The Christmas we -- and the world around us -- celebrates really has little to do with the Christmas that is so much a part of our faith history.
It may surprise you to know that for over 300 years nobody celebrated the birthday of Jesus.
The stories and pictures that you and I value about the birth of Jesus and all the events around that — simply were not important to the early Christians.
For 300 years they did not worship a baby.
They worshiped an adult "Emmanuel" —
through which they kept having encounters with the holy.
These encounters were important to them.
It was the basis of their new faith.
In most cultures in the world, Christmas is not primarily a day for children.
In fact, throughout our faith history Christmas is for adults.
Although the early believers simply did not celebrate the birthday of Jesus, there is ample evidence that Christians have always recognized and celebrated the specialness of Jesus — universally called the Christ — and identified in Matthew as Emmanuel — God With Us.
Especially in these days and times, I think it would do us well to look at how those earliest Christians celebrated Emmanuel —
and look for clues as how you and I can have the very best Christmas ever this year,
celebrating the Presence of Christ, God With Us, Emmanuel.
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