Twenty-two years ago an article was published in Christianity Today about what people rank as their top focus at Christmas.  Of the 1,000 people surveyed, only 37 percent said Jesus’ birth is the most significant aspect of Christmas. I’m guessing that today the percentage is a little lower. Now, that doesn’t mean these polled did not rank His birth as significant. It just wasn’t the most significant aspect for them.

This might be compared to your last big birthday party. Of the people who came, how many considered being together, eating cake, and having a party as more significant than the fact you were another year older? Besides you, of course.

Or, like when you celebrated your 25^th wedding anniversary. Were all the attendees focused primarily on the purpose for the celebration (you and your bride), or were they mostly entertained by the others present and, you know, the party? Maybe that’s what happens at Christmas. It’s a party!! And, oh yes, Christ was born.

Now, if you argue that the birth of Jesus is the most significant aspect of Christmas for you, consider this. Look at all your decorations. What percentage of them is about the Christmas story? By that I mean, where is the manger scene? What is the centerpiece that occupies the largest and most important place in your home? On Christmas day, does anything in your families festivities resemble a celebration of Jesus birth?  When Christmas is over, will any of your Facebook posts be a testimony to family and friends that the most important aspect of Christmas to you is the birth of our Lord?

Have a Merry Christmas! May the celebration of Christ’s birth bring you joy.

The prophet Joel spoke of a day when God would pour out His Spirit on all flesh. Peter quoted from that passage in Joel during his first sermon on the day of Pentecost at the coming of the Holy Spirit. Peter declared, “this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel.”

The words of Joel that Peter quoted included signs that will appear before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord. “. . . wonders in heaven above and signs in the earth beneath: blood and fire and vapor of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness and the moon into blood . . .”

Joel included that in that day, “your young men shall see visions, your old men shall dream dreams. (Acts 2:17)” Wow! What if some of those old men to whom God gives dreams are living right here at The Gardens at Calvary? When we hear the old men tell their dreams, will we recognize a God given dream or discount them as merely the dreams of old men? Will God give us the discernment to pay attention to the old man’s dream or will we miss what God is doing?

Some of Joel’s prophecy has already been fulfilled. “It shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” There are things in prophecy we are yet to understand. But, there are things which we do. We must act on those things that are clear. Peter’s sermon concluded with this. “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ . . . .”

Every one of our elders at The Gardens at Calvary is valued, respected and loved. Our staff remembers them long after they are gone. We always hold a special memorial service for elders who pass away even if they have not been living at The Gardens at the time of their passing. We honor them with the gathering of other residents and sometimes family of the one who has passed. It is a message we want our elders hear, “We won’t forget you.”

We began a tradition last year, on Memorial Day, of calling out the names of those who passed since the previous Memorial Day. During lunch, on Monday, May 28^th, we will call out each name followed by two bells. Bells have a long tradition of use to call us to wake, to pray, to work, to arms, to feast and, in times of crisis, to come together. Above all, bells are the sound of freedom and peace as in World War II when they hung silently until the day they could ring in the peace. We will ring the bell on Memorial Day to call us to remember those who lived with us but now rest in peace.

As we did last year, this year The Gardens at Calvary will place a carnation on each table with the name of a senior who died since last Memorial Day. Twenty-three beloved seniors will be remembered. Together we will allow our lives to be touched by them again. Together we will say a prayer of thanks for them. Together we will remember on Memorial Day.

Norman Drummond, Chaplain

I love the note someone put on Facebook that said, “Spoiler alert! The tomb is empty.” Yes! He lives. It is important to tell, and re-tell the story of Jesus’ life, death, burial and resurrection. The story of the passion of Jesus Christ. But we know as we repeat the story, Jesus is alive!

We know the facts of His resurrection, that he did indeed rise, but do we know what was accomplished? Certainly his death paid the price for our sin and his overcoming the grave provides eternal life for those who believe. But there is still more to His provision. We now have one in heaven who sits beside the Father to speak in our behalf.

“If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. (Romans 8:31-34)

Every time we pray to God Almighty our savior and Lord intercedes for us. It is only because of the blood of Jesus and His resurrection that we have any right to approach the throne of God. It is why we complete our prayer by saying, “In Jesus name we pray.” Jesus sits at the right hand of God the Father to ensure our prayers are received as words from those who are the children of God, made righteous by Jesus’ blood.

If we fail to pray “in Jesus name” we are behaving as though we deserve to approach the throne of God based on our own merits. Each time we pray “in Jesus name” we acknowledge that we “confess Jesus as Lord and believe that God raised Him from the dead.” (Romans 10:9)

We most often, at Christmas, read the story of Jesus’ birth from the Gospel of Luke. In that account we encounter Mary and Joseph, the trip to Bethlehem, the manger scene, and the angels and shepherds.  Only in the Gospel of Matthew do we find the Magi who followed the star. The Gospel of Mark skips the story of Jesus’ birth and begins with John the Baptist and Isaiah’s prophecy of the arrival of Jesus, “Behold, I send My messenger ahead of You, who will prepare Your way.”

John’s Gospel encapsulates the Christmas story in a couple of verses. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. . . . And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:1,14).

It is interesting that John’s Gospel, while presenting the mystery of the birth of Jesus, presents for us the mystery of our rebirth. “As many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God” (John 1:12-13).

John’s gospel shows us that God the Son was born in the flesh so that we may be born of the Spirit. And Jesus tells us, “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be amazed that I said to you, You must be born again” (John 3:6-7).