“Water, water, every where,
Nor any drop to drink.”
These last few days, this small bit of poetry has been running through my head. It is a few lines of a longer poem, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner (originally The Rime of the Ancyent Marinere) by the English poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge, written in 1797–98. Though I am sure Mr. Coleridge could never imagined how pertinant his poem is to our modern times. This has been the situation in my part of the world. Here in West Virginia, for the last week, we have been under a water crisis. A chemical was leaked in to our water supply, and a water ban was issued for over 300,000 people. Not only did this affect individual households, but schools, hospitals, restaurants. The impact of this water ban has made me realize how something we all take for granted, meaning clean, safe drinking water, is actually a luxury. Of course we all see the commercials about children in other parts of the world, who need clean drinking water, but what happens when you are the one needing water? You can’t bathe, wash your hands, cook, do laundry, etc. All restaurants are shut down, the store shelves are cleared of their current stock of bottled water, and hospitals emergency rooms begin filling up with patients who appear to be suffering the effects from accidentally drinking the toxic water. Thank goodness outside agencies and individuals began pouring resources in to our state, providing cases of bottled water, huge tanks of water, and other items people may need. The outpouring of geneerosity, kindness, and help has been overwhelming.
As the water ban began lifting for a few cities , and we began the long process of flushing our pipes, and any appliances that use water, a sense of normalcy is begins to return to our state, but the lasting affects of the water crisis will be felt for a very long time. Never again will I take this precious resource for granted. Since water has beeen on my mind this past week, I was curious as to how many times water was mentioned in the Bible. Well, seems quite a bit. Water is mentioned 722 times, more than faith or hope. Which serves as a reminder as to how important this liquid is to not only our life, but also our very salvation. I have listed here a few Bible verses where water is mentioned, in no particular order.

John 4:14 – But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

Ezekiel 36:25 – Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you.

John 7:38 – He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

Isaiah 43:2 – When thou passest through the waters, I [will be] with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.

Revelation 21:6 – And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.

Matthew 3:16 – And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:

Exodus 17:1 – And all the congregation of the children of Israel journeyed from the wilderness of Sin, after their journeys, according to the commandment of the LORD, and pitched in Rephidim: and [there was] no water for the people to drink.

Genesis 1:9 – And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry [land] appear: and it was so.

Revelation 16:4 – And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood.

John 3:5 – Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and [of] the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

Numbers 20:11 – And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice: and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts [also].

Revelation 8:11 – And the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter.

As detailed in these verses, it is made plain how not only is water critical to our very existence, but also a way to seek salvation., through baptism. I believe my favorite verse is:
John 4:14 – But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

Next time you turn on your tap, to either get a drink or wash your hands, think how this simple fluid, is actually a life-giving resource that should never be taken for granted. I know that I will never look at clean water as just a convenience, but will see it as a generous gift from our Creator.

“I heard the bells on Christmas day. Their old familiar carols play, and wild and sweet the words repeat- of peace on earth, good will to men!”

We awoke this morning and the world was different. Magical. Joyous. Something special in the air. The sounds of church bells. The sounds of children’s laughter, family chatter and holiday greetings from just about everyone! It is Christmas Day!

There is no other day like Christmas Day. As far back as our childhood memories can take us, Christmas Day is special. A gathering of family and friends. Toys and gifts scattered about hidden beneath mountains of wrapping paper. Smells of pine from the tree mix with tempting smells from the oven. And Christmas carols, everywhere- on the radio and television and overflowing from Church. They sing from my lips, dance in my ears and rejoice in my heart! Wonderful familiar tunes, bringing back more memories of youth and loved ones departed.

“I thought as how, this day had come, the belfries of all Christendom- had rolled along the unbroken song- of peace on earth, good will to men.”

Christmas Day! The birth of Jesus Christ, our Lord! Not just in my home or town, but everywhere. Everywhere! Across the globe, in whatever time zone- Christians- “all of Christendom” are like me, celebrating Christmas. The magic and wonder is everywhere. That childish joy and anticipation of the day is everywhere. And everywhere Christians are recalling how the birth of Christ has changed the world. How Christ offers us hope and renewal. How Christ came to live among us, be with us and love us. How Christ came to teach us lessons for life and give us His promise for everlasting life.  All of this possible- all of this promise, from that wondrous birth in the manger at Bethlehem more than two thousand years ago!

“And in despair I bowed my head, there is no peace on earth I said. For hate is strong and mocks the song, of peace on earth, good will to men.”

Wait, the joy of Christmas? Wars continue. The Middle East, as it has been for decades, is a mess. North Korea and Iran keep popping up into the news threatening the nightmare of nuclear weapons. I also cannot escape the television news coverage of senseless shootings- in our schools, communities and college campuses. I was a police officer for thirty years- I do not understand this violence.

Violence, that word alone is all that is needed to shatter my Christmas joy. Wandering gangs of youth now play a mindless game of hitting strangers to see if they can knock them out with one punch.  I do not understand. A homeless man in Hoboken NJ was recently killed this way.

Homeless, there too another word- another issue to intrude its reality into the joy of my Christmas. There is no media coverage here. Thousands spend this Christmas without homes, hot meals or the simplest comfort.  How can I go around singing about joy, peace and good will?  It is almost as if I can hear Satan himself laughing in ridicule- “for hate is strong and mocks the song…”  “Celebrate the birth of your Messiah”  Satan rebukes me, “you have learned nothing from him.”  In despair I bow my head. Where is my compassion? Where is my love? Who is my neighbor? How can I help him?

“Then pealed the bless more loud and deep: God is not dead, nor does he sleep. The wrong shall fail, the right prevail- with peace on earth, good will to men!”

Wait, get thee behind me Satan- God is not dead! God lives! God is here with me- with us now! We are the instruments of His work. It is we who must accomplish Christ’s acts of mercy. It is we who must clothe the naked, feed the hungry and give drink to those who are thirsty- both literally and spiritually. It is we who must pray for and call for, peace. It is we who must demand equality and accountability. God demands these things. God requires us intercede.

So this is the joy of Christmas. I can see Jesus smiling down upon me. He tasks me not to forget the broken of spirit. He invites me to reach out to them- the lost, the lonely, the addicted, the distraught.  Share with them the Good News! That is what His Gospel means, good news! Be not weary or poor of spirit- the angel brings “good news which shall be for all people. That today is born in the town of David, a Savior- he is the Messiah, Christ the Lord.”  (Luke 2:10-11)

So I wish to you, my brothers and sisters in Christ- the most joyous and blessed Christmas Day!  God is not dead, nor does He sleep. He lives with us and through us. Let us go forth from today and into the New Year- with His greatest Christmas gift to us- the Good News which shall be for all people– Christ is born! Christ lives! Christ loves!

…. and on earth, peace and good will to men.  Amen.

In our childhoods, most of us learned the little song entitled, “Mary Had A Little Lamb.” It went something like this,

“Mary had a little lamb.

Its fleece was white as snow.

And everywhere that Mary went.

That lamb was sure to go.”

As we sang that song while we were children, we had no idea that something like that had actually happened. It never dawned on our childish minds that the Bible told the same story. That a young girl named Mary did indeed have a little Lamb.

Matthew 1:18-25
“Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”  All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet:  “Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel,” which means, “God is with us.”  When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife, but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a son;”

Well, that’s what is happening in these verses in Matthew. It seems that Joseph is engaged to a young maiden named Mary. They were betrothed, which means that they were legally married, but were not yet living together. During this time, word comes to Joseph that Mary is pregnant. Joseph knows that he isn’t the father, but he is sure someone is! He believes that Mary has been unfaithful to him and he decides to get a divorce. Yet, because he loves Mary, he wants to do this thing quietly because the penalty for committing Mary’s crime was death by stoning. However, before he can put his plan into action, God sends an angel to tell Joseph that things aren’t at all like he thinks they are. He tells Mary’s husband that she is carrying a child that was miraculously fathered by the Holy Spirit of God. He is told that this child will be a special child with a special mission. That, in fact, this child is to be the Savior.

Joseph’s reaction is to take Mary into his home and wait with her until the day the baby is born. What they didn’t realize is that this baby, who was growing in Mary’s body was none other than the Lamb of God who would one day die for the sins of all men. Verse 25 tells us that Mary eventually delivered this child. When she did, the Lamb of God was born. In one of the greatest stories in all of Scripture, we learn the truth that Mary Had A Little Lamb. It is that Lamb, that special baby boy, that saves us all.

But what makes this little child, this Lamb so special:

1. Jesus Christ had no human father! His Father is God Himself! What makes the conception of the Lord Jesus so fantastic is the fact that He was born to a virgin! Now we all know the traditional method by which babies are conceived and brought into this world. However, the conception of Jesus was different! His mother was a virgin.

2. From the day Jesus came into this world until the day He ascended back into Heaven, He was a very special person indeed!  He could feed multitudes, open blinded eyes, heal the sick and even raise the dead. Walking on water posed no problem for the Lord Jesus, neither did stilling a violent storm. Everything He did marked Him as being special. These activities were merely proof that He was indeed who He claimed to be.

3. Jesus was never shy about telling people who He was. Jesus claimed that He was the Son of God in Heaven. All the people supposed Him to be the son of Joseph, Mark 6:3. However, Jesus claimed a special relationship with the Father in Heaven. It was these very claims that ultimately lead to His death, and resurrction.

As we can see, Mary’s little Lamb came into this world for one purpose. It was not to walk on water, it was not to heal sick folks, it was not to open blinded eyes, it was not to calm storms. Jesus came for the sole purpose of dying! He was a special Lamb, because He came to be a sacrificial Lamb. You see, Jesus came to die for the sins of humanity. Luke tells us that His mission in this world was “to seek and to save that which was lost“, Luke 19:10. If He was going to accomplish this, then a price had to be paid, and He paid that price when He went to the cross and died for our sins.

If the story ended here, with Jesus dead on a cross, this would be a sad story to tell. There would be no reason to celebrate Christmas and no need to come to church. There would be no salivation and no hope for our souls. If He died and that was the end of Him, that would be the end of us as well. But, thank God, the story doesn’t end there! Three days after Jesus died on that cross, He emerged, alive and well, from the tomb, Matt. 28:1-6.

In conclusion, when you think about Christmas this year, rushing around trying to buy that last minute gift, or attend yet another boring office party, try to keep things in perspective. Christmas is about that special day when God sent His Son into the world to be the sacrifice for our sins. Christmas is about more than presents, brightly-lit Christmsas trees, endless parties, and long to-do lists. Its about us all stopping for a moment, and asking ourselves-Yes, Mary had a little Lamb, do you?

Contracts:  Sign at the X          Treasure maps:  X marks the spot             Algebra:   Solve for X.

X is the 3rd least used letter in the English language.  There are no words that begin with X in the list of the 500 most commonly used words in the English language.   X seems to be a pretty special and unique letter.  BUT, what about that pesky “Xmas” that annoys so many people?  How can people simply substitute a letter of the alphabet for the name of Our Lord?  Where did this abomination originate?  What evil mind decided to do away with Christ and substitute it with an X?  How did this happen?  Should we avoid, shun, boycott people and places that use Xmas instead of Christmas?

We are going to look at this today, so here we go:

To begin:  Look around in your churches, my friends, especially those of you from a liturgical background, and see how many X’s you can find.   Do some Googling of “Xmas” and this is what you get:

“Xmas” is a common abbreviation of the word “Christmas“.  The “-mas” part is from the Latin-derived Old English word for “Mass“, while the “X” comes from the Greek letter Chi, which is the first letter of the Greek word Χριστός, translated as “Christ“.  There is a common misconception that the word Xmas is a secular attempt to remove the religious tradition from Christmas by taking the “Christ” out of “Christmas”.  While “Xmas” is considered to be an informal abbreviation, it should never be used in formal writing, but it is historically correct.

The word “Christ” and its compounds, including “Christmas”, have been abbreviated in English for at least the past 1,000 years, long before the modern “Xmas” was commonly used. “Christ” was often written as “XP” or “Xt”; there are references in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle as far back as AD 1021. This X and P arose as the uppercase forms of the Greek letters χ and ρ used in ancient abbreviations for Χριστος (Greek for “Christ”), and are still widely seen in many Eastern Orthodox icons depicting Jesus Christ. The labarum, an amalgamation of the two Greek letters rendered as ☧, is a symbol often used to represent Christ in Catholic, Protestant, and Orthodox Christian Churches.

The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) and the OED Supplement have cited usages of “X-” or “Xp-” for “Christ-” as early as 1485. The terms “Xpian” and “Xtian” have also been used for “Christian”. The dictionary further cites usage of “Xtianity” for “Christianity” from 1634. According to Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary of English Usage, most of the evidence for these words comes from “educated Englishmen who knew their Greek”.

In ancient Christian art, χ and χρ are abbreviations for Christ’s name. In many manuscripts of the New Testament and icons, Χ is an abbreviation for Χριστος, as is XC (the first and last letters in Greek, using the lunate sigma); compare IC for Jesus in Greek.

Thus, really and truly, the use of the “X” isn’t taking Christ out of Christmas at all.  And instead of protesting the use of “X” during the  Christmas season, wouldn’t we ALL be better people, the world be a better place, and Christ be better served,  if we kept that “X” in our words and deeds every day of the year?  Should we not celebrate Him always, 24/7/365?

So, having said all of the above,  may you keep Christ, not only in Christmas, but also in your hearts and minds and lives, every day and always.  Amen.