Searching

Written by cycleguy on November 29th, 2012

If you are old enough or nostalgic at all you may remember the rock group Chicago singing “I’ve Been Searching So Long.”  That song included the lyrics “I’ve been searching so long to find an answer/Now I know my life has meaning.”  Many thought (and were hoping) they had gone on a spiritual quest and found the answer they were looking for…and were hoping it was in Jesus.  It appears such was not the case, but their lyrics were haunting.  People have been and will continue being on a search for meaning to life.  Even the Beatles visited the Yogi & BooBoo in search of something.  Jimi Hendrix was reported to have ended a concert with “If anyone here knows how I can find real peace, see me after the concert.”  No one showed up and a few days later he was dead in his own vomit from an OD.

As you can tell by the banner, I am beginning a new sermon series this Sunday with the theme of “Searching for the Christmas Spirit.”  We talk and hear a lot about “the Christmas spirit” but what exactly is it?  It is almost seen as some elusive commodity that can be bought or sold or bartered for.  Even Christ-followers have difficulty with putting a finger on it.  My hope is to spend the month talking about “the Christmas spirit” and help everyone (including myself) to come away with an awareness of God’s plan for this celebration we call Christmas.

This Sunday I will be using Luke 2:1-38 for my Scripture.  I have no doubt you are familiar with that Scripture.  Within that passage are several people who can show us what the Christmas spirit is and where to find it.

THE SHEPHERDS

SIMEON AND ANNA

MARY AND JOSEPH

I am not going to write much more on this because I would like to leave you with a challenge (if you have the time).  I plan to use Monday’s post to give the answers.  If you were taking a pop quiz right now, how would answer this question:  What do these people show us (as they are grouped together) what “the Christmas spirit” is and how to find it?  I look forward to hearing your answers.

Some may put this in the category of TMI: I am having a medical procedure (yeah one of those things) Friday that might take me out of the loop for the day.  Depends on how I come out of the anesthetic.  🙂  This post serves a dual purpose- my daily Christmas post, as well as my sermon post.  I will approve comments as I am “aware” of what I am doing.   I would appreciate your prayers for the procedure and, of course,  Sunday.  Thanks ahead of time.  Thanks to Ryan for the banner.  And don’t forget to check out Sele here.

 

 

25 Comments so far ↓

  1. Daniel says:

    I will be praying for you. I have spent far too much time in hospitals over the past 15 years. I know how worrisome and suckish this can be. I will try to read through Luke 2 later tonight or tomorrow if I can find a few moments. Blessings.

    • cycleguy says:

      Thanks for your prayers Daniel. Fortunately, my stay is in and out and not in a hospital. 🙂 Look forward to hearing your thoughts.

      • Daniel says:

        I did my homework today. It seems to me that all 3 of these groups operated out of selflessness and love for their God. If we had a bit more of that type of spirit (or Spirit), perhaps the Christmas holiday would be an even grander and more lovely affair.

  2. Jan says:

    Praying for you as always Bill. Looking forward to hearing more about this series. I LOVE the banner. I would say that what these 3 groups have in common are faith & obedience.
    Love ya!

  3. Jan says:

    LOVE the banner Ryan!!! I could stare at this all day, if I had this hanging on my wall, I would put myself in the picture & imagine all sorts of scenarios…..lovely, warm times. Wonderful job!

    • cycleguy says:

      Don’t give him too big of a head Jan. He may want to quit his day job.

    • Ryan says:

      I can take no credit for it… Found on a website and added some of my own touches for an attempt at originality… I am NO WAY an artist… Way out of my level of expertise.

  4. Zee says:

    I think what unites them is that they all believed God – not simply in God, but they believed what He told them – even though it wasn’t an easy job.

    And Christmas… Christmas is the time of believing that God keeps His promises.

  5. Betty Draper says:

    Hummmm…I would say the Christmas spirit is not about a “what” but a “who”. It’s so much easier to get into a Christmas when you know the Lord because we know all the other traditions will pass away, but He will never pass away.

    Praying for you as you go in for surgery my brother.

  6. Hope your procedure goes well.
    As I try to think about the Christmas Spirit and your list of people, I see two things: 1) a joy and celebration of what God is doing in Christ’s birth and 2) a humble acceptance of their place in the story.
    Something like that?

  7. floyd says:

    The CHRISTmas spirit is about Christ. Pretty clever of me huh? It is the prophecy fulfilled in God to all of the world and the celebration as the only perfect and last sacrifice to remove the sin that separates God from His fallen creation due to their gift of free will.

    All people the groups of people realize that God is worthy of praise for His love and sacrifice and they rejoice in His gift of love, mercy, and grace. His redemption is His sacrifice and His Son’s sacrifice. No truer love ever existed.

    Praying for your procedure and sermon on Monday. For the record, I never did like Chicago…

    • cycleguy says:

      Yes, you are clever Floyd. I am continually amazed by it. 🙂 But you are right: no truer love existed. I liked early Chicago. They got too tame after about album #2 or #3.

      • floyd says:

        I guess I really set myself up for that sarcasm! Glad the anesthesia hasn’t dampened the biting wit!

        • cycleguy says:

          Oops. My remark at amazement was not to be taken as sarcasm. I think it was the anesthetic speaking. They told me not to make any important decisions for the first 24 hours. They didn’t tell me to keep my blogging comments to myself. 🙂 Not even really sure why that comment is in there. Whoa!!

  8. Ed says:

    As I think back to each of these examples I can only see joy at who is coming….

  9. Steve Martin says:

    Praying for you, Bill.

    God bless you, friend.

  10. Mike says:

    I’m late to the party, but see that you are well after your procedure. So glad of it! Wouldn’t it be nice if people expressed the spirit of love, good will, and unity throughout the year rather than just one time of the year?