HAPPY HOLIDAYS

By -
OK, I admit it.  When I know some store has made "Christmas" off-limits, it makes me more Christmasy than ever.  I go into a Starbucks and automatically wish everyone behind the counter a "MERRY CHRISTMAS" a minimum of 12 times per visit, just because I know they're not supposed to say it.  I purposely rub their noses in Christmas.  I find it quite exhilarating.  Call it, Tom's Ultimate Christmas Challenge.

 Face it, we Christians take our Christmas seriously.  No Happy Holidays for us.  In fact, daily, I receive an email from one Christian organization telling me where I should and shouldn't shop this year, based on what their ads read.  If they use the big "C" word, they're on the Nice List...go spend yourself into oblivion.  If they use the dreaded "H" word, then they are to be avoided like the plague.  Naughty, Naughty, Naughty List.

 I find that at Christmas, it becomes a lot more work to be a Christ-Follower.  You can't just go buy all the stuff for your kids that they don't need.  All your possible shopping destination have to be vetted based on what they call this particular time of the year, whether they allow bell-ringers outside their doors, how politically incorrect they may be willing to be....oh, and I just heard another one.  Almost forgot.  Whether they use Christmas carols or, God forbid, scripture, in an improper way to sell their junk.  Like the beer company that's add read, "For those not-so-silent nights".  Have they no sense of decency?!?!

OK, here's the deal...I have 3 simple rules:

1.   Christmas is too stressful and tiring already.  As far as I'm concerned, the over-commercialism of Christmas lands everyone on the Naughty List.  I don't have the time, nor the energy to determine what list every vendor lands on.

2.  I don't expect LOST PEOPLE to act like FOUND PEOPLE.  That never ends well.

3.  Christians already get a bad rep for always being "against" something.  The world views us as a bunch of folks with a a list of Thou Shall Nots that would put Santa's list to shame.  It's not a rep we want to accentuate.  In fact, it's one we should be trying to lose.

NEWS FLASH:  The World doesn't get it.  I'm pretty sure.....No, I'm totally sure, we can't boycott them into loving Jesus the way we say we do.  Didn't Jesus tell us this?  Maybe this Christmas we should read less Christmas ads, and more scripture.  Just a suggestion.

Merry Christmas.  Happy Holidays.  And have a blessed Whatever Doesn't Offend You Day!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

SHOULD JOHN KELLY APOLOGIZE?

By -
In case you are unaware, Dr. John Kelly is the Superintendent of Schools for Pearland ISD.  Recently, he, and other Houston suburban superintendents were asked about the mandate sent down from President Obama requiring all school districts in America to allow any transgender student to be allowed to use the restroom or locker room, not of their biological sex, but of whatever sex they "identified with".  Here were his comments. " When the Supreme Court re-defined marriage and invented new constitutional rights, the door was opened for re-defining all social norms, now including Executive Branch dictates about bathroom and locker room rules in local schools," he said. "A hostile vocal minority now rules in America aided by an apathetic, unengaged   majority. What's next? Legalizing pedophilia and polygamy? Unless we return to the Biblical basis on which our nation's laws were established, we are in serious trouble — and cannot expect God's con
Read more

BUNNIES, BOUNCING & BAIT

By -
Yesterday was the day before Easter. A few months ago, in a moment of insanity or inspiration, I'm still not sure which, I mentioned in a staff meeting that we should rent the local football stadium, hire a helicopter and drop a few thousand Easter eggs out of it. Yesterday we did it...with a few exceptions. We dropped 30,000 eggs. We had 15 inflatables. We had games, face-painting, popcorn & cotton candy. We gave away thousands of dollars of prizes. And it was all free. We really didn't have any idea what to expect. I mean, we'd never done this before. Initially, we thought if 1,000 people showed up it would be a success. Then we reassessed and revised our expectations. We hoped for 1500. I don't know how many people showed up yesterday. I know that after the parking team had parked 5000 cars they quit counting. I know that we caused such a traffic jam in Pearland that the Pearland PD had to dispatch 5 units to handle the traffic backups we c
Read more

Who's Your Coach?

By -
Ever play on a team without a coach? I have. You know, a church-league basketball team. Softball league. Flag football. It's not exactly the same as the sports experiences you remember from your earlier years. Back in High School, everyone knew exactly who was in charge. Everyone knew who was calling the shots, determining the strategy and calling the plays on gameday. But, even before that, every day you knew who was in charge of practice. And you knew what his purpose was. Sure, to win games, but also, to make you the best player you could be. After all, that's what makes it possible for him to win games. My playing days are over, but recently I got myself a coach anyway. Not to help me with my jumpshot or put a few more MPHs on my fastball, but to help me be a better pastor. For the past six months, I've been part of a coaching network, along with some other pastors from accross the U.S. and a few other countries. We have a coach whose sole purpose is
Read more