When they saw the star, they were overwhelmed with joy. Entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and falling to their knees, they worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
Matthew 2:10-11
Years (and years!) ago my grandfather would always say right after Christmas dinner, “Christmas is now further away than ever!”
Calendrically, he was correct. The next December 25 is a full year away. Only 365 shopping days till the next Christmas!
But it’s not entirely true. After all, there are the 12 days of Christmas between December 25 and January 6. That’s where the well-known song “The Twelve Days of Christmas” comes from! And January 6 is what some used to call “Old Christmas.” Usually Christians refer to it as Epiphany, the day we acknowledge the appearance or revelation of the Christ child to the Gentiles in the biblical story of the magi honouring Jesus with their gifts.
That’s why we leave our tree and lights up until after New Year’s. Not because we’re lazy. And, yeah, we also enjoy the Christmas lights and like leaving them up for awhile longer. Actually, we’ll probably take the tree down but leave other lights up until the days get longer and the evenings are lighter.
So don’t think that Christmas is over. More, the story of Christmas—of the Son of God penetrating space and time to bring hope and healing to our broken, hurting world—is a story for any time of year, for 12 more days and beyond!
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Published by Derek Melanson
Greetings!
The most important thing about me is not first and foremost about me. It’s about the person of Jesus. I receive my identity, my purpose, and my very breath and life from Jesus. Colossians 1:16 says it well. Speaking of Jesus, there the apostle Paul writes, “All things have been made through him and for him.” Who I am, I am because of who he is. And because through him I have been reconciled to God, I now live to orient my life around him. I don’t always do this very well. So I’m grateful for the good news of God’s forgiveness.
Since August 2002 I have been married to a beautiful, wonderful Christian woman. Because of her, my life has been much more of an adventure than it would otherwise have been. She’s loving, smart, funny, determined, and real. Being her husband is a privilege and a joy.
And our joy has multiplied. We have three children. One girl and twin boys. They’re fun, silly, energetic, smart, and exhausting. All unique individuals, they keep us on our toes. Thanks to them, our home is filled with a lot of laughter.
We also have two dogs: a 10-year old mixed poodle-terrier named Sneaker and a 1-year old yorkie named Izzy.
On top of all this, God has also called me to be a pastor. Our church is a small, rural church filled with loving, faithful people. Working with them to live out the good news of God is a great gift.
What else? Well, I happen to like the following things (in no particular order of favourites): playing guitar, writing (obviously!), reading (theology, classic fiction), a variety of movies and TV shows but especially those in the sci-fi/adventure/fantasy/super-hero genres, Dairy Queen Chocolate Extreme Blizzards, buffalo wings, salsa, Doc Martens, Grip6 belts, and Birkenstock sandals. I love my children’s laughter and my wife’s smile. And I love that God — in his abundant grace — allows me to enjoy any of these things.
There. Now you really know me.
I hope you enjoy and get something out of reading my blog. I’d love it if you made some comments on a post or two. Normally, I usually post several times a week. Though occasionally I can go as long as a week or more without doing so. Fear not! I will post again!
Peace,
Pastor Derek
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