Merry? Christmas:

SOMETHING  TO THINK ABOUT It has begun.  I speak of course of the annual--at least in recent memory--fight over whether store-clerks and such should say "Merry Christmas," or "Happy Holidays."  And, "Is that evergreen in the park, the one with all the lights on it, a Holiday Tree or a Christmas Tree?"  There are some inconvenient facts that line up on each side of the argument.   On the side of Merry Christmas: It is the name of the Holiday in question. There is our undeniable heritage as a nation--"Christian" or at the least strongly influenced by Christian thought. Most Christians don't seem to get bent out of shape when Jewish merchants recognize Hanukkah, or Muslims observe the fast of Ramadan.  "Why," we ask, "all the fuss over Christmas?" On the other side: Though not a majority, a significant element of our population belongs to a non-christian religious group.   A minority of Christians find the 21st Century Christmas celebration offensive and want no part of it.  (I'll leave aside the fact there is a significant group of Christ-followers who observe Christmas in January.) It is the task of the church, not Walmart or the US government to proclaim Christ.   Business people should be free to observe, or not observe, religious based holidays, and we should be free to steer our business to those businesses we choose to patronize. The middle ground is strewn with, "Yeah, but!"s and ugly accusations.   For the record: I have already started wishing folk "Merry Christmas."  I am seeking to use the holiday as an opportunity for spreading the name of Christ.  I appreciate it when businesses enter into that spirit.  You'll notice, I even donned a Santa hat for the season. I am, however, going to avoid any Yuletide arm-twisting, and I encourage my Christian brothers and sisters to do the same.  Rather than demanding that Merry Christmasbe on store clerks lips, let's put our energy into living and witnessing so that the Christ of Christmas is more likely to enter their heart and make them truly Merry.      It's STTA.   Find lot's of information about how God stepped into our world to meet needs we cannot meet on our own, here.

Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer & She's Not Alone:

Three sources of information are coming together in my thinking in an unusual way--some of you would say, "weird!"
I noticed some time ago when Jesus came to Martha and Mary's house (Luke 10:38-42), that Martha was "distracted," and "bothered." Both of those are passives. She was being acted on by forces outside of herself. As a result we see her action, "all her preparations," and she "worried." Mary on the other hand, "has chosen the good part."
I was reading this morning about choices that American consumers have made in regard to Christmas shopping. BIGresearch put it this way: ". . . the economy will affect [shopper's] holiday plans," consumers are "adjusting," and even, "the economy is forcing" Americans to travel less. Those quotes came from a year ago. I see no reason to think there will be significant change this year. Like Martha, many Americans, as they begin their Christmas preparations are reacting--to that extent, they aren't choosing.
Finally, the lyrics to a well loved Christmas song brought it all together. "Grandma got over by a reindeer." (I'll let you do your own websearch for that one.) I'm afraid Granny isn't the only one who is a Christmas casualty. Just notice how often statements about Christmas preparations begin with the words, "I have to."
Sunday we'll look into this some more at CBC.
I hope yours will be a Mary Christmas.

It's STTA.