Dodger: Hi again! How've you been? Christmas is coming up, and I seriously can't wait.
Lilly: Me neither. You know, I feel really good this Christmas season.
Dodger: Why's that?
Lilly: I'm not sure. Could be the season, the anticipation of the holiday.
Fireball: Or it could be that our project raised over 200,000 dollars and counting for Freeway Village!
Dodger: I know that I feel great because of that. I was astonished at the reaction. Clawly Jr. says that almost as soon as we started singing people began hopping onto our page to donate.
Waterball: Christmas always seems to make people so generous.
Lilly: Well, it is a celebration of the Ultimate Gift.
Waterball: True. I found it heartwarming, though, how quickly people responded. Like, we already have enough to fix five of the homes, and people haven't stopped giving. I'm just glad the mall staff worked with us, and that people were so generous, and well...everything was awesome!
Dodger: I couldn't agree more. You know, I wish someone had filmed our song.
Clawly Jr.: Hey guys. Uh, Dodger, about filming- I meant to, but forgot to get a new SD card. Otherwise we'd have a clip. Sorry about that.
Dodger: Oh, it's definitely not a big deal. Maybe someone else taped it. At any rate, I'm just happy it happened.
Lilly: So...now what?
Dodger: What do you mean?
Lilly: What do we do now?
Fireball: How about ice cream? My treat!
Waterball: Fireball! We couldn't accept that. Ice cream is expensive, and you know how Pac-Mans eat!
Fireball: It's irrelevant. C'mon, we gotta celebrate some way.
Clawly Jr.: I know of a place we can go that's relatively inexpensive.
Lilly: Sounds great! Let's go. Thanks, Fireball.
Dodger: You know, I think it was really cool how God used a flash mob to help people with their homes.
Waterball: I hope you aren't surprised or anything. It's not the first time God's done something like that. What about the one with the angels from 2000 years ago?
Lilly: Wait, what?
Waterball: You know, the one done in front of the shepherds!
Fireball: I don't think I'm quite following you.
Waterball: I'll find it. Let's see here...Luke 2, verses 8-14.
"Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:
“Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” (NKJV)
Dodger: I get it. An unexpected gathering in a public place to declare a message! Clever.
Lilly: That's actually really neat. I can see a difference, though. Our flash mob was to ask people to give. God's was to announce something He had given. After all, when Jesus came down on that first Christmas day, it was more than a small step. God in man, here to save us from our sins. When you think about it, there couldn't be a better reason to start a flash mob.
Fireball: Yeah. Did you notice that although the message was short, it still rings today? Glory to God, and both peace and goodwill towards men. I think that the way God addressed each person that night was truly beautiful. It was like he wrapped everyone at once in a hug and said "I've got you, I'm working things out for you, and I love you". Amazing.
Clawly Jr.: Not only that, but just as our flash mob got people to donate, God's flash mob inspired the shepherds to spread the word! If I continue from where Waterball left off-
"So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.” And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them." (Luke 2:15-20, NKJV)
The shepherds took what they had been given for Christmas and spread it far and wide. Do you think there's a lesson in that?
Waterball: ABSO-lutely! Christmas has always been about giving, starting with Jesus. When we give on Christmas it's to celebrate what He's done, and because we can rejoice in His coming for us, we can also proclaim that message everywhere we go. Christmas doesn't belong in a bottle. It needs to be spread, and when we do, it can fill not only our listeners' hearts, but our own as well.
Dodger: This year, let's make it clear to everyone why Christmas is something to celebrate.
Lilly: Agreed.
Waterball: Hear, hear!
Fireball: Indeed.
Clawly Jr.: Yeah.
Dodger: Well, Christmas is soon, the new year is around the corner, and God is good. Let's not forget that, ever. Thanks for coming and visiting. Remember, Jesus loves you, something He demonstrated that night in the stable, and that's NEVER going to change.
Waterball: Срећан Божић!
Fireball: Joyeux Noël!
Clawly Jr.: Καλά Χριστούγεννα!
Lilly: Merry Christmas!
(NKJV Means New King James Version)
(Elements of this story are inspired by Big Idea's "Merry Larry and the True Light of Christmas", an awesome VeggieTales movie that the author highly recommends.)
Lilly: Me neither. You know, I feel really good this Christmas season.
Dodger: Why's that?
Lilly: I'm not sure. Could be the season, the anticipation of the holiday.
Fireball: Or it could be that our project raised over 200,000 dollars and counting for Freeway Village!
Dodger: I know that I feel great because of that. I was astonished at the reaction. Clawly Jr. says that almost as soon as we started singing people began hopping onto our page to donate.
Waterball: Christmas always seems to make people so generous.
Lilly: Well, it is a celebration of the Ultimate Gift.
Waterball: True. I found it heartwarming, though, how quickly people responded. Like, we already have enough to fix five of the homes, and people haven't stopped giving. I'm just glad the mall staff worked with us, and that people were so generous, and well...everything was awesome!
Dodger: I couldn't agree more. You know, I wish someone had filmed our song.
Clawly Jr.: Hey guys. Uh, Dodger, about filming- I meant to, but forgot to get a new SD card. Otherwise we'd have a clip. Sorry about that.
Dodger: Oh, it's definitely not a big deal. Maybe someone else taped it. At any rate, I'm just happy it happened.
Lilly: So...now what?
Dodger: What do you mean?
Lilly: What do we do now?
Fireball: How about ice cream? My treat!
Waterball: Fireball! We couldn't accept that. Ice cream is expensive, and you know how Pac-Mans eat!
Fireball: It's irrelevant. C'mon, we gotta celebrate some way.
Clawly Jr.: I know of a place we can go that's relatively inexpensive.
Lilly: Sounds great! Let's go. Thanks, Fireball.
Dodger: You know, I think it was really cool how God used a flash mob to help people with their homes.
Waterball: I hope you aren't surprised or anything. It's not the first time God's done something like that. What about the one with the angels from 2000 years ago?
Lilly: Wait, what?
Waterball: You know, the one done in front of the shepherds!
Fireball: I don't think I'm quite following you.
Waterball: I'll find it. Let's see here...Luke 2, verses 8-14.
"Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:
“Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” (NKJV)
Dodger: I get it. An unexpected gathering in a public place to declare a message! Clever.
Lilly: That's actually really neat. I can see a difference, though. Our flash mob was to ask people to give. God's was to announce something He had given. After all, when Jesus came down on that first Christmas day, it was more than a small step. God in man, here to save us from our sins. When you think about it, there couldn't be a better reason to start a flash mob.
Fireball: Yeah. Did you notice that although the message was short, it still rings today? Glory to God, and both peace and goodwill towards men. I think that the way God addressed each person that night was truly beautiful. It was like he wrapped everyone at once in a hug and said "I've got you, I'm working things out for you, and I love you". Amazing.
Clawly Jr.: Not only that, but just as our flash mob got people to donate, God's flash mob inspired the shepherds to spread the word! If I continue from where Waterball left off-
"So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.” And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them." (Luke 2:15-20, NKJV)
The shepherds took what they had been given for Christmas and spread it far and wide. Do you think there's a lesson in that?
Waterball: ABSO-lutely! Christmas has always been about giving, starting with Jesus. When we give on Christmas it's to celebrate what He's done, and because we can rejoice in His coming for us, we can also proclaim that message everywhere we go. Christmas doesn't belong in a bottle. It needs to be spread, and when we do, it can fill not only our listeners' hearts, but our own as well.
Dodger: This year, let's make it clear to everyone why Christmas is something to celebrate.
Lilly: Agreed.
Waterball: Hear, hear!
Fireball: Indeed.
Clawly Jr.: Yeah.
Dodger: Well, Christmas is soon, the new year is around the corner, and God is good. Let's not forget that, ever. Thanks for coming and visiting. Remember, Jesus loves you, something He demonstrated that night in the stable, and that's NEVER going to change.
Waterball: Срећан Божић!
Fireball: Joyeux Noël!
Clawly Jr.: Καλά Χριστούγεννα!
Lilly: Merry Christmas!
(NKJV Means New King James Version)
(Elements of this story are inspired by Big Idea's "Merry Larry and the True Light of Christmas", an awesome VeggieTales movie that the author highly recommends.)
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