Archives: Christmas Pack #10
Reaching Out to Others
WITH ALL THAT NOISE,
DO YOU THINK THEY CAN HEAR US?
a bulletin insert
For many, Christmas is the most exciting and exhilarating time of the year! School vacations. Breaks in the daily routine. Lights and decorations that brighten the darkness of winter. Television specials, parades and candlelight services. Parties and visits with loved ones. Secretive behavior and knowing glances at the table.
And what's it all about? An event heralded by angels to shepherds on a Judean hillside 2000 years ago: "Unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord." And, we are told, those who heard the good news went with haste to see and worship the newborn Messiah.
Ironically, we may have trouble hearing the angels' message because of all the hubbub of pre-Christmas activities. In a society where our senses are under continual assault from October to December by a mass media hawking a commercialized version of Christmas, it is a wonder that we can hear anything else. Under this assault even the very activities we intend to express the Joy of Christmas can contribute to unfulfilled and unrealistic expectations, overspending, forgetting whose birthday is being celebrated, depression and a sigh of relief when it is all over.
How can we celebrate with joy and integrity? Although there are no simple formulas, consider some things that may help you maintain perspective:
- In the weeks before Christmas spend some time every day in silence, listening to your heart and faith instead of Madison Avenue.
- Consider replacing the Santa Claus traditions in your household with St. Nicholas traditions.
- Restore meaningful gift-giving practices that are personal and thoughtful with gifts whose worth is not measured by the pricetag.
- Remember whose birthday it is by giving 25% of your Christmas budget to those who really need it and by including in your celebrations people who would otherwise be alone.
For more ideas, visit SimpleLivingWorks.org
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