Christmas Resolution #12:

Can we stop the trite and moronic Christian Christmas sayings this year. I’m not sure what they are trying to accomplish. They’re annoying and don’t change anything. Christmas was never meant to be an agenda. 

Jesus is the reason for the season!

Not any more. 

You can’t have Christmas without Christ!

Actually, you can. We as Americans do it every year.

Instead of trying to recapture a holiday that’s about worldliness and greed and wasn’t even the real time of Christ’s birth… let’s focus on Advent with contemplation and introspection. Everything else in this season just ends up being noise and busyness. If we seek contemplation, there’s no mad dash to shop. If we’re being introspective, we’re not bothered by Christmas trees being named Holiday trees.

Advent was the time of expectant waiting and preparation for the celebration of Christ’s arrival. It was about hopeful expectation. We’re not much different than the Jews of that day. They were waiting for a Messiah, we’re also waiting for Him. Over on Brian’s blog Rethinking Youth Ministry he has some great resources and ideas for an Advent focused season. They posts are for youth groups, but can easily be applied to your family (post 1 and post 2). There’s also a sweet Advent labyrinth here. 

So let’s stop the crap Christian sayings. Let’s give up the holiday and live in expectation. Let our lives reflect this expectation well beyond a season.

And we must also never forget what Steven Colbert says, “stop trying to take the Christ out of crystal lite… it’s delicious.”