Christmas - A few questions (Paper One)

I've been having some interesting conversations relating to Christmas and it's interesting how the older generation have, almost in total, told me that there's no place in the church building for a Christmas tree until we reach Christmas Eve. They did it in this setting:

And yes, there were a few Christmas trees around (in fact there were sixty trees in all) when they asked!

Their asking me questions has led me to ponder a number of things, each of them appearing here for you to join in and engage with along with me; for it seems that the way we treat Christmas might not be as joyful as perhaps the season might suggest. So here we go:

PART ONE

Tradition was that the tree didn't usually make it to the church building until something much nearer the end of Advent - some, like the lady I met tell me that Christmas Eve is indeed the right time - and this raises some real issues, for when we plonk Christmas trees in our church buildings the week before Advent, are we:

i.   Celebrating Christmas and fitting in with the community and their take on Christmas?

ii. Seeking to capitalise on the current attitudes regarding Christmas by make some money out of it 

    wheresoever we can?

iii. Trying to bring Christmas back into the church building and by so doing regain some Christian

      ownership of the whole shooting works?

There are three options here but I can think of other variants which might raise some eyebrows and challenge the way we do Christmas and more besides, but there's only so much you can do with a box of firelighters and some matches when you're sitting on a can of petrol, isn't there?

PART TWO

Whilst we are at it, are you one of those who subscribe to any of the three sentiments displayed below:

Are you someone who takes the opportunity each Christmas to correct those who are so obviously (in your opinion) wrong about what they say and how they celebrate it?

How do you deal with each of the three options above when you encounter them? Do you see the contraction of Christ into an 'X' as an abomination before the Lord?

Note: If you do then you'll be fighting a long line of people way back into the earliest days of the Christian Church for they loved that Christogram to bits and scribbled it, and fish, wherever and whenever the opportunity arose!

You may now turn over your papers :-)

There are a couple more questions but this will do for paper one.

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Happy Holidays (not for me thank you!)

One of the people with whom I rarely find myself in conflict with (and in fact still don't even though they have prompted this post) has written that:

"Happy Holidays" is a recognition that Christians are not the only ones celebrating a major festival at this time of year. In a multifaith society this is important. 

Its origins are, I believe, in the US where the significance of the Jewish community's celebration of Hanukah is acknowledged. Of course, here we also have Diwali which seems to move about a bit date-wise but occurs mid-winterish. This doesn't (or shouldn't) stop Christians witnessing to the birth of our Saviour, but I am always very pleased to receive my annual card from a local Islamic organisation wishing me "Happy Holidays"."


He also writes that Birmingham's failed 'Winterval festival' (which I have dealt with before) was never intended to replace or redefine Christmas and I have acknowledged (more than once) that it was nothing more than a bit of cynical marketing to try and attract various of the major faiths (and those of no faith) into Brum for a bit of shopping and perhaps even a spot of culture! The goal was to develop an extended period of commercial opportunity by stretching things from Diwali to Christmas [and perhaps beyond]) not create,  or do away with, any of the festivals but as it wasn't going to mention any by name any longer, this would still have been the outworking even if not the desire!

Anyway, all I said was  (tempted to do 'Life of Brian' here, but will resist) that it was cynical (and it was) just as the 'Happy Holidays' tosh is pretty much an exercise in cynicism, too!

So let's look at the 'including all faiths' piece of 'Happy Holidays' for 2012. It appears to encompass:
Diwali = 13th - 17th November (at the very earliest edge of things)
Hanukkah = 8th - 16th December (some early coalescence)
Advent = 2nd - 24th December
Christmas = Christmas Eve to Epiphany (6th January)

For so many of us these days Christmas starts early. Where I live our town's Christmas lights went on on the 17th November and the week leading up to that saw a christmas tree festival in the parish church too! I have Jewish friends and whilst they are happy to get Christmas cards along with their Hanukkah cards, they are very definite that it is not 'Happy Holidays' either.

And regardless of whatever reason some might have introduced this into the US the reality is that for many it is more about not doing the 'Christ' word and that for me is more than sad making - it is something much, much, much  (overactive Police Academy gene - sorry) worse at a number of levels for a number of reasons:

A couple of years back I was wished 'HH' by one of the members of a call centre and upon asking why they'd done it was told that it was company policy because it was less offensive to people who didn't celebrate it. Being that sort of a person I rang the head office and eventually got through to someone who informed me that it was policy so as not to offend the many 'non-religious people' who might find the Christian festival offensive that it was merely referred to as 'holiday'.

"Are there many of them? " I asked. The person on the other end said they weren't sure but it was company policy and had come from 'someone upstairs'. So I ask to speak to someone in that place and eventually found myself chatting to a director (about thirty minutes) who listened and promised that, on the balance of our conversation, they would revisit their policy. I left assured (in my mind) that nothing would really happen and was stunned when I got a call from the same call centre to be wish a 'merry Christmas'.

As for being offensive my many friends and acquaintances from other faiths not only insist on referring to Christmas but have also been extremely vocal (and far more active than the Christians) when they have perceived that Christmas might be being weakened or threatened. The reality being that members of the world faiths (and that include a great number of Muslims by the way in case there are any Daily Fascist readers visiting) are supportive of those who hold other beliefs. It is called tolerance - something that many secularists and humanists appear to know nothing about!

With that I take this early opportunity to wish you and yours a wonderfully blessed and peaceful Christmas and a prosperous and happy New Year.

Come let us sing - don't they know it's . . . ?

This morning I could not contain my excitement as I ran around my study doing my Lancaster impressions and called out to God and was glad in his presence, singing songs of joy and interceded for the world and all within it it!

No, I hadn't gone more bonkers than normal but the words of Psalm 46, which are to be found as a hymn set to the 'Dambusters' tune, and the 'Venite' (psalm 95):

'O come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song. . . . '

Just set me off on a roll. How could I not sing His praises and sing out joyfully in psalms and songs of praise?

How could I be silent as all around me those who claim to have no Christian belief are singing songs about the LORD (the ultimate, absolute and everything being) coming to earth in flesh as one of us to reveal His solution to ALL the world's problems? Of course, they (generally) think that what they have before them is Argostide, the season formerly known as 'CHRISTmas' (also featured as the  'Oooh, it's for the kiddies!' event of the year!).

People who would wish to deny the reality of Jesus and would distance themselves from His birth by use of the banal 'Happy Holidays' (what on earth does that mean?) it's as crass as Birmingham's 'Winterval' as they seek to lump people of differing faiths and none!

Mind you, they make sure they can display their contempt for the season by:

i.    getting as drunk as possible as often as possible,
ii.   by engaging in acts that deny the message of love, peace and reconciliation, and
iii.  by corrupting the humble gift of love that is Jesus; the sacrificial giving of a long-gone bishop (Nicholas) and making it about money and stuff.

So, are you one of those who will stand by today and tomorrow and keep silent or will you be singing out for the LORD I wonder.

I know what I'm going to keep doing - after all 'they don't know it's CHRIST's mass (appeal) time?

And whose fault is it if they don't I wonder? (hint - have a look in the mirror and ask them too ;-)  )

Christmas Card - 3

Here's something cute and annoying in one go:

It's 'Happy CHRISTmas'!

2012 - the year my kids stop watching Glee and all the other naff American television, stop calling 'lifts' 'elevators', lose the word 'Movies' and return to the wonderful word 'Film' and so much more. We gave the world English and the naughty colonials have abused and misused it to the extent that, were it not for a failing economy, naff foreign policy (sorry, 'foreign means Mexico' - a quote from a former Federal Insurance colleague) and the fact that they have a man at the helm who has, a bit like Blair, been elected by promising much and delivering little.

I couldn't go, they have enough problems - why add to them by having me too :)

I love you America (really, I do)

Now where was I?

Of course - Happy CHRISTmas!