{"id":309,"date":"2007-12-31T01:01:23","date_gmt":"2007-12-31T01:01:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/markdroberts\/2007\/12\/a-strange-christmas.html"},"modified":"2007-12-31T01:01:23","modified_gmt":"2007-12-31T01:01:23","slug":"a-strange-christmas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2007\/12\/a-strange-christmas.html","title":{"rendered":"A Strange Christmas"},"content":{"rendered":"

This has been a strange Christmas for me and my family. If you’ve been reading my blog for a while, you know that we moved from California to Texas a few months ago. I left Irvine Presbyterian Church after sixteen and a half years as Senior Pastor to join the staff of Laity Lodge. My family and I, though welcomed warmly to Texas, have been living with a sense of dislocation. No wonder, since we have been literally dislocated by 1300 miles. But, more important than the miles, we have left so much of what was familiar and beloved, most of all, family, friends, and church.
\nWe did celebrate Christmas this year in California. Some friends who were away for the holiday invited us to stay in their home, a home in Irvine, actually. So we spent Christmas morning less than a mile from the home where we spent the last sixteen Christmases and a mile from the church that was our spiritual home for the same period of time.
\nYet we were not in our old, familiar home. And we did not worship with our old, familiar church on Christmas Eve. (Well, actually, my son attended the 11:00 p.m. service, which he said was beautiful. My wife and I did not come along because it’s just not yet the right time for us to rejoin that congregation as old friends. Healthy pastoral goodbyes take time.) I must confess to a good bit of sadness because of all of this. I loved the Christmas Eve celebrations at Irvine Presbyterian Church, beginning with the children’s services in the early evening and ending with the 11:00 p.m. communion service. And then I loved celebrating Christmas in the home where my children grew up. Every Christmas morning brought back powerful memories of Christmases past, filling me with both joy and aching nostalgia. (Photo: one of last year’s Christmas Eve services at Irvine Presbyterian Church)
\nWell, I’ve had plenty of joy and nostalgia this year, though with a bit more sadness than usual. It’s been hard to say goodbye to so much that was so wonderful in my life. I miss my house, my church, my little children, my chance to include them in my sermon on Christmas Eve, the chance to preach on Christmas Eve, the thrilling worship at Irvine Pres, and all the people in that congregation who were our family for so many years. (My son shares my mix of feelings. Check out his poem on his blog<\/a>.)
\nWe did have a blessed Christmas celebration, however, even given how different it was from past years. On Christmas Eve we joined my wife’s father, sister, and family in North Hollywood. We attended the 5:00 family worship service at the First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood, the church where I grew up, where Linda and I met, and where I served on staff for seven years. We worshiped in the exquisite, inspiring, warm sanctuary there, the place where I first saw the woman who would become my wife, where I was ordained as a pastor, and where we had my father’s memorial service. We saw many dear, old friends at that service, even though we’ve been away from that church for seventeen years. (Photo: the angels appear at the Christmas Eve service at Hollywood Presbyterian Church.)
\nOn Christmas morning, my wife and two children spent time together much as we would have in years past. My kids still made a staged entrance to see what Santa brought. Amazing how Santa found us even in this borrowed house in Irvine! And we still had Christmas breakfast with apple sausage and cinnamon rolls. It felt both normal and odd to be together in such a familiar and different way.
\nOn Christmas afternoon we joined with my extended family and many friends. The highlight of the time was the dedication of my new nephew, Brody, whom my sister and brother-in-law adopted just over a year ago. This was, in fact, the highlight of my Christmas. Brody’s entrance into our family was a miracle, and he has brought tons of joy to all of us. It seemed wonderfully appropriate to welcome this little boy as a new member of our family on Christmas.
\nThis year I’ve been forced to consider what matters most at Christmas. It’s easy for me to identify Christmas mainly with beloved personal and family traditions. There’s nothing wrong with these, of course. In fact, they can contribute to the joy of Christmas celebrations. But where I go to church and where my family gathers and where we live and even whom we’re with aren’t the main point of Christmas. Christmas is, at its center, the celebration of God’s coming to be with us in Jesus. God is not watching us from a distance. In Jesus, the babe in the manger, God entered into our reality as a human being. And God is still with us today through His Spirit.
\nMy experience of Christmas this year reminds me a bit of 1986. My father died in July of that year, and we wanted to do something different for Christmas. It felt too hard to be together in the same way and the same place as we had been for decades, but without my dad. So we spent Christmas at a friend’s home in Palm Desert. It was odd, but oddly sweet as we shared our love and sadness together. I remember at the time being grateful for the fact that God had entered into our experience at Christmas, that He knew what sorrow feels like, and that He was with us even during our Palm Desert Christmas.
\nThis year, I’m glad for a blessed life. I’m glad for so many wonderful years at Irvine Presbyterian Church, for the friends I still treasure there. I’m thankful for sweet times with my young children in our Irvine house. I’m grateful that, even though we live half a country away, we can still enjoy the love of our families. But, most of all, in this strange Christmas, I’m glad that God is with us. I’m thankful that God knows what dislocation feels like. And I’m glad for the chance, once again, to celebrate the coming of God in Jesus, the Word made flesh, Emmanuel, God with us.
\nHas this been a strange Christmas? Yes, indeed. A sad Christmas? Yes, in many ways. A joyous Christmas? Absolutely! A Christmas to celebrate the coming of Jesus? Yes, as always. Thanks be to God!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This has been a strange Christmas for me and my family. If you’ve been reading my blog for a while, you know that we moved from California to Texas a few months ago. I left Irvine Presbyterian Church after sixteen and a half years as Senior Pastor to join the staff of Laity Lodge. My…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":214,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-309","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-holy-week-easter"],"yoast_head":"\nA Strange Christmas - Mark D. 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Roberts","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/f2d\/f2ddf5f080861f66ea230384f9d1bab2x96.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/f2d\/f2ddf5f080861f66ea230384f9d1bab2x96.jpg","caption":"Mark D. Roberts"},"description":"The Rev. Dr. Mark D. Roberts is a pastor, author, retreat leader, speaker, and blogger. Since October 2007 he has been the Senior Director and Scholar-in-Residence for Laity Lodge, a multifaceted ministry in the Hill Country of Texas. Before coming to Laity Lodge, he was for sixteen years the Senior Pastor of Irvine Presbyterian Church in Irvine, California (a city in Orange County about forty miles south of Los Angeles). Before his time at Irvine Pres, Mark served on the staff of the First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood as Associate Pastor of Education. (Thanks to Janel Pahl for taking the photo to the right.) Mark studied at Harvard University, receiving a B.A. in Philosophy, an M.A. in the Study of Religion, and a Ph.D. in New Testament and Christian Origins. He has taught classes in New Testament for Fuller Theological Seminary and San Francisco Theological Seminary. Mark has written several books, including No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer (WaterBrook, 2005), Dare to Be True (WaterBrook, 2003), Jesus Revealed (WaterBrook, 2002), After \"I Believe\" (Baker, 2002), and Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther (Word, 1993). His most recent book is Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John (Crossway, 2007). He is currently working on a commentary on Ephesians that will be published by Zondervan in 2014. Mark writes a devotional for The High Calling of Our Daily Work, a website associated with Laity Lodge. His \"Daily Reflections\" can be viewed online or sent as a daily email. If you wish to receive this email, just visit TheHighCalling.org and sign up. Mark serves on the editorial board of Worship Leader magazine, where he publishes articles and reviews, including his regular column \"Lyrical Poetry.\" Additionally, he has published dozens of articles in leading magazines and journals. He often speaks for churches and other Christian groups, and has been interviewed on over seventy-five radio programs nationwide. Mark is married to Linda, who is a Marriage and Family Therapist, a Spiritual Director, and a retreat speaker. They have two children, Nathan and Kara.For Publicity Photos and Bio Statements for Mark, please check here. Mark's Dossier Professional History: Senior Director and Scholar-in Residence, Laity Lodge, October 2007 to present. Senior Pastor Irvine Presbyterian Church, June 1991 to September 2007 Adjunct Assistant Professor Fuller Theological Seminary, 1994 to 2007. Courses: New Testament Theology and Exegesis. Adjunct Instructor San Francisco Theological Seminary, 1995 to 2001. Courses: New Testament Greek and Exegesis Associate Pastor of Education First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood, 1987-1991 Teaching Fellow Harvard University, 1980-1983 Education: Ph.D. in the Study of Religion. Harvard University, 1992. Area: New Testament and Christian Origins M.A. in the Study of Religion Harvard University, 1984. A.B. magna cum laude in Philosophy Harvard University, 1979. Phi Beta Kappa; Danforth Fellowship Books: Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Crossway, 2007 No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer. WaterBrook, 2005 Dare to Be True: Living in the Freedom of Complete Honesty. WaterBrook, 2003. Jesus Revealed: Know Him Better to Love Him Better. WaterBrook, 2002. After \"I Believe\": Experiencing Authentic Christian Living. Baker, 2002. Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther in the Communicator's Commentary Series. Word, 1993. Contacting Mark: You can reach Mark at: E-mail: mark@markdroberts.com mroberts@laitylodge.org Phone: Laity Lodge: (830) 792-1216 Address: Laity Lodge 719 Earl Garrett Kerrville, TX 78028","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/author\/mroberts"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/309","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/214"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=309"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/309\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=309"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=309"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=309"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}