I remember a letter to the editor I wrote one time when I was a teenager. I was quite indignant and angry about the "commercialization of Christmas," and how everyone seemed to be forgetting the real reason for the season.
I thought about that letter this morning, and had to laugh...comparing the holiday season of even just thirty years ago to today would probably be like comparing the lifestyle of the Amish to Miley Cyrus (or Donald Trump, perhaps, for those of you who haven't heard of Miley). Christmas is not only commercialized, I think I would say Christmas IS a commercial. One big, long, bloated, garish commercial encouraging us to spend our way into happiness.
(And yes, by the way, I did say "holiday season," rather than Christmas season. The holiday season includes Thanksgiving, Christmas and the celebration of the beginning of the new year. "Happy Holidays" was previously and should continue to be a perfectly acceptable greeting for everyone, Christians and non-Christians, and I think we should all get over being offended by EITHER phrase!)
I also believe we should maybe even stop saying that Jesus is the reason for the season...we don't know the exact date of his birth, and scripture doesn't set any particular precedent for a celebration regarding it. It's not that I think it's a bad idea to celebrate the birth of Christ - in fact, I think it's a pretty good idea - it's just that I think we're not doing it, for the most part, in an appropriate way. (Christmas has been a manmade holiday pretty much from the start, with a majority of the most beloved traditions coming directly from pagan holidays.)
The truth of it is, there are MANY reasons for the holiday season, and quite frankly, a good chunk of them don't have that much to do with Jesus. It's up to all of us to celebrate the life of Jesus EVERY DAY, not just one day of the year, by living our lives in a manner pleasing to him: loving God, loving others and believing Jesus is who he says he is and that he will do what he says he will do.
Don't get me wrong. I'm not anti-Christmas, but I have to say I am anti-commercial.
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Paying It Forward
This past Wednesday was the second annual "Pay It Forward Day" as proposed by a man named David Del Mundo. The pay it forward concept is certainly not a new idea. In recent years, books and movies have been released promoting the idea of going out of the way to do something unexpectedly nice for a stranger, with the notion being that person will then do something nice for someone else, and so on and so on, until maybe even the whole world is changed. This latest proposal has gained quite a lot of momentum. He posted it on the Internet, and the last time I checked, nearly 650,000 people said they would participate.
The idea is to anonymously do things like pay for someone's lunch or coffee or even a tank of gas or to otherwise do something extra-ordinarily nice. Since then, others have issued challenges to commit such so-called "random acts of kindness" every day in the month of December, which has elicited comments that kindness should be a way of life and not something which necessarily needs to have a designated day or month. This is very true, of course. However, often there's a gap between knowing something is the right thing to do and actually doing it. So I like the idea of a month-long challenge, especially to go "above and beyond" what we would normally do.
Most everyone, with a few cranky exceptions, does a fairly decent job of holding doors open for others and not butting to the front of the line. But those are the kinds of things which should be considered minimum requirements in polite society, and don't go nearly far enough. Kindness requires deliberate action. And exceptional acts of kindness, for the vast majority of us who are busily going about our everyday lives, don't always happen automatically.
The other wonderful thing about promoting a month of creative kindness, is that there is power in numbers, which builds a spirit of agreement and unity. I can't think of a better way to celebrate the Christmas season than each of us going out of our way to help someone or giving little gifts of kindness and service each day to people we don't even know. Let's take up the challenge and see if we can make a noticeable impact on our communities. Sounds like fun, doesn't it? It might even become a permanent, daily habit.
The idea is to anonymously do things like pay for someone's lunch or coffee or even a tank of gas or to otherwise do something extra-ordinarily nice. Since then, others have issued challenges to commit such so-called "random acts of kindness" every day in the month of December, which has elicited comments that kindness should be a way of life and not something which necessarily needs to have a designated day or month. This is very true, of course. However, often there's a gap between knowing something is the right thing to do and actually doing it. So I like the idea of a month-long challenge, especially to go "above and beyond" what we would normally do.
Most everyone, with a few cranky exceptions, does a fairly decent job of holding doors open for others and not butting to the front of the line. But those are the kinds of things which should be considered minimum requirements in polite society, and don't go nearly far enough. Kindness requires deliberate action. And exceptional acts of kindness, for the vast majority of us who are busily going about our everyday lives, don't always happen automatically.
The other wonderful thing about promoting a month of creative kindness, is that there is power in numbers, which builds a spirit of agreement and unity. I can't think of a better way to celebrate the Christmas season than each of us going out of our way to help someone or giving little gifts of kindness and service each day to people we don't even know. Let's take up the challenge and see if we can make a noticeable impact on our communities. Sounds like fun, doesn't it? It might even become a permanent, daily habit.
Saturday, November 27, 2010
The State of Thankfulness
The role of gratitude in a believer's life is crucial, and a thankful attitude is a moment by moment disposition which we are all called to display every day, in every situation. "Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful." (Colossians 3:15)
There is a definite link between peace and thankfulness. The ability to cease from complaining and to start living in appreciation for our blessings, brings untold joy and contentment. As Oswald Chambers points out in "My Utmost for His Highest," our state of mind is something we must always guard:
"What we must beware of is not damage to our belief in God, but damage to our Christian disposition or state of mind. . . . Our state of mind is powerful in its effects. It can be the enemy that penetrates right into our soul and distracts our mind from God. There are certain attitudes we should never dare to indulge. If we do, we will find they have distracted us from faith in God. . .
"Beware of 'the cares of this world . . .' (Mark 4:19). They are the very things that produce the wrong attitudes in our soul. It is incredible what enormous power there is in simple things to distract our attention away from God. Refuse to be swamped by the cares of this world."
Thankfulness is a state of mind which must be cultivated and tended to with great diligence. The "weeds" in life -- worry, sadness, sickness, trials, temptations and more -- threaten to creep in and choke out the peace and joy which result from always seeking to find the very best in every person and every situation, without complaint or criticism.
Beyond the food and family gatherings which typically mark the Thanksgiving holiday, let's all strive every day to count each blessing in life, and be grateful for what we have been given, rather than long for and fret over what we do not have. Being thankful is a choice we make, regardless of our circumstances.
There is a definite link between peace and thankfulness. The ability to cease from complaining and to start living in appreciation for our blessings, brings untold joy and contentment. As Oswald Chambers points out in "My Utmost for His Highest," our state of mind is something we must always guard:
"What we must beware of is not damage to our belief in God, but damage to our Christian disposition or state of mind. . . . Our state of mind is powerful in its effects. It can be the enemy that penetrates right into our soul and distracts our mind from God. There are certain attitudes we should never dare to indulge. If we do, we will find they have distracted us from faith in God. . .
"Beware of 'the cares of this world . . .' (Mark 4:19). They are the very things that produce the wrong attitudes in our soul. It is incredible what enormous power there is in simple things to distract our attention away from God. Refuse to be swamped by the cares of this world."
Thankfulness is a state of mind which must be cultivated and tended to with great diligence. The "weeds" in life -- worry, sadness, sickness, trials, temptations and more -- threaten to creep in and choke out the peace and joy which result from always seeking to find the very best in every person and every situation, without complaint or criticism.
Beyond the food and family gatherings which typically mark the Thanksgiving holiday, let's all strive every day to count each blessing in life, and be grateful for what we have been given, rather than long for and fret over what we do not have. Being thankful is a choice we make, regardless of our circumstances.
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Living Simply
During this season of the year, with its seemingly unending stream of activities, and because of my own particular place in life, I feel compelled to once again address the issue of simplicity, something I talk a lot about.
I am still dealing with my late parents' possessions, and now I am also packing up my 94-year-old aunt's things, as she has decided she needs around the clock care and has entered a skilled nursing facility. All of this has me thinking again about what is truly lasting and of value, as I believe our attitude toward material possessions is one of the most important aspects of spiritual growth.
When the things we own are dear to us, other areas of our lives will suffer, because ownership is time-consuming. As we work to acquire more and more, we also must extend great amounts of our time and resources to store and/or maintain what we have. If we are not diligent, it is easy enough to let what we have start defining who we are; we may even think we have value because we own things of value. This, of course, is not the case and is in direct opposition to the teachings and example of Jesus, who apparently had few possessions and certainly didn't seem to care much about what he did own.
In fact, Jesus says in Luke 12:33-34, "Sell your possessions and give to charity; make yourselves money belts which do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near nor moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
Letting go of the hold which possessions have on our lives is an important step in realizing and putting into practice the notion that God alone should be a believer's one true desire. The freedom which comes from seeing what surrounds us as being only temporary brings a sense of contentment that allows us to relax and enjoy a lifestyle which is much less hurried and harried and more focused on treasures, such as love, hope and faith, which will not decay with time.
Here's wishing for a happy, simple holiday season for us all.
I am still dealing with my late parents' possessions, and now I am also packing up my 94-year-old aunt's things, as she has decided she needs around the clock care and has entered a skilled nursing facility. All of this has me thinking again about what is truly lasting and of value, as I believe our attitude toward material possessions is one of the most important aspects of spiritual growth.
When the things we own are dear to us, other areas of our lives will suffer, because ownership is time-consuming. As we work to acquire more and more, we also must extend great amounts of our time and resources to store and/or maintain what we have. If we are not diligent, it is easy enough to let what we have start defining who we are; we may even think we have value because we own things of value. This, of course, is not the case and is in direct opposition to the teachings and example of Jesus, who apparently had few possessions and certainly didn't seem to care much about what he did own.
In fact, Jesus says in Luke 12:33-34, "Sell your possessions and give to charity; make yourselves money belts which do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near nor moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
Letting go of the hold which possessions have on our lives is an important step in realizing and putting into practice the notion that God alone should be a believer's one true desire. The freedom which comes from seeing what surrounds us as being only temporary brings a sense of contentment that allows us to relax and enjoy a lifestyle which is much less hurried and harried and more focused on treasures, such as love, hope and faith, which will not decay with time.
Here's wishing for a happy, simple holiday season for us all.
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Having an Anchor
This is a summary of what's been going on in my family's life in the past three weeks:
1. We went on an actual "get-out-of-town" for nine days vacation (which we have not done in several years.) The trip included my husband and I, our daughter (Tracy) and son-in-law (John) and our grandson (Farrand).
2. We returned on November 4 (my grandson's birthday; we got back at about 7 p.m., but managed to get a party thrown together that evening).
3. The next day Tracy and John headed off to Nebraska to spend time with John's grandmother. She had been battling cancer for several years and passed away this week, her funeral was yesterday.
4. Farrand did not go to Nebraska, so Allen and I are taking care of him and trying to keep him up-to-date with his schoolwork. (He is homeschooled; Allen has been managing the lessons.) I'm not sure when Tracy and John will get back.
5. The West Plains High School fall play started at the Avenue Theatre on Thursday and runs through this afternoon. As the Theatre's Executive Director (a job description which is very broad and includes things like running the concession stand and making sure it has adequate supplies), I have been there for every performance, but so has my husband and grandson because usually our daughter helps with events, and, as noted above, she is out of town. (So thankful for Abby Corman, who has also been helping.) Allen sold popcorn on his birthday (yesterday).
6. I am also working on the details of a play I am directing which opens three weeks from yesterday.
7. The Theatre's annual "Assumption Abbey Fruit cake" fund-raiser is now underway. (Allen and I drove over to pick up the cakes on Tuesday afternoon.)
8. On Tuesday morning, I spoke (briefly) at a breakfast fellowship. It started at 7:30. I had planned to be there early (thankfully) because I had a flat tire on the way, and Allen had to rescue me, by bringing me another vehicle...I was only a few minutes late.
9. My 94-year-old aunt was hospitalized for two days and subsequently decided to move to a nursing home. As her only nearby relative, the task of boxing up and dealing with her possessions has fallen to me -- she was never married and has no children. I have to have her apartment cleaned out by the end of November, and am treading lightly, so as not to get rid of anything she still wants.
10. I am continuing to work my part-time hours at the university.
There are probably a few more things I could add (I did manage to only miss one column/blog during all of that), but that's the gist of it.
I have not mentioned all of these things to elicit any "Wow, Terry you are so busy" comments, or to seek a pat on the back. I know there are many of my friends who lead similarly hectic lives in addition to having many complicating factors which I am so blessed to not be dealing with.
I mention these things because I so grateful our family has God as our anchor. I sit here peacefully on a Sunday morning, not stressing about the days and weeks ahead (because they promise to be equally full of activities and perhaps a few surprises), and I know I am only able to find that peace because of the hope I have in God and his promises.
Hebrews 6:19: "This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast..."
I sure wouldn't want to be in the boat I'm in without God as my anchor! Peace and blessings to you all.
1. We went on an actual "get-out-of-town" for nine days vacation (which we have not done in several years.) The trip included my husband and I, our daughter (Tracy) and son-in-law (John) and our grandson (Farrand).
2. We returned on November 4 (my grandson's birthday; we got back at about 7 p.m., but managed to get a party thrown together that evening).
3. The next day Tracy and John headed off to Nebraska to spend time with John's grandmother. She had been battling cancer for several years and passed away this week, her funeral was yesterday.
4. Farrand did not go to Nebraska, so Allen and I are taking care of him and trying to keep him up-to-date with his schoolwork. (He is homeschooled; Allen has been managing the lessons.) I'm not sure when Tracy and John will get back.
5. The West Plains High School fall play started at the Avenue Theatre on Thursday and runs through this afternoon. As the Theatre's Executive Director (a job description which is very broad and includes things like running the concession stand and making sure it has adequate supplies), I have been there for every performance, but so has my husband and grandson because usually our daughter helps with events, and, as noted above, she is out of town. (So thankful for Abby Corman, who has also been helping.) Allen sold popcorn on his birthday (yesterday).
6. I am also working on the details of a play I am directing which opens three weeks from yesterday.
7. The Theatre's annual "Assumption Abbey Fruit cake" fund-raiser is now underway. (Allen and I drove over to pick up the cakes on Tuesday afternoon.)
8. On Tuesday morning, I spoke (briefly) at a breakfast fellowship. It started at 7:30. I had planned to be there early (thankfully) because I had a flat tire on the way, and Allen had to rescue me, by bringing me another vehicle...I was only a few minutes late.
9. My 94-year-old aunt was hospitalized for two days and subsequently decided to move to a nursing home. As her only nearby relative, the task of boxing up and dealing with her possessions has fallen to me -- she was never married and has no children. I have to have her apartment cleaned out by the end of November, and am treading lightly, so as not to get rid of anything she still wants.
10. I am continuing to work my part-time hours at the university.
There are probably a few more things I could add (I did manage to only miss one column/blog during all of that), but that's the gist of it.
I have not mentioned all of these things to elicit any "Wow, Terry you are so busy" comments, or to seek a pat on the back. I know there are many of my friends who lead similarly hectic lives in addition to having many complicating factors which I am so blessed to not be dealing with.
I mention these things because I so grateful our family has God as our anchor. I sit here peacefully on a Sunday morning, not stressing about the days and weeks ahead (because they promise to be equally full of activities and perhaps a few surprises), and I know I am only able to find that peace because of the hope I have in God and his promises.
Hebrews 6:19: "This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast..."
I sure wouldn't want to be in the boat I'm in without God as my anchor! Peace and blessings to you all.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Restoring Sanity
I'm blogging from the nation's capitol today...don't know how many times I'll get to say that. Our family drove to Washington D.C. to be part of the Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear (and to spend a few days seeing the sights).
I know some see the rally as a publicity/promotional stunt, saying it was too scripted to be authentic. I'll concede it made for great television and no doubt will increase viewership for both "The Daily Show" and "The Colbert Report," but the event was more than that, I believe. The crowd was huge (accurate numbers are hard to obtain), and only a small fraction could see or hear what was happening on stage, but that did not seem to dampen spirits.
People were remarkably polite, cheerful and the general mood was that all of us were, quite literally, just happy to be there. Many were getting reports via cell phone from friends who were watching the event on TV, and all of us knew we would be watching replays on YouTube, so the few half-hearted attempts to start a "louder!" protest in my section of the crowd died out in moments with everyone laughing and going back to getting reports from the seven-foot-tall guy behind us who said yes, indeed, that really was Ozzy Osbourne. What?!
Allen had sacrificed his attendance to drop off our daughter Tracy, son-in-law John and me at the National Mall. After having waited in line for over half an hour at the Metro station near where we're staying, we had abandoned our first plan of taking the Metro in....the lines were impossibly long and the trains were packed. Amazingly, at the rally, Tracy ended up seeing the people who were in front of us in line at the Metro. (One of them was in full Uncle Sam costume so that made him a little easier to spot.) It had taken them three hours to make the trip which on a good day (we travelled it on Friday) takes a half-hour. They arrived at the Mall just as the rally was ending.
After Tracy, John and I arived, we started working our way toward the stage, but I turned back after awhile to find Allen and our grandson; they eventually parked our vehicle and took the Metro in. Tracy and John continued on and finally ended up near enough to the front to hear and see what was going on. Call what he said what you want, but we were all inspired by Jon Stewart's words when Tracy relayed them.
The transcript is available online many places. I suggest you find it and read at least the end. Here are the last few lines:
"We hear every damned day about how fragile our country is, on the brink of catastrophe, torn by polarizing hate, and how it's a shame that we can't work together to get things done. The truth is, we do! We work together to get things done every damned day! The only place we don't is here (in Washington) or on cable TV!
"But Americans don't live here, or on cable TV. Where we live, our values and principles form the foundation that sustains us while we get things done--not the barriers that prevent us from getting things done.
"Most Americans don't live their lives solely as Democrats, Republicans, liberals or conservatives. Americans live their lives more as people that are just a little bit late for something they have to do. Often something they do not want to do! But they do it. Impossible things, every day, that are only made possible through the little, reasonable compromises we all make."
That's maybe the one main thing I want to remember from this trip. I may get tired of political attack ads and people who don't share my views, but we all DO work together every day, and we DO get things accomplished. We're all in this life together, and maybe sanity (and unity) can be restored after all.
I know some see the rally as a publicity/promotional stunt, saying it was too scripted to be authentic. I'll concede it made for great television and no doubt will increase viewership for both "The Daily Show" and "The Colbert Report," but the event was more than that, I believe. The crowd was huge (accurate numbers are hard to obtain), and only a small fraction could see or hear what was happening on stage, but that did not seem to dampen spirits.
People were remarkably polite, cheerful and the general mood was that all of us were, quite literally, just happy to be there. Many were getting reports via cell phone from friends who were watching the event on TV, and all of us knew we would be watching replays on YouTube, so the few half-hearted attempts to start a "louder!" protest in my section of the crowd died out in moments with everyone laughing and going back to getting reports from the seven-foot-tall guy behind us who said yes, indeed, that really was Ozzy Osbourne. What?!
Allen had sacrificed his attendance to drop off our daughter Tracy, son-in-law John and me at the National Mall. After having waited in line for over half an hour at the Metro station near where we're staying, we had abandoned our first plan of taking the Metro in....the lines were impossibly long and the trains were packed. Amazingly, at the rally, Tracy ended up seeing the people who were in front of us in line at the Metro. (One of them was in full Uncle Sam costume so that made him a little easier to spot.) It had taken them three hours to make the trip which on a good day (we travelled it on Friday) takes a half-hour. They arrived at the Mall just as the rally was ending.
After Tracy, John and I arived, we started working our way toward the stage, but I turned back after awhile to find Allen and our grandson; they eventually parked our vehicle and took the Metro in. Tracy and John continued on and finally ended up near enough to the front to hear and see what was going on. Call what he said what you want, but we were all inspired by Jon Stewart's words when Tracy relayed them.
The transcript is available online many places. I suggest you find it and read at least the end. Here are the last few lines:
"We hear every damned day about how fragile our country is, on the brink of catastrophe, torn by polarizing hate, and how it's a shame that we can't work together to get things done. The truth is, we do! We work together to get things done every damned day! The only place we don't is here (in Washington) or on cable TV!
"But Americans don't live here, or on cable TV. Where we live, our values and principles form the foundation that sustains us while we get things done--not the barriers that prevent us from getting things done.
"Most Americans don't live their lives solely as Democrats, Republicans, liberals or conservatives. Americans live their lives more as people that are just a little bit late for something they have to do. Often something they do not want to do! But they do it. Impossible things, every day, that are only made possible through the little, reasonable compromises we all make."
That's maybe the one main thing I want to remember from this trip. I may get tired of political attack ads and people who don't share my views, but we all DO work together every day, and we DO get things accomplished. We're all in this life together, and maybe sanity (and unity) can be restored after all.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Hold Music
In my position as Executive Director at the Avenue Theatre (our local community theater), I had occasion this week to call a company to order something we're needing, and as I was on hold for several minutes, I was forced to listen to music. The music was obnoxiously loud and sounded like it was coming from an eight-track tape player through a blown speaker. (If you're under 40 or so, ask your parents -- or grandparents -- to describe what that sounds like.) The song playing was an otherwise lovely Christian tune, but, in this case, it was not pleasing to my ears. It was irritating. (Interestingly, while I was calling regarding our lighting system, one of the things this company deals in is sound technology/systems.)
While on hold, and holding the phone away from my ear, I wondered: When was the last time anyone in the company had listened to their hold music? How did something of such poor quality end up as hold music, especially for this business? Why was music necessary at all, since a voice was also making announcements regarding available products and services? (Most of it was unintelligible, but I did hear "vampire costumes," which is neither here nor there, but a little jolting, nonetheless, when heard over the phrase "holy, holy, holy.") I don't know if they chose Christian music because they want to appeal to churches to buy their wares or if someone there thinks it's a good way to "witness to the world." I think it's mostly ineffective on both counts.
The situation did give me a moment for introspection. Does the church world use opportunities to convey the message of Jesus in effective ways, or do we merely sound loud and irritating? Have we really stopped to listen to what is representing us, or do we think any old "religious" thing will do? Are we sending mixed messages, trying to say and do too much all at once?
I would have enjoyed quiet, instrumental music, or even nothing at all, much more than the glaring noise I heard. Perhaps the Body of Christ would do well to stop and think, for a long moment or two, on the concept of peaceful simplicity. (And we also need to make sure we're really listening to our own "hold music.")
While on hold, and holding the phone away from my ear, I wondered: When was the last time anyone in the company had listened to their hold music? How did something of such poor quality end up as hold music, especially for this business? Why was music necessary at all, since a voice was also making announcements regarding available products and services? (Most of it was unintelligible, but I did hear "vampire costumes," which is neither here nor there, but a little jolting, nonetheless, when heard over the phrase "holy, holy, holy.") I don't know if they chose Christian music because they want to appeal to churches to buy their wares or if someone there thinks it's a good way to "witness to the world." I think it's mostly ineffective on both counts.
The situation did give me a moment for introspection. Does the church world use opportunities to convey the message of Jesus in effective ways, or do we merely sound loud and irritating? Have we really stopped to listen to what is representing us, or do we think any old "religious" thing will do? Are we sending mixed messages, trying to say and do too much all at once?
I would have enjoyed quiet, instrumental music, or even nothing at all, much more than the glaring noise I heard. Perhaps the Body of Christ would do well to stop and think, for a long moment or two, on the concept of peaceful simplicity. (And we also need to make sure we're really listening to our own "hold music.")
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