12-19-25

ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
December 19, 2025
Today, Cypress Creek Christian Church will be offering a Blue Christmas Service. Actually, there are two opportunities — 11:30am and 6:30pm. Both of them will be in the chapel. The service is for anyone who might be finding this season especially difficult. There will probably be as many reasons as there are people, and that’s because things happen in our lives that leave us feeling as if we are standing on the outside of Christmas—feeling as if we are only allowed to look at the joy and celebratory nature of the season but not touch. The first Christmas after my mother’s death was especially difficult. So many of the traditions that shaped me and gave meaning to Christmas were connected to memories that included my mom. You don’t just turn that off and then say, “All is good! Let’s do Christmas.” I believe part of our purpose as followers of Jesus is to create spaces for people to be their authentic selves, instead of putting on a facade to hide how they are truly feeling. Christianity should never be understood in terms of uniformity, but in a celebration of who people are and a respectful appreciation of where people are. The Christ Child was born amidst the complexity and messiness of a broken world. Jesus didn’t ask anyone to change before showing up. He just showed up as I believe he does again and again and again.

Holy God, thank you for loving me even when my attitude and emotional temperament do not fit the narrow standards of appropriateness for the moment. Thanks for not only loving me but showing up in those places that I may not always want to make known to others. Amen.