HOW TO PREPARE FOR CHRISTMAS

The Ortega's in Mesilla

Personal Comments:
     

I have been reading a book that was given to me titled, Pagan Christianity. I am thoroughly enjoying it, however, I have to be honest...it has caused me to challenge and question many of the things that I practice as an evangelical Christian. At the begging of the book a question is made that goes something like this, “Where did the practices of the contemporary church come from? ... Most of them were borrowed from pagan culture.” This ought to make all of us stop and think. Yes, how much of what we practice is really found in God's word?
     

Thank God for His word and that it reminds me, “All things are lawful for me, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be mastered by anything.” (1 Corinthians 6:12) [NASB] I am so grateful for God's liberty. However, let's remember that to break any of God's commandments is sin!
     

So, during this Christmas season, stop and ask yourself what practices from your cultural and religious past is acceptable to engage in as a “born again”, evangelical Christian?
     

This is a great question to ponder since many of you who are reading this have backgrounds similar to mine, culturally and religiously.  And even if you haven't, this still also applies to the culture and belief you embraced.
     

Let's not ignore the obvious: Santa Claus, reindeers, Christmas trees, and stockings are all obvious traditions that have nothing to do with the Christ child or the Christmas the bible speaks about. Did you realize that we are never even told to remember the birth of Christ, but only His death? However, should we stop incorporating those traditions? You decide...pray about it and ask the Holy Spirit to show you.
     

My children are now adults and we still trim a tree and exchange gifts. All three of them and their children sleep over at our house on Christmas Eve only to be awakened by me in the early morning hours to open gifts. We gather around the tree before we open gifts as Gayla or I read the Christmas story reminding us of the greatest gift ever given and what the season is truly about. Of course, we probably do this more for our grandkids than for our adult children. But we are building memories and family traditions centered around biblical truth.
     

For me, the Christmas season always evokes memories of my own childhood with my abuelos (grandparents) and other extended familia. Grandma always led the way. She was a very religious person. She got us involved in dancing with the “Matachines” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matachines) on December 11 & 12  and also in “Las Posadas” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Las_Posadas). My grandmother led “Las Posadas” for all of us in San Pablo (village community just south of Mesilla). Then came the “Matanza” (pig “slaughter”).  And let's not forget the wonderful foods that followed: menudo, tamales, atole, and champurrado, which are both chocolate-based drinks, and the ever popular bizcochos (cinnamon-sugar anize cookies).
    

During the Christmas season my childhood church would also celebrate “Advent”.  If you are unfamiliar with Advent, it is derived from Latin meaning “to come.” As Christians, we remember the coming of God as a child, the coming of Christ into our lives, and the promise that Christ will come again. We celebrate the birth of Christ on Christmas Day, but our preparation would start with the Advent, which is the first season of the Christian year. It begins four Sundays before Christmas day.  It is a time of honoring God through prayer, reflecting on our relationship with Christ, and the manner in which we live our lives as Christ’s disciples/followers.
     

During the Advent/Christmas season, we have a wonderful opportunity to draw closer to each other and to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  Ironically, this becomes the busiest time of year when we find ourselves being pulled apart, as schedules become crowded with what we believe to be the demands and needs for this holiday season! This year, join me, as we recommit ourselves anew, as a church and as families, to slow down, clear-up our schedules and make the time over the next few weeks to truly worship our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
     

(We have provided “Advent Devotional Guides” at the Resource Table to help you with this daily discipline.)
     

If you choose to use an Advent candle holder, light one candle, which represents Christ as the Light of the World.

Read: 

John 1:1-5; Luke 1:26-38

Reflect: 

Jesus comes as a light in a world of darkness and sin. Many stay in the darkness, but what was Mary’s response to God’s call?  How would you have felt if you were Mary?  What do these passages say about God?  How does knowing these things about God make you feel?

Pray:

 Thank God for humbly coming as one of us, offering us forgiveness of sin and an opportunity to spend eternity in His loving presence.

Action: 

Take time this week to be Christ’s light to others and demonstrate His love and kindness.  For example: visit a nursing home, take canned goods, blankets or toiletries to a shelter, bring a treat to a neighbor, rake leaves for the elderly...the possibilities are endless!

Matthew, Nathan and Tara with Santa.

Boy, do I wish I could have those years back!