by Mark D. Roberts
Executive Director
Fuller’s Max De Pree Center for Leadership

© Copyright 2020 De Pree Center. All rights reserved.

Table of Contents

Part 1: Keeping Christmas Well
Part 2: Keeping Christmas Well as an Ebenezer
Part 3: Keeping Christmas Well by Making Amends
Part 4: Keeping Christmas Well: Past, Present, and Future
Part 5: Keeping Christmas Well: With Laughter and Joy
Part 6: Keeping Christmas Well: As a Child
Part 7: Keeping Christmas Well . . . Gloriously
Part 8: Keeping Christmas Well . . . by Living Generously
Part 9: Keeping Christmas Well . . . by Going to Church
Part 10: Keeping Christmas Well . . . with Family
Part 11: Keeping Christmas Well . . . with the Family of God
Part 12: Keeping Christmas Well . . . by Seeking Justice in Your Workplace
Part 13: Keeping Christmas Well . . . by Seeing Your Coworkers as People
Part 14: Keeping Christmas Well . . . by Being Full of Goodness

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Part 1: Keeping Christmas Well

Scripture – Luke 2:7 (NRSV)

And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

Devotion

In the first stave (chapter) of Charles Dickens’ classic story, A Christmas Carol, Ebenezer Scrooge didn’t have much enthusiasm for Christmas, to say the least. “If I could work my will,” said Scrooge indignantly to his nephew, Fred, “every idiot who goes about with ‘Merry Christmas’ on his lips should be boiled with his own pudding, and buried with a stake of holly through his heart.”

Fred was understandably horrified. “Uncle!” he exclaimed, to which Scrooge replied, “Nephew! . . . keep Christmas in your own way, and let me keep it in mine. ”

“Keep it,” Fred responded, “But you don’t keep it.”

“Let me leave it alone, then.”

Indeed, Ebenezer Scrooge did not keep Christmas well, at the beginning of what Dickens called his “Ghostly little book,” that is. Yet, by the end of A Christmas Carol, Scrooge promised, “I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year.” Indeed, that’s exactly what Scrooge did. The final paragraphs of A Christmas Carol report that Scrooge “knew how to keep Christmas well, if any man alive possessed the knowledge.” To this Dickens adds, “May that be truly said of us, and all of us!”

Yes, indeed! Wouldn’t it be wonderful to keep Christmas well, not just on one special day or during one special season of the year? Shouldn’t we who profess to follow the One whose birth is celebrated on Christmas live in light of its reality “all the year”?

When I echo Charles Dickens in speaking of “keeping Christmas well,” I’m not thinking of decorations, gifts, and parties, though I have nothing against these. I love my family’s Christmas traditions. In fact, I’m rather famous (infamous?) for filling my front yard with thousands of lights at Christmastime (see photo). But, when I talk about keeping Christmas well, I’m thinking about living in light of the reality of Christmas, namely, the birth of the baby Jesus. As it says in Luke 2:7, “And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.” This is the essential reality of Christmas. Mary gave birth to Jesus, the one who, as the Messiah, would save his people from their sin, the one who was Emmanuel, “God with us.”

What would it be like to keep Christmas well, really to keep Christmas well, not just in this season of the year, but throughout the year? What would it be like to keep Christmas well as we go about our lives as workers, bosses, artists, spouses, parents, citizens, church members, and friends? What would it be like to live in light of the Incarnation, the coming of God in human flesh, Jesus, Emmanuel?

In the days to come, I’m going to devote twelve devotions to the idea of keeping Christmas well. I’ll take my lead from none other than Ebenezer Scrooge, noting what he did as he began to keep Christmas well. Each devotion, as usual, will be guided by a passage from Scripture, with dear old Scrooge as an illustration of biblical truth.

Today, I would invite you into a time of discovery. You can keep Christmas well by living each day in light of the Incarnation of the Word of God in Jesus.

Reflect

When you think about keeping Christmas well, what comes to mind?

Have you ever known someone who, in your view, keeps Christmas well? Who is that person and why do you think of them in this way?

How might your life be different if you lived in light of the birth of the Messiah, the Word Incarnate? What difference might there be in your work? Your home? Your neighborhood?

Act

Today, as you go about the business of your day, think to yourself, “What difference does it make that Jesus was God Incarnate?” Ask the Lord to help you connect the miracle of the Incarnation to your daily life.

Pray

Gracious God, as we begin this Christmas series, focusing on the Incarnation, teach us what it would mean for us to keep Christmas well. Inspire us by your Spirit to live the reality of Christmas each day, wherever we are and whatever we’re doing.

All praise be to you, O God, because you came in the flesh for us! Amen.

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Part 2: Keeping Christmas Well as an Ebenezer

Scripture – 1 Samuel 7:12 (NRSV)

Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Jeshanah, and named it Ebenezer; for he said, ‘Thus far the LORD has helped us.’”

Devotion

In yesterday’s devotion we began a series I’m calling Keeping Christmas Well. Inspired by Charles Dickens’s classic character Ebenezer Scrooge in A Christmas Carol, we are learning from Scripture what it means to truly keep Christmas well.

In English, Ebenezer is a man’s name. Today it is quite uncommon, apart from its association with A Christmas Carol. In the nineteenth century the use of the name “Ebenezer” was far more common. So, for example, in 1840, three years before Dickens wrote A Christmas Carol, a man named Ebenezer Elliott, who identified himself as a “Corn-Law Rhymer,” published a book of his poetical works (Edinburgh: William Tait, 1840).

The name “Ebenezer” is not original to the English language. In fact, it is an Anglicized version of a Hebrew noun, which is itself composed of two Hebrew words. In 1 Samuel 4:1, for example, the Israelites camped at a place called Ebenezer. This name is a combination of the Hebrew word for stone (eben) and the Hebrew word for helper (‘ezer). Thus, an ebenezer (literally, ha-eben ha-‘ezer) would have been a stone that offered some sort of assistance. In 1 Samuel 7:12, the judge Samuel sets up a stone as a monument in remembrance of God’s special help. It was a “help-stone” that reminded the Israelites of God’s care. It was rather like those little monuments you find along highways throughout the United States. They commemorate some event long past, helping us to remember what we would otherwise forget.

Charles Dickens, though not orthodox in his Christian faith, was certainly familiar enough with the Bible to have known the meaning of the name Ebenezer. Given this knowledge and his attention to character names, it’s likely that he chose the name “Ebenezer” quite intentionally. Ebenezer Scrooge was not only a man with a “squeezing, wrenching, grasping” character, which scholars surmise was the meaning of “Scrooge.” He was also to serve as a monument for the readers of A Christmas Carol. Dickens intended Ebenezer Scrooge to remind us of things we ought to not forget, lest we end up like Jacob Marley and the other spirits who walked the earth in sorrow, dragging the heavy chains they forged in life.

Do you have “Ebenezers” in your life? Are there people, perhaps even fictional characters like Ebenezer Scrooge, who remind you to be generous and joyful? Do you have physical objects, like Samuel’s “help stone,” that remind you of God’s faithfulness in the past? When life gets crazy, when work is a pressure cooker, when you feel overwhelmed or despairing, where do you turn to be reassured of God’s grace and care?

Or maybe you could be an “Ebenezer” for someone else, a reminder of God’s love and grace. When people see you, do they see God’s goodness alive in you? How might you live in this time of year, even in the midst of a pandemic, in a way that embodies the good news of Christmas, the news that God is indeed with us through Jesus? You can keep Christmas well by living as an “Ebenezer,” helping others to remember God’s grace in Jesus Christ.

Reflect

In the last couple of paragraphs, I asked a bunch of questions. Pick one or two and reflect upon them.

Act

If you do not have an “Ebenezer” in your life, a physical object that helps you remember something important, see if you might identify one. It could be just about anything. For example, a friend of mine thinks of God’s care for her every time she sees an owl (in nature or in some artistic representation).

Pray

Gracious God, thank you for all the reminders you give us of your goodness. Thank you for people, objects, places, smells, songs, and so much more than can help us remember your grace. Even more, thank you for the grace represented by these “Ebenezers.”

As I live my life today, may I be such an “Ebenezer” for others, an embodied reminder of your grace. May I live with joy and generosity that reflects the true meaning of Christmas. Amen.

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Part 3: Keeping Christmas Well by Making Amends

Scripture – Luke 19:8 (NRSV)

Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, “Look, half of my possessions, Lord, I will give to the poor; and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will pay back four times as much.’”

Devotion

At the beginning of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, Ebenezer Scrooge is not the sort of person I’d like to be. According to Dickens’s classic description, Scrooge was “a tight-fisted hand at the grind-stone, Scrooge! a squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous, old sinner! Hard and sharp as flint, from which no steel had ever struck out generous fire; secret, and self-contained, and solitary as an oyster.” Ouch! I expect you don’t want to be like Scrooge, either. He was also wealthy, with riches earned in many cases by harshly treating those less fortunate than he was. Yet, because of the intervention of supernatural spirits, Scrooge was ultimately transformed.

The final chapter of A Christmas Carol, Stave V, chronicles the effect of this transformation. It begins this way: “YES! and the bedpost was his own. The bed was his own, the room was his own. Best and happiest of all, the Time before him was his own, to make amends in!” In his new condition, not only would Scrooge be able to live joyfully, but also he would have a chance to “make amends,” to make right what he had done wrong, to treat well those he had mistreated, to care for those in need whom he had once scorned. The bulk of Stave V shows some of the ways that Scrooge did indeed make amends, giving generously to the poor and showing special care for his employee, Bob Cratchit, and Bob’s family.

As I read the final stave (chapter) of A Christmas Carol, I’m reminded of another man whose life was rather like that of Ebenezer Scrooge. Zacchaeus, the first-century Jewish tax collector, had made his riches by taking advantage of those from whom he collected taxes, charging them more than was necessary or just. Like Ebenezer Scrooge, Zacchaeus valued financial gain above all.

And, like Ebenezer Scrooge, Zacchaeus was transformed by supernatural intervention. He was not visited by fictional ghosts, however, but by Jesus, the Incarnate Son of God. As a result of this visitation, Zacchaeus realized that he had been living wrongly and he promised to make amends: “Look, half of my possessions, Lord, I will give to the poor; and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will pay back four times as much” (Luke 19:8).

You and I can keep Christmas well by making amends. I’m not suggesting that, like Scrooge and Zacchaeus, we have become rich by defrauding others, though we ought to make sure that our work is shaped by God’s justice. But I expect that many of us have people in our lives whom we have wronged in some way, and who have yet to receive appropriate restitution. Perhaps, like Scrooge and Zacchaeus, we have been less generous than we ought to be and it’s time to make amends by sharing our blessings with others. Perhaps we can participate in making right larger wrongs in our society, addressing systemic unfairness as a way of seeking divine justice. Perhaps some of our relationships with friends or family members have frayed, and we can reach out in order to reconcile.

Like Zacchaeus, we are enabled and inspired to make amends not because of something inherently good in ourselves; rather, we are transformed through an encounter with Jesus Christ. When we grasp the wonder of his grace, the fact that he made amends on our behalf through offering his life for us, we are moved and set free to become people of generosity and justice. You can keep Christmas well by making right what is wrong, giving to others even as God has given to you in Christ.

Reflect

As you think about the examples of Scrooge and Zacchaeus, what happened to them such that they freely and joyfully sought to make amends?

Can you think of a time in your life when you intentionally made amends because of something you did wrong? (I think, for example, of the time I hit a baseball into my neighbor’s window. I made amends by earning money to pay for a new window.)

Do you have any relationships in need of your effort to make amends and/or to foster reconciliation?

How might you participate in making amends for broader social injustice?

Act

Ask the Lord how you might do something tangible in order to right a wrong. Then, do whatever God puts on your heart.

Pray

Gracious God, thank you for meeting us where we are. Thank you for encountering us in our sin. Thank you for Jesus, who “made amends” for us through the cross. Thank you for the chance we have to let this action move us to imitation.

Help me, Lord, to see where and how I can make amends. Show me where I can and should reach out in humility, to offer an apology, to make right what was wrong. Give me the courage to do this as an expression not of guilt but of gratitude for all you have done for me.

Show me, Lord, how I can participate in righting societal and even global wrongs. Help me to do my part, as you lead, in response to your grace. Amen.

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Part 4: Keeping Christmas Well: Past, Present, and Future

Scripture: Matthew 24:36-37 (NRSV)

But about that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. For as the days of Noah were, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.”

Devotion

This is the fourth installment in a devotional series I’m doing called “Keeping Christmas Well.” My human inspiration comes from Ebenezer Scrooge, the main character in Charles Dickens’s beloved classic, A Christmas Carol. My divine inspiration, as always, comes from Scripture. The example of Scrooge, who learned to “keep Christmas well,” helps us to reflect upon how we might do similarly — not just during Advent and Christmas, but throughout the year; and not just in our private lives, but in every part of life, including our work.

In the first four staves (chapters) of A Christmas Carol, Ebenezer Scrooge is transformed through the visits of three “spirits,” the ghosts of Christmas past, present, and future. By showing Scrooge scenes of Christmas in these three time periods, the spirits empower him to leave behind his “scroogish” ways and to become a new man.

In Stave V, after the transformation has happened, the very first thing we hear out of the mouth of the new Scrooge is: “I will live in the Past, the Present, and the Future!” Of course he is referring to what he has experienced about Christmas through the ghosts of Christmas past, present, and future. But I would suggest that Scrooge’s proclamation is something that should be true for every Christian. We also should live in the past, present, and future.

Consider the timely example of Advent. The season of Advent is one in which Christians look to the past, remembering Israel’s longing for a Messiah. You might say we are living in the past. Yet, at the same time, Advent is a time for us to look to the future, to the time when Christ comes to fully bring God’s kingdom to earth. In Matthew 24:36-37, Jesus explained that the timing of his “coming” is a mystery known only to the Heavenly Father. In the Latin version of the New Testament, the word for “coming” is adventus, from which we get the word “Advent.” In the season of Advent, we are living in light of the future advent of Christ.

Yet, living in the past and future during Advent is meant to influence our experience in the present day. By focusing on past and future, we get in touch with our own yearning for God and with our hope for Christ’s coming. We experience waiting and hoping right now. Thus, in Advent we are living in the past, present, and future, all at once. The past anchors our lives to what God has done and said in history, most of all through Jesus Christ. The future raises our eyes above the struggles of this moment, kindling our hope for the time when God’s kingdom will fill the earth with his peace, justice, and salvation. In the present we experience the reality of God’s past actions and we get a foretaste of his future. God is with us right now, through his Spirit.

You can keep Christmas well if, like Ebenezer Scrooge, you rise each day and proclaim, “I will live in the Past, the Present, and the Future!” (Well, you don’t really have to say it, but you do want to live that way!)

Reflect

In what ways might it be true that you live in the past?

In what ways do you live by faith in the present?

In what ways is your life today shaped by God’s future?

How might you live in past, present, and future today?

Act

One of the best ways I know to live in the past, present, and future is by celebrating Advent. If you’re already doing this, by all means continue. If you’re not sure what it means to celebrate Advent, you may want to read an article I’ve written, “Welcome to Advent.”

Pray

Gracious God, once again, the example of Ebenezer Scrooge helps us see your truth in a new way. Thank you for this unexpected gift.

Help me, Lord, to live in the past, to allow what you have done in the past to shape my life in every dimension.

Help me, Lord, to live in the present as I experience your reality and power through your Holy Spirit.

Help me, Lord, to live in the future, to be filled with confident hope for the coming of your kingdom.

As I live in the past, present, and future, may every part of my life be formed by your Spirit, so that I might live confidently, joyously, and hopefully. Amen.

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Part 5: Keeping Christmas Well: With Laughter and Joy

Scripture – Psalm 126:1-5 (NRSV)

When the LORD restored the fortunes of Zion,
+++we were like those who dream.
Then our mouth was filled with laughter,
+++and our tongue with shouts of joy;
then it was said among the nations,
+++“The LORD has done great things for them.”
The LORD has done great things for us,
+++and we rejoiced.
Restore our fortunes, O LORD,
+++like the watercourses in the Negeb.
May those who sow in tears
+++reap with shouts of joy.

Devotion

In the beginning of Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol, Ebenezer Scrooge lives a joyless, miserly life. Yet, when he is transformed through otherworldly assistance, Scrooge becomes a new man, a joyful man, indeed, a laughing man. On Christmas morning following his transformation, as Scrooge looks around his room and remembers the events of the previous night, he exults, “It’s all right, it’s all true, it all happened. Ha ha ha!” About this display, the narrator comments: “Really, for a man who had been out of practice for so many years, it was a splendid laugh, a most illustrious laugh. The father of a long, long line of brilliant laughs!”

When we experience God’s grace, laughter often follows. Consider Psalm 126 for example. This psalm begins with a remembrance of the time when the Lord “restored the fortunes of Zion” (126:1). How did God’s people respond? “Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy” (126:2). Laughter expresses the ebullient joy of those who have been saved.

Yet, we wonder, what if our lives are a mess? What if we’re struggling and suffering? What if we’re in the middle of a global pandemic? What if we’re victims of violence or injustice? Can we laugh then? Psalm 126 speaks to these questions. The second half of the psalm reveals the tough life setting of the psalm writer. Israel is in need of restoration (126:4). The people are “sowing in tears” and “weeping” (126:5-6). Yet, in their sadness, they live in anticipation of coming home “with shouts of joy” (126:6). Redemption will come and for this God’s people live in hope.

Advent is a season for laughter in the mode of Psalm 126. It is a time to take seriously the brokenness of our world and our need for a Savior. It is a time for yearning, longing, hoping, even for mourning. Yet, in this season we prepare to celebrate with joy the coming of Christ. And we look forward to the time when he will come again, when sorrows will cease and joy will reign.

In our anticipation, we are blessed. As Jesus said, “Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh.” With this confidence, and with the remembrance of God’s grace in Christ, we can laugh even now, the beginning of a “long, long line of brilliant laughs.”

Ebenezer Scrooge kept Christmas well by laughing and so can we. Our laughter doesn’t ignore the sorrows of life, but it expresses the truth that God is working in all things for good (Romans 8:28). We laugh today in confident hope of the greater laughter yet to come.

Reflect

Can you remember a time when you laughed very hard? What happened? What did it feel like to laugh that way?

What helps you to laugh?

Have you ever laughed in response to God’s grace? When? Why?

How can laughter prepare our hearts for a greater rejoicing yet to come?

Act

Pay attention to laughter, your own, and that of others. Enjoy it!

Pray

Gracious God, thank you for the gift of laughter, for the blessing of joy. Thank you for times when, like the psalmist, our mouths have been filled with laughter because of your grace. Thank you for the promise of more laughter yet to come.

Lord, in this season of Advent, our laughter is not complete. We feel the pain of our world and the brokenness of our own lives. We feel sorrow along with hope. We remember how much we need a Savior. We look forward to the unrestrained joy that is yet to come.

Help us, we pray, to be people of laughter and joy, even as we are people of longing and sorrow. Help us to delight in your salvation, even as we hope for the fullness of your kingdom yet to come.

Maranatha! Our Lord, come! Hallelujah! Amen.

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Part 6: Keeping Christmas Well: As a Child

Scripture – Matthew 18:1-5 (NRSV)

At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” He called a child, whom he put among them, and said, “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever becomes humble like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.

Devotion

Today we continue in our special devotional series for Advent and Christmas. So far we have been examining the transformed life of the fictional character Ebenezer Scrooge, the protagonist of Charles Dickens’s classic novella, A Christmas Carol. Scrooge, who once considered Christmas to be a “humbug,” came to treasure it. As Dickens writes about the transformed Scrooge, he “knew how to keep Christmas well, if any man alive possessed the knowledge.”

So far, we have seen that Scrooge kept Christmas well by making amends; living in the past, present, and future; and laughing joyfully. All of these practices are commended to us, not just by Scrooge, but also by Scripture. Today we’ll add something else to the list.

In Stave Five of A Christmas Carol, after Scrooge had been changed through his spiritual encounters, he celebrated with whimsical laughter. Then, he said to himself, “I don’t know what day of the month it is! I don’t know how long I’ve been among the Spirits. I don’t know anything. I’m quite a baby. Never mind. I don’t care. I’d rather be a baby. Hallo! Whoop! Hallo here!” The man who had once prided himself on his stern maturity was acting like a child, filled with giddiness and uncharacteristic ignorance.

Jesus commended similar childlikeness in the Gospel of Matthew. His disciples asked Jesus, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” No doubt, they were hoping that his answer would affirm their own greatness. Jesus’s disruptive response was not what they were expecting. Calling a child to stand among his disciples, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:3).

Unless you change and become like children . . . sounds rather like Scrooge in the final chapter of A Christmas Carol. Yet, in calling us to childlikeness, Jesus was not thinking primarily of giddiness or ignorance. Rather, we are to be children, first of all, in our humility. The path to greatness in God’s kingdom begins as we humble ourselves, putting aside our desire for greatness. Moreover, in our humility we are set free to welcome all people in God’s name, even children, who lack power and privilege. Our very notion of greatness will be overturned in the kingdom of God as we follow the way of Jesus the servant, Jesus who entered this world in utter humility and vulnerability.

You can keep Christmas well by putting aside pretense and privilege, becoming like a child, remembering that God also came among us as a child.

Reflect

In what ways might you experience childlikeness, especially during the seasons of Advent and Christmas?

When you hear Jesus say that you cannot enter the kingdom of heaven unless you become like a child, how do you respond?

How can you be humble, like a child, and still be a leader?

How can you be more open and dependent on God and his grace?

Act

Set aside some time in this season to remember your own childhood experiences of Christmas. Then, ask the Lord to help you respond to the good news of Christmas with childlikeness.

Pray

Gracious God, I must confess that so much of me does not want to be like a child. I want to be grown up and strong. I want to be in control of my life. I want to be well regarded. I don’t need to be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven, but I’d like to rank high on that list.

Yet you call me to childlikeness, not presumptuous maturity. You call me to humility, not grandiosity. You call me to reliance on you, not self-sufficiency. You invite me to trust you simply, as young children trust their parents. Help me, Lord, to be before you as a child, so that I might live under your reign. Amen.

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Part 7: Keeping Christmas Well . . . Gloriously

Scripture – Isaiah 6:1-3 (NRSV)

In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lofty; and the hem of his robe filled the temple. Seraphs were in attendance above him; each had six wings: with two they covered their faces, and with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. And one called to another and said: ‘Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory.’”

Devotion

On Christmas morning after his transformation, Ebenezer Scrooge found new delight in life. As Dickens reports in the final stave (chapter) of A Christmas Carol, “He was checked in his transports by the churches ringing out the lustiest peals he had ever heard. Clash, clang, hammer; ding, dong, bell. Bell, dong, ding; hammer, clang, clash! Oh, glorious, glorious! Running to the window, he opened it, and put out his head. No fog, no mist; clear, bright, jovial, stirring, cold; cold, piping for the blood to dance to; Golden sunlight; Heavenly sky; sweet fresh air; merry bells. Oh, glorious! Glorious!”

For decades, Scrooge had missed the wonders and joys of life. But, with his heart renewed, he could perceive and enjoy the wonders of Christmas morning: ringing bells, crisp air, bright sunlight. For Ebenezer Scrooge, all of this was glorious, glorious!

Scripture often speaks of glory in reference to God. In Isaiah 6, for example, the prophet sees a vision of the enthroned Lord, surrounded by angels who proclaim, “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory” (6:3). God’s glory is not simply in heaven, far away from the brokenness and suffering of this world. Rather, God’s glory fills the earth, however incompletely in this time of history.

The glory of God is, in part, something added to this world, something that radiates from God like light from the sun. Yet, God has also embedded his glory in this world, in the wonders of creation, even in the uniqueness of human life. Most of all, God has revealed his glory in this world by coming as the Word Incarnate, about whom the Gospel of John exults, “[A]nd we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).

Not only do we get to see God’s glory through Jesus, but we also receive it. Ephesians 1:6 speaks of God’s “glorious grace that he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.” In a stunning passage in 2 Corinthians, we read, “And all of us, with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of the Lord as though reflected in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord, the Spirit” (2 Corinthians 3:18). This is happening now, even as we await the more complete glory that is to come.

In the seasons of Advent and Christmas, and, indeed, in all seasons of the year, we can keep Christmas well by delighting in the glory around us. Like Scrooge, we can bask in the joys of the senses, the sublime beauties of this world that reflect the glory of the Creator.

Yet, we recognize that earthly glory serves as a pointer to the unsurpassed glory of God. Because of Christmas, because the Word became flesh, we are able to see God’s glory – not just in the reflections of creation, but most of all in the person of Jesus Christ, who radiates the glory of the triune God. We can keep Christmas well by receiving the love and grace of Christ. Thus, with open hearts, we are moved to exclaim, “Oh glorious! Glorious!”

Reflect

When you hear the word “glorious,” what comes to mind? When have you experienced glory?

If God’s glory is revealed to us most of all in Jesus Christ, the Word of God Incarnate, what does this show us about God’s glory?

How does the glory of this world help you to delight in the glory of God?

Act

At Christmastime, we often hear the words, “Gloria in Excelsis Deo,” most commonly in the carol, “Angels We Have Heard on High.” One of my favorite musical celebrations of God’s glory was composed by Antonio Vivaldi. You can hear a “glorious” version of this piece here.

Pray

Gracious God, the whole earth is full of your glory, indeed! Thank you for all the ways you have embedded your glory in this world, in the grandeur of a sunset, in the crispness of winter air, and in the splendor of great music. Thank you for adding to this your glorious presence.

In this season of the year, we are particularly aware of how you revealed your glory in Jesus Christ, the Word Incarnate, in whom we see your glory. In Jesus we recognize that your glory is found not only in the majestic but also in the manger. As we reflect upon the birth of Christ in this season, may we revel in your glory. And may our experience of your glory enrich every part of life, every day of the year. Amen.

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Part 8: Keeping Christmas Well . . . by Living Generously

Scripture – 2 Corinthians 9:8 (NRSV)

And God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that by always having enough of everything, you may share abundantly in every good work.

Devotion

In the opening stave (chapter) of Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol, Ebenezer Scrooge is the classic miser. Not a spark of generosity warmed the heart of this selfish, greedy man. Thus, on Christmas Eve, when Scrooge received a visit from two “portly gentlemen” seeking a charitable contribution for the poor, he was not pleased. Surely, there were enough prisons and workhouses for the needy, reasoned Scrooge. And when one of the gentlemen suggested that many of the poor might die, Scrooge responded, “If they would rather die, . . . they had better do it, and decrease the surplus population.”

But, beginning with the visit from Scrooge’s former partner, Jacob Marley, the miser’s heart began to soften. By the end of A Christmas Carol, Scrooge became a man of exceeding and joyful generosity. Nothing reveals his change of heart more than his interaction with the two portly gentlemen on Christmas morning. Seeing them in the streets, he grabbed their hands and wished them Merry Christmas. Then, he whispered into the ear of one of the gentlemen what he intended to contribute to their mission for the poor.

“Lord bless me!” cried the gentleman, as if his breath were taken away. “My dear Mr. Scrooge, are you serious?”

“If you please,” said Scrooge. “Not a farthing less. A great many back-payments are included in it, I assure you.”

In our day, as in the imagination of Charles Dickens, Christmas is a time for generosity. Some of us exercise generous gift-giving to family and friends. Others make year-end charitable gifts. Still, others are moved to drop spare change into the Salvation Army red kettles. For Christians, generosity is surely one excellent way to celebrate the birth of Christ. We give, not simply because of holiday emotion or seasonal tradition, however, but because God has given so richly to us in Jesus Christ. As 2 Corinthians 9:8 makes clear, we are generous because God has so generously blessed us “with every blessing in abundance.” We pass on to others that which God has lavished upon us. We heed for ourselves the instructions Jesus once gave to his first disciples, “Freely you have received, freely give” (Matthew 10:8, NIV).

Of course, our generous response to God’s generosity is not limited to the Christmas season. We are to live each day as recipients of God’s grace through Christ. Thus, we have the opportunity and responsibility to give each day what God has lavished upon us. We keep Christmas well by living generously throughout the year.

Reflect

Can you think of times when you have received exceptional generosity? How did it feel?

Can you think of times when you have been particularly generous? How did that feel?

How does your relationship with the Lord help you to be generous?

Can you think of ways you might pass on to others some of the gifts God has given to you? Is there something you might do today?

Act

Perhaps you have already engaged in year-end charitable giving. Is so, that’s great. But, if not, let me encourage you to ask the Lord if you should make a special gift to some worthy organization. Then, act on what God lays upon your heart.

Pray

Gracious God, thank you for your matchless generosity. Thank you most of all for the gift of Jesus Christ, for the life we have in him.

As you have given so much to us, help us to be generous with others. May we keep Christmas well throughout the year through sharing generously some of what you have shared with us. Amen.

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Part 9: Keeping Christmas Well . . . by Going to Church

Scripture – Hebrews 10:24-25 (NRSV)

And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

Devotion

I’ve watched several film versions of Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol. I’ve seen classics like the 1951 film starring Alastair Sim or the 1984 version with George C. Scott. I’ve also seen plenty of knockoffs, like Mr. Magoo’s Christmas Carol (1962), Mickey’s Christmas Carol (1983), Scrooged (1988, starring Bill Murray), and The Muppet Christmas Carol (with Michael Caine as Scrooge, 1992). In all of these film portrayals of Dickens’s story, Scrooge undergoes a magical transformation with the help of the ghosts of Christmas past, present, and future. In the final act of every film, Scrooge is beside himself with childlike joy. He demonstrates exceptional generosity and shows particular favor to Bob Cratchit and his family, especially Tiny Tim.

But, if my memory serves me correctly, there is one thing that Scrooge never does in any of the films I just mentioned. He does not go to church on Christmas. Yet, according to Dickens’s story, Scrooge does that very thing as he walks the streets on Christmas morning. This event is quite wonderfully portrayed in the 1999 film version of A Christmas Carol, starring Patrick Stewart. Here, Scrooge not only goes to church, but also joins in by singing the chorus of “God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen” with great gusto.

Now, there is nothing in A Christmas Carol to suggest that Ebenezer Scrooge became a frequent churchgoer after his transformation. We get the sense that Scrooge went to church on Christmas morning because that’s what nineteenth-century Londoners did on the holiday. Yet, his example can remind us that our response to the birth of Christ is something to be shared with other believers. We not only gather for Christmas dinner and festivities, but also for Christmas worship. We come together to “provoke one another to love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some” (Hebrews 10:24-25).

I’m not saying that all Christians must attend corporate worship on Christmas Day, though this is expected in some traditions (such as Roman Catholicism). For the most part, the churches in which I have participated have assembled for special worship services on Christmas Eve (with late night services spilling over into the first minutes of Christmas Day). Worshiping on Christmas Eve allows us to begin our celebrations with corporate worship, remembering the true meaning of Christmas. My point here is not to insist on fixed rules for how you celebrate Christmas, but rather to encourage you to find a time to gather with God’s people in worship on or around Christmas Day. (This year, of course, most of us will gather virtually because of the pandemic. I certainly hope we can be back together in person next year!)

Why do we come together in worship? Because the central reality of Christmas draws us, teaches us, and compels us. The Word of God became Incarnate in Jesus, not only to reveal God’s glory to us, not only to save us from our sins, but also to gather us together as the people of God. You can keep Christmas well, therefore, not only by going to church on Christmas like Ebenezer Scrooge, but especially by investing your life in the fellowship of Christ followers.

Reflect

What are your Christmas worship traditions? Will you be celebrating Christmas this year by going to church (virtually)? If so, what are your expectations for Christmas (or Christmas Eve) worship?

Are you regularly engaged with a congregation of believers? If so, why? If not, why not?

Act

If you haven’t already done so, make plans to join a worship service on or around Christmas Day.

Pray

Gracious God, you have called us to yourself through Jesus Christ. Yet, you have also called us into fellowship with each other. We are meant to respond to your grace, not individualistically, but as members of your body. Help us, Lord, to keep Christmas well, not only by going to special holiday services, but also by living our lives in community with other believers so that we might worship together and build each other up in love. Amen.

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Part 10: Keeping Christmas Well . . . with Family

Scripture – 1 John 2:10 (NRSV)

Whoever loves a brother or sister lives in the light, and in such a person there is no cause for stumbling.

Devotion

In the opening stave (chapter) of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, Ebenezer Scrooge received a visit from his nephew, Fred, on Christmas Eve. Fred wished his uncle a merry Christmas, to which Scrooge responded with the classic phrase, “Bah! Humbug!” This led to a debate between Fred and Scrooge over the value of Christmas. Even though Scrooge treated his nephew poorly throughout their interaction, Fred invited him to dinner. Scrooge responded by saying that he’d see Fred “in that extremity first,” which was a polite way of saying, “I’ll see you in Hell first.”

As we read on in A Christmas Carol, we learn a bit more about why Scrooge has no room in his heart for family. As a boy, he was sent away to a dreary boarding school by his cruel father. Scrooge’s sister, Fan, once visited her brother at school, bringing the good news that Ebenezer was coming home for Christmas because their father was “so much kinder than he used to be.” The boy was quite fond of his sister, who was physically delicate but strong in heart. She died as a young woman, after marrying and giving birth to Fred.

Scrooge, it turns out, had once been engaged to be married. But his fiancée, seeing how Ebenezer had been changed for the worse by his love of money, broke off their engagement. Denied a happy family life while growing up, Scrooge’s greed now denied him the blessings of family and left him a solitary, irritable man.

Yet, after he was transformed through the visits of the spirits, Scrooge’s disdain for family was replaced by new appreciation and desire. He actually dropped in on the Christmas celebration of his nephew, Fred, asking if he might join the party for dinner. That evening, Scrooge delighted in the goodness of family: “Wonderful party, wonderful games, wonderful unanimity, won-der-ful happiness!”

The example of Scrooge reminds us that keeping Christmas well happens in families. For many of us, this idea is intuitive because our holiday traditions involve families reuniting. Perhaps my favorite part of Christmas is having my two children home for the holidays and gathering with our extended family. (Yes, it will be different this year in COVIDtime.) Yet, if we’re to live in light of the coming of Christ not just during the holidays but all the time, then we will value family life throughout the year. This can be difficult for a variety of reasons, including the demands of work, the distractions of technology, and the tendency for families to struggle with conflict. But the birth of Jesus into a family encourages us to make time for our own families and, if needed, to seek healing and reconciliation.

But what about those who don’t have kindred families nearby? How can they keep Christmas well with family? The biblical answer points to the Christian community, which is a family of brothers and sisters. As John points out in his first letter, “Whoever loves a brother or sister lives in the light” (1 John 2:10). Every single follower of Jesus, whether married or single, whether near to their kindred family or far away, is a beloved member of God’s family. We will keep Christmas well if we share the love of Christ with others, with our literal relatives as well as with our sisters and brothers in Christ.

Reflect

When you think of family gatherings at Christmas, what comes to mind? Do you have happy memories? Sad memories? Why does being with family matter so much at Christmas time?

Have you experienced the church as a family? When? How? Are there ways you might be more deeply engaged with your brothers and sisters in Christ, not just at Christmas, but throughout the year?

Act

Make a point this Christmas to share your love for members of your family, your kindred family and your church family. This year, you may need to do this virtually, with a phone call or a Zoom meeting, or perhaps an email or text.

Pray

Heavenly Father, thank you for our families and for the chance to be together in the season of Christmas.

Many of us, especially this year, won’t be able to be physically present with our families, both our kindred families and our church families. Give us special grace, Lord, as we connect virtually. Help us to share your love together even if we aren’t together in a literal sense.

Give us special care for those who are isolated because of the pandemic or other limitations. May we reach out to them with love in this season and throughout the year.

Thank you, Lord, for adopting us as your sons and daughters. Thank you for inviting us into your family. Thank you for the brothers and sisters we have in Christ. Help us to live as engaged members of your family, so that we might live in your light. Amen.

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Part 11: Keeping Christmas Well . . . with the Family of God

Scripture – Ephesians 2:19 (NRSV)

So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are citizens with the saints and also members of the household of God.

Devotion

In the previous devotion, we saw that Ebenezer Scrooge’s transformation led him to a new appreciation for and engagement with his family. Keeping Christmas well, I suggested, includes sharing life with our kindred families, not just at Christmastime, but throughout the year.

Yet, I recognized that some of us are not able to be with our own families, even during the holidays, especially in the midst of a global pandemic. In times like these, we can find comfort and joy as “members of the household of God” (Ephesians 2:19).

I want to share with you three different snapshots of the family of God at Christmas. All of these come from my own experience. I expect that you could add your own stories to these. Perhaps my stories will even inspire you to become more deeply engaged with your Christian family, not just at Christmastime but also throughout the year.

The first snapshot comes from around 1972. My dad had been out of work for more than a year. My parents had used up most of their savings and had little left for Christmas presents for me and my three siblings. We knew that this Christmas would be different from what we had experienced in the past and we felt sad about this. However, a couple of days before Christmas, some of my parents’ friends from church showed up at our house with stacks of Christmas gifts. Many had my name on them, which was surprise #1. Surprise #2 came on Christmas morning when I unwrapped these gifts and found things that I really wanted. Perhaps more importantly, for the first time in my life, I experienced the exceptional love of the family of God.

The second snapshot comes from around 2000. I was pastor of Irvine Presbyterian Church at that time. As Christmas approached, several church members became concerned about those in our congregation who didn’t have family with whom to gather on Christmas Day. So these members arranged it so that families in the church opened their homes to those who would otherwise be alone on Christmas. Individual families and the family of God were all mixed up in joyful community that year and in the years that followed as well.

The final snapshot also comes from my time at Irvine Pres. For years, many church members put on a festive Christmas party for children in an orphanage in Mexico. The congregation contributed gifts that included both fun toys and necessities like clothing and school items. Those of us who were unable to go to the party prayed specifically for one child to whom we gave a gift. I knew folks at church for whom the Christmas party in Tijuana was the highlight of their own holiday celebrations.

Christmas is surely a time to get together, even virtually, with our relatives to enjoy seasonal delights. But it also is a time to join with our sisters and brothers in Christ, to celebrate the fact that the birth of Christ was part of God’s plan to form us into a family. It’s a time for generosity that includes and extends beyond our kindred families.

You can keep Christmas well by reaching out with God’s love to your sisters and brothers in Christ, both in the holiday season and throughout the year.

Reflect

Have you experienced something like the snapshots I described above?

How can we, as the family of God, be more of a family together—not just at Christmastime but throughout the year?

Act

Pray about how you can extend the love of Christ to someone who needs it today. Then, act on what God stirs up in your heart.

Pray

Heavenly Father, thank you for making us members of your household, your family. Thank you for our brothers and sisters in Christ, for the privilege of sharing life with them. Help us, Lord, to live truly as your family, to open our lives, our homes, and our hearts to each other throughout the year. And if we can’t be physically together, help us to find other ways of giving your love away to those who need it. Amen.

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Part 12: Keeping Christmas Well . . . by Seeking Justice in Your Workplace

Scripture – Deuteronomy 24:14-15 (NRSV)

You shall not withhold the wages of poor and needy laborers, whether other Israelites or aliens who reside in your land in one of your towns. You shall pay them their wages daily before sunset, because they are poor and their livelihood depends on them; otherwise they might cry to the LORD against you, and you would incur guilt.

Devotion

In the opening stave (chapter) of Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol, Ebenezer Scrooge is seen to be an unkind if not unjust boss. On a “cold, bleak, biting” Christmas Eve, Scrooge’s clerk, Bob Cratchit, shivered in the cold of his “tank,” having only one small coal to warm himself because Scrooge was guarding the coal box. In fact, Scrooge had threatened to fire Bob when he came seeking more coal. In Stave III of the Carol, we learn, not surprisingly, that Scrooge paid his clerk poorly, only fifteen “Bob” (shillings) a week, barely enough for the Cratchit family to survive. Thus, in a Christmas conversation Bob’s wife referred to Scrooge as “an odious, stingy, hard, unfeeling man.”

If Scrooge had been guided by Scripture in his relationship with his clerk, he would not have paid Bob so meagerly. Many passages in the Bible call employers to do justice in relationship to their workers. Deuteronomy 24:14-15, for example, exhorts employers to pay all of their workers on time, since they depend on what they make each day to live. In Isaiah 58, when the Israelites wondered why the Lord did not respond to their fasting, he said, “Look, you serve your own interest on your fast day, and oppress all your workers” (58:3).

Throughout Scripture, God calls us to do justice, with particular attention to those who cannot ensure justice on their own because they lack the power to do so. The workplace is a significant context for justice-seeking. God expects those of us who have been given authority at work to treat our employees justly. This includes paying them fairly and in a timely fashion. (In our culture, just compensation for full-time workers would usually involve benefits such as vacation days and health insurance.)

Because Christ was born not only to save souls but also to establish God’s kingdom, we will keep Christmas well when we seek justice in our places of work. We will not be like Ebenezer Scrooge in the beginning of A Christmas Carol. Rather, we will be like Scrooge in the final stave. There, in one of the happiest scenes of the novella, Scrooge caught Bob Cratchit arriving late for work on the day after Christmas (perhaps because Bob’s celebration had been unusually joyful owing to the giant turkey Scrooge, unbeknownst to Bob, had sent to the Cratchit household). Scrooge pretended to be angry with Bob, saying, “Now, I’ll tell you what, my friend, . . . I am not going to stand this sort of thing any longer. And therefore,” Scrooge continued, leaping from his stool, and poking Bob in his vest so vigorously that Bob staggered back into his cubicle, “and therefore I am about to raise your salary!”

Bob was so shocked by this that he thought for a moment of clobbering Scrooge with a ruler and calling the city officials to haul Scrooge off in a straight-jacket as a crazy man. But before Bob could act on this thought, Scrooge explained his intention to pay Bob more fairly and extend additional care to his family. For Ebenezer Scrooge, keeping Christmas well was not simply a matter of special generosity at Christmastime. It was something to be lived each day in workplace relationships.

No matter your particular role in your work setting, may you keep Christmas well by treating your colleagues in general, and your subordinates in particular, with justice and kindness.

Reflect

Some of us have been given considerable authority over the state of affairs in our workplaces. We have the power to see that employees are treated justly. Others of us have not been given such authority. But almost all of us have an opportunity to treat our colleagues at work justly. What can you do to keep Christmas well by seeking justice for those with whom you work?

Act

No matter your role in your in the workplace, think about how you can be an agent of God’s justice. You might be able to help a colleague with a tough assignment. Or perhaps you can support a co-worker who is sometimes mistreated by colleagues. Or maybe you’re in a position to give folks a raise. Ask the Lord what you might do and then, by God’s grace, do it.

Prayer

Gracious God, you are consistent in your call to us to do justice, especially for the powerless and marginalized, those who lack the ability to ensure justice for themselves. Help us to seek your justice in every part of life, Lord. May those of us who have authority over others be sure to treat them justly. Give us the wisdom to know what this means in our specific context. May we keep Christmas well in the everyday affairs of our work. To be you all the glory! Amen.

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Part 13: Keeping Christmas Well . . . by Seeing Your Coworkers as People

Scripture – John 1:14 (NRSV)

And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth.

Devotion

In the preceding devotion we saw that Ebenezer Scrooge was transformed from someone who paid his employee, Bob Cratchit, poorly, to a boss who paid just wages. Seeking justice in the workplace is an essential element of keeping Christmas well, both in Dickens’s A Christmas Carol and in Scripture. Yet there is more to keeping Christmas well for those of us who have coworkers, whether they work for us, over us, or alongside us.

Before his transformation, Scrooge did not care about Bob Cratchit the human being: a husband and father, a person with longings, losses, and loves. Scrooge saw Bob only in terms of his usefulness at work. Scrooge’s perspective began to change, however, through what he saw on his excursions with the ghostly visitors. He watched the Cratchit family as they loved each other even in the midst of their poverty. He saw them graciously drink a toast to him, in spite of Mrs. Cratchit’s stern objections. Most of all, Scrooge saw Tiny Tim in his sweetness, old-soul wisdom, and his physical limitations. All of this contributed to Scrooge’s ultimate change of heart.

Thus, in the final stave (chapter) of A Christmas Carol, Scrooge raised Bob Crachit’s salary. But that’s not all. In his own words, Scrooge said: “I’ll raise your salary, and endeavor to assist your struggling family, and we will discuss your affairs this very afternoon, over a Christmas bowl of smoking bishop.” (Smoking bishop is a kind of mulled wine, by the way.) Scrooge didn’t just promise to help Bob’s family. Rather, “Scrooge was better than his word. He did it all, and infinitely more; and to Tiny Tim, who did NOT die, he was a second father.”

Scrooge’s care for Bob and his family reminds me of a story in Max De Pree’s classic book, Leadership Is an Art. Max’s father, D. J. De Pree, was managing a furniture company when one of his employees died. This man had been a millwright at the factory. D.J. went to call on the man’s family after his death. During his visit, the millwright’s widow read some of her husband’s poetry to D. J. He was struck by the unexpected giftedness of the man he had known mainly as a millwright. This experience transformed D.J.’s understanding of how to think about the people whom he employed. He embraced a new commitment to seeing his employees, first and foremost, as full, gifted human beings. Reflecting on his father’s experience, Max writes, “In our effort to understand corporate life, what is it we should learn from this story? In addition to all of the ratios and goals and parameters and bottom lines, it is fundamental that leaders endorse a concept of persons” (Leadership Is an Art, p. 8, emphasis added).

At Christmas, we celebrate the fact that the divine Word of God because human in Jesus. This was an essential element of God’s plan to save humankind, of course. But the Incarnation also reminds us of the sacredness of each human life. God created human beings in God’s own image. God reinforced the sanctity of human life by entering into it. Thus, we are reminded that each human being is far more than just a cog in a workplace machine. We are special to God, uniquely honored among all things that he created.

We will keep Christmas well when we see our co-workers as people, not just useful workers. I’m not suggesting that we need to get deeply involved in the family life of all who work with us, as Scrooge became engaged with the Cratchit family. I am saying that when we keep Christmas well, remembering the Incarnation, we will see and treat our coworkers differently. We will remember how much they matter to God. We will value them, not just for the work they do, but also for who they are as people.

Reflect

Have you had a similar experience like D. J. De Pree did after the millwright died? Has there ever been a time in your life when you came to see someone in your workplace with new eyes?

What helps you to see the people with whom you work as human beings, not just productive workers?

How can we care for people whom we manage as people? If you are a supervisor at work, what things do you do – or might you do – to demonstrate care for those who report to you?

Act

When so many of us are working virtually these days, it can be hard to see our coworkers as human beings, and even harder to show personal care for them. Nevertheless, take some time in prayer to ask the Lord how you might see and value the humanity of your work partners, even during a pandemic. Then, do something in response to God’s prompting.

Pray

Gracious God, today I want to thank you for those with whom I work. Thank you, Lord, for my colleagues, from those who report to me, for those to whom I report. Thank you for the chance we have to work together, sharing a bit of life as we work.

Lord, help me to see my coworkers as full human beings created in your image. May I value them, not just for their work, but also for who they are.

Help those of us who manage people to find wise and appropriate ways to care for the wholeness of the persons who work for us. May our efforts as supervisors reflect the sacredness of each life entrusted to our care. Amen.

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Part 14: Keeping Christmas Well . . . by Being Full of Goodness

Scripture – Romans 15:14 (NRSV)

I myself feel confident about you, my brothers and sisters, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, and able to instruct one another.

Devotion

This devotion concludes our series inspired by Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol. In the next couple of days, Life for Leaders will reflect on the end of a year and the beginning of a new year. Then, in 2021, we’ll return to the Gospel of Luke to continue our devotional walk through this amazing book.

As Charles Dickens’s “Ghostly little book” draws to a close, Ebenezer Scrooge was a changed man. No longer a “squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous, old sinner,” he enjoyed life, gave generously, and treated his employee Bob Cratchit justly. Moreover, Scrooge “became as good a friend, as good a master, and as good a man, as the good old city knew, or any other good old city, town, or borough, in the good old world.” He “knew how to keep Christmas well,” not just during the holiday season, but also throughout the year.

The example of Scrooge encourages us to keep Christmas well by being “full of goodness.” This particular phrase comes from the Apostle Paul, however, not Charles Dickens. In Romans 15:14 we read, “I myself feel confident about you, my brothers and sisters, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, and able to instruct one another.” The Greek word translated as “goodness” (agathosune) refers to the “positive moral quality characterized especially by interest in the welfare of others,” according to the standard Greek-English lexicon. The Greek word can also be translated as “kindness” or “generosity,” though most English translations prefer “full of goodness” in Romans 15:14.

Can you and I really be full of goodness? I expect some of us hear echoes of Psalm 14:3 ringing in our memories: “There is no one who does good, no, not one.” This judgment reminds us that goodness is not inherent to us but, rather, something that comes as a result of God’s work and presence in us. Moreover, as Romans 15:14 suggests, our goodness is inextricable from our being “filled with all knowledge,” that is, the knowledge of God, his gospel, and all that follows from it. This is reinforced by Ephesians 5:8-9: “For once you were darkness, but now in the Lord you are light. Live as children of light – for the fruit of the light is found in all that is good (agathosune) and right and true.”

The more we know God and his truth, the more we allow God’s light to flood our lives, the more we live in community with other believers so that we might “instruct one another” (Romans 15:14), the more God’s goodness will fill our hearts and our actions. Like Ebenezer Scrooge, we will keep Christmas well by being a good friend, a good boss, and a good man or woman. The incarnation of the Word of God, which we celebrate at Christmastime, will motivate and enable us to be different people, not just for a day or week in December, but throughout the whole year.

Scrooge learned to keep Christmas well, “if any man alive possessed the knowledge.” As we conclude this devotional series, let’s hear again from Charles Dickens: “May that be truly said of us, and all of us! And so, as Tiny Tim observed, God bless Us, Every One!”

Reflect

Can you think of people in your life whom you might describe as being “full of goodness”? What traits or behaviors do you associate with goodness?

Can you see evidence of God’s work in you, helping you to grow in goodness? In what aspects of your life to you see this?

If you were to keep Christmas well today, what one thing might you do that you would not do otherwise?

Act

Do something today to keep Christmas well.

Pray

Gracious God, thank you for the birth of Christ, the Incarnation of the Word. Thank you for being present with us in Jesus, for entering into our reality, for making yourself known to us, for setting the stage for our transformation.

Help us, dear Lord, to keep Christmas well. Help us to live in light of the Incarnation not just today but every day of the year. By your Spirit, may your goodness fill us, so that we might walk in the good works you have prepared for us. Shine your light upon us, Lord, so that we might reflect your brilliance into the world.

All praise be to you, Lord Jesus, Emmanuel, God with us! Amen.

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