Christmas is Coming

Have you seen the map for the Raffles area in the street directory?

I have. On page 133 of the bilingual Mighty Minds Singapore Street Directory, I found 4 hotels that are in the vicinity of Ritz Carlton, the venue for our promenade. But sadly, our indecisiveness in booking a 300+ room at Ritz has left us with only two options for room-booking. Either a $300 Deluxe Room at Marina Mandarin (before 16.55% tax) or a $450 Suite at Ritz Carlton (before tax). $450 before tax. Either way, I thank God that Grace's sister is able to get cheaper rates. Hehe.

Does anyone wants to share the suite with us? $450 for ONE night is not exactly affordable for a small class like 2AA3. I should think that our last resort is to walk from Marina Mandarin in our outfits to the venue (will that be awkward or simply understandable? haha).

Anyway, I am very glad to know that my classmates are very fun-loving and are enthusiastic about a Christmas party. Talking about Christmas parties, there's one next Wednesday by the choir juniors! Hmmm, should I dress up as Rudolph for it? Fancy having that red nose and a full body of brown fur, save the fact that you can only give reindeer grunts and not sing carols. Last year, our choir's Christmas party was at Pandan Valley. I remember how we felt we were in deep trouble when we thought the soccer ball had made a crack in the clubhouse window. Even more vividly, I remember how Alex exclaimed so frankly that I was fat, and when I looked down, I did have a considerably protuberant tummy! Ouch. The salad that my parents and I prepared was mostly untouched - almost everyone present preferred the meaty stuff and the potato chips, till kind souls, especially Josiah and Livia, helped finish the stuff off.

Christmas parties are fun, so is carolling. Therefore, I am going to have my share of fun for the holidays by returning as a ALUMNUS (whoa whoa!). Please do come down and let us have a chance to share Christmas music with you! There are some pieces arranged by John Rutter, I remember, such as the choir's all-time favourite, Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas, and Quem Pastores. Then there's the jazz version of Silent Night, Hark! the Herald Angels Sing and Follow That Star, not forgetting Winter Wonderland, where people always cheered for the solo, eg: Joseph for last year. At Ocean Building last year, this angbao-lipped auntie gave herself away when her eyes lit up and she smiled when she saw Joseph. It was rather funny, but it gave those who saw that goosebumps. Haha.

I will post my carolling schedule the next time I blog. I don't have the exact time for most performances yet.

Is Christmas simply about having fun with all that gift-giving and receiving, carolling and partying? Sadly, with commercialisation and ironically, Westernisation, Christmas is merely a time to swell the pockets of retailers and producers and to dress prettily and socialise et cetera. Carolling with the choir is fun, but I will not equate this to a work of God. It is merely for aesthetic development - forging bonds and musicianship and sharing music with the audience.

Christmas is a day to commemorate the birth of Christ. (FOR THE LAST TIME, IT IS NOT HIS BIRTHDAY.) John explicitly states this in his opening of the John 1:1, 'the Word was God'. Jesus descended in status to become a lowly human being on earth, and by doing so, He fulfilled the prophecies of the Old Testament of the Messiah that the Jews had waited so long for liberation. Fulfilling the prophecies means fulfilling God's Will of having Jesus crucified, and liberation is that from the sting of death, from the condemnation of hell since the Fall of Man.

Therefore, the true meaning of Christmas is to give glory to God for His love in His wondrous plan, that even the evil of the scribes and Pharisees is used for God's good. This love is the unconditional sacrifice of Jesus so as to give the Gospel to the world. It is unconditional because salvation is by grace and by faith, not by intellect, achievement, status, or acts. Because the Gospel is so easy to accept - simply recognising your sins and putting Jesus into your new life - the world is skeptical about it. How do you see that people are skeptical? They question the rationality of miracles, seeing the Bible as a book of fairytales. They challenge creationism with a hypothetical theory of evolution. They abandon Christian principles for pragmatism, eg: getting into politics for people to back them up. Somehow, people think that you must qualify to be saved according to worldly achievements. No, the Gospel speaks of unconditional love. Take a look at Jesus' disciples. They were mere fishers, lowly educated and poor, but were chosen to become fishers of men.

Despite skepticism and rejection, we must continue to give love to them in the form of patience and a burden for their condemned souls. We give love because Christ first gave His love to us through crucifixion and the healing miracles. This is the true spirit of giving. The false spirit of giving is the one touted by the retail world. It can be so absurdly twisted to the extent of using Bible verses to validate generous Christmas shopping, ie: Tangs for this year and last year.

So how do you put the spirit of giving to practice? Look to the Bible. It tells all you have to do, such as in Matthew 5. Matthew 5 tells you several stuff.

1. Understand the principle behind God's Word,
and follow it with understanding. (v20)
2. Love thine neighbour, and thy enemy. (v24, v44)
3. Abhor thoughts and acts of sinful lust. (v28)
4. Do not swear but be truthful. (v37)

THAT IS, Be a Christian both in essence and appearance (v3-12, v16).

Makes sense? Now go and think about 3 misunderstandings you have had about Christmas and correc them, backing them up with God's Word. Also, choose 1 aspect of giving that you would want to focus on this Christmas season. Of course, this spirit of giving is not mere annual affair but is a continual thing till we all die, but simply emphasised more during this time of the year.

God bless.