Last night I listened to
Carey Nieuwhof's message on the lunacy of what Christmas has become. We celebrate Jesus' birth, by any measure an event immersed in poverty, by spending crazy money (by Carey's research $750 per person) at 18% interest (on the unpaid balance, of course). It's not a new phenomenon. I'm pretty sure my parents spent more than they should have to make Christmas memorable for us back in the day.
Since our return from the DR we've tried to keep things simple, and our finances have made this easier. But once again I'm reminded how far we've drifted from the simplicity of the manger. How would Jesus celebrate his birthday? If His advent was a mission of mercy, maybe we should take that as our impetus and do likewise.
Our small group was planning a Christmas party, complete with games and eggnog. Rather than do the usual, we've opted to take our fun, food and games to the shelter here in town and "share the joy". Sounds like a party Jesus would attend, doesn't it?
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