Pastor Aaron's Christmas Poem
’Twas Christmas program evening
for my youngest son
my boys’ shoes, coats, and gloves were on–
A victory hard won
Program started at seven
That’s what I thought
According to the paper
from school Kyle brought
As we piled in my car
at six forty-five
In my pocket I felt
my phone come alive
The screen flashed a message
My eyes playing tricks?
Kyle’s teacher wrote me, saying:
“We started at six…
“Are you all still coming?”
the message concluded.
“What the heck” I thought, glumly
I was deluded.
“Yes” I quickly responded
“We’ll be there ASAP”
I felt so embarrassed
I wanted to nap.
By the time we arrived there
the program was over
Kyle asked me, “When do I sing?”
My heart sank even lower.
His teacher greeted us saying,
“You forgot I said six?
Yes, the sheet said seven but
I told you to fix.”
I couldn't remember her
ever saying that.
But she probably had
I forget stuff. That’s a fact.
The families waited for us
for nearly an hour.
Some parents looked at us with
expressions quite sour.
And so it happened once again
I was that guy
Who had’t remembered.
Had I even tried?
My mistake made us miss out
on a Christmas memory
I was completely bummed out
for days…at least three
My family forgave me
but I felt like a dunce
Can’t I do anything right…
Even just this once?
Add it to the list of things
that seem to go wrong.
My list of mistakes
is getting quite long.
Add that to the pile of junk
with which we’re dealing
Our world is angry, unequal,
so many need healing.
This Christmas I’ve been haunted
by feelings of pain
Celebrate Christ’s birth?
That sounds insane.
How can I be joyful
in a season like this?
I make so many mistakes
What else have I missed?
I am imperfect and trite,
forgetful, needy;
obtuse, self-absorbed,
and don’t forget greedy.
What is the good news
for people like me?
That God is one of us?
How can that even be?
I need so much more in a
divine being to worship.
God must be better than me
and certainly more hip.
I want to worship a God
with incredible powers
And yet is as beautiful
as fields of wildflowers.
But at Christmas we gather
and remember the day
that God was born among us
and lain in the hay.
The stench of the animals
Mary’s screams during birth
The darkness of the night…
few knew the babe’s worth.
The scene easily overlooked
by those seeking fame,
power and glory –
those who play the world’s game.
Mary was a pregnant
unmarried teenager.
Shunned and insulted
I’m willing to wager.
She’d said yes to the angel
but had much to lose.
“You’re pregnant!?!?” said Joe, adding
“The baby is whose?”
It is really quite strange
if you think about it.
The good news of Jesus
doesn’t seem to fit.
If God’s a king, a ruler,
omnipotent even.
Why, then, would God be born
behind an old inn?
To an unwed mother,
perfect though she be,
It’s still a scandal like what
you’d find on TV.
And yet on this Christmas
we gather once more
to admit our shortcomings
and beg for more…
More peace for this weary world,
more love to be shared
more forgiveness to take root
in hearts that are scared.
I guess Christmas is not about
gifts or perfection
or Santa Claus or cookies
or other confections.
Christmas means being honest
about our needs
for grace, truth, and love.
It’s a time to say please…
Please reveal yourself to us
again and once more,
In the places least expected
where none are adored;
Among the poor and forgotten
the weak and the lame
the outcast, neglected,
despised and ashamed.
In the times when I feel like
I can’t do much right
I give thanks and remember
the story of that night;
When you gave us your son
in a place unexpected.
He’d grow up only to find
that he’d be rejected.
When we feel lost and alone
Again show us grace
The grace that we find when we
gaze on Jesus’ face
Be it the baby in the manger
or the man on the cross,
Both remind us of your presence
when we feel lost.
Once more on this silent night
forgive us our sins
Remind us that life’s more
than competing for wins.
It’s a journey long and arduous,
paved with humble admissions
That we can’t do it alone
much less make good decisions.
If there’s a moral in this
I guess it would be
Christmas is only good news
for people like me
Who need Jesus’ forgiveness
to be truly free.
