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In a few days we’ll celebrate Christmas! Have you been struggling with the lack of Christ in the Christmas activities around you? Is your heart crying, “Put Christ back into Christmas?”
I’ve shared before that the founders of America, the Puritans, made a covenant with God for their – our – nation to be ‘under God’ – way back in 1628. As a godly people, they outlawed Christmas; anyone caught celebrating was subject to fines and imprisonment. Why? Because at the time, back in England where they came from, Christmas had NOTHING to do with Jesus and everything to do with revelry, drunkenness and debauchery. Pope Julius 1’s effort in 350 AD to put Christ into Saturnalia and make it a Christian celebration hadn’t much of a success. People reveled in sin and repented later!
Fast forward to America. For over 200 years Christmas was not celebrated. It was – an ordinary day! Congress continued to meet Christmas Day up to 1856.
The Church in America, If they acknowledged Christ at Christmas in those early years, did so in a very subdued manner. Hank’s Place #320 has more. Christmas began changing in the latter 1800’s, becoming a relaxed family and children time, but there really was no overt worship of Jesus. Up to today. That’s why, when atheists attacked Christmas trees in government places on the basis of separation of church and state, the Supreme Court ruled Christmas Trees as part of a ‘traditional holiday’ and not a religious one. Was God in this? Thoughtful question!!
This Christmas, don’t let those atheists and merchandizing, greedy God deniers ruin your enjoyment of Christmas. What they do does not have to affect you, dear friend. No. We don’t have to get bent out of shape when we see inflatable reindeer on our neighbor’s roof. How about following your heart and putting Christ into YOUR Christmas? Setting an example of Christ in Christmas.
When our family was young we often had a Jesus birthday cake and sang happy birthday to Jesus and gave thanks on Christmas Eve. A few times we participated with the Salvation Army’s Angel Tree program and our entire family worked in their warehouses filled with donated toys, selecting toys for boys and girls. What a wonderful time for our children, working in rooms filled to the ceiling with toys and gifts! For other children. Christ in Christmas. And of course having friends – or strangers – over for a meal and good time.
This Advent, I invite you to rise above the world’s distorted notions of Christmas, add Jesus add into YOUR Christmas — you’ll COME ALIVE!
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