I finished my annual viewing of It’s a Wonderful Life this week. I noticed something that had escaped my notice previously. Angel Second Class Clarence is trying once again to earn his wings. Here is the dialogue as he receiver his assignment.
Senior Angel: A man down on Earth needs our help. Clarence: Splendid. Is he sick? Senior Angel: No, worse. He’s discouraged.
That really struck me. When you are sick you normally have a clear path to get better. You can rest, take medication, or have a medical procedure. When you are discouraged the path is often confused. Where can you turn for hope?
Christmas reminds us of the hope our world received in the most unlikely of places. Hope born in the most humble of circumstances. A King who gave up every privilege to make a path for us to God. Hope that is available to every single person who is willing to accept and receive it. C.S. Lewis wrote that “The Son of God became a man to enable men to become sons of God”. Treasure that in your heart when the Christmas activities are over. There is hope for you and me.
No matter your circumstances on this Christmas Day there is an eternal hope. I am so grateful for that gift today.
One of my contributions with these modest little musings is to continually ask the tough questions.
While listening to “Away in a Manger” my inquiring mind kicked in. You likely know verse three of the song.
The cattle are lowing The poor Baby wakes But little Lord Jesus No crying He makes
As I listened an important series of difficult and probing inquiries popped into my head. What noise, exactly, were the cattle making when they started lowing? Was this normal cow talk? Did lowing just sound better than mooing in the lyric or is lowing a more spiritual and reverent cow sound? And then the most important question came to mind. What is wrong with me?
I can’t answer the last question but I can help with the others. Lowing is defined at dictionary.comas “the characteristic sound uttered by cattle; a moo”.
So little baby Jesus was awakened by the characteristic sound uttered by a cow. That would not have flowed well in the lyric so I understand using lowing. The next part of the song is disturbing to those of us who are parents. If any of the babies who grew up in our household were awakened by cattle lowing they would be squalling (defined as “the characteristic sound uttered by a ticked off baby; a scream”).
I remember as a child singing “Away in a Manger” and picturing the baby Jesus with this beatific smile on his face and a little halo hovering over his head. My images of the baby Jesus were indeed childish. But I wonder if we don’t carry a little of that flawed perspective about the “Baby Jesus” into our adult Christian journey.
This Christmas why not take a little time to think about the implications of the incarnation. That nice little theological word is used to denote when the second person of the Trinity assumed human form in the person of Jesus Christ and became both fully God and fully man. C.S. Lewis called the incarnation “the Grand Miracle.” He wrote: “The central miracle asserted by Christians is the Incarnation…. Every other miracle prepares for this, or exhibits this, or results from this…. It was the central event in the history of the Earth–the very thing that the whole story has been about”.
By a miracle that passes human comprehension, the Creator entered his creation, the Eternal entered time, God became human–in order to die and rise again for the salvation of all people. “He comes down; down from the heights of absolute being into time and space, down into humanity; down further still … (to) the womb … down to the very roots and sea-bed of the Nature He has created. But He goes down to come up again and bring the whole ruined world up with Him” (Miracles, C.S. Lewis).
Take a moment to meditate on the mystery of that. Fully God and fully man. I am sure the little Lord Jesus would have had the normal response to being awakened by any cow noise…lowing or other. His swaddling clothes had to be changed just like any baby.
How does that affect me this Christmas? Because God became flesh I can relate to a Savior that understands the frailties of my flesh. Because the Creator understands His creation I can be sure that God understands my pain, frustration and loneliness. It is difficult for me to relate to an invisible God. That is the miracle of God becoming man. I can relate to Jesus because He has walked in my sandals. Joni and I were always appreciative and blessed when people expressed love and care while she was battling breast cancer. But when a breast cancer survivor expressed that love it connected on a different level. They had been there, felt the fear, fought the tiring battle and traveled the long road. That is the sovereign genius of the incarnation. We can relate to God in flesh in a way that is different. When I suffer I know that Jesus understands. He has been there. When I am lonely or feeling betrayed I can know (in my finite ability) that He understands. When I am joyful and laughing He understands. By becoming like me I can believe that Jesus can empathize with me on a different level. Because I know He gets it then I also get it. God loves me and Jesus has my back. My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous. (1 John 2, NLT)
Jesus became our advocate and our path to salvation when He arrived on earth. The miracle in the manger was not Jesus ignoring whatever cow sound they were making. The miracle was God becoming flesh.
Christmas time is here Happiness and cheer Fun for all that children call Their favorite time of the year
A Charlie Brown Christmas is one of my annual delights. In many ways Christmas has become an economic and not a religious holiday. One of the most powerful reminders of the message of Christmas came from the genius of the late Charles Schultz. One simple and elegant scene captures it all. Charlie Brown has failed miserably in his attempt to find the true meaning of Christmas. But then Linus recites the following passage from the King James version of the Bible.
“And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.”
And then Linus turns and says this powerful line to Charlie Brown.
“That’s what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown.”
Without a doubt this show would be different if produced today. A documentary produced about the making of the show revealed that Charles Schultz received substantial push back even in 1965 from network officials who did not want to have the Christmas story read from the Bible. But Schultz demanded it be included with this simple declaration.
“If we don’t tell the true meaning of Christmas, who will?”
And for over fifty years Charles Schultz has had a hand in telling millions of viewers the true meaning of Christmas. The lyrics from “Christmas Time Is Here” continue with this wish.
Oh, that we could always see Such spirit through the year.
At that point Linus simply drops his blanket as a sign that the birth of Jesus overcomes fears and becomes our comfort. Brilliant.
There is a lot of fear in the world this Christmas season. That is why we need to focus on the message of the angel.
“Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. 11 The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! (Luke 2:10-11, NLT)
Author Paul David Tripp summarized the miracle of that announcement.
“The Advent story is the most beautiful rescue story ever. The Son of God leaves the Father’s side, becomes a man to save us from us.”
That is my hope this Christmas. The child announced by the angel is why I can approach an uncertain New Year without fear. Because of the miracle of the incarnation I can experience peace and forgiveness.
Peace on earth and mercy mild God and sinners reconciled
I pray you will open and embrace the gift of salvation and grace announced by the angels that night. Because that’s what Christmas is all about.
Amy Grant recorded “My Grown-up Christmas List” for her “Home For Christmas” album. The lyrics imagine an adult going back to Santa with a different perspective on what matters most in life. Instead of material things the writer now asks for good things for others. I love the sentiment of the song.
No more lives torn apart That wars would never start And time would heal all hearts Everyone would have a friend And right would always win And love would never end This is my grown-up Christmas list
I thought about my “grown-up” Christmas list this week. I would love for all of the things in the lyric above to come true. But I have lived enough to know they will not. Everyday lives are torn apart. Wars start too frequently. Time does not heal every heart. Some who are reading this are lonely. Right seems to lose way too often and love ends for many.
So what could I wish for that would be available for all? My grown-up Christmas list would have one simple wish. That every person would truly understand the outrageous grace gift that God offers to each one of us. All we have to do is open that gift in faith. Christmas is when the gift came to earth wrapped in swaddling clothes.
I wish that everyone who hears the Gospel message would comprehend the one way love that God demonstrated. Instead of turning His back on sinners who deserved just that God chose to reach out to His creation with a radical plan for forgiveness. A plan that is unlike any other religion in history. Man made religion always demands something to earn salvation. God’s plan for redemption requires the lost to bring nothing to the table other than their sin and the need for salvation. Nothing.
God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. (Ephesians 2:8-9, NLT)
Not a single requirement other than believing. A gift of grace. Grace that is so vast and inexhaustible that no sin or sinner can exceed the scope of this amazing grace to cover their sin and redeem them. I coined an acronym for grace that only partially captures the enormity of God’s love.
God’s Radical And Complete Embrace.
God initiates salvation. The plan is so radical that it feels otherworldly. Salvation is complete and God’s embrace shows His desire to know us as His beloved children.
I wish that everyone who believes the Gospel would truly believe that they are a brand new creation. Recreated as a saint with complete freedom in Christ. Adopted as a child of God. Forgiven forever. And that all of those things are completely true because of Jesus.
I wish I could give those things to everyone on my list. Life will give us sadness, loss and loneliness but trust in Jesus gives us hope in the darkest storm. It started with the baby we celebrate at Christmas. The gift of forgiveness and hope is available to everyone.
Former Cleveland Brown great Bill Glass dies at 86.
A flood of memories came over me. Bill Glass was a truly great defensive end on the only Browns team to win an NFL Championship.
Jim Brown runs to daylight against the Baltimore Colts in the 1964 NFL Championship Game.
I was just a kid developing my sports loves when Hall of Fame running back Jim Brown, QB Dr. Frank Ryan, and All-Pro defensive end Bill Glass led the Browns to a title against the Baltimore Colts. Current Browns fans will see the irony in the location of that opponent. Little did I know that 57 years later I would still be waiting for the next championship moment.
I obviously have fond football memories of Bill Glass. He is also in the College Football Hall of Fame as a Baylor Bear star.
That just added to his status when I adopted the Baylor Bears later in life.
His influence on my life was profound and Bill Glass had no idea how God used him. He was an outspoken Christian who actually practiced what he preached. My perception of Christian men was not necessarily positive in my early years. It seemed like no strong men that I admired were Christians. And then one of my football heroes changed my perception forever.
Bill Glass hated the notion that “Christians are weak.” He spoke boldly that the opposite was true. Being an authentic Christian was a hard journey that forced you to make difficult decisions about priorities in life. When he wasn’t studying playbooks and scouting reports Glass was immersed in seminary courses at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.
I first encountered Glass in 1997, when I was writing Browns Town 1964 about that championship season. We talked on the phone.
He laughed when I said several of his teammates told me stories of Glass drilling a QB for a sack, then picking up the poor soul and asking the QB if he was OK.
Glass pursues Y.A.Tittle
“That’s true,” said Glass. “I did hit them hard, but I never wanted to hurt them. I hate dirty plays.”
Pluto recalled a life lesson from Bill Glass that we should all embrace in today’s divided world.
“If you don’t know whether to go negative or positive in a situation, go positive. You can always be negative later if needed.” He also said “Look for reasons to bless people.” He meant to compliment them. Look for something good about them. “You spread the love of Christ that way,” he said.
Amen.
Bill Glass went on to have an influential public speaking career. I heard him speak and his message left an impact on my heart that was key to me trusting Jesus as my Savior. Bill planted a seed and overcame some false impressions I had about Christians. He had no idea that some young Browns fan in Southern Ohio would change his life in part because of the words of his sports hero.
I think that will be one of the biggest blessings in Heaven when God reveals how he used us when we had no clue He was moving. Those expressions of unselfish service that the Holy Spirit uses without any awareness on our part are moments that give every bit of the glory to God. I am sure that is what Bill Glass would say about his influence on my life.
Glass started down a path to have large public evangelism events like Billy Graham. But God led the ultimate team guy to a much less glamorous calling. Bill Glass developed a prison ministry called Behind the Walls where he spent the last four decades plus of his life serving.
“I was thrown into it kicking and screaming, but the response from the inmates was just unbelievable.”
I look forward to seeing my childhood hero in Heaven some day. I will get to thank him for speaking boldly but, more importantly, living a life that earned my respect. I suspect I will still be looking for that second Cleveland Browns championship so I will give him an extra hug for that first one.
Bill Glass leaves a great reminder for leaders and people of influence at any level. How you live your life matters. How you treat people and how you are willing to serve and care makes an eternal impact. How you impacted the bottom line or climbed to the top does not matter in the algorithm of eternal significance. Bill Glass was a difference maker. The beauty of the glorious grace of Jesus is that everyone of us can choose to follow Him and make a difference no matter what season of life we are in.
Terry Pluto remembered this longing from Bill Glass.
“One of his greatest wishes was to hear the words from Matthew 25:23: “Well done, good and faithful servant” after he died from his Lord.”
I am certain my childhood hero had his wish come true this week. Thank you Bill Glass for your faithfulness and selfless service.
Christmas really is the most wonderful time of the year. I love the music, the memories, the traditions, and the chance to annually think about Burl Ives.
His memory returns with the annual airing of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. Ives is the voice of Sam the Snowman who narrates the “enhanced” story of Rudolph.
Rudolph and his elf buddy Hermey don’t fit in with the others. Rudolph looks different than his peers. Hermey is not interested in making toys. In an odd plot twist, Hermey wants to be a dentist. Not surprisingly, his elf supervisor is upset with the unproductive Hermey. So the two outcasts set off to find their purpose and a place to be accepted.
The part of the story that resonates with me these days is when Hermey and Rudolph find their way to the Island of Misfit Toys. All of the toys on this island are castoffs because they are flawed and deemed worthless. There is a “Charlie in the Box” and a train with square wheels. A boat that sinks in water and a squirt gun that shoots jelly. All of these flawed toys are banished to the Island of Misfit Toys simply because they are different.
That is how I picture so many sad and tired followers of Jesus. They see themselves as misfits. They believe they are flawed and not worth much of anything. They have allowed a perceived idea of what a “good” Christian should look like to cause them to feel like they don’t measure up. The doubts overwhelm them. Discouraged followers of Christ start thinking thoughts like these.
I don’t have theological training. I can’t sing well. I am not a good teacher. I am afraid to share my faith. I feel awkward in groups. I am not a leader. I don’t have much to offer.
But that is not how the Bible describes a follower of Christ. Every Christian is described as being part of the body of Christ. Scripture makes it clear that every part of the body of Christ is vital to the healthy function of the church. Henri Nouwen wrote that every follower of Jesus has a God designed role.
“We seldom realize fully that we are sent to fulfill God-given tasks. . . . We act as if we were simply dropped down in creation and have to decide how to entertain ourselves until we die. But we were sent into the world by God, just as Jesus was. Once we start living our lives with that conviction, we will soon know what we were sent to do.”
So if you are feeling like a misfit toy this Christmas season you can trust this truth. You have a divine purpose. God does not make misfits. He creates people in His image with value and great worth. Satan would like you to retreat to your own island of misfits to feel sad and worthless. But God has another gathering place in mind.
The Island of Grace. On that island you are not a misfit. You are a beloved child of God. You are a saint. And in this wonderful place there are no misfits. Every blemish makes you more valuable, not less. Brokenness makes you more beautiful. The miracle of Christmas makes us friends to the King. Paul made that abundantly clear with these words of encouragement to the Church in Rome.
So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God. (Romans 5, NLT)
Friend of God? Hard to feel like a misfit if you believe that is true. Open that gift this year and keep it close to your heart.
The advent of social media has accentuated the difference between friends and friendships. I have hundreds of Facebook “friends” befriended with a click. It is easy to have friends who know what you like, listen to, and read. But it is hard work and risky to cultivate friendships with people who know who you are when the facade comes down.
Real friends are a treasure that we push way too far down the priority list. We sure think a lot about pursuing other treasures on our list. Too many of us don’t prioritize the importance of building real friendships. Honestly, when you have a real crisis, would you rather have a promotion or a pal you could lean on? When heartaches come, would you prefer an award or an ally to walk with you?
In the grand scheme of life, you will have just a handful of real friends. Friends whom you can tell anything or say anything to and not be rejected. Friends who will drop everything when you need them.
Joni and I have many friends and that is a blessing. But the “real” friend roll call is shorter. Relationships like that take time and investment. I believe you have to go through a variety of experiences together to really get to that next level of friendship. You don’t really know a person until you go through adversity with him or her. That is not something you can plan or force. Joni’s cancer journey thinned our friend “herd” a bit as we learned who was there when we were at our worst. But God brought others into our lives who were willing to be real and present.
There is something powerfully healing and affirming about having someone in your life with whom you can drop the pretense. Many of us harbor the secret fear that if our friends found out everything that was true about us they would drop us in horrified indignation and run for the hills. But what if that is one more lie from the Deceiver? What if we could develop relationships of trust and grace where exactly the opposite occurred? What if the revelation of the truth about us caused our friends to love us more? What if we trusted a few with who we really are? I know some of you might be checking out right now because you have been deeply hurt by someone you trusted who did not deserve that trust. I have been there.
God designed this journey of life to be lived in community. It’s the description of the early church.
They joined with the other believers and devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, sharing in the Lord’s Supper and in prayer. A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders. And all the believers met together constantly and shared everything they had. They sold their possessions and shared the proceeds with those in need. They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity—all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their group those who were being saved.
Acts 2:42-47
We were created to be in a community with other believers. Because of our unity in Christ, we are to embrace those different from ourselves. That’s what makes a church dynamic to a person who experiences grace and acceptance for the first time. And that is why church can be devastating when the congregation becomes selective, judgmental, and legalistic. Anne Lamott shares a thought-provoking observation: “You can safely assume you’ve created God in your own image when it turns out that God hates all the same people you do.”
That is both an ouch and an amen statement. When differences result in judgment, what we thought was a safe place instead becomes the biggest betrayal of all. When we become “experienced” Christians, something seems to happen. We can lose touch with our former brokenness and sinfulness and desperate need to be forgiven and accepted. That is when the pretense begins that our holiness is based on performance instead of complete dependence on Christ.
I know that finding and living in real community in our culture isn’t easy. I understand how easy it is to want to throw in the towel. The truth is that we need community, even if we’ve been hurt by bad relationships in the past. If you aren’t in a community of grace, it may be time to ask God to lead you to such a place. I know that can be daunting. It took me a long time to find such a place. It took me a longer time to realize how God was redeeming every hurt, every slight, and every trial. Eventually, I was able to see how He’d been preparing me, especially through those hard times, to embrace and welcome grace in a whole new way. That is best experienced in a community of fellow Jesus followers. I know it isn’t easy but it is definitely worth the effort.
This is an excerpt from Stay: Lessons My Dogs Taught Me about Life, Loss, and Grace. Looking for an unique Christmas gift? How about an autographed copy of Stay, Grunt the Runt, Waking Up Slowly, or Between the White Lines. All books ordered before December 15th at my online store will be autographed.Click here to order.
