"Peace Interrupted", by Pastor Kevin Lynch

All together now. Breathe in, breathe out, breathe in, breathe out.

It's over. Another Christmas in the books.

We can all go back to living like civilized Christians now (said with tongue in cheek).

C'mon. You know exactly what I mean.

I don't even get caught up in all the thinly disguised hype wrapped in the package of false piety, and I still got affected.

There is so much stress floating around in the air it just sort of surrounds you like a morning fog in Seattle.

The typical free for all sadly labeled as "Christmas" harshes my mellow meditative celebration of the majestic miracle of the Incarnation by thrusting it in my lap.

Personally I'm glad it's over. Now I can get back to the business of celebrating the true meaning of Christmas every day.

My peace which was so rudely interrupted has now been restored.

Bring on Dick Clark and another Rockin' New Years Eve!

Seriously. If I had a nickel for every Christian I have observed just simply falling into a heap as a result of "pulling off" another stellar holiday extravaganza I'd have a bunch of nickels.

You see, for many that style of Christmas is never over. One is still left with the task of paying for it.

In the best Cousin Eddie to Clark Griswold, "It's the "gift" that keeps on giving".

Peace has definitely been interrupted. You almost have to marvel at the evil genius that created that facade.

Yet we (well, not really we, because I don't) will keep on going back for more. Don't take my statement as self righteous. I have the tee shirt declaring me as the worlds greatest Christmas sucker in my dresser. The difference is I learned and dropped out of the race. Not me. No more. Finito.

I wish I learned the lesson years earlier. Kids do fine with less. The electric company has learned to cope with my lower bill. And my artificial tree (complete with preset lights which I got on sale after one Christmas for $19.99) looks as good as a real one.

I have decided to make room for Jesus on the day we celebrate His birth. Sounds almost incredulous, doesn't it?

Well, that's because we have fell long and hard as a society of believers, and grabbed onto the tail of a speeding comet going in the opposite direction of where we think we were headed.

What we have witnessed and taken part of as Christmas is not the Christmas of the bible. And if we are celebrating something loosely based on the bible then there is going to be less peace and more stress.

It's a simple spiritual law.

John 14:27 - "Peace I leave with you; My [own] peace I now give and bequeath to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. [Stop allowing yourselves to be agitated and disturbed; and do not permit yourselves to be fearful and intimidated and cowardly and unsettled.]."

Not as the world gives, but as Jesus does.

Glad you made it. Be blessed. Be at peace.

Keepin' it Real,

Pastor Kevin <><