Let there be not one stranger to "Away in a Manger"
Let there be not one soul left untold
Let there be not one face unknown to the face of the One
Who will gather the fold
For Christ's sake, it's Christmas
And for Christ's sake, let everyone know
They all have a choice
So lift up your voice
Make sure they know
By Christmas Eve, pray that everyone sees that
We've opened the eyes that were closed
For Christ's sake, it's Christmas
And for Christ's sake - let everyone know

Insightful lyrics from George Strait's Christmas recording, aptly titled "Merry Christmas Strait to You." We listen to it every Thanksgiving weekend as we put up the tree and deck the house with Christmas spirit. When I was little I didn't know that "for Christ's sake" was a way of taking His Name in vain; the only place I ever heard it for many years was in that song, and I just supposed George was saying that Christ is the reason for Christmas. Which, of course, He is.

There's a dish full of red-and-green-wrapped candy on the front desk at the office. Peggy is hanging the stockings for full-time staff and students. Today Bethany and I will go buy a Christmas tree, and wrap it with lights and deck it with ornaments and put a star on top. And last night I spent a couple of hours singing choral Christmas songs, and another hour singing praise songs in Jeremiah's living room, which included "O Come Let Us Adore Him" and "O Come O Come Emmanuel."

I'm thankful to be where I am at this time of year...somehow, being at a Christian college at least ensures that Jesus is kept on the map during Christmas. It's harder for us to get buried in tinsel and forget the One who is at the center of it all.

And yet we are still capable of forgetting, as human and fallible as we are. So my prayer echoes George Strait's words this year, but it's not only for non-Christians: it's for those at ACU and other Christian institutions. Especially among God's people, let there be not one person who looks upon the baby Jesus as someone they do not know. For Christ's sake, and for our sake (thanks be to God), it's Christmas. And for the sake of the baby who grew up to be a King, we can't miss it. We've got to make sure we know.