- Aug 10, 2015
- 464
- 390
- Country
- United States
- Gender
- Male
- Faith
- Christian
- Marital Status
- Married
Two women were walking through a Mall at Christmas time when they came up on a department store display window. The scene depicted a large .elaborate nativity scene, complete with animals, buildings, lights and even detailed figurines.
One women looked at it and remarked "Wow look at that, The Church is trying to Horn in on Christmas now"
We must be careful, lest we become distracted from the true meaning of Christmas.
While Christmas is a beautiful and aesthetically inspiring season, we must remember that the visual aspects, while lovely, , are only representative of the true Beauty of Christ revealed. Without Christ, there would be No Christmas.
The first service I attended yesterday (I church hop and make no attempt to hide it) had a very great message about gifts. While we give gifts at Christmas, and if the retail industry has it's way, even more, GOD is the Ultimate gift giver. Now think about that Economists like to gauge the economy in part by the annual spending figures at Christmas time. Too often, a good Christmas in America is defined as a wealthy Christmas. Children define having a good Christmas by what gifts Santa brought them. Even Adults too often tie Christmas "success" to capital or material gains.
For me, A good Christmas is measured not by what I get but more of what I give. I cannot however, out give God.
But even that I find the best Christmas of all is what I can achieve in terms of Joy and Peace. And the yearly celebration of God Incarnate, the nativity, the ChristMass is the ultimate gift.
Tomorrow evening, I will leave home in silence with a few family members Listening to Christmas Music, we will travel into the city, otherwise silent, to attend two services We will start at the Episcopal High Eucharist, then at conclusion, walk in silence to the Catholic Cathedral for a Midnight Mass
Someone asked me recently what the highlight of Christmas is for me. It is definitely the celebration of Christ's Birth at the services on Christmas Eve. It is a chance to detach from the world, and experience the coming of Christ within, the Greatest gift which can never be out-given.
But as I leave, in Peace, with Love, I meditate on the return of Christ, the spiritual preparation, and the ongoing inspiration to follow the Greatest Gift the World has known, to move forward, making CHristmas, with it's lessons of hope, Love and Joy, not an event of Just December 24th but All the Year through
One women looked at it and remarked "Wow look at that, The Church is trying to Horn in on Christmas now"
We must be careful, lest we become distracted from the true meaning of Christmas.
While Christmas is a beautiful and aesthetically inspiring season, we must remember that the visual aspects, while lovely, , are only representative of the true Beauty of Christ revealed. Without Christ, there would be No Christmas.
The first service I attended yesterday (I church hop and make no attempt to hide it) had a very great message about gifts. While we give gifts at Christmas, and if the retail industry has it's way, even more, GOD is the Ultimate gift giver. Now think about that Economists like to gauge the economy in part by the annual spending figures at Christmas time. Too often, a good Christmas in America is defined as a wealthy Christmas. Children define having a good Christmas by what gifts Santa brought them. Even Adults too often tie Christmas "success" to capital or material gains.
For me, A good Christmas is measured not by what I get but more of what I give. I cannot however, out give God.
But even that I find the best Christmas of all is what I can achieve in terms of Joy and Peace. And the yearly celebration of God Incarnate, the nativity, the ChristMass is the ultimate gift.
Tomorrow evening, I will leave home in silence with a few family members Listening to Christmas Music, we will travel into the city, otherwise silent, to attend two services We will start at the Episcopal High Eucharist, then at conclusion, walk in silence to the Catholic Cathedral for a Midnight Mass
Someone asked me recently what the highlight of Christmas is for me. It is definitely the celebration of Christ's Birth at the services on Christmas Eve. It is a chance to detach from the world, and experience the coming of Christ within, the Greatest gift which can never be out-given.
But as I leave, in Peace, with Love, I meditate on the return of Christ, the spiritual preparation, and the ongoing inspiration to follow the Greatest Gift the World has known, to move forward, making CHristmas, with it's lessons of hope, Love and Joy, not an event of Just December 24th but All the Year through
