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Everything Changes

The more messed up this world gets, the more God makes sense.

It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year

November 1st, the day after Halloween. It's a new day and kids everywhere are recovering from sugar hangovers. I, with no sugar or candy in my system at all, walk into the local Walmart in search of a bargain.

While strolling through my favorite Walmart department (electronics, of course) I realize that a familiar tune is stuck in my head, but I can't quite put my finger on the exact song. JUST THEN SOMEONE IN THE DEPARTMENT BEHIND ME SCREAMS FOR ALL TO HEAR!
"What?! Christmas music?! Already?!?! Oh my gosh!"
Yup. That's right. Walmart was playing Christmas music via their PA system. Christmas music. On November 1st.

Welcome to the growing commercialization of the beloved Christmas holiday.

I lived in Brazil during Christmas a few years ago, working with a local church. One day I asked the pastor if the church was planning to decorate for Christmas by putting up a tree, etc. The pastor seemed puzzled by my question and looked like he had just seen a ghost! He was so taken back by my question that he simply responded by saying,
"Why would we do that? We're Christians? Putting up decorations and a Christmas tree is something the world does!"
Right! Ha! Of course it is! Silly me.
"We meet together on Christmas day and celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ."
Yes! We do that too in North America! At least, some of us, sort of, do that around Christmastime at our churches during a special service that is usually no longer than an hour... sort of. But we mostly put up decorations and Christmas trees and spend money we don't have on giving gifts to people we don't really know and make special cookies and hold parties with wine and cheese and string our houses with colored lights and... oh yeah, sometime we'll host a turkey dinner at our church for people who don't have tons of money to do all those things...

So, yeah. It's kinda the same thing.

This entry was posted on Saturday, November 03, 2007 at 6:18 PM. You can skip to the end and leave a response.

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11:48 PM

Gifts to people we don't even know???

Ah ... the old scrooge is coming out early this year huh LOL    



9:28 AM

Paul, I'm with you on this one. On all points, really.

Christmas on November 1st? Ridiculous!

The fact that we set up all this crap around our house and whatever; dumb! My own house, when I move out, will have a tree from Dec. 24th to the 26th, for the purpose of putting presents under as people come and go, and that'll be it.

The whole gift giving thing I'm not totally opposed to. I mean, the wise men DID brings gifts to Christ, even tho they didn't really KNOW him. Do I give gifts to strangers? No, but I'm ok with giving to family, knowing that it's about THEM, and not ME.

Scrooge on, Paul! I'm right there with you.    



11:52 AM

I remember a similar statement made by some in Ghana when I was there.

I also remember other's in the church being angry that "The Church" of all things would turn something like Christmas into a religious "I'm not playing" snit.

It's just culturally not as big a deal other places. While I agree that the commercialization is truly ugly and deplorable... what an opportunity to really share Jesus... if anyone here actually thought about the lost...

I think that's a much bigger tragedy than the commercialization. My tree will proudly go up likely next weekend.    



9:20 PM

in my eyes there are two special events that happen to be celebrated on the same day with the same name. There is Santa and there is Jesus birth. Usually when people market christmas its all about the Santa thing and Jesus story isn't brought up....unless you are watching Charlie Brown's Christmas    



3:13 PM

Ha... you should check this out. It's the trailer for a new Morgan Spurloch doc called "What would Jesus buy" about shopping at Christmas.


http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=sGi21YQFjMM    



1:14 PM

The Brazilians def. have the right idea...around here we wish each other 'peace, love & joy' but see little of that esp. on the roads or in shopping malls as we approach whats supposed to be a sacred Christ centred holiday:p    



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