Saturday, December 22, 2007

Is It OK for Christians to Give Gifts?


The Wall Street Journal published a small article about the history of Christmas yesterday. If you read this blog often you know I like the WSJ. It has some great articles and this one is insightful and stimulates thought.
I prefer Easter to Christmas when it comes to theology. However, the galloping greed we see on display each Christmas is a good way for God to show the world that narcissism never satisfies. This time of year is probably a better time for evangelism than is Easter but both holidays (Holy Days) are centered on miracles.
Easter also fits better with the theme of eradicating sin, guilt, bondage and condemnation.

But at Christmas we have much better music. No, I don't mean the songs about Rudolph, Momma Kissing Santa Claus and having a Blue Christmas, I am referring to Silent Night and all the tunes about angels and stars. Even the radical secularists who fear even showing a poinsettia on government grounds has to hum these old tunes when no one is listening.

I hope the creative class will get busy and ask God to inspire many more great Christmas songs. There may be no better way to touch the hearts of a rapidly declining culture than through the arts, especially music. Several years ago I collaborated with C. Harry Causey to write a song about Communion. (Break the Bread, Serve the Wine) I was inspired by the fact that we have about exhausted that genre of music and encountering the Lord in His Supper is so wonderful.

So I wish you all a Merry Mass of Christ. (Christmas) and a very happy Holy Day!

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