It doesn't seem possible that it's already Christmas. Time is going faster than ever it seems. In the flurry of shopping, and parties, and trying to organize family times, the real meaning of Christmas kinda gets lost.
I hear a lot of guilt being passed around. Many of us feel bad that they have little time to spend with the Lord because the season is so busy. It's true. This is a very busy holiday. Between Christmas programs at school, shopping, baking cookies, cleaning the house for the relatives' visit, plus the added expense, Christmas has become more like a time we dread instead of a time of reflection on the glorious birth of Christ.
The Old English definition of Christmas is "Christ's Mass", the festive celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. Billions of people around the world will be celebrating their own Christmas customs. But, did you know December 25th probably isn't the date of Christ's birth. The actual date and month are unknown. The 25th of December was adopted by the Western Christian Church in the 4th century.
Maybe we should let the retailer have their one good season, celebrate a holiday of giving presents and let the remaining 364 days of the year be all about celebrating the birth of Christ.
The gift of Christmas is the Christ-child-- born in a manger, ministered and died on a cross, rose from the dead and then gave us the greatest gift of all--His Presence, through the indwelling Holy Spirit. He has all the life and joy, power and grace we need for every season of life.
We've done something to Christmas to make it the saddest time of year for widows, and those of broken homes. The worst time of the year for those wrestling with loneliness and depression, or those who are in the hospital,
We're supposed to be gift-givers all the time. Generous, spontaneous, givers--that's what we're meant to be all year, not just at Christmas. It's really not about a set day, is it? It's about a set lifestyle where Christ's Mass is celebrated 365 days a year.