Celebrate Christmas Every Day

December 9, 2024

Have you ever heard of Andy Park, a.k.a. Mr. Christmas? On July 14, 1993, this Englishman got the incredible idea to celebrate Christmas daily. To do this, he decided to have mincemeat pie and sherry for breakfast, roast turkey, potatoes, and brussel sprouts for lunch, and at 3:00 p.m., watch the Queen’s Christmas speech while drinking a glass of champagne. I could not find out if he is continuing this tradition today, but as of 2006, Park was quoted as saying that he had consumed 4,380 turkeys, 87,600 mince pies, 2,190 pints of gravy, 26,280 roasted potatoes, 4,380 bottles of both champagne and sherry.

I have challenged my congregation to celebrate Christmas daily, but I never imagined one would do it this way. Today I want to challenge you with being a peacemaker. At Christmas time, we often hear this text from Isaiah 9:6, “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God” (Matthew 5:9). Do you know how to be a peacemaker?

If you answered a resounding, “I am not sure,” join the club. During covid, God worked hard on my prayer life, specifically equipping me for spiritual battles by putting on the armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-18). I would pray through the six pieces of armor, asking God to equip me, but I had no idea what “feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.” I kept praying for understanding, and God led me to craft the prayer how He wanted it.

First, He showed me the world we live in is a world of chaos, and all around me are people whose lives are chaotic because of this. As I prayed for them, God reminded me how often Jesus found He was surrounded by chaos, too. For example, when the Pharisees brought the woman caught in adultery to test Jesus. He was the perfect example of peace as He exposed the Pharisees’ hypocrisy (John 8:1-11).

Second, I realized that I was rarely an example of peace in my world of chaos. Through prayer, God showed me how to stop feeding off the emotional energy of people struggling with chaos and focus on what God was doing in those situations. He reminded me He is always present in those situations, but I needed to pray, in the midst of the chaos, for Him to show me where He was. As I kept praying for my feet to be fitted with the gospel of peace, God changed me into an example of peace in chaotic situations.

Finally, He called me to be His hands, feet, and voice in chaotic situations. This included carrying myself confidently with the assurance of doing His work of peace and doing things that would communicate His presence. Even more, He wanted me to look for opportunities to pray over struggling people. God fills me with His Spirit in these prayers and miraculously blesses those being prayed for.

God tested me one day as a pickup truck ran a red light and smashed the back of an SUV. The SUV was spinning fast, right for my car. I knew I was going to be walloped by this car that was twice the size of my car, but I calmly prayed, “Lord, please protect me.” About ten feet from my car, the SUV suddenly spun right, spinning to a halt on the gravel shoulder and hitting nothing. I could see God was present, protecting people in miraculous ways.

I jumped out of my car and checked on the truck driver, who was fine. When I got to the SUV, the woman was in a full panic attack. She was able to let me know she wasn’t hurt, but spinning continuously for about fifty feet had left her understandably upset. I asked her if I could pray for her. The prayer was much better than any prayer I could pray. I knew God was giving me the words. As I prayed, I watched God’s Spirit settle on her and give her peace. The panic attack disappeared. When I said, “Amen,” she said, “Thank you,” in a miraculously calm voice.

Do you know how to be a peacemaker? Have you ever submitted yourself to God to help bring peace to the chaos around you? Have you ever prayed for someone in their moment of chaos? I hope you will meet Jesus, the Prince of Peace, in a new way this Christmas!