CHRISTMAS NEVER STOPS
Remember the good ol' days when people worried about Christmas becoming too material - filled with things rather than spirit?
Back in those days one of my friends had a bumper sticker he taped to the rear window of his car, "DON'T TAKE CHRIST OUT OF CHRISTMAS," it said. Every year my friend pulled out the tattered bumper sticker, and with magic tape pasted it in the back window. Then on New Year's Day he carefully removed the message and scraped away all the tape debris.
That was a simpler time, I guess. We never see bumper stickers bearing that message today. Now we know having a Christmas without Christ is just one of those myths we worry about. Even though we spend too much money for gifts and too much time with fluffy decorations, most of us still hold tight to the idea that Jesus was born on Christmas.
Another myth that weighs heavily on people at Christmas is the idea that people are so sad during the holidays that suicide rates take a dramatic jump at the end of December. But look at the studies and you will find there is not a huge increase in suicides. Sure, there are family spats; but that's because we spend more time with family at the end of December.
During my first year of ministry, I discovered the true meaning of Christmas as I dealt with those myths. I was an associate pastor at a large inner city church with a huge population of elderly people. Every year at Christmas the pastoral staff divided up the homebound members for visits and Holy Communion. It was the most incredible experience, because in a two week period a pastor could celebrate God's love with the widest possible variety of people.
Many had emigrated from Scandinavia and spoke English reluctantly. Some had been fighting severe health problems for years. A good many were poor, their homes falling down around them. Some were wealthy and gracious beyond normal convention. Every last one overflowed with gratitude.
There was a young woman, mentally challenged, who had never been allowed out of her parents' home alone. When I arrived, she sat on the sofa, hands folded on her lap, a happy child of God anticipating grace. We chatted and she told me that her days were spent helping mother around the house. She talked about a vacation trip to a lake in Minnesota where she played in the water.
We celebrated Holy Communion and she was very intense and careful as the ritual progressed. At the end, before I could begin, she bowed her head and began praying the Lord's Prayer. I joined her and when we finished she prayed the prayer again - and again - and again - until mother stepped in and shut down her devotion.
When I left that day, the birth of Christ was heavy on my mind. Extravagant devotion is what Christmas means to most of us. It's what lifts us out of the doldrums and puts Jesus in our minds. We want to celebrate boldly. The only problem is, we never want to stop.
Clark D. Morphew
Posted 12-19-01