When Christmas Excludes Christ

Two months ago, my wife and I purchased a car. We were looking for a smaller car that would give us good gas mileage. So we went with a Nissan Versa sedan which has not disappointed. The car came with a three month free subscription to SiriusXM satellite radio. I have not used it enough to warrant keeping it once I have to pay for it. But my wife and I have enjoyed listening to, among other things, the channels dedicated to playing the hits from the '50's, 60's, and 70's. It has sparked a lot of conversations about our memories from yesteryear!

Recently I found a channel titled "Holiday Traditions." Feeling a bit in the holiday mood, I began to listen to it. Then yesterday it hit me. In the week that I have listened to it, I had not heard one (that's right ... not one!) song about Jesus Christ. The songs were mainly about Santa with a few songs about snow and shopping and general holiday cheer sprinkled in. How sad is that! The holiday on December 25th is CHRISTmas ... not SANTAmas. And this trend away from Jesus seems to increase with each passing  year.

So what does that mean for you and me? It means we have to work harder to keep our focus on Jesus Christ during the holiday season. Parents, be sure you teach your children that Christmas is first and foremost about JESUS ... and all the other cultural trappings are just extra. Believers, grab the opportunities that will surely come your way to talk about Jesus during the holidays. Why should we hold back when the holiday is named for HIM?

Let's all purpose to get intentional about focusing on Jesus this Christmas. And for those of you who call Grace Church at Willow Valley ... I would encourage you to get involved in our Essential Jesus Initiative. 

Thanks for stopping by . . .
pj