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rjennings Member
Joined: 2006/2/26 Posts: 52 USA
| Merry Christmas! | | It’s interesting the things that you remember as a kid particularly around Christmas. I still remember carefully peeling back the tape of the wrapping containing my Harlem Globe Trotters’ coloring book, finishing a good portion of it, carefully re-wrapping it and storing it back under the tree and then my mom’s horror when she realized she had bought the only coloring book in the store that had been colored ahead of time. Or the Vertibird helicopter toy that I simply had to have only to realize that a mechanical piece of plastic that hovers in two feet circles around a base is interesting for about 2.5 minutes. But the memory that continues to resurface is the one of waiting with my brother and sister in the car outside drug store in Dahlonega, Georgia as a 5 year old and seeing the windows of the store painted with Christmas greetings except it didn’t say Christmas. It instead read “Merry X-mas”. It didn’t make any sense to me. The window was plenty large enough to complete the word “Christmas”. Was it simply that they ran out of paint? I inquisitively asked mom when she returned from the store to which she responded “Oh, it’s just another way of saying Christmas”. Well, why didn’t they just spell it out then, I thought - lazy window painting adults. The most important holiday in a kid’s life and here they are taking shortcuts.
Some things never change. I later learned my mom was right. The “X” is Greek shorthand for Christ from some word that I can’t pronounce and made of letters that don’t translate to English. According to scholars, early manuscripts of the Greek New Testament dating to the third and fourth centuries used the “X” abbreviation to fit more words on the page and reduce time and cost of producing the Bibles of their age. Given the lack of e-readers, word processors, and printing presses I can appreciate their desire to make the most of the resources available. And, it might be worth mentioning these early scribes were avoiding persecution while attempting to crank out more manuscripts so while they abbreviated the single greatest title in all of history I think it unreasonable to hold them to the same standard of drug store window painters.
I’ve wondered if these scribes were alive today in my neighborhood would they still use the same abbreviation. X-Men doesn’t represent a group of evangelical missionaries, if I’ve paid attention. X-Games aren’t Vacation Bible School gatherings. Would they use “X” to represent something most holy in a sea of “X” that’s either against God or doesn’t matter much in the grand scheme of things. It bothered me as a kid to see X-mas but if I were a 5 year old today, these many years later, would I feel the same? I’m unsure which……bothers me. Christ (the Greek “X”) is the single greatest happening in my life and I don’t want anyone to confuse him with Wolverine or a freestyle skateboarder. No, my Christmas greetings will all be spelled C-H-R-I-S-T-M-A-S. Oh, and I did eventually confess to coloring in my coloring book – sorry mom.
Merry Christmas everyone!
_________________ Rick
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2014/12/20 3:11 | Profile |
sermonindex Moderator
Joined: 2002/12/11 Posts: 39795 Canada
Online! | Re: Merry Christmas! | | Well if you "x" the "mas" from Christmas you just get CHRIST. That is a positive way to think of it. _________________ SI Moderator - Greg Gordon
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2014/12/20 7:46 | Profile |
rjennings Member
Joined: 2006/2/26 Posts: 52 USA
| Re: | | I've never seen anyone take that approach. Very nice. :) _________________ Rick
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2014/12/20 8:18 | Profile |
TMK Member
Joined: 2012/2/8 Posts: 6650 NC, USA
| Re: | | "Or the Vertibird helicopter toy that I simply had to have only to realize that a mechanical piece of plastic that hovers in two feet circles around a base is interesting for about 2.5 minutes."
I had the one with the ship that would pick the astronaut out of the space capsule. When we got bored picking up the astronaut we played jump rope over it. Kind of stung if you missed. _________________ Todd
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2014/12/20 10:37 | Profile |
AbideinHim Member
Joined: 2006/11/26 Posts: 5185 Louisiana
| Re: Merry Christmas! | | Back in the 70's I was enlightened to the idolatry that was behind Christmas, and I probably came across as Mr. Scrooge to many.
Christmas is one of the few times of the year that non Christians even think or make mention of Jesus, even if it is the baby Jesus. So Christmas is a special time that we can have the opportunity to share the love, mercy, and redemption of Jesus Christ to sinners.
Merry Christmas to everyone. May His Light and love shine through you. _________________ Mike
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2014/12/20 11:04 | Profile |
Sidewalk Member
Joined: 2011/11/11 Posts: 719 San Diego
| Re: | | It is sweetly ironic to see the whole world be forced into dealing with the collosal reality that God became a man and was born on the earth. They react in a thousand different ways, from the spending of massive gobs of cash on things that don't matter to the darkness of yielding to Satanic urges of suicide.
He is the Lord of life, the fulfillment of human joy, the healer of all that is painful and wrong in the world- but His birth launched the struggle of blood when Herod slew the children. It continues to this day.
He is Lord or the fearsome curse, there is no middle ground.
"This child is set for the rise and fall of many in Israel, and for a sign that will be spoken against," were the words that fell from Simeon's lips that day, probably to his own complete surprise.
Jesus. The biggest thing to ever happen to the earth and those who dwell upon it. _________________ Tom Cameron
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2014/12/20 12:01 | Profile |
staff Member
Joined: 2007/2/8 Posts: 2227
| Re: | | Hi A friend asked me to write a poem with a Christmas Theme for our church dinner the other night.I didnt think id be able due to the short notice and also what can you say about Christmas that has not been said.But God stepped in and inspired me with a view of the birth of Jesus I had not seen before. Then I started writing and remembered that amazing seasonal music Troika by Prokofiev www.youtube.com/watch?v=7GUzJ7fQBtg
Their are 3 poems wrapped in one and the main points of the poem are 1-The sheperds went to see not only a baby but they went to see a newly born Lamb 2.The gifts given to Jesus were symbolical of what was to come.If you were given three gifts what would they say about you? 3.There must have been an amazing celebration going on in heaven that day and we forget that God had just seen his amazing son born.How joyous he must have been.
The Troika
(A Russian vehicle pulled by three Horses, three of a Set,Set of three Kings )
1.Sheperd's Delight
We went to see a wonderful sign The one whose blood would be just like wine As the Angels watched our flocks that night We saw a newly born Lamb to us Sheperds delight.
Abraham Moses and David too watched over sheep but were not privileged to see such a sight Jesus was sent to the lowly of heart If you accept him right now he will set you apart
2.What gifts say
Three gifts Frankincense,Myrrh and Gold Priest, death and King Will tell of the epic tale to unfold Jesus' God's gift for the world to behold. What prophetic gifts would you receive? In the greatest story ever told!
3.A Scene from the Throne room
What happens in Heaven is mirrored on Earth So we can guess what was happening at Jesus's Birth The angels were singing and praising with Joy So heavy at times they fell through the sky
The Father so happy with this Nativity scene His Boy is now born, that the scriptures for-seen I know he's Yahweh and Jehovah and the Ancient of Days but today he is just daddy in all of his ways!
Enjoy the poem and Merry Christmas to all at Sermonindex Yours Staff
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2014/12/20 20:06 | Profile |
ginnyrose Member
Joined: 2004/7/7 Posts: 7534 Mississippi
| Re: | | In our SS Class this quarter we are focusing on people who knew Jesus. Today the focus was on the shepherds.
As I studied this I did marvel at something. Jesus' birth was announced to men. And they were advised to go look him up...This is so out of character, at least if western men's interest in babies is typical of males around the globe. If a woman has a baby it is other women who will oh and ah over the child. Men traditionally don't.
Interesting. _________________ Sandra Miller
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2014/12/21 23:03 | Profile |
Heydave Member
Joined: 2008/4/12 Posts: 1306 Hampshire, UK
| Re: | | Hi Sandra,
I think if a bunch of angels in full glory appeared to me, singing and proclaiming that the Messiah had been born, I might just be motivated to check it out. :)
Otherwise I agree, if it were just a regular birth I could wait until I happened to meet them before showing some sort of interest (unless it were my grandchild of course)! _________________ Dave
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2014/12/22 5:59 | Profile |