All tagged holidays
As you are planning events for the spring, general seasonal-themed events or ones focusing on local interests or holidays are good to consider. Bridge events create community on multiple levels: within our own churches by giving an opportunity for new members to get to know people as well as building bridges between our congregation and the community.
Should the church wage war against society in order to enforce a more pious remembrance? I think not. But perhaps a better question to ask is this: what would it look like for Christians to embrace the true meaning of Christmas?
Like many of your families, we have an extravagant meal do the whole routine of “Let’s go around the table and everyone share something they are thankful for.” We resolve to be more thankful throughout the year. And we do the same thing the next year. So how do we live in thanksgiving in between holiday celebrations?
One idea to reach the community is through outreach events, or “bridge events.” These events are designed to invite neighbors, colleagues, and community members, giving them a chance to come through our doors. The fall and winter seasons are great times to plan some of these events.
As we wean ourselves off the holiday season, there is a part of me that wonders what it would be like to embody year-round the excitement of the season that celebrates the birth of Jesus.
No matter what feelings the holidays bring up for you, I pray you have a moment where time stands still, and the love of heaven descends upon you.
Our youngest son’s birthday is next week. When he first arrived on the scene, he emanated joy from within. Still does! How might we bomb those around us with joy this week?
Like an insurgency amid a people we are trying to free, Christmas has decided to go to war with our ideas of Christmas. We are, I’m sad to say, fighting a war on two fronts.
As the light of Christ streams in the window, lighting the room of our lives, let us notice what the light illuminates, yet not spend glorious, God-given energy attempting perfection in what is the Lord’s to complete.
A Grateful Haiku:
Gratitude unties
resentment’s tangle leaving
fresh eyes for God’s gifts.
I do not know what the future holds for these kids, but my gifts to them are no longer about Christmas; they’re a statement of my hopes and dreams that they will be great.
Before you join with your leadership team to set congregational goals for the new year, find some quality time for prayerful reflection and discernment.
We tend to think about wilderness as a place, but a shack is a visible reminder that wilderness is a force, always pushing back against order and security.
For the first time in my life I am having to balance the grief that comes with loss and the joy of the Christmas season.
Before we completely throw him under the bus, let’s consider what Santa Claus brings to the Christmas table.
May I suggest that we reevaluate our opinion of the season and use it for the cause of Christ?
Yes, I absolutely am that person. I love Christmas so much that I celebrate it all year long. Here is how I make that work for me.
In lieu of fresh material today, I have gathered several posts that reflect on Thanksgiving, gratitude, table fellowship, and food.
Being a dad is hard. With two sons, and a third on the way, I’m learning daily just how hard this calling is.
I invite you to share in some of the lessons I have learned from this man who in many ways has been a spiritual giant in my life.
