[CS-FSLUG] Just thinking...

[David Kemsley]

Hi Christopher,

Christopher Rose wrote:

>I have been just thinking about this season that we are entering into. Some of you know that we are in the season of Pentecost and will full soon be in the season of Advent. I found myself thinking about this while at a thrift shop this evening. What got me to thinking about this was the fact that all the christmas merchandise was already out in the aisles. I have to wonder if perhaps we are starting to lose the true sense and meaning of this season called Advent (or christmas)? As a father of a little boy I find myself thinking about these things, especially when Big Idea has to put out a video like "The Toy That Saved Christmas" (a very well made and thoughtful video, but it cuts me to the heart to think that the holiday has become that commercial).
>
>Anyone have any thoughts?
>  
>
Just a few thoughts & ramblings..

The commercial world seems to use and abuse anything it can suck money 
out of. Christmas being a 'time of giving' provides an easy market 
targeting the 90% (just a guess) of people who celebrate it.

Though I'm not sure if the commercial world is at fault. I think most 
people celebrate Christmas because it's a festival. It a time to give 
presents, celebrate a tradition, to party, gossip, decorate the house, 
family gathering and catching up with friends. I guess what most of 
society is missing is the Christ part of Christmas (which is why it's 
not so surprising X-mas is becoming popular).

I think there's the two extremes, not celebrate Christmas at all knowing 
that it originated from a pagan festival and is now celebrated for so 
many false reasons. But by doing this we miss the opportunities to 
celebrate the coming of Christ with others. The other extreme is that we 
celebrate it for worldly reasons missing Christ out of the picture.

I think, from a Christian perspective, we should use Christmas as a time 
to share the news of the God mercy. And to serve God by serving each 
other, being a time where we can catch up with people we don't often get 
to share with.

I'd be interested to hear what others think.

David


>Pax,
>
>Christopher
>  
>

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