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Live As If The Most Important Person In Your Life Is Jesus Christ!

 

     But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.  Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.     
                                                                                           Luke 2:10-11

 

     Ah the Christmas season, this time of year I begin to get nostalgic.  No that’s not an allergy to anything it’s my ability to remember back to the early years of my childhood.  I remember my parents taking me to church services on Christmas Eve.  We attended a small church in Hutchinson, Kansas.  After the Christmas Eve worship service we would all go down into the basement where fellowship hall was located and the children’s Sunday school classes would put on a short program usually composed of a nativity scene and some Christmas carols.

 

     After the program we would have a birthday cake with candles.  We would turn out the lights and sing happy birthday to Jesus and we got to help blow out the candles.  Then we would eat cake, laugh and visit with family and friend.  As I grew older and became too old to participate in such children’s stuff I forgot about the experience and how it made me feel.  

 

     Then along came my children and I wanted them to have the same experience about Christmas and baby Jesus that I had as a small child even though we no longer attended the same church I did as a child.  I couldn’t wait.  And finally they were old enough to participate in the nativity programs so off we went to Christmas Eve service. 

 

     When the worship service was over we went to fellowship hall to watch the children’s Sunday school classes sing carols and hear the Christmas story read from the bible.  Then the punch and cookies were served and at the perfect point in the evening after much anticipation and waiting, in walked Santa Claus with his bag of gifts.  I was horrified!  Where was the cake?  Where were the candles?  Why weren’t we singing happy birthday to Jesus?

 

     Very quickly the realization came to me that Christmas is no longer about Christ.  We’ve taken Christ out of Christmas and Santa Claus has replaced his holy name.  I still am concerned to this day about the mixed theological statements we are presenting to our children.

 

     Instead of teaching them that Christmas is about Love, Peace and Joy and the birth of our Savior we are demonstrating to them that now it’s about pretty paper, colored ribbon, pushing crowd and flashing lights, angry shoppers, office parties, lavish presents and even football games.

 

     We spend an inordinate amount of time focused on shopping and buying gifts, but really, what does any of this have to do with the birth of Jesus?  I say it’s time that we return to traditional values, and end this ridiculous charade.  It's important that we take a fuller account of WHY we celebrate Christmas, as opposed to falling for the barrage of ads that tell us what is most important.

 

     We parents must not be so consumed with the notion that our children will have a terrible Christmas because the tree isn't overflowing with gifts.  The true love that you show them is more important than anything else.  Secularism must never become so prevalent that our religious traditions are discarded. 

     Christians have the responsibility to “Keep Christ in Christmas,” not by what we say but by how we live.  So live as if the most important person in your life is Jesus Christ.

 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 Pastor Les