Merry Christmas to Us?
Merry Christmas to us, Merry Christmas to us!
What would Christmas look like if we treated it like a Christmas for others. IF Jesus came for the lost and we are already reached - why not designate Christmas for unreached? What would happen if Christmas wasn't for us this year? What would it look like if we made it for others?
If we made Christmas for others (unreached) this 2006 - what would change in our lives and in the church in America? Can we really go through another Christmas without making it for others who need Jesus?
What does Christmas in the America Church really cost?
What will we do about the widows, orphans, and poor?
Before you cop out on the poor - remember the children who cannot help it. Or, maybe the family who struggles because they cannot help it. What about the elderly who cannot make ends meet on Social Security.
Jesus always spend time with the sinners and when He did encounter the religious it was always met with strong words by Jesus. Jesus saw the down trodden, the poor, the hurting, the outcast, and much more than we can see.
Can you give me your thoughts even though some thoughts convict you and us?
posted by Bob Carder @ 5:43 PM
9 comments
9 Comments:
What would Christmas look like if...? That's a great question. What would my life like look like if I peeled away all the religious ideas and traditions. I don't know. But I pray God shows me. It's sad how "out of the box" we need to think just to get back to the simplicity of the gospel.
Now you are talking -take courage because God is up to something great and He wants you to be part of it.
God is reshaping us for His great purposes!
The Planter asked:
What would Christmas look like if it were not for us but was for the unreached?
First of all, Bobert, you are overly fond of presenting questions as if there are only two possible answers. I see no reason why Christmas can't be for us AND for the unreached. I do believe, in fact, that it has to be if it is a "true" Christmas.
But because I actually have an answer, I'll answer your question the best I can.
If Christmas were for the lost and not for those already reached, I do not think a lot would change, or need to change. But one big change, at least one I would advocate for, is reducing the gifting mania (not eliminating it, because I do like to express my love for my family with gifts that make them smile).
I would encourage people to take their gifting budget (this would require that they have a budget and are not just spending spending spending...I know, that's a big assumption)...anyway, take their gifting budget and spend half of it on their family and friends (yes, this would mean buying fewer or less expensive presents...but that's a good thing) and half of it on presents, food, and helping the widows, orphans, and poor to have a blessed Christmas also.
And not just sending the money to others to do these things, but actually getting in there and doing some of it yourself.
As much as I love them, I think, if I were a pastor, I would jettison the extravagant Christmas pageants and cantata's, and use that money to do something rather than put on a show. In all the years I've been involved in dramas and cantata's, few people have come to know Christ in them. Yes, always one or two, perhaps more, but ...
Yet, I'm torn. (You can see I'm waffling...) Because a part of me deeply loves celebrating Jesus' birth with all the pageantry of the season. But He would probably prefer we celebrate His birth by sharing Him with others. BUT does that mean He's disappointed in our cantatas and dramas and Live Nativity's, etc.? No, I don't think He is. We can do BETTER than this, but we're not doing BAD doing these things.
But, it is simply not enough to hold these events and HOPE that the unsaved will come. At least as much energy ought to be expended in making sure people DO come...
As I said when I started out, it's not black and white. Very few of these questions you ask are.
And I've come full circle, so that means it's time to stop. :)
Mike - Don't cop out on me! Jesus was black and white on issues of religion and disobedience. He may like me after all.
Of course Christmas is for all of us. I was hoping that some would see how exclusive we have made it for ourselves -the already reached.
If we do not address this issue -nothing changes anyway. king we are doing all of our Christmas stuff Jesus and we'll keep on thinking He is so pleased with our performance and worship. Ha Ha! Guess what? He isn't until we are obedient to the purposes of the Great Commission.
Let's use our gifting but when will we hold the church budgets accountable for how they allocate our tithes and offerings as if they have all the say. Why are we robots when we look and approve the church budget every year? I just got another idea on a post! I cannot wait.
YES, YES, YES, on getting involved personally and also (if you were the pastor) foregoing the stuff for our own entertainment. If you were the pastor they would fire you over this. You nailed it and you have caught the message I am hoping for with even more ideas. But why do you have to be the pastor to see some changes?
Our show isn't really bad but by doing so we still haven't made the main thing the main thing. This year I am boycotting all Christmas programs for you reached (disguised as something for the unreached). I'm going to use the time in personal worship and for real involvement in someone's life to actually show the them my Jesus and His reason for coming to earth.
Let's just keep doing what we've always done with little and often no results. (I'm getting sarcastic). Let's keep dishonoring the incarnation of Christ by keeping Him inside the theatre for ourselves with some hope someone will be changed. Jesus (God) came into the world and we stay inside our churches. What a sad day for Jesus! I cannot believe Jesus would spend the holidays in church Christmas programming! To think differently warrants another reading of His life.
Having said this - Jesus is never pleased with our worship and even "Christmas programs" from those who do not obey Him. If He did show up in bodily form -which I wish He would - I think Jesus would knock the church Christmas trees over and then kick our butts out into the world. Then I can hear Him saying, "Don't come back until you have lived incarnationally in the world as the main thing."
Jesus didn't appreciate all that God worship in His day by all those Pharisees. Jesus always confronted those holy institutional ones. He always walked away from those who followed the rules in a form of God worship but they id not care about what He did. When will we see how much like the religious ones we have become?
Did we ever stop to think about who Jesus spent His time with? Those grungy low life fishermen, the tax collectors, Samaritan woman, lepers, demon posessed, those caught in adultery, common folk outside the institution of religion and many others. Where have I spent most of my times? I was too busy in the church with those in the church to be out into the world. That was my choice and I wish I could live my life over.
I'm skipping the form of Christmas for the reached and I'm taking Christmas to those who need Him. And I choose not to do both because doing so encourages more of the same.
Let's cancel our church Christmas pageants until we can take Christmas into the world.
Open up your home and invite your neighbors over for a Christmas party. Not as religious and evangelistic as some would prefer. However, because people are tired of hearing about Jesus and want to see Him, let outsiders see Him in our lives - how we interract with our children, our spouses.
In the city of Churches (Tulsa) we have over 2400 churches, yet are now No. 1 in divorce, and the stats are not different between so called Christians and non Christians.
Let's make Church less about being so busy that there's no room left for personal evangelism, and support people being home on Christmas Eve with family and new friends (Neighbors).
Just don't spike the eggnog - yet.
Brant - I can't believe we cannot spike the eggnog!!! You are right on...
Michelle and I are planning a Christmas gathering in our home for our neighbors and God continues to give of relational contact with no agenda other than living like Jesus before them. (Which we fall far short on).
We had 8+ inches of snow and a couple inches of packed ice under it. It so happens I'm the only one with a snow blower (left over from my Indiana days) and, as I was plowing my driveway I felt the prompting to do another and another and my nieghbor (a believer) Patrick joined me in the job. We worked on 12 driveways and it has opened doors I never dreamed possible. We just want to love and serve our neighbors like Jesus would. We are not perfect -we miss opportunities but we are trying to do better and better.
I'm not bragging, I'm just giving God praise for setting this up for us. We'll keep you posted on the
I think God is calling you to a snowblower ministry...I'm willing to lend you my driveway for a test run of this ministry.
MNike -why don't you do your own driveway -(You are already reached) and then pray for me as I do driveways in my neighborhood.(sarcasm)
You have seen Jesus in others (mostly in the church) but I want my friends to see Jesus here in my actions outside the church. (sarcasm)
Thanks for praying! (joy)
Oh darn, I just got convicted, I'll bring my shovel on my next trip to Elkhart, Indiana! (held in check by God) You win! God wins! I get a blessing! Everyone wins!
I love you, man. Made my heart lift, you did. Of course, if you come in July you can leave it behind. !!
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