I am at just about a month since I've blogged.  Sorry, my regular job plus the two extras I have been attempting to do, plus family affairs during the holidays have consumed me.  Maybe I can do better.

Of course, it's Christmas.  I'm guessing that some faithful Christians from most everywhere still feel anxiety with other Christians openly participating in it and, maybe especially, the season being featured in sermons.  I've heard the reasoning--it's borrowed from pagans; Jesus' death and resurrection is what we need to celebrate, not his birth; He wasn't born on December 25th; it was "wise men" who came, not "three wise men"; it's grown far too commercial; we're aligning with some religious neighbors we've busted our chops to keep from identifying with; and maybe some other quarrels and quibbles, too. 

My mind is made up to celebrate it as fully as I can every chance I get and my conscience is clear.  I'll make a few arguments for my getting caught up in it and promoting and preaching the Christmas story. 

Let's start with one from arithmetic.  The story of Jesus' birth comprises about 1/12 of two gospels (a total of 180 verses that make up two chapters of Matthew's 28 and and two of Luke's 24).  It's plain to me the Holy Spirit thought the beginning of Jesus' life story ought to be told.  I think it nonsense to place off-limits 1/12 of the gospel story from my celebrating or my preaching. 

Of course, men have woven some myth and mistake into the Bible story, but we can easily study to know what's true and what's not.  They've woven myth and mistake into baptism and the identity of the church, too.  We don't capitulate the field and give no answer, instead we identify the error and counteract it with Bible truth.  That strategy will work fine for Christmas truth, too.

Then I'd say this: I'd much rather be aligned with some religious neighbors we don't usually agree with on a Bible truth than in the company of those in the Bible story who opposed telling the story of His coming--that would be Satan and one of his henchmen, King Herod.  There's a flip side to that point, too: we're all in good company joining God's "heavenly host," humble shepherds, wise men, Simeon, and Anna in feeling joy and shouting "Hallelujah."  God started the celebration with "heavy heavenly hitters" to make a stunning announcement, "There is born to you this day a Savior..."

Last, common sense says to me that to celebrate a life we celebrate a birth.  Would we have a "Gettysburg Address" from Abraham Lincoln without a birth story?  Could there be a light bulb from Thomas Edison without a birth story?  And of course, how could there be a cross of Calvary without a birth story?  I'll grant that normally a birth story gets small notice--it's only a beginning and what comes later usually trumps it in importance (it's the difference in one quiet note in a song and a crescendo at its end).  But I'd point out that Jesus' birth story isn't "usual."  At His birth He became one of us in flesh.  And the story crescendos, at His cross He became one of us in sin.  That's two amazing parts of an hallelujah chorus gospel that saves us when we believe it and surrender to it. 

Thus, without the slightest apology, MERRY CHRISTMAS!