Despite how it might appear (because of my recent blogs and comments), I honestly do enjoy Christmas: the lights and decorations, the parties and food, the gifts and fun. But my personal, spiritual goal is to always do better, be better, not be content merely continuing down a path of traditional thinking without examining that thinking. I try to look for different perspectives, new approaches, during every season of the year.
One concern I have was voiced recently by a friend of mine who is an educator in southwest Missouri. She said (in a comment regarding my post last week -- thanks, Michelle), "I have gotten to where I dread December; this is a very hard month for so many of the kids I work with at school. What the media tells them Christmas should be is so far from their reality. It makes what these young people struggle with during the rest of the year magnified to a good degree."
Those of us who are blessed to have loving families, plenty of food and shoes that fit can watch the barrage of happy movies and good times portrayed everywhere during the holidays and not necessarily feel left out or sad. But, as my friend notes, there is a different reality for an ever-growing number of children (and adults). Because of illness, lost jobs and homes and other reasons for broken dreams, there are more and more families who have needs and hurts so big that a food basket and a few toys, as welcome and well-meaning as those things are, become tiny bandages on huge wounds. We tend to think of poverty as a lack of money, but often poverty means being bereft of hope.
The generosity displayed during the holidays is important and wonderful, but the spirit of giving should continue in creative and meaningful ways. As we have celebrated, once again, the arrival of Jesus, let us strive every day to carry on his ministry on earth, as outlined in Luke 4:18-19, "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord."
I hope our eyes and hearts will be opened to what so many of our neighbors are going through, and that by sharing the good news, we can offer fresh hope to hurting people, bringing glad tidings which will last a lifetime and beyond.
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Thoughts on the Season
I'm probably going to get a reputation as a "grinch" (or worse!) for my thoughts about Christmas, but many of the traditions and practices of the Church have been on my mind lately, and the way we celebrate Christmas is just one of those things which doesn't seem quite right to me.
When we consider the character and nature of Jesus -- his teachings on poverty and servanthood and simplicity -- a picture develops for me which doesn't line up with most of what is going on during the holidays. Yes, it is the one time of year when the media is looking for "good news" to report, so we do see and hear of wonderful examples of generosity and giving which are associated with this time of year: toy drives, bell-ringers, donations to food banks, etc. That spirit of generosity is awesome and one of the best things about the season.
However, one of my concerns is that we may feel as though we have fulfilled our giving needs with generosity at Christmas time to the extent we may not continue that giving beyond the holidays. With so many people in year-round need, we can't let Christmas be our only time of giving. (Society has also created much of the extra need we see at Christmas. . .regardless of socio-economic standing, we all feel pressure to "do it all" and "have it all" at Christmas. If there was less pressure on kids to go back to school with new clothes, bragging about all the new toys and games they got from Santa, there would be less "need" at Christmas.)
Another concern is how so many of us are stressed out with activities: decorating, entertaining, parties, events. I'm certainly not discouraging fun, but if there's no time to spend with the supposed guest of honor, maybe what we're doing is something other than celebrating the birthday of Jesus. And that's okay, but perhaps we should just call it for what it is and stop getting riled up about Jesus being "the reason for the season."
Many of you may know of the story of Mary and Martha. (see Luke 10:38-42) Martha was getting ready for a party (not a Christmas party, but a party to honor Jesus while he was visiting the Mary/Martha/Lazarus household), and she was "distracted with all her preparations" (can't you just imagine a modern-day Christmas party in the works?) while Mary was seated at the feet of Jesus listening to him teach. When Martha, no doubt as she breathlessly rushed by Jesus with a plate of cookies in her hand, complained about Mary not helping her, Jesus said, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her."
That "good part" is what nudges the back of mind during the holidays. Are we substituting our own ideas about Christmas for what Jesus considers to be good and true and lasting? It's just something to consider. . .at Christmas and always.
When we consider the character and nature of Jesus -- his teachings on poverty and servanthood and simplicity -- a picture develops for me which doesn't line up with most of what is going on during the holidays. Yes, it is the one time of year when the media is looking for "good news" to report, so we do see and hear of wonderful examples of generosity and giving which are associated with this time of year: toy drives, bell-ringers, donations to food banks, etc. That spirit of generosity is awesome and one of the best things about the season.
However, one of my concerns is that we may feel as though we have fulfilled our giving needs with generosity at Christmas time to the extent we may not continue that giving beyond the holidays. With so many people in year-round need, we can't let Christmas be our only time of giving. (Society has also created much of the extra need we see at Christmas. . .regardless of socio-economic standing, we all feel pressure to "do it all" and "have it all" at Christmas. If there was less pressure on kids to go back to school with new clothes, bragging about all the new toys and games they got from Santa, there would be less "need" at Christmas.)
Another concern is how so many of us are stressed out with activities: decorating, entertaining, parties, events. I'm certainly not discouraging fun, but if there's no time to spend with the supposed guest of honor, maybe what we're doing is something other than celebrating the birthday of Jesus. And that's okay, but perhaps we should just call it for what it is and stop getting riled up about Jesus being "the reason for the season."
Many of you may know of the story of Mary and Martha. (see Luke 10:38-42) Martha was getting ready for a party (not a Christmas party, but a party to honor Jesus while he was visiting the Mary/Martha/Lazarus household), and she was "distracted with all her preparations" (can't you just imagine a modern-day Christmas party in the works?) while Mary was seated at the feet of Jesus listening to him teach. When Martha, no doubt as she breathlessly rushed by Jesus with a plate of cookies in her hand, complained about Mary not helping her, Jesus said, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her."
That "good part" is what nudges the back of mind during the holidays. Are we substituting our own ideas about Christmas for what Jesus considers to be good and true and lasting? It's just something to consider. . .at Christmas and always.
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Christmas Is a Commercial
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.
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 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.
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