‘Tis the season to be giving — and receiving.  It’s also the time of year that the charity seekers constantly have their hands out.  Salvation Army bell ringers, Toys for Tots, the angel tree at church, along with several special Christmas offerings.  This activity particularly peaks at the holiday season.  Why?

You could say that they saved their campaigns for this time, rather than to hit us up for money all year long, but I don’t think so.  They play on the spirit of giving at Christmas.  How can you buy those wonderful presents and ignore the downtrodden who have nothing for Christmas?

So what happens when Christmas is over?  Aren’t the downtrodden still trodden down?  Is there a way that we can focus not on the Christmas band-aid, but on the progressive healing?  Or can our apathy only be worn down in December?

Jesus told his followers, “Freely you have received, freely give.”  Then he instructs them not to take any money with them.  Is it because he wants them to give of themselves?  Isn’t it easier to open the wallet than to open the heart?

Children will tear open boxes on Christmas morning, looking for the many things that they begged for.  Quite a few will be tired of the toys by the end of the day. God gave his best gift in Jesus.  How many of us will lose his message as we struggle on through life?

Maybe this year we should strive to be humble givers and gracious receivers, because we, ourselves, are gifts that don’t need to be wrapped.

It’s here again.  Another year of singing, bustling, rushing, wrapping, cooking, baking, spending and celebrating.  Will you be glad when it’s over?

There’s the commercial Christmas, and there’s the spiritual Christmas.  These days, it’s difficult to separate the two in some churches.  Each year the season becomes a big production, in or out of church.  At a time when we are recognizing the arrival of the Prince of Peace, we appear anything but peaceful.  Is this what Jesus wanted?  Is God okay with how it turned out?

How do you reconcile Christ with today’s Christmas?  Do you tell your kids that there’s no Santa Clause, because it doesn’t fit in with your doctrine?  Our church has a miniature nativity set that has Santa kneeling before the manger. Do you spend too much money and buy presents for people that you’re not sure that you care about, only to make sure they don’t think that you’re too cheap?  I don’t think the Wise Men had that problem.

Do you spend too much money on kids who play with the toys for 3 minutes tops, then move on to TV or an old toy?  Is your Christmas table filled with small talk with friends or relatives that you can’t be honest with at other times?

Where’s the Christmas peace and joy?  Where’s the love of Christ when you get angry with the store clerk, or with the guy who just cut you off in traffic, or when no one appreciates all of the work you put into this holiday season?

Does it bother you when you’re told that the baby Jesus actually came to die for your sins?  Are you able to keep the frivolity separate from the Christian message of Christmas?

I love Christmas.  No humbug here.  But maybe we should take a serious look at how we address it.  Maybe we should ask Jesus what He thinks.  It’s his birthday.

On November 1st several of my neighbors deflated their over-sized Halloween figures, then inflated their over-sized Christmas figures.  Santa and manger songs popped up on the radio, and the shopping malls began to transform into winter wonderlands.  While thousands of turkeys wished it would be so easy to forget, we still managed to squeeze in another time-worn holiday.

Many of us relished our 4-day weekend, but Thanksgiving came and went all too fast.  I always enjoy seeing my daughters, son-in-laws, and grandsons.  I missed seeing a close friend of mine who was away at his sisters this year, but I delighted in being with a Russian girl that my daughter is caring for.  We only had three carnivores at a table set for nine, so a partial bird was prepared.  I prayed over the meal, actually giving thanks for taste buds.  That’s why we gathered, right?

The food was delicious, as expected, right down to the marshmallow-topped sweet potatoes that had set the oven on fire a little earlier.  I didn’t fall asleep after the meal, which was a miracle, and I made a conscious effort to engage everyone in the room.  Another daughter, son-in-law and grandson joined us for desert, having shared their meal with other relatives. I truly was, and am, thankful for those that are in my life.

The Bible says to give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. (I Thessalonians 5:18)  It’s easy to give thanks when things are going well, but how do you give thanks when life is, well, lifeless?  I remember in several previous Thanksgiving prayers preaching (how many prayers have you heard that are nothing more than sermons?) that we shouldn’t relegate giving thanks to just one day of the year, that we should always be thankful.

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