Out of the Abundance of the Heart

Friday, December 3, 2010

Building People of Substance for Works of Power

Merry Christmas, me and tobie!

Someone sent me a YouTube link the other day of a video called

. It is just a simple song written after a shopping experience. I am an eternal enemy of schmaltzy goop for the sake of emotion, but this one really hit me. I know it is easy to rant about the commercialization of Christmas, but it seems particularly real this year. We are in a culture where Christ is well-nigh illegal, the economy is on the abyss, loony-tunes in Iran and Korea have nuclear weapons, and the world seems very grim, indeed. It just seems important to remember that the Grinch (or the ACLU) can’t steal Christmas. It’s too late! He already came. His body is already here. If there were never another crèche, not one single shiny tree, the world would still have the opportunity to see Him in you and me. If the line were forming to see Jesus, could they see Him at my house this year?

Just a few thoughts for those of us looking to pull back from the American dream as consumer gluttony back to the American vision as liberty, love, and opportunity in a God-fearing land:

1. Be a blessing to someone else: dollar for dollar. Matching funds for Jesus.

2. Buy 2-fers on sale for the local food bank: One for Him, one for me.

3. Teach your kids to give. Sit down with them and make a Christmas list for others before you look at theirs.

4. Attach a moral to each gift you give them: they need to learn the wisdom of God. Give gifts with stories attached.

5. Give something extra to a mission, at home or abroad. The world is in line to see Jesus.

Scripture Reading: All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it. (1 Corinthians 12:27 NLT)

Somebody Said Christmas is not a time nor a season, but a state of mind. To cherish peace and goodwill, to be plenteous in mercy, is to have the real spirit of Christmas. Calvin Coolidge

I am convinced the world would line up to see Jesus if we could just reflect enough of Him to be visible. The gold of the Magi paid for a family of three to move to Egypt and thus protect the infant Messiah: What will your gifts finance this year?

vls
http://www.fcftucson.org