It’s Christmas and how we love the old carols handed down from generation to generation. The familiar words and melodies have become woven into the very tapestry of the season right along with the tinsel and lights and the wrapping of gifts. But Christmas is so much more than just traditions and the story is not how we celebrate but whom we celebrate: God himself, wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger. For two thousand years, God has been inviting us into the Christmas story. He longs for us to come and encounter Christ in an intimate up-close way. And while the call is extended to everyone, from the very beginning, the invitation has always been personal. The angel Gabriel appeared to Mary with a promise. Joseph was awakened from a dream. And to some lowly shepherds living on a hillside keeping watch over their sheep, the call came in spectacular fashion: First one angel and then a host of heaven’s angels proclaiming the good, good news of the gospel. Christ has come!