One of the ways that I can tell the seasons of the year is by the different 'forwards' that appear in my box (usually from 4 or 5 people within a 24-hour span) that go around every year. Christmas is coming, I know, because I am starting to see the usual stuff denouncing the ACLU, Target, Wal-Mart, and others who have either now or in years past tried to make sure that it is the 'holiday' season being celebrated - and these well-intentioned forwards urge all who get them to take action or otherwise the world will come to an end if Target doesn't let the Salvation Army do the Red Kettle campaign, the ACLU gets the Christmas tree off the courthouse steps, and retailers encourage their employees to wish people a happy holiday rather than Merry Christmas. While I do think that Christians are too often discouraged from sharing their Merry Christmas greetings and symbols in society today, I also think the church often allows itself to drift away from what Christmas is all about.
Huh? What do you mean, preacher? After all, we are the ones defending Christmas.
Think about all the things you come to expect from the church this time of year. Specific decorations in and around the church facility. Certain songs sung during the month. Annual events that 'we always do'. Personally, I love the traditions of the church at Advent. However, I want to encourage you to make sure that your first and foremost focus during Advent (which is NOT the same as the Christmas season) is anticipating celebrating again the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. It's not a far stretch to think that we are very capable of becoming so captive to 'what we always do' that we allow it to diminish the fact that what is most important is WHO is being anticipated, not WHAT is being done (or not done).
Let us prove to the world that we are not going to allow anything, be it a retailer, newspaper, the ACLU, or the church traditions that we hold so dear, keep us away from THE MAIN THING.
See you Sunday!
Lamar
Huh? What do you mean, preacher? After all, we are the ones defending Christmas.
Think about all the things you come to expect from the church this time of year. Specific decorations in and around the church facility. Certain songs sung during the month. Annual events that 'we always do'. Personally, I love the traditions of the church at Advent. However, I want to encourage you to make sure that your first and foremost focus during Advent (which is NOT the same as the Christmas season) is anticipating celebrating again the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. It's not a far stretch to think that we are very capable of becoming so captive to 'what we always do' that we allow it to diminish the fact that what is most important is WHO is being anticipated, not WHAT is being done (or not done).
Let us prove to the world that we are not going to allow anything, be it a retailer, newspaper, the ACLU, or the church traditions that we hold so dear, keep us away from THE MAIN THING.
See you Sunday!
Lamar
