A Christmas Question to Ponder

I read a Twitter update from someone I follow (I honestly wish I could remember who tweeted this so I could give proper credit.) and they posed this question:

How would your celebration of Christmas be different if it were not a national holiday?

This is an interesting question.  The celebration of Christmas (or the holiday season) has become a month long extraveganza beginning the day after Thanksgiving and running through New Years.  The federal government gives declares that Christmas is a national holiday and many have the day off.  Retailers extend our sense of celebration by promoting sale after sale with images of the 'ideal' Christmas celebration/gift/lifestyle.  Even though Christmas is a Christian Holy Day- it has become more of a cultural holiday to where non-Christians celebrate the Christmas (although in a consumeristic manner)

How would Christmas be different if it was not a national holiday?

• First, I believe that Christmas would be entirely less about presents and gifts and more about the presences of God in flesh and the gift of worship that we offer through our lives. 
• Since it would be less of a cultural thing- I think Christmas would be a time when the Church would gather to worship.  Sure, we get together on Christmas Eve- but I think there would be a deeper more profound experience if you didn't have to get through the cultural expectations of Candle Light Services, Christmas Cantatas, Children's Plays, or tip-toeing around Santa.
• There might be a greater emphasis on Easter and the weeks leading up to Easter.  You can't have Easter without Christmas- but we can't leave Jesus as a babe in the straw either.  Christmas is only the beginning of the Easter story.  Can we do a better job of framing Christmas in the Easter story? 

As Christmas approaches, I'll be thinking about this question a little bit more- especially as I prepare my Christmas Eve message later in the week. 

On a side note- seminary just ended for the semester last night.  I hope to be a little more regular in my posting.  (Maybe more thoughtful too!)

Friday's Quotation: Black Friday Edition

Today is Black Friday, a day when people get up at ungodly hours to buy the things that they think they need.  I have quoted Eleazar Fernandez before, and I believe there is another nugget from him that is worth a read on this Black Friday.

"The solution to beoredom in a consumeristic society, especially when the communal bond is weak, is to consume.  This statement sounds simplistic, but it says a lot, and it is true to the experience of common people.  If one is bored, one may engage in the act sonsumption by watching (consuming) a movie and munching (consuming) something while watching.  Or, one of the majoy ways in which people address boredom is to "shop around" (consume)."

"The more one buys and consumes, the deeper one falls into bondage to the job in order to pay the bills, Eventually, a second job is needed.  But the second job leaves less time for the family, with whom to enjoy life.  Just as one has something to pay for the monthly mortgage for the cabin by the lake and a boat to enjoy on weekends, one has to work during weekends to pay for the bills.  It is an irony that mnay people live everyday."

"John B. Cobb, Jr., offers a critique of the religious metaphysics of this global market.  Economism is the name of this religion and its god is endless economic growth.  The priests are the economists; evangelists are the advertisers; and the laity are the consumers.  The shopping mall is the cathedral; virtue is competitive spirit; and sin is inefficiency. "Shop 'til you drop" is the only way to salvation."

-Eleazar S. Fernandez, Reimagining The Human: Theological Anthropology in Response to Sytemic Evil, pgs. 86-87

In thinking about this small section from Fernandez's book, I was talking with someone in our community who was telling me about a large boat that they had purchased to take out on excusions on the ocean with.  This person was all excited about the boat and told me all the amenities that the boat had, how fast it could go, and how many people it could hold.  Then the truth came.

This person hadn't had a day of in weeks because they needed all the money possible to afford this luxary.  The very thing that was to bring their family together through rest and relaxation was pushing them further apart as he had to work more and more hours to afford this lifestyle.

Are we not missing something here?  The Beatles sang that "You Can't Buy Me Love," and that is true, but you also cannot buy happiness.  Material possessions do not make us happy.  Material possessions really do not make our life better if we sacrifice our family and relationships in order to have them.

As we head into Advent and the Christmas Season, check out the website for Advent Conspiracy for ways to combat consumerism/materialism this holiday season.

An Unexpected Joy

I'm working on a sermon for Sunday at Avenue. It is the season of Advent, and like many Churches, we light the advent wreath as part of our worship liturgy. This Sunday is the third candle, which is the candle of joy. I will be preaching on an unexpected joy.

My text is Luke 1:39-56, where Mary has just received the news that she is pregnant with the Savior of humanity. She visits her cousin Elizabeth, who is pregnant with John the Baptist. In the passage, Mary sings a hymn, call the Magnificat, and praises God for His continued work throughout history.

"My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on
all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things
for me- holy is his name." Luke 1:46-49

Mary is filled with joy that God has chosen her, that God is active in redeeming and saving the world. Mary is filled with joy that God lifts up the humble and feeds the hungry. I'm sure that Mary is also filled with joy at the prospect of being a mother.

What I feel is the unexpected joy is the joy God has as the whole scene plays out. John 3:16 is familiar in that it says, "For God so loved the world, that he sent his only Son..." I think God was filled with joy to see the redemptive plan begin to unfold to save the Ones he loves. I can imagine God smiling down on Mary and creation knowing that redemption is close at hand.

Julian of Norwhich was a 14th century mystic in England who had a series of revelations (or Showings) based of the Passion of Christ (Not the movie, the actual events). In these revelations, she gets a glimpse of Jesus' joy. She writes,

"Then Jesus our good Lord said: "If you are satisfied, I am
satisfied. It is a joy, a bliss, an endless delight to me that ever I
suffered my Passion for you; and if I could suffer more, I should suffer
more."

Can you imagine Jesus, on the Cross, feeling joy? Can you image the nails, the crown of thorns, and the spear, and the joy Jesus had because He loved humanity so much that He would die for them? It's hard for me to imagine this joy based on the scene, but this is what Julian suggest- that Christ loved us so much, that He was filled with joy to die so that we might be set free from sin. And if He had to suffer more, he would.

You may be saying that this sounds more like an Easter message. Well, the joy that God had in redeeming humanity began in a humble stable. The unsurpassing love of God came to earth as a little baby. This Christmas, we can find joy by seeking out the unconditional love that God offers all of us.

I Dedicate This House...

...To the LaMotte Family Christmas!

I had a Griswald Family Christmas experience the other day. Andrea and I had purchased new lights for our house for Christmas, and I put them up and everything looked great. I hooked our lights up to a timer where they come on at dusk. When dusk came (around 4:45-5:00 p.m. here in Delaware), the lights came on just like they should. I saw one bulb was out because it was not screwed all the way in...so I fixed it. And then it happened. The lights went out. For no reason. They were brandnew. Three hours of work down the tubes.

Well, today I was finally able to check the lights out. The fuse in the first strand went bad. I replaced the fuse, and all the lights work. Now we have 9 glorious strands of lights on the house (I think Clark at 25...with 100 lights each.) I'll post a picture later...but for now, this video clip will have to do.



Andrea and I got our tree decorated last night...between the hour of 9:00-10:00 p.m. Abbie was quite awake and playful. Thankfully she did go to sleep around 10 p.m.

Now I should study for my final, which is tomorrow. I'm really not in the mood to take it.

Welcome December

It's December 1st. According to me, it is the official start of the Christmas Season. (Yes Wal-Mart and others of their ilk begin shortly after Labor Day) Andrea and I have some traditions that we keep around Christmas.

1. Christmas Music after Thanksgiving. I love Christmas music, but it has to be in the right context. We don't start Christmas Music until Thanksgiving day.

2. Christmas Movies. There are certain holiday movies that you must watch. Ours include; National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, The Christmas Story, Miracle on 34th Street, Home Alone, and I believe Elf might make it on our must watch list.

Speaking of Christmas Movies, we began to watch Home Alone last night after Abbie went to bed. It's a cute movie that I've probably seen 100 times. But, did you know, that the movie is 16 years old? I was 13 when it came out! When Home Alone became available on video, the movie was in the Top 3 Grossing Movies of All-Time. That stunned me to read that. Everytime I put aftershave on my face, I want to scream like Macully Caulkin!

3. Christmas Decorating- Andrea got many of the decorations out this year and has begun to decorate the inside of the house. It was too cold today to put up lights, but they are coming!

All this said, I'm looking forward to a great holiday season. My seminary work is done, and I can relax at home with the family!