Candle Light Services

After our family attended a candle light service on Christmas Eve I confessed to my wife that I might be turning into a Scrooge. As we got into the car to head home that night I felt kind of dirty, like I had just allowed something awful to happen and did nothing about it. It was the same feeling I get when I habitually say "amen" to something I don't agree with and wish like heck I could take it back. I felt like I condoned something that Jesus wasn't super proud of.

Now, please understand that the service I went to was actually really good. I appreciated what the pastor had to say and thought he did a great job teaching truth in a family friendly way. My problem wasn't with the message, the music, the lights, or the candles. My problem was with the Christians.

Like most candle light services the pastor worked to bring everyone back to the true meaning of Christmas. He explained the significance of Christ's birth and what object of our celebration should be during the Christmas season. He was right on but like an ear-piercing siren all I heard throughout the sermon was the droning agreement of all the Christians in the room. I even heard some people click their tongues in pity and disgust as the pastor compared the American Christmas holiday to the real meaning of Christmas. I felt like we were all faking it. We were all pretending that the world has gotten it all wrong and we've got it all figured out. It seemed like everyone in the room was all of a sudden deeply saddened by the lost world we live in and completely forgot what their plans were for the next day.

I wanted to ask everyone what their typical Christmas holiday looked like. I'm sure it looked a lot like mine. There was probably presents, food, family friends, games, traditions, etc. Please understand that I'm not trying to say those things are bad. I did all those things yesterday and they were wonderful! All I'm trying to understand is how we can sit in church and pretend like we're going to go home to worship all day long when we have no intention of doing that. How can we sit there and pretend that reading the Christmas story really fast before ripping into gifts and stuffing our faces with food is so much holier than the non-Christian's Christmas?

I sat there with my candle lit, watching the hot wax drip onto my fingers wondering if candle light services only serve as a club meeting for Christians where we can play pretend and pity the rest of the world. Let's face it, the Christmas I celebrated yesterday didn't look a whole lot different from my non-Christian neighbors and neither did yours. I maintained a mentality that we were celebrating the birth of our Savior but I did not achieve a new state of righteousness by doing that.

I guess I'm just wrestling with the purpose behind the impulsive or habitual things we do in the name of Christianity or Jesus.

What do you think?

Dave Barnes Christmas Extrazagan Za -- Part 4

Merry Christmas from Mr. Dave Barnes

15 Toys NOT To Buy Your Kid For Christmas

The above video represents one of 15 toys The Huntington Post suggests you SHOULD NOT purchase for your child at Christmas. I completely agree with their assessment. Some of these are hilarious and completely unexpected. Others are disturbing and incredibly questionable. What the heck is happening in American consumerism!? Click here to see the other 14.

Tis The Season

I wasn't really in the Christmas mood until I saw this video. Now I can't wait to go tell it on the mountain with enthusiasm! Enjoy

Nativity

Nativity sets can easily become a nostalgic piece of decoration. It's easy to overlook these manger scenes and simply lump them together with the lights, tinsel, gifts, ornaments and trees. This year, I suggest you decorate with something a little different. Perhaps something that will catch the eye.
I know these look like Jenga pieces with names on them but I can almost guarantee that they will not go unnoticed. You can buy them and see more options here.

This will blow your mind

Something amazing happened in Denver on Thursday. There were so many philanthropies happening for the homeless that organizations like Christ's Body were worried that no one would show up for a Thanksgiving feast. What a fantastic problem! Despite the mass food distribution that was going on downtown, Julie and I had plenty to do at Christ's Body. We manned the dessert table and met so many wonderful people who were so thankful for the hot meal. One extraordinary man thanked us personally for spending our Thanksgiving serving him. After a few minutes he came back to our table and handed me a few pieces of folded yellow paper. He said, "I haven't published this yet but I thought you might enjoy it." I wept as I read this masterpiece. Enjoy:

'Twas the Season

The holiday season, Christmas in particular, always brings vivid realizations of my childhood to mind. Most times, I wish it didn't.

Growing up in the 60's and 70's in a rural farming community of about 3,500 people in South Dakota, we sometimes lived on the top floor of a three-story building on the corner of Main St. I spent a lot of time just looking out the window, watching the world go by, or observing the town's business district-- both blocks of it.

Back then, the city didn't remove snow; it would simply be pushed aside into ever-growing piles six, eight or even ten feet that lined the streets until late spring. Dust, dirt and exhaust fumes would soon coat the snow, turning it muted shades of black, brown and gray, casting a dreary pall over the entire scene. Small trails would soon appear, each approximately a car's width apart, marking where one and all were forced to scale the ever-present mounds.

Soon after thanksgiving, decorations would begin to appear; gaudy, plastic, four or five foot tall...things...were hung from the poles of the street lights along the main thoroughfare. The forms of reindeer, Santas and candycanes manufactured in who-knows-what long-forgotten decades, each dimly illuminated by perhaps a sixty watt bulb. Just enough light to really bring out the faded colors and cracks in the paint and plastic.

Tinsel there was, as well, wrapping the poles in red and silver boas like dancers in some commercialistic strip-tease. the city merchants would begin staying open late, until 8 or 9pm, hoping in vain that the local farmers would spend some of their already over-stretched dollars. Winter in South Dakota lends itself to boredom, especially for children. Dark by 5pm, and too cold to go anywhere even if it wasn't.

Many hours were spent gazing upon the desolation of the business district and wondering, "If the only people in the stores are employees, how can they be making any money?" the vision of the bleak, even desperate, downtown area of my house will always be how I remember Christmas. But one year, Santa came to town.

I can't recall the exact year, but it was before I started kindergarten. The Chamber of Commerce brought St. Nick to Canton, complete with a small helicopter that operated on a hydraulic arm, with which to give the children rides. Maybe his sleigh was in the shop that year. We'll never know for sure. What is for sure is what happened that night after his first shift had ended. About 2:30am, after the bar had closed, there was Santa, transformed by the magic of holiday liquor into the stereotypical drunken clause of infamy. Even better, he had achieved lift-off, flinging his helicopter hither and yon in the middle of main street like a whirling, drunken dervish, proclaiming loudly his vow not to leave town until every single child had been given a ride. Long story short; not every child received a ride. Santa was hustled out of town before dawn.

Fast-forward 30 or 40 years to the present. Approaching my 11th holiday season on the streets, my holidays are still nothing to look forward to. A typical holiday season goes something like this: 

Commencing about Thanksgiving, when the days get short and the nights long, and continuing through the new year, the trek back to camp is a solitary and depressing experience. There are two alternatives: you can head back early before the temperature really drops, which means being stuck there for 12 to 14 hours, or, you can seek somewhere to hole-up and stay warm for a few hours and hike back when it's even colder.

Either way, you are faced with a minimum of 10 hours spent huddled in the cold and dark, doing nothing but attempting to stay warm enough to survive the night. Not everyone does. It's the walk itself that is the worst part. You trudge the streets, just to see into the well-lit living rooms and almost feel the warmth, safety, and sense of family and friends that you once had, and know you may never have again.

Can you imagine what would happen if a tramp walked up to someones door during their annual Christmas party and asked to spend Christmas eve with them during the season of peace on earth and good will towards man? I can. I'm betting the tramp would be lucky to get away with simply getting his ass kicked, and could quite possibly be spending the holidays in jail.

There is no holiday from being homeless. Welcoming someone into your home and breaking bread with them is one of the oldest gestures of friendship known to mankind; an offer of trust and kinship as old as we ourselves. Who you invite into your home for the holidays says a lot about them. Who you don't speaks volumes about you.

Upon receiving this little literary gift I asked the giver of his name. He replied, "Oh, I'm nobody." and walked away. As people made in the image of God we matter. The man who wrote this story matters and so does every other member of mankind. Take the advice of a homeless man this season and show someone they matter. Their name is not "Nobody."

Thankful for: Imago Dei

 

Is Jesus the Reason?

It's the Christmas season and that mean lights, cookies, family anf a tree. Christmas time means the birth of Jesus Christ. Christmas originated as a celebration for the birth of Jesus and the church spends the entire month of December feebly trying to defend the true meaning of Christmas. I've heard many different rants about our culture and its perversion of this season and in years past I would agree with these rants with a hearty, "Right on!" But, because I refuse to take ideologies and practices at face value I've spent the majority of this season dissecting its reason. NB: I do not believe the reason for the season is Jesus. Please read more before you choose which stone you want to throw my way.

I'm an honest person and in all honesty I would say that somewhere around %5 of the Christmas season is devoted to Jesus. That percentage is not based on any research but merely observations I've made. This is unfortunate considering the origin of the holiday but who's to blame? Is it real our American culture and our politically correct society? I don't blame them one bit. Why should I expect people who do not believe in the salvation of Jesus Christ to devote a holiday to Him? I honestly would prefer that people who do not trust in His Grace do not celebrate it as the birth of Jesus. The churches are full this time of year. People mention Jesus more than any other season and we encourage this. If you remember Jesus' words about the lukewarm (Revelation 3:16) you will begin to see what I'm getting at. Jesus doesn't honor posers. In fact, He says He will spit them out of His mouth. Not only to I not expect the public school systems and our society in general to celebrate the birth of Jesus, I don't encourage it either. This has nothing to do with "tolerance" or letting everyone believe what they want. It has everything to do with true and foundational faith in the salvation of Jesus. I promote true worship and a God-centered lifestyle, not a month weakly devoted to my savior.

Christmas is a man-made holiday. Yes, it celebrates something miraculous and life changing but we are not commanded anywhere in God's Word to honor the birth of Jesus and keep it holy. Again, this is not to imply that followers of Jesus should not honor the birth of Jesus. All I'm suggesting is that the other stuff we do at Christmas is not wrong. There is nothing satanic about Santa, presents or lights. There seems to be an underlying guilty conscience within the church around Christmas time. Everyone seems to be afraid to have too much fun and tries to tie everything into the birth of Jesus. Again, this is not bad but you can only stretch the spiritual connection so far. Sure there are tons of cute stories out there about how twinkling electric lights are connected to the birth of Jesus but in reality we do it because it represents "the most wonderful time of the year." Granted, St. Nicholas began as a rich man that dropped pieces of gold down chimneys into impoverished children's damp socks. He is now a fat happy man that makes toys for good boys and girls. Things change and we shouldn't be surprised. We live in a very self-centered society. Why would we expect a story about generosity and selflessness to stick? I'm surprised the notion of the new Santa didn't come along sooner.

The real danger is that we have removed the miracle of the virgin birth from our lives. I'm not really concerned about the Christmas season. It's the other 11 months that worry me. I wish the church put the same amount of effort into remembering the birth of Jesus all year as we do during the Christmas season. When I present the Gospel story to someone I rarely, if ever, begin with the virgin birth. The Gospel consists of the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Why are we only interested in 3/4 of that throughout the majority of the year? Shouldn't we celebrate Christmas in July and September and March and February? Part of the Gospel is no Gospel at all. If it weren't for the virgin birth the prophesy (Isaiah 7:14) would not have been fulfilled and Jesus would not have been the Messiah.

This Christmas season enjoy the lights, family and high calorie foods. Jesus is not the reason for this season; He is the reason for our existence. It's time we fight to put Jesus back into our personal lives instead of back into a limited time, man-made holiday celebrated by tons of people who don't even care who Jesus is.

Thankful for: Family, Adrenaline Climbing, a roof over my head, cold weather, Michelle, Scotty, and the birth of Jesus.