I ran across this video today and had to post it.
My wife and I talk about ways to celebrate the "true spirit of Christmas" each year. We've often thought about cutting way back on the presents and focusing more on Jesus. However, each year, our Christmas has more and more stuff.
We do focus on Jesus at Christmas. We go to church on Christmas Eve. This year I wrote a Christmas story, taking a quick bible tour from Genesis through the Gospels, and we read it as a family. We visit a local assisted living center each year with one or two other families and sing Christmas carols to the elderly residents on Christmas morning.
However, with all of this, the presents steal the show. Its not our kids fault. They're kids. If you load up the tree with presents, that's going to be the highlight of the day. Christmas stories and carols to lonely, elderly strangers are ok, but the new Wii is the bomb.
I believe the problem we experience with Christmas is the problem with many churches today. We preach and teach spiritual messages from the Bible but we mix in so much consumerism, that the spiritual message is forgotten behind the "church experience".
This Christmas, we're going to do something about the consumerism. This Christmas, we're going to join the Advent Conspiracy.
What if we start a Worship Conspiracy and truly have Christmas all year long. After all, this message is too good to celebrate only once a year.
Luke 2:10-11 (ESV)
10 And the angel said to them, "Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
It sounds like you already do well at focusing on the true meaning of Christmas. The giving of gifts isn't just commercialism, but it's a way we show others how much we love and appreciate them. I think sometimes we as Christians can go overboard by thinking everything we do has to have a religious connotation at Christmas or we're not being "good Christians." Christmas is a celebration of Christ's birth and our traditions are certainly a part of that celebration.
ReplyDeleteIt's also a time of giving to people and organizations that mean a lot to you throughout the year. There is great joy in giving! Hopefully, you are letting your children experience that too.
Chad - Thanks. I really like the idea of alternative gifts like the ones offered at Duke Divinity. My kids are still young and impressionable. I want their Christmas memories to be about serving.
ReplyDeleteGrace and Peace to you brother. Tony
When our kids were younger, our family did a name draw. All family names (from a fairly large extended family) were placed in a hat and each person drew ONE name. Then that person purchased a gift ONLY for the person whose name they drew. It saved every one a huge amount of money, but every one got a gift.
ReplyDeleteTony,
ReplyDeletePowerful video message there brother. I would like to make that impression on my younger children as well...after just dropping some large cash for their birthdays...I might need to extend the idea of serving to other holidays as well.
I think most parents know and they fully understand what christmas is and and how it should be celebrated. The problem is that the kids are so much nto Christmas as fun, so much that parents are scared of telling them the thruth since they don't want t hurt them. I don't really buy with the idea of cutting down on the gifts. What i see that is not really very right is the extravagabcy of parties, drinking, taking trips and so on...
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