Flying Saucers and Christmas Paperback – November 20, 2006

Flying Saucers and Christmas is beautiful little book. The short talks printed here -- written, the back cover says, as Christmas Eve sermons "for people who have no previous exposure to the Christian message," are accessible but illuminating -- and not just for the target audience. The sermons are models of simplicity and clarity. Christians looking for examples of how to discuss the mystery of Jesus' birth with those unfamiliar with the Gospels could benefit from them. So could non-believers who are just a little bit curious about the babe in Bethlehem. So could clergy who've forgotten that when it comes to getting a message across, less can be more.

I love Christmas so much that I play Christmas carols year round and often pull out my favorite Christmas books in July for pleasurable rereading. Naturally, I most enjoy getting into the full Christian mind frame for enjoying Christmas. Thanks to Flying Saucers and Christmas, I now have a great year-round resource for immersing myself in Christian thought about Christmas.I find that sermons come in varying lengths. I used to think that the lengths were 20-30 minutes and 50-70 minutes until I once found myself as a guest at a church where the pastor was just getting warmed up after 90 minutes.These sermons are different. These sermons could be recited in about 5-10 minutes, even with lots of meaningful pauses.Did you know it's harder to write short sermons than long ones? You have to edit and edit and edit to get such brief results.One of this book's nice features is that these sermons are filled with the love of Jesus Christ. I was moved by the practice described in the book of having children bring their favorite toys and stuffed animals to be blessed in the manger scene. I liked the sermon on Flying Saucers & Christmas in the book best. I'm sure you'll have a different favorite. Each sermon strikes a different emotional and spiritual chord.May God bless you, your family, and all you do!