Our pastor completed his “requirement” to preach at least one “Christmas is too commercialized” sermon earlier this month. He almost lost me near the middle of the sermon when he made some outlandish charges suggesting that we could ask our family to not buy us any presents in order for us to remember that Christmas was originally about the birth of Christ, not the getting and giving of presents. While I will admit that I will not being doing this exactly, he did have a good point, mainly - what are we getting excited over?
Near the end of the service he suggested a Christmas morning without a focus on gifts (or any gifts at all). We would wake up, read the Christmas story together as a family and then pray together. Perhaps sing a Christmas hymn or song, and then spend time as a family enjoying our day and the relationships we have. I like this model, because it has always been a temptation for me to focus on the things that we get and give instead of on Christ. Christ is the focus, and the reason. It’s His birthday, not ours! Oh, I forgot to mention, our pastor also recommended a birthday cake for Jesus!
