I have been tagged; I’m it. Here is my response to the “Meme.”
One book that changed my life: Born Crucified: the Cross in the Life of the Believer by L.E. Maxwell
One book that I’ve read more than once: The Church of Christ by Edward C. Wharton
One book that I want on a desert island: The Bible
One book that made me laugh: Dispensational Truth by Clarence Larkin
One book that made me cry: Broken by Fruitfulness by Cline R. Paden
One book I wish had been written: Why I am a Christian by the Pharisees and Scribes of Jesus’ day
One book I wish had never been written: Charting the End Times by Tim LaHaye
One book I’m currently reading: The Case for the Resurrection of Jesus by Gary Habermas and Michael Licona
One book I’ve been meaning to read: Celebration of Discipline: the Path to Spiritual Growth by Richard Foster
Now tag five people: Johnny, Clint, Justin, DC, Jason S
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Wednesday, December 05, 2007
Christmas Spirit
It is Christmas; or at least closing in on it. But I can’t seem to get into the Christmas spirit. Maybe it is because I am away from home right now and when I get there I will catch it. But I think it is something else, something deeper.
The older I get and the deeper my walk gets with God, the keener I am to the things that happen around me. And as I watch this holiday every year, the more grotesque it becomes to me. This holiday has evolved into this sinister entity that is immersed in consumerism and gross materialism.
It was not always this way. There was a time when this time of the year was about family and togetherness. It was about peace on earth and goodwill toward men. But most important, it was a time when we celebrated the birth of our Lord; not knowing the exact date of his birth, we used this time of the year to celebrate his birth. There was a spirit to it.
That has changed as man pushes God further to the margin of his life. When God is emarginated, it is a dangerous thing. It means something or someone has taken over a position that is rightfully God’s. What has taken the place of God? No. That is the wrong question. Who has taken the position of God? Self. And when self sits on the throne the focus of what this holiday is about is changed. It is no longer focused on God and His Son. Now it is focused on me. And at the root of the problem is gross materialism and consumerism.
We buy others “stuff.” We get “stuff.” It is a holiday of “stuff.” But it gets worse. We get each other “stuff” that is merely going to be cast out and thrown away, forgotten by the passing of time. Still worse, we will replace this “stuff” with yet more “stuff.” Every year the shopping season begins earlier and takes on new forms. Whether we have to go down to the store or shop online, it happens sooner and sooner.
People line up outside stores for hours in extreme temperatures just so they can get a good deal, all the while showing just how enslaved to their materialism they are. Tell me, oh bargain shopper, convince me you got a good deal when Jesus says “what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world yet forfeits his soul? Or what will man a give in return for his soul?” Jesus asks, “convince me you got a good deal. And now that you have gotten you good deal, what will you give to get your soul back?”
We’ve got it mixed up and backwards. We totally miss the meaning and spirit of this time of year. And I think that is why I can’t get in the spirit of the holidays this season. It is because the spirit I am searching for I cannot find. Instead I find this perverted spirit I want nothing to do with.
The older I get and the deeper my walk gets with God, the keener I am to the things that happen around me. And as I watch this holiday every year, the more grotesque it becomes to me. This holiday has evolved into this sinister entity that is immersed in consumerism and gross materialism.
It was not always this way. There was a time when this time of the year was about family and togetherness. It was about peace on earth and goodwill toward men. But most important, it was a time when we celebrated the birth of our Lord; not knowing the exact date of his birth, we used this time of the year to celebrate his birth. There was a spirit to it.
That has changed as man pushes God further to the margin of his life. When God is emarginated, it is a dangerous thing. It means something or someone has taken over a position that is rightfully God’s. What has taken the place of God? No. That is the wrong question. Who has taken the position of God? Self. And when self sits on the throne the focus of what this holiday is about is changed. It is no longer focused on God and His Son. Now it is focused on me. And at the root of the problem is gross materialism and consumerism.
We buy others “stuff.” We get “stuff.” It is a holiday of “stuff.” But it gets worse. We get each other “stuff” that is merely going to be cast out and thrown away, forgotten by the passing of time. Still worse, we will replace this “stuff” with yet more “stuff.” Every year the shopping season begins earlier and takes on new forms. Whether we have to go down to the store or shop online, it happens sooner and sooner.
People line up outside stores for hours in extreme temperatures just so they can get a good deal, all the while showing just how enslaved to their materialism they are. Tell me, oh bargain shopper, convince me you got a good deal when Jesus says “what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world yet forfeits his soul? Or what will man a give in return for his soul?” Jesus asks, “convince me you got a good deal. And now that you have gotten you good deal, what will you give to get your soul back?”
We’ve got it mixed up and backwards. We totally miss the meaning and spirit of this time of year. And I think that is why I can’t get in the spirit of the holidays this season. It is because the spirit I am searching for I cannot find. Instead I find this perverted spirit I want nothing to do with.
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