some gift bags. And you are also probably a single male in his twenties. Just sayin…

The pressure to make the season magic. The pressure to not disappoint. The pressure to make it what we remember as children. Were my parents this busy?

I can see how, in this season, it is easy to lose sight of the purpose – the reason for the season.

Reason for the Season

In Luke 2 it talks about some shepherds on a hillside having an angelic encounter and hearing the news of the Savior being born. The angel said “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people.”

Then the shepherds hurried to find the Christ child. They left the busyness of their job. They didn’t care about party clothes or décor. They just hurried to find Christ.

And once they found Him, they told everyone what had happened. Profound.

Go Tell It on the Mountain

I find each year that I scale back a little more on the hub bub of the season and focus a little more on what the shepherds did.. telling everyone what had happened.

The shepherds really got it. They latched on. They celebrated His birth in the best way. And they didn’t even have icicle lights hanging on their houses!

This year our family is spending over twenty nights preparing for and performing in a production that truly tells everyone what Christ did for us.

This is a different kind of a tradition than I was raised in – but I couldn’t be more proud of my children as they participate every year. This has become our own Christmas tradition… celebrating according to Luke 2:17.

Join Us for Believe

There are only a two opportunities left for you to see what we have been working on. All the original dates have sold out (the tickets are free).

If you are in the St. Louis area, and you have not signed up for tickets to our Christmas production, there are a handful of tickets remaining for Wednesday, December 7 and Saturday, December 10.

These shows are an excellent opportunity for you to tell someone the real story of Christmas.

Click here to get your tickets now before they are all gone.

Help us tell someone the good news!