CHRISTMAS QUESTIONS
Hey everyone.
As we head into the Christmas season, Jenn (my wife) started a really great discussion for our family tonight. She had seen on a friend’s blog goodfellowfamily.blogspot.com how they are treating this Christmas season differently. I know, I know…..this is something we talk about every year about this time. Whether it’s slowing down, giving less or giving differently we’ve kind of heard it all by now. I don’t disagree. But here’s what I’m challenged with: I’m not really doing anything about it. Yes, we’ve done a couple of things over the last few years that have been attempts to “do” Christmas in a way that focuses on the right things, and that’s great. But as we were talking tonight, I realized those attempts are still just add-ons. Without question, the main thing in our house and for this season is still lights and presents.
Even as I write, this is a tough one for me. I LOVE lights and presents. I love all the manufactured magic of Christmas. I love stop-motion Rudolf, I love the new LED Christmas lights and I love the holiday cups at Starbucks.
But there has to be a way to raise my heart and my kids differently going forward. I would be a blessed man if my children (now 6 and 8 ) grew up with a sense that Christmas was a time when we really did live lives that demanded an explanation. I would be so blessed if we had traditions and absolutes at Christmas time that involved sacrifice and radical generosity. And we would be blessed if this started at Christmas and seeped out into the rest of the calendar…
So, I’m now responsible for not just talking about it, and that feels good. We’re going to see what God would have for our family, and I encourage you to do the same. Let’s all do it together and then talk about how awesome God is.
Thanks for the thoughts, Chad. I echo your sentiments in my own heart. Do you have any practical suggestions for how this could play out either corporately or individually?
All the things that come to my mind are the things that everyone does this time of year… What is something that would REQUIRE explanation?
Hey man….
did you go to goodfellowfamily.blogspot.com?
We are doing the rice and beans thing that is suggested there…..I think there are now a bunch of South County folks in on it as well.
Second…we copied another friend and built a manger to put in the living room. Each day if a member of the family does something kind during the day at some point we get to put a piece of hay in the manger. The idea is that we’re building a bed for the baby and we’ll put him there on Christmas day…built on kindness. Another suggestion was to hide the baby on Christmas morning….the kids seem to be stoked on that.
The cool thing is that Jenn and I are participating in it as well…so I find myself trying to find ways to be intentionally kind during the day…..it’s been great.
Hope these are helpful…again, just borrowed from other smart folks.
that rice and beans for dinner is a great idea. actually, it reminds me a lot of what Orthodox Christians throughout the world do every year and have been doing for centuries. increased fasting, prayer, and alms. imagine abstaining from Christmas parties until the actual twelve days of Christmas, (Dec 25-Jan 5) (now that would ‘require explanation’.)
Ooh, I love the Lord! I love Christmas! I love the traditions of the Church. I’m so thankful for the traditions that have been established by the saints through the ages, so that Christians don’t have to be lost, struggling EVERY YEAR to figure out how to “DO” the holy holidays and how to “DO” church every week. We are freed from the cares of this world, free to embrace the traditions handed down from our spiritual fathers, and just praise Him and love our neighbors.
I’m so happy there are unaffiliated Christians out there searching and willing to try things differently. The fasting on rice and beans is a wonderful thing.