tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329600504016968888.post5168678355572986167..comments2024-03-27T15:47:46.091-05:00Comments on Pastoral Meanderings: The Reason for the SeasonPastor Petershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10653554256101480140noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329600504016968888.post-63414478653513365932009-12-23T08:02:05.237-06:002009-12-23T08:02:05.237-06:00Christmas is NOT a random act of kindness by God. ...Christmas is NOT a random act of kindness by God. We made it into that years ago in this country.<br /><br />I've forgotten where I heard or read it, but we Christians should indeed let the world have it's own holiday, and we should be the ones with the untrite slogan: "Keep the MASS in Christmas."Janis Williamshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02947508427040251166noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329600504016968888.post-30698356571680496322009-12-22T13:41:19.100-06:002009-12-22T13:41:19.100-06:00I think it's sorta darkly ironic how the mass ...I think it's sorta darkly ironic how the mass consumerist culture that our country has become has ruined Christmas for Christians much more than any "War on Christmas". Toss the political corectness hot potato around as much as you want--but no one wants to admit that the holidays have become nothing more than buy all that you can, eat all that you can, and mindlessly celebrate all that you can. <br /><br />I was watching National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation the other night, and it struck me--that's what Clark Griswold's character REPRESENTS in the movie--a meaningless outward display of generousity and big-heartedness, for no other reason than live up to the same external model of a "good father" and "good family man" that our popular culture portrays, and that artificial people like Clark try so badly to fufill during Christmastime. I guess that movie kind of shows the kind of ridiculous spectacle that Christmas has become in our culture, and I want no part of it. Ironically, I think that Christmas in our culture has probably become the LEAST Christian time of the year.Arielnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329600504016968888.post-45902735105022818152009-12-22T08:58:38.987-06:002009-12-22T08:58:38.987-06:00This is what I tell people, especially during Adve...This is what I tell people, especially during Advent (when I am the mean pastor who won't sing Christmas carols yet) -- it's not that I don't like all the trappings of Christmas (indeed, I keep my tree up year round, I like the ornaments). . . it's that I love the religious seasons of Advent and of Christmas and of Epiphany, and here in the Church, that's what we will have.Rev. Eric J Brownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17747919365522145094noreply@blogger.com