| I hate Christmas parties |

Last year in November I had the opportunity to preach on Isaiah 9, the great passage that a light will dawn out of the darkness, that unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government shall rest on his shoulders. It was an Advent sermon at Wellspring. I say this because it provides some context to how I see the Christmas season.

Quite like the glimmer of light and hope that the prophetic birth foretold of the Saviour of the world offered, so too is the Christmas story. Quite like the darkness, the captivity, and the warfare that surround this early Isaiah prophecy, so too is the Christmas season. We live in a world that wants to take the only light out, perhaps to replace it a light bulb or an LED; our world desires to take the baby out of the baby story that transformed history past, present, and future. It's for this light that I love Christmas. Even the word itself seems to break down into Christ (the person, the Messiah) and mas (a communal celebration); it seems to imply a party for Christ.

So if you have heard grumblings about me being a grinch or a scrooge, put it into this context. I admit I have no care for trees or decorations, for themed cards or for catchy jingles. To use two Relient K song titles - one a truth for me and the other a fallacy - I hate Christmas parties and I Celebrate the Day. I do celebrate the day; I may celebrate it differently than the masses, but I celebrate it nonetheless. And I don't hate Christmas parties. So long as that light is not ripped away and replaced by some other light source, (and so long as the decorations aren't too over the top), I'll be there, eggnog in my hand, glad that I have such an incredible family, and glad that Jesus is King over hearts, even though He's lost some ground in the holiday season.