Christmas Holidays

Have a Holly, Jolly, Mockingbird Christmas

Have a Cup of Cheer

Mockingbird / 12.23.22

Merry Christmas, dear reader! The Mockingbird team is going to sign off for a little bit to eat some sugar cookies, drink some hot cocoa, and celebrate “the reason for the season” (anyone else’s mom have that sign hanging up in their house right now?). Todd is on the weekend roundup later today. But before we close up shop, we wanted to share some greatest Christmas hits from our fantastic contributors.

We’ll be back next week to share a few end-of-year reflections and our end-of-year appeal. In the meantime, if you’d like to help us meet our end-of-year giving goal, here’s where you can help Mockingbird in 2023.

Holiday Theology:

Stealing Joy from the Gospel of Luke — our resident New Testament PhD Todd Brewer clarifies that Mary and Joseph had a rough go of it, but probably not as rough as we’ve often been led to believe.

When A Dragon Tried to Eat Jesus — Chad Bird reminds us that the Book of Revelation contains its own apocalyptic version of The Christmas Story.

“This does not make sense.” — Martin Luther’s preaching and writing on Christmas are always evergreen.

The That Is Every Bit as Miraculous as the What. — Jason Michelli, with help from Karl Barth, reflects on what Christmas truly celebrates: the miracle of grace made flesh in our midst. Also: the Virgin Birth as divine judgment.

Christmas in Colombia — Bryan J. finds parallels in the disarmament of terrorist group FARC in Columbia and the Christmas story.

Christmas Pop:

Merry Christmas Charlie Brown: Everything you need to know about a Charlie Brown Christmas can be found in Matt Schneider’s “Law and Gospel According to Peanuts,” part 1 and part 2.

Home But Not Alone: Stephanie P. highlights the surprising maternal love in the holiday classic, Home Alone.

A Christmas Carol and Grace in Practice: Allison K. catches herself Scrooging away in the airport while reading the Charles Dickens classic.

Mockingcast co-host RJ Heijmen shares his top 10 Christmas movie picks.

Sam Bush offers up his thoughts on the classic film It’s a Wonderful Life with “The God Who Makes George Bailey’s Life So Wonderful.” See also this blast from the archives (2009!).

The Best Christmas Music You’ve (Probably Never) Heard:

Move over Bing Crosby and Harry Connick Jr.! Here’s a Christmas playlist with beats, guitar, and heart: David Zahl’s Low Anthropology Christmas Playlist.

Jason Mehl shares the greatest Christmas song according to many in the UK: “Fairytale of New York” by The Pogues.

Alan Jacobs’s favorite Christmas song is Charles Brown’s, “Please Come Home for Christmas.”

Stephanie Phillips has some choice words for whoever wrote “Away in a Manger.”

Law, Gospel, and Santa Clause:

Ready or Not, Here He Comes: Ken Sundet Jones’ reflects on what it actually means to “get ready” for Jesus’ coming. Hint: It’s nothing you do, but what has already been done for you.

I Asked A.I. to Write My Christmas Sermon: Todd Brewer told his computer to “Write a Christmas Sermon based upon Luke’s birth narrative, with quotations from Karl Barth, Martin Luther, Irenaeus of Lyon, and Barack Obama.” The results are fascinating.

The Sinners’ Christmas Pageant: Jason Micheli shares a story about a Christmas Pageant he worked on with a unique cast of characters. What he discovered was grace, and a promise that is too good not to believe.

He Fills Your Stocking Anyway: Carrie Willard’s son knows his own heart and can’t figure out why the presents keep coming.

Santa and Jesus: Charlotte Getz wonders if her childhood buy-in on Santa Clause made her develop adult trust issues.

Seasonal Surveillance: It’s been a decade since David Zahl first reviewed and skewered the Elf on the Shelf phenomenon. Not much has changed since 2011.

Family, Friends, and Yuletide Cheer:

Butter From Heaven — Grace Leuenberger’s love language is butter and her spiritual gift is cookies. “Maybe the act of baking cookies with butter can be one way to taste and smell and touch and see and hear that the Lord is good.”

Love’s Pure Light: Christmas With the Herdmans — Joey Goodall read The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson to his daughter. He discovered something new about parenting and God.

“Buy Hot Pockets. You are welcome.” — This and other advice from Sarah Condon for staying married this time of year. Also, what happens when your kid refuses to participate in the church Christmas pageant.

An Act of Teeth-Gritting Goodwill — Carrie Willard sends Christmas Cards to “at least two people who have unfriended me on Facebook, a sister who hasn’t spoken to me in nearly two decades, and a friend with whom I had a very painful falling-out four years ago.”

Grace with Every Christmas Card — Sam Bush doesn’t mind the posturing and posting of the Christmas Cards he receives — he’s just happy to be thought of.