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December 2, 2006

Ho! Ho! Ho!  Let's keep Christmas!  So much counter-culture attitudes pervade the "old-line" Christian churches, and so much secular-predominance pervades the shopping pressure, that it is hard to find the experience of Christmas anywhere. 

I would like to suggest that we embrace Christmas; make it a great season, go with the flow, enjoy the festivities, find some happiness in buying gifts, and maybe some extra joy in giving a bit of that to others.  It usually takes me until Christmas Eve to get in the spirit.  I usually get so disgusted with the ostentatious goals of anxiety-ridden pagan-secularist fighting for impressive presents, or worse, feeling obligated to lavish others simply because they are supposed to, that I just avoid the whole mess.

But what if we  an find in our activities expressions of the Christ child?  If buying gifts could be for us a chance to express the importance of others in our lives?  What if family gatherings could be times to reflect the holy family gathered in Bethlehem?  Then maybe we too can find and keep Christmas.

Join me during the next four weeks (a time the liturgicalists call Advent) and remember Christmas together.  It would be great.

Updated: 09/29/08