Comments on: What should we talk about this Christmas?

By: Stretch Mark Mama

Stretch Mark Mama — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 21:39:29 +0000

Have you done a post on the significance of "X" in Xmas? Oh, I wait every year for the theological debate on that. Never disappoints.

By: sarah

sarah — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 06:05:38 +0000

advent conspiracy

By: Donna

Donna — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 18:00:24 +0000

The "pre Christmas Eve service" children's piano recital, where practically every kid in the church is drug out to play their Christmas piece, dooming the congregation to a half hour of "Infant Holy, Infant Lowly" and "Jingle Bells"

By: MarkoJo

MarkoJo — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 10:27:37 +0000

How about everyone writing about the Most Outrageous Christmas Pageants they have ever Witnessed?
I had the Honor of directing quite a few, but none, absolutely none compare to…’The Wisguy In The Manger’ Yes, that would be correct.
After securing a 99 year Old Shetland Pony named ‘Nipper’(Yes he bit)! For our Live nativity Scene…(all the Donkeys were already at every other Christmas Gig in Town.) We were set…The Choir was well rehearsed, The Pony was busy munching Hay in the Manger…Two magnificent Morgan horses stood ready to
pull Carolers up and down the Bullevard to announce Our Living Nativity. The moment had all the Promise of Sheer Magic. The street was packed, and I busily checked my Clipboard, when, The Giant strobe like a thousand tiny Candles, lit up the night sky.People stood in wonder, their breath frozen, suspended in the Crisp December air.
I cued the Procession. The choir filed into the Manger, and onto the Riser’s…Hark The herald Angel’s sing… we were off. Mary & Joseph took their place, and Shepherd’s…Yes, yes it was going wonderfully.
Still, I was just a little uneasy about the one, who used swear words over ‘bein humiliatin in a Purple Bath Towel…c’mon ya gotta do bedder Den Dis right…? I didn’t understand half of his vocabulary, it was “eastern’ and I joked about how fitting that he should be a Wise man From The east…! He corrected me with…’Dat’d be Wiseguy Jo,Da term is Wisguy’ said the one in the Purple Towel.
I laughed it off.
And, as The choir broke into The halleluia chorus, here came the Three Wisemen…One, two…the third, each laying their treasures in front of the baby Jesus, and then… it happened.Loud & Clear came a shriek from the Sacred Nativity Scene…S–t,S–t…Jo! and he was swatting at his robe …’Jo, Jo…Da Pony done S–t all Ober Da Manger and I’s jus knelt in a big pile…More expletives…!!
I tried to retreat into the crowd, when laughter started to break out…actually Hysterical laughter was breaking out everywhere. A man standing next to me was bent over trying to catch his breath…he looked at me, tears rolling down his face, from laughing and said…’and you’d be Jo?I nodded…’Oh hey I’ve never seen anything like this in my life…he could barely speak, He continued…’Ya know my wife forced me to come to this thing, and I obliged her…for the sake of Peace, but in my Wildest Dreams, I never have sene anything like this Nativity…It’s great…Oh this is great…I’ll never forget this as long as I live…Thanks a million, he said!
This is just one Christmas Reflection of all that I would learn over a five year period of time with one very real, ‘Wiseguy’ who went to my church.
To this very day, my son and I carefully put all the figurines into our handmade Manger at Christmas…and there is one ‘Wiseguy’ who goes, right about…here. People always try and correct us, ‘You mean Wiseman don’t you…? We look at each other with a knowing grin and laugh.
Merry Christmas to all, and may wonder be mixed with Laughter…Truth really is, Stranger than Fiction…!

By: Andrew

Andrew — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 04:24:39 +0000

A post worth writing would be about the irony in the signs that the Salvation Army bell ringers put up — "Need knows no season" — when the only season that needs are collected for is November through December.

By: joanna

joanna — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 08:34:45 +0000

How about what makes for a BAD christmas carol recording? there are so many perfectly good recordings and yet people insist on using terrible ones

By: joanna

joanna — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 08:24:18 +0000

I've seen some collectors like that who give you a sticker you can show every subsequent time you walk past to show you've already given.

By: Andrew

Andrew — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 06:02:56 +0000

First:
It's not that I don't like the tree — I think it's just as aesthetically pleasing as the next person. Here's the thing: because of what I know of the christmas tree, I cannot in good faith partake of it; if I (knowing what I know) go to church where they have the tree set up and simply go along with everyone and not say anything, it would be sin for me, because I would be living something that I believe is wrong.

Second:
No-one, not a single person, that I have ever talked to has told me that having a christmas tree during christmas is an integral and essential part of their worship of God. No-one that I've ever talked to has ever said that it would violate their conscience before God to _not_ have a christmas tree in the church building.

By: Debby

Debby — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 05:46:37 +0000

They really don't expect you to donate every time you walk by. Throw change in when you've got it; no matter how little. But whether you can give or not, always say Merry Christmas or thanks for serving.

By: Debby

Debby — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 05:40:04 +0000

But weren't there other sincere brothers who liked having the tree? How were the elders to choose between two groups of sincere brothers who held differing opinions on this point?