Let's put Christ back in to Christmas!

It is that time of year when our thoughts turn to the planning of the festive activities at Christmas. It is one of my favourite times for two reasons: firstly as a dad, I enjoy having the family around at Christmas time spending time together and watching the joy on their faces as they open Christmas presents. But I also enjoy the season because it is the time we Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus.

You may be hard pushed to find any mention of Jesus in Christmas television adverts, or Christmas cards we send to family and friends. It seems that society, in the name of being ‘politically correct’ wish to squeeze out the very mention of the ‘reason for the season’ so as not to offend those that don’t believe in Jesus. However, they do not wish to do away with the celebration as it would severely impact their annual profits!

Instead they have replaced Jesus with a rather ‘larger than life’ character in a red suit with elves, or a jolly snowman in a snowy scene flying, so some other substitute to distract us from the true meaning of Christmas. They are quite happy to promote the image of Santa Claus, also known as Father Christmas, to be the true meaning of the day, but even that created character originated from the real Saint Nicholas, (shortened to Santa Claus) the Bishop of Myra in Asia in the fourth century.

It is told that he liked to give money to the needy anonymously, and so one day he climbed on the roof of a house and dropped a purse of money down the chimney of a needy family. The purse landed in the stockings of a young girl as they hung over the fireplace to dry. In memory of him, it was customary to give gifts on the eve of St Nicholas Day, 6^th December. In some countries that tradition has continued; in others it was moved to 25^th December – a date chosen by the Romans as a Christian takeover of the Roman festival celebrating the unconquerable Sun which celebrated the days getting longer. Our word Yule-tide is derived from the celebration an old Anglo Saxon god again concerning the rebirth of the winter sun.

I hope that you will see through the commercialism of our Christmas celebrations and perhaps pause for a moment to consider what Christmas really is all about. Amongst all the hype and business, there are some who celebrate the birth of the Son of God, the Saviour of the world who brought the true meaning of love into our world.

Whatever your beliefs, I pray that you will have a joyful time this Christmas

Progressive Church?

I read an interesting item online today talking about "progressive church" and how to identify whether you are in one. I have to say I was disheartened but not surprised that some churches are becoming "progressive" by watering down God's Word to make the church more "acceptable" to society. Progressive churches promote an alternate gospel where you are free to choose your own truth! They believe that by doing this will make the church more inclusive.

The problem I have with this approach is that they completely misunderstand that the gospel is fully inclusive! God accepts us as we are and it is by deciding to follow His way and allowing His Holy Spirit to work within us that we become more Christ-like. We are work in progress! Some churches believe that you must behave like a Christian before you can come to church to become a Christian. Utter tosh!

Now I accept that the church has to evolve in how it presents the gospel, but the message is still the same "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16.

The church also has to learn the lesson that the bible repeats time and again "Do not judge, or you too will be judged!" Matthew 7:1. Unfortunately, mention church to some folk, and they will respond back about the judgemental attitude many Christians present. If Christians put more effort in to telling the Good News of the gospel, rather than judging others actions and lifestyles, the church would be growing faster than it is today!