Merry Christmas?

It seems every year the 'joy' of Christmas in the United States revolves around giving and...more importantly...getting gifts. Church leaders are a voice in the consumerism wilderness calling for people to spend less and consider how to better use the resources God has blessed them with. But this effort has very little real impact on the culture.

My church, Grace Place, is participating in the Advent Conspiracy this year. It's a wonderful idea that started small and seems to be growing. I hope that it continues to grow. If you're interested, go to the Grace Place website and catch-up on Pastor Clay's messages. But there's another truth about the holidays that doesn't get much airtime. The time between Thanksgiving and New Year is an intense time of depression, pain and loneliness for an awful lot of people.

Collectively the holidays are a time where family is trumpeted, traditions are honored and joy is expected. For those who've suffered the death of a loved one, the dissolution of a marriage through divorce, the loss of family or, more likely, a family that is painfully dysfunctional, this time of year is something you grit your teeth and suffer through. A friend of mine actually escapes to a seaside resort in Mexico over Christmas in part to avoid the pain he experiences at this time of the year.

While I loved Christmas when our kids were little because of the wonder and joy they experienced, I'm finding as I get older it just doesn't mean as much to me. Part of that is knowing that it's one of the few times a year people pay any attention to Jesus. And at Christmas we reflect on the baby Jesus so there's not much chance you're going to be open to the challenging words the adult Jesus had to say to his followers. At Easter we focus on the dying Jesus. So for those who only turn their attention to Jesus at Christmas and Easter it's the equivalent of visiting a person at their birth and never seeing them again until you visit their deathbed. How strong might you consider that relationship?

I'd much prefer we do away with the high holidays when we pause just long enough for a fleeting glimpse of Jesus and instead start living in a genuine relationship with him every single day. A relationship that includes talking to him, listening to him and really following him. What would the world think of a church full of people who did that I wonder?