Man, I sure seem to be bad at keeping up with the blog these days, eh? I think I'll put it down to holiday shenanigans and promise to get back on the ball and rolling after the new year. But for now, a question, since I have a bit of time.
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You sure do hear a lot of people going on and on about putting Christ back in Christmas these days, huh? What do you think of all that?- James
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You really do, James. Thanks for the question!
Churches almost seem to take it for granted that about half the sermons this year are about the importance of remembering the "real" meaning of Christmas. We're all set to be chastised on how "commercial" we're being. Little kids who have been looking forward to presents with all of their being (and why wouldn't they, they're already under the tree and wrapped!) are told that they should be remembering the REAL reason for Christmas, and that wanting presents in wrong.
It's like we went out of our way to make the season as joyful as possible, and then, in proper Puritan fashion, did our best to make everyone feel as bad as possible about that.
I'd meant to "cover" Christmas with my Holiday Roundup from earlier, but this question stuck back out to me when I was preparing for this past Sunday's sermon. In the Hebrew Scriptures I was reading, David had decided that, since he lived in a palace and God lived in a tent, it would be "appropriate" to build God a house.
It's not bad thinking, really. It comes from an honest place, a man who knows that everything he has was given to him by God, and being in a position to give back, wants to. There's God living in a tent (the Hebrew Tabernacle.) Why not build a temple for God?
At first, David's court prophet, Nathan, sees no problem with it. After all, he has seen indisputable proof that God has David's back, so why not? (This is before David's darker turn.) But that Night, the Lord gives Nathan a message. That message, in a nutshell, goes like this:
"Did I ASK for you to build me a house? In the whole time I have traveled with Israel, have I asked any of the leaders I chose for a house? I made a home for YOU. -I- gave YOU a place. I have blessed you, and I will continue to bless you, and I will build YOUR house now, and into the future."
The message is clear; We are not responsible for putting God ANYWHERE. We do not plant God. God plants us. It is not our responsibility to make sure that God has an honored place in our society (say, a nativity scene in front of a court house). Instead, our job is to live where God has put us, and follow God's commandments. You know, commandments like feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, welcome the outsider, etc.
While you're doing that, remember not to step on everyone else's Holiday cheer, if they are cheerful. Instead, find those who aren't cheerful, and see if there is anything you can do to help. The Holidays can be devastating to people who are alone or grieving, and while you should honor their wishes, making sure they know they are invited to join in the festivities can go along way.
So don't worry about putting Christ back in Christmas. Christ will go wherever Christ wants to go. (Perk of being God.) In the meantime, be a source of joy in the world, a candle that God has placed to make the world around you a little brighter, a little happier.
You know. Be awesome. Merry Christmas!
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