Spiritually Speaking

Merry Christmas! I know of no other, two word phrase, that means so much to so many. It has been said many times, many ways. I think the angel Gabriel said it first like this, “Greetings, you who are most highly favored! The Lord is with you. Do not be afraid, Mary you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you will give Him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High God.” Mary said it like this, “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, For He has been mindful of the humble state of His servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me, holy is His name.” Then in the hills outside of Bethlehem an angel and the angelic host said it like this, “ Today in the city of David a savior is born who is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.” Then the host sang “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace and good will to men.” Through the ages people have said it with gifts. I guess the “Wise Men” with their gold, frankincense and myrrh started that. Others have written songs and poems, that fill our hearts with emotion and express for us more than we can express ourselves. When we think about God’s greatest gift to man, how we say “Merry Christmas” to each other is really not the important thing. It’s how we say “Merry Christmas” to Him. I think the shepherds really got it right. “When they had seen Him they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child.” Have you seen Him? Do you know Him? If you know Him spread the word. Let your “Merry Christmas” be the opening phrase to telling someone about Jesus, and I’ll see you in Church, and Merry Christmas from Pat and Peggy Ozment.

Spiritually Speaking

I am trying to get ready for Christmas in Tamale. It’s coming ready or not, on December 25th. I wonder what will get me ready? Maybe a cold front, diving down from the Sahara Desert, bringing, rain, a sharp drop in the temperature, changing the rain to ice, then snow. That might do it. Or, maybe the 2 television stations in Ghana would start showing movies like “It’s a Wonderful Life,” “White Christmas,” “Miracle on Thirty-Fourth Street,” “A Christmas Carol,” “Frosty the Snow Man,” “The Grinch Stole Christmas,” or please forgive me, “A Charlie Brown Christmas.” That might get me ready. Or maybe I could take a trip to the local “Mall” and watch the shoppers hurrying around amidst, the sound of Christmas music over the P. A. system, and stand next to the Salvation Army bell ringer and his money kettle. Maybe I could find a department store with Santa’s workshop and the long line of bright eyed children waiting to tell Santa what they want for Christmas. Yeah, that might get me ready. Or maybe I’ll sit up all night addressing Christmas Cards and listening to Christmas music on one of those stations that plays nothing else for about two weeks before the big day. Maybe they would play my favorite, “Grandma Got Run Over by a Rain Deer” Being over here makes you miss all of that stuff even though none of it has anything to do with the reason for the season. I would really get ready if someone sent us word that they were flying us to Alabama for Christmas with our family, but I guess I’ll get ready for Christmas the old fashioned way. “Now there were in the same country, shepherds in the fields keeping watch over their flocks by night. And low, the angel of the Lord stood before them and the glory of the Lord shown round about them and they were so afraid.” Joseph and Mary, and the shepherds got ready by finding room in their heart for a baby. Get ready, read it with me, and I’ll see you in Church.

Spiritually Speaking

When we recently returned from Abidjan in the Ivory Coast we discovered that something else had returned. It is called the “Harmatan.” It is a great cloud of dust that moves across most of West Africa like a brown shadow covering everything. At times it blocks out the sun, and it brings with it cooler temperatures and dry air. It stays for 4 months. The air is so dry that we no longer perspire, or at least it does not seem that we do, for any moisture evaporates instantly, and the effect is cooling. While we were away I purchased a beautiful life-sized bust of an African woman as a present for Peggy. The workmanship of this piece was clearly that of a gifted artist. He had created this object of beauty from a solid block of very heavy wood. We both were very happy with it. Three days after we brought it home to Tamale, cracks began to appear in the face of the bust. The dry air of Harmatan was sapping the moisture out of the wood, and causing it to crack. The dry air and the dust. The dust is so thick you can write in it with your finger, like Jesus wrote in the dust of the ground, before the woman found in sin, and her accusers. I made inquiries and was told that I must use oil on the head and face of the bust, to protect it. The world is like the Harmatan. It will dry us up spiritually and cause cracks in our character. It will deposit layer upon layer of the soil of wickedness on us until we are no longer recognizable as God’s children. What can we do? Psalm 104 says that the Lord will give us “drink to make our hearts glad, and oil to make our faces shine.” Turn your face to God and let Him cleanse you and anoint you with the oil of righteousness, let Him cleanse you with the blood of Jesus, and fill your cup till it overflows. Seek the anointing of God and I’ll see you in Church.