Joe McKeever

This didn't happen at Christmas, but it IS a story of giving AND has my grandson at it's heart.
Eight year Jared visits Greenville every summer for a week to attend VBS at our church. He helped his PawPaw take up offering one Sunday. The attendance is small so they just walked the center aisle abd reached the plate over to those further in the pews, or the envelopes were passed to the person on the end. Jared's great grandparents were on the far end of one of his rows. He didn't see his great granddaddy put anything in the plate. He went out to the foyer and right back down the aisle where they were seated and held his plate out, asking, "Don't you want to give your offering for Jesus?" (Actually, they had passed it in and the man on the end had put it in for him.)
We told the preacher our financial worries would be over if he got Jared to collect each week.

Lara Johnson, Greenville

Posted by: Lara Johnson at November 27, 2007 05:54 AM

After a discussion with my children and my sister, I became very troubled about Christmas vs. A Happy Holiday. Why? I had to ask. Why, was I so disturbed? Why, was I unsettled in my spirit? And why, was I feeling angry? I truly did not understand, except that I knew there was something big about it... for me.

I read today, for the first time about the origin of Christmas and how it is filled with controversy and compromise. It's roots are very disturbing. I am realizing that the ways that I celebrate the Christmas holiday today is aligned with the world's customs and traditions.

I asked God to help me with understanding and give me clarity.

He helped me to see that my anger wasn't about others, but about myself. I was screaming loud that the "outsiders" were infringing on my precious celebration of Jesus birth. The Holy Spirit impressed on me, that I am claiming to be an"insider" yet, I am "doing" the same things as the "outsiders"...how do I differ from them? Like them I decorate the house, spend time with family and friends, buy gifts and eat a huge meal. Oh, I may offer a token "Happy Birthday" to Jesus on Christmas morning, or send Christmas cards with His picture on them, but at the heart of it, the fact of His birth does not impact the way I celebrate the day that Christians have set aside to observe the birthday of Jesus. I understand my anger, now!

I actually said, in all of its' absurdity, "Why are "they" buying gifts? We're buying gifts because it is Jesus' birthday." On my birthday I "receive" gifts. Something seems askew here. Isn't He the one who should be receiving the gifts?

My prayer is that whether it's December 25th, or any other day of the year, I want to use as many opportunities as possible to reflect on Jesus and His message of hope for all of us.

I really want my Christmas to be nothing more than a simple, yet wonderful reminder of Christ's humble beginning as a baby in this world. His birth merely set the stage for the power, glory, and salvation that would be revealed in His life, death, and resurrection!

As time goes by, I am praying that my emphasis will change.

Posted by: Sherry Winkler at November 29, 2007 10:19 PM

Dear Joe,

After a couple of your latest writings, I feel almost famous, by association. :)

This is a Christmas story that I’ve shared many times over in our small groups through the years.

We were poorer than poor. I recall a time when I didn’t have $.10 for an ice cream cup after lunch. I sat there day after day at that lunch table with my friends, pretending that I didn’t want one, when in reality, I would have eaten about anything that would have put a pound on my pitifully thin bird-leg body-frame.

Anyway, that sort of sets up this Christmas story: That same year I wanted a watch for Christmas more than I had every wanted anything previous to that time. Years before, my step-father had given my mother a watch that he had saved for years to buy and it was beautiful. It was white-gold with a diamond on each side. So you can imagine how excited I was when a gift appeared with my name on it under our silver tinsel tree. A gift in a box just the size of watch box.

On Christmas Eve, when I opened the box, there was surely a watch inside and tears began to stream down my face. My mother was saying, “Do you like it?” “Do you like it?” And, from the most selfish 13 year old that God ever created, I said, “No, I don’t like it at all.” “This watch is gold with a stretch band and no diamonds.” “I wanted one like yours.” At that instant, she took off her watch and put it on my arm, taking mine and placing it on her own arm. And, it stayed that way for over twenty years. As I type these words now it makes tears swell in my eyes as it has so many times over the years. But, that’s not the entire story. At the age of 34, while looking for something in the attic, I ran across the watch. It had stopped working, but I took it to a jeweler, who brought it back to life and added a gorgeous new band. It seemed more beautiful than before.

I then wrapped it and gave it to my mother. That would have been Christmas 1984. It’s a wonder to me that she, remembered the watch, but did not remember the story….or so she said. I think that watch is about the best gift I have ever received and it is definitely the best gift I’ve ever given.

It reminds me that the best gift that any of us can ever receive is the gift of Jesus’ love, and how ironic that the best gift that we could ever give back to Him is that same gift…our love.

Posted by: Darlene Bradley Graham at November 29, 2007 11:47 PM

Joe,
One of my most memorable Christmases was spent on the road. I was 20 or 21 years and, working/driving for a moving company. We had a client that had to move on the holiday due to a transfer. I was the only driver not married with children so I took the trip. This put my return trip home on Christmas day. That family had given me some food to take with me to eat on the way home. (there would be nothing open) I stopped in a gas station parking lot in Jasper AL to eat. A poor family in an old bad oil smoking, windows fogged up, dirty car pulled up to use a pay phone. There were several children in the car. You could just tell they did not have much. I got out and asked the Mother if I could share some fruit with the children. Although I was alone on Christmas day working, God gave me a way to share some of what I had with someone else's need.
Sharing has always been a big blessing to me each Christmas.
Mathew 25: 40 “And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’

Posted by: Richard Ransom at December 3, 2007 06:11 PM

In the second church I served as pastor, there was a family with very little of this world's goods. Mr. and Mrs. Guier were rich in love for their church and their young pastor and wife.

They lived in a four-room building that would fit inside my present house, down a road composed of river and creek bed gravel. It was a little rough to maneuver my car down there at times. Inside the house a single light bulb hung from the ceiling in each room, and there was an open fire place. The couple were on in years and often unable to attend church. Sometimes I would pick them up and drive them to Sunday services.

As I look back one of the greatest gifts we received that Christmas came from them. This would have been 1958 or 1959. Every time Anna and I called on them, they always wanted me to read the Bible and have prayer. That year, they presented to us a set of six glasses, wrapped the best they could manage. They had saved the glasses from 25 pound bags of flour. The glasses were frosted, clear at the top with green diamonds around the top. Snowflakes were scattered around the glasses, giving them a festive look. We took the glasses home and used them for years.

These days, only two of the glasses remain. The others were broken in moving or in raising our children. As we look at them now, given a place of honor in our china cabinet, they remind us of a great love that Mr. and Mrs. Guier had for us. They gave us the best that they had.

Sometimes when we would visit, they would hand me a dollar or two, and say, "This is for you and Mrs. Cole. It's not for the church."

Writing this brings tears to my eyes, just remembering these who gave the best they had to their pastor and wife.

And no, Joe, you cannot have one of the glasses. I wish I had shown them to you when you were here last Spring.

Posted by: Donald Cole at December 7, 2007 10:46 PM

Well, this one belongs to Sam Allen of Nashville's "No Other Name" gospel singing group. He told it at Jasper, Alabama, last Sunday night. I asked his sister Laura to encourage him to post it, but evidently he hasn't had time. So, I'll tell it for Sam, as I recall it.

"I grew up on a Christmas tree farm in central Florida. As a teenager, it was my job to jump up from the supper table when some customer pulled into the yard wanting a tree, and go help them select one. Then, I'd cut it down and shake it out, and often have to deliver it to their home."

"One time, this Yankee woman drove up and picked out a tree. I cut it down and was getting the information from her as to where to deliver it, when she said, 'Oh, one more thing. Could you bring me some greens?'"

"I thought, 'Greens? You want greens?' Now, we were a farm family and we had greens out in the garden, but this was a first. When I told Dad he said, 'She asked for greens? We don't even know her?'"

The congregation at New Prospect Baptist Church was laughing at Sam's story because they knew where this was going. To southerners, 'greens' means only one thing.

Sam continued, "You can imagine the look on that woman's face when I delivered her Christmas tree and presented her with a sack full of collards."

Someone commented, "Those collard wreaths just don't hold up long, do they?"

Of course, to that woman, 'greens' referred to the small limbs and leaves of the evergreens which she would arrange into some Christmas decoration.

(If I were using that for a Christmas sermon, I'd probably let it illustrate either a) the mistakes we make about Christmas or b) the perishability of so much we do at this season. But you'll think of other uses. Thanks, Sam, for a funny story.)

Posted by: Joe McKeever at December 8, 2007 01:04 PM

Paster Joe,
I'm Graham Bryant and I would also like to meet you!
Merry Christmas to you and your family! :) <3

Posted by: Graham Bryant at December 12, 2007 09:49 PM

Christmas.

Slowly and quietly, not to wake mommy and daddy, the two little boys climbed from there bunk bed, opened quietly the door of their bedroom and walked carefully down the stairs.

In the house was it quiet and outside dark, they came to look at the Christmas tree they bought with daddy on the parking lot near the mall. The Christmas tree they decorated with mommy, daddy and their big sister.

The lights in the tree where not on now, it was not so pretty as on other times, on the table was the chandelier for nine candles, they forgot the name, it was such a difficult name.
Daddy had told them that the meaning was that light of God had entered the world; Jesus the little Bethlehem child.

All these things, all the decorations in the room where nice, but that was not where they came for, they came to see if the presents where all ready under the tree.
Daddy promised… so….
Yes, the presents where there, five shiny wrapped presents!

Wow, don’t’ touch now, not trying to peak to see what is in it, just guessing for who which present would be.
Tonight at Christmas eve would it be time to unwrap the presents.

Yesterday, when the lights and candles where burning bright, had daddy told them that he would lie the presents under the tree.
The benjamin of the family shouted isn’t it weird that it is Jesus his birthday and that we get the presents.
It is so that the one who celebrates his birthday should get the presents.

Later that evening, just for bedtime, took mommy them on the couch and told them why they received presents at Christmas eve, why this birthday was so different from any other birthday.
Warm and cosy with mommy on the couch, big sister went to watch a movie at a friends house; daddy had a meeting at the church.

Long ago, more than two thousand years, something amazing happened.
God who created heaven and earth and all the plants and also men decided that he was going to do what always intended to do.

He the greatest of all would become the smallest.
Not without a reason, listen with me.

God send an angel to a girl called Marry and the angel asked Marry if God could give her a son that would grow in her belly.

Not with a mister as daddy, but God would by a miracle, that is something very special what is not possible but God still does, make a baby grow in Marries belly by his Holy Spirit.
Marry would be the mommy and God the daddy.

Marry found a bit scary, but she wanted to listen to God and so she said yes.
Marry also had a boyfriend called Joseph, one day she would marry him, they where all ready encaged.
At first Joseph did not know what God had told Marry, and just as the neighbours and other people of the village Nazareth where they lived did he became very, very angry.

Because it was not right to get a baby when you where not married. Joseph was also very sad, because he thought the baby is not mine, so there must be another daddy Marry loves. This was a terrible thought for Joseph.
But God had not forgotten Joseph so he send an angel to Joseph in a dream that told him everything was all right, told him that the little baby was Gods own son and that his name should be Jesus.

The oldest interrupted the story and said: “Mom and than Joseph and Marry went a journey and Jesus was born in a dirty stable, isn’t it, with shepherds and wise men from a land far away…”

Yes, that is so mommy said and there was much more the happened then.

But now I was going to tell you why you get presents on the birthday of Jesus.

This little baby was no ordinary baby it was a presents from God to mankind, not that the people knew it already, and many never would want to know, but still this how it was.

Jesus, lived as all other people but he never did bad or naughty things, no sin we call that.

In this way he grew up and became wise, when he was a man he walked with a group of friends through the land to tell people about God and the Kingdom of God.

People thought that Jesus would become the new king and would kick the Romans, who where bullying them, out the land.

Jesus, told people that God was a kind and loving God, but also that he can’t stand bad things, people who do or think bad things can not belong to God.
That was frightening because everyone does something bad sometimes.
However Jesus especially went to the people who did bad things, he healed them when they where sick and forgave them the bad things, that means that he told them that he and God would no longer think about those bad thing but would put them away.
The people of the temple and the synagogue, a kind of churches for the Jewish people said that he could not do that and became very angry at him.

As you know was there end to things going well, Jesus entered the city Jerusalem on a donkey and than it was party time, people though now it will happen, now does Jesus will become king.

But that is not how things went, one of Jesus friends betrayed him, other left him, turned their backs on him.
The people killed Jesus, after hurting him very bad, and nailed him to a cross.

Mommy the youngest said; such a cross as in grandma’s church? The church with that nice smell?

Yes, mom smiled, such a cross.

But that is wrong mommy, that hurts so much doesn’t it mommy?

Yes, it did cause Jesus a lot of pain and suffering, but again he was a present for the people.

Jesus, said to God his father, I take all the bad things of all the people who live now and who will born later and take them with me on the cross, I will become all these bad things, that is how much Jesus loves us.
This was also the plan of God, Jesus who never did something wrong, was the only one who could do this.
He received the punishment we deserved, amazing isn't it?
Yes, the oldest replied, I would not want to get slapped on my behind for something he, he looks at his little brother, had done, that is not fair, or is it?

No, mom said that doesn’t seem fair, but that is why it is a present, grace we call that. We should get punished but still we don’t get punished.

If we believe in Jesus and want to follow him than does God no longer look at the bad things we done and the punishment we deserve, as long as we tell him the things we remembered doing wrong honestly. He looks at Jesus who received the punishment in our place.
Grace is a present, a gift, we did not deserve, nor have to deserve, but what we receive freely from God through Jesus.

That is why we give presents at Christmas time, where we remember the birthday of Jesus. Because Jesus became Gods present to us.
And through his death on the cross can we also receive the present of grace.
That is why we give presents at Christmas eve.

The youngest whispers…. Jesus did not stay dead, did He? With a soft sad voice he says this…

No, by a miracle of God did Jesus not stay dead, but became alive again, and went to heaven after that.
But one day, a special day, will Jesus return and than as a man, a soldier bringing peace, the great king.

This is something else we think about on Christmas day; not only about how came to us as a little baby, but also about how he will come as king.

But most of all how he loves to give presents became a present, than that he wants to receives presents.

Still there is a present Jesus loves to get; the oldest says… can you guess which present that is?

Let me think mommy says… do you know it she asks the youngest?

The youngest thinks… his whole face looks like a junior professor… than he nods no... I don’t’ know.

Now, tell me mommy says…

Now, now, Jesus wants us to give our selves as present to him, so that we can become his friends!

Yes, mommy laughs that is right…

After this story mom tugged them in, the oldest did read for a little while the youngest slept almost right away.

Now they where awake, and looked at the presents, the lights in the tree where not on now, it was not as pretty as on other times, on the table was the chandelier for nine candles.

They hear the steps of the stair… daddy enters the room with his sleepy head and messy hair. Hi little rascals, I thought already that I heard something.
Daddy always looks a bit funny when he is just awake; just if he is w bit wrinkly, his hair messy, in his T – shirt and boxer short.

You guys are awake early, it is just a quarter to six… did you find thing so exiting, daddy laughs…

They nod

Come daddy says, I am going to tug you in again, nice and warm in your bed, just try to sleep a little longer, or read a book or watch the pictures if you can not sleep at all anymore.
I call you at eight than will we have a nice family breakfast together… and tonight, tonight we unwrap the presents.

14-12-2008
Copyright Marc Pranger

Posted by: Marc at December 19, 2008 02:05 PM