Giving presents,
Singing Carols
Eating and drinking as much as we can!
It’s the only time of year we ever give thought to our fellow man.
A time of glad tidings and peace on earth to all.
This Christmas celebration’s not so bad after all!

Hang the streamers.
Drape the tinsel.
Light the candles.
Dress the tree.
Santa Claus is coming soon – it’s all so plain to see.
Oh! and we mustn’t forget to hang the mistletoe from the ceiling.
These are all things that help to create that special feeling.

Put the advent calendar up-to-date,
It’s the season of Advent – not long to wait!
And we say Saint Nicholas is heaven sent,
Till we realise the debt we’re in and count the money we’ve spent.

And  does it really make us feel any better
To send a Christmas card or a letter?
And will the excitement stay more than a day or two?
Well some say it doesn’t last!
Sometimes this Christmas cheer seems a thing of the past.

And through it all, there seems no danger,
Of us even thinking back to that child in a manger.
We’ve heard the story, countless many times before,
But let’s take a moment to remember.
The real reason why we celebrate the 25th December.

Born the Saviour of the world,
A gift of love from God.
But when we consider the dirty stable,
We find it rather odd.
That the King of kings and Lord of lords
Should be born as poor as this.
But the real story behind the birth of Jesus
Is not that difficult to miss.

That God loved his created world,
Full of anger,
Deceit,
Hate and lies.
Yet Jesus grew up amongst all this – a perfect man,
Yet there are those who still despise:
The righteous life he lived, without a trace of sin.

He died a voluntary death on Calvary’s tree,
Full of agony and shame.
To prove to us that human life
Need never be the same again.

He rose again to conquer death
To have victory over the grave.
To show to us, why he was born:
The world to save.

So,
How will you respond this Christmas time,
To the gift of God’s only Son?
Will you wrap him up in the festivities
And ignore the work’s he’s done?

Let’s put Christ back into Christmas,
It’s not that hard to do
And, if you do,
Then Christmas,
Won’t be quite the same for you!

May I invite you, and your family, to celebrate the real meaning of Christmas this year?  As you do, I pray that the Joy of the Angels, the Eagerness of the Shepherds, the Perseverance of the Wise Men, the Obedience of Joseph and Mary, the Peace of Jesus and God’s richest blessing will fill your hearts and lives this Christmas season and in the year to come.

This was something I wrote back in December 1985 and was printed in the Billericay Around Town Magazine in December 2016.