~ Billy Graham ~
Do you know how hard it has become to find candles (pink/purple) for an Advent wreath? Or some pine-branches? Or anything related to the ‘real’ Christmas. I had to dig through a lot of Christmas card boxes to find one without a snowman or Santa Claus. There were only two different designs that pointed to the reason for the season — Christ. I was ready to ask the store clerk if there is a special section in the back of the store for the real Christmas decoration…
It is said that over 70% of Americans (data from 2001 — sorry nothing later has been published) call themselves Christians. So why is than not allowed to mentioned Christ at Christmas? Why are we scared to wish people “Merry Christmas”…Some will tell you “Well, it was originally a pagan holiday; the church declared it a religious holiday. No one knows when Christ was born”. I say: “For me it is enough that I know that He was born, even if the day/date is uncertain. I also know that He is alive and well”.
If you haven’t had the opportunity to read this month’s article of “DysFUNctional” by Darlene, I urge you to read it. It is sad to read that even in Canada “Christ is Painted Over“. I am asking myself: “How can I make a difference this year to put Christ back into Christmas?” I haven’t come up with anything yet, but I am sure with His help I figure something out. I am determine though to let my colleagues know that Christmas is not a fest for getting gifts that a perishables. That there is a much greater Gift waiting for them to be unwrapped. I might just have to get myself a shirt like this to share the message…
You see, if we don’t start sharing the Good News with others, who knows where we end up in 10 years? People do get too comfortable without Him in their life. But this is for this side of heaven only! How about eternity?
And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. Luke 2:4-7 (ESV)
“In Other Words” is hosted this week by my friend Laurel at Laurel Wreath.
I think you’ve hit the nail on the head with this one, putting Christ back into Christmas is what it’s all about!
We’ve always tried to keep Christ in our Christmas too. When our girls were small, every year I made a “Happy Birthday Jesus” cake, all of their gifts were from Jesus, we never talked about Santa. Our thinking was: If you tell them about Santa (which is a lie) how can you expect them to believe Jesus (which is Truth).
Thanks for sharing and blessings to you.
I was discussing this very subject just the other day with some friends…I am glad you have written about this..I do believe that people have lost the real reason why we celebrate Christmas..It is not a time for overeating, over indulgence and over boozing as some may think.. having Christ in our hearts is what it is all about..
My children are all adults now, and as children were taught about Jesus, they understood the truth of Christmas, however they loved to see Santa and receive gifts from him also…
Beautifully said. My challenge this advent season is to help my little ones understand the true meaning of Christmas. Thank you!
I’m so glad you’re not throwing the baby out with the commercialistic bathwater, Iris! Over at Mother-Lode, I’m working on the same project you are: finding ways to create a celebration that will speak to my family and my world about the Christ who gave Himself for us…
Have you discovered Advent? Come & see!
One, I love the sweatshirt you linked to.
And I agree, people get to comfortable without him in their life. It saddens me. I think that is why the Lord has to shake up many of us, to keep us on our knees.
Great post. Thank you so much for writing this.
Dear Iris..You have a gift of always getting to the point and not fluffing it up…perhaps that is the German in you…my MIL is the same way and it is what I love about her…you always know what she thinks about things. My husband gave me strict orders today to not run errands, to not prep for classes…but to just stay home and enjoy the quiet…I will be dwelling in Luke in about thirty minutes…as always, I enjoy not only your other posts but also your interpretation of the IOW quotes!
Busy, crowded, preoccupied. That pretty much sums up life in today’s culture. I want to slow down and reflect on the true meaning, too.
Iris, you’ve already started. You think that little nativity scene you set out at work will go unnoticed?
Maybe we should to like the heavenly hosts and sing praises to His name without any thought to who might get irked.
Speaking of names…I had a wee identity crisis for a second there.
Great thoughtful post, it is so sad that this world moves further away from The Reason it was created and forgets The Way it can be saved….so sad.
The Billy Graham quote reminds me of this song by Casting Crowns:
While You Were Sleeping
Blessings.
I love that shirt. The little foot of Jesus–how precious that must have been. Thank you for the link to my Christmas story.
This year we are spending a great deal of time focussing on the gifts we give others in our home. It’s not about the toys and the gifts, it’s about what we give to others in the sense of kindness and TIME. That’s what puts Christ back into Christmas for us!
Sadly, Canada is drifting from it’s Christian foundation. You hit the nail on hte head with your post. It’s a subtle digression that is pushing the celebration of Jesus birth out of the stores and the publics conciousness. Thanks for the push back in the right direction.
Amen to that Iris! A truly excellent post on this quote for this week. Hope that you’ve had a great day! 🙂
We are doing a skit with the children this coming Sunday at church. Mary & Joseph will approach several inns that are ‘just too full’. Thank you for providing Mr. Graham’s words; I’ll include them at the end!
amen