Jonah’s Christmas

So what does this have to do with Christmas and worship? First I believe that a Christians' worship after-burners should be fired up during Christmas. To do this, we must things that douse the raging fire of worship... to strengthen the weak knees and make our worship lead straight to God. We should be asking some tough questions: Are we allowing, like Jonah did, my ritual and religion to protect me from sacrificial service (Rom 12:1-2)? Are the Christmas Carols we hear worshipping more then what we say to family, friends, and work and shopping mates (2 Cor 2:3)? Does the world proclaim the joy of Santa Clause more than we've proclaiming the joy of Christ's birth (Luke 19:40)? Did we spend more money on Christmas presents than the yearly sum of joyful giving to our churches (Matt. 6:21)? Are people, who don't know God, doing things that put our Christianity to shame (Matt 5:20)? If so, then our consciences, like Jonah's, have been seared by misunderstanding God's grace.

Second, we need to be responsive to God and strip away any part of Jonah that lives inside. Allow me to share with you my worship commitment to God during Christmas and I bet that you have some to share as well:

1. I will "greatly rejoice" (worship) in the costly gift of grace found in Jesus' birth as the shepherds and wise men did upon their discovery, especially where it is demonstrated, even in the smallest ways, wherever I see it.
2. I will proclaim and testify of Christ's birth louder than the world proclaims the good fortune of Santa Clause.
3. I will allow others to witness God's love and grace through the time and attention I give them more than the presents I give. I will not expect an inanimate object to say what I need to say... "I love you."
4. I will be courteous in the parking lot, streets and highways knowing that my destiny is greater than being two steps away from the mall or two seconds earlier to my destination.
5. I will look for divine appointments where I can testify of divine love.
6. I will look for opportunities were I can carry on Jesus' ministry of easing pain, comforting the afflicted, feeding and clothing the needy and so on with the hope that I might be acting Christ-like and give people the opportunity to witness authentic Christianity.
7. I will make love-giving to my family and friends unrestricted even at personal sacrifice with the hope that they will taste a bit of heaven on earth in the love that I freely and openly give.

In the end of Jonah, God says "shouldn't I have pity on Nineveh." I'm glad God had pity on Nineveh because that is where I used to live, at least until the day I accepted Christ. In fact, we all lived in Nineveh, a place where people could not tell their left hand from their right. Yet God revealed and gave Himself to us beginning with a promised child in a manger whom the angles proclaimed as "Christ the Lord." I hear God still calling His people to Nineveh to proclaim God's message of salvation. During Christmas, we have the opportunity to worship God in a way that speaks louder then grievous Christmas commercialism: "For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be on upon His shoulders. And His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace" (NKJ, Is 9:6).

Happy Birthday Jesus and Merry Christmas to the saints and all humankind.