From Beliefnet:
Advent Prayer, Day 7: Embracing JesusSaturday December 5, 2009
Categories: Advent, Advent Prayer, Bible, Jesus
By Claudia Mair Burney
Saturday, the first week of Advent
"Now there was a man in Jerusalem named Simeon; this man was righteous and devout, looking forward to the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit rested on Him. It had been revealed by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Messiah. Guided by the Spirit, Simeon came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him what was customary under the law, Simeon took Him in His arms and praised God..." Luke 2:25-28
This story is often overlooked in the Christmas narrative, but its importance can't be underestimated. Simeon was a just man who listened to the promptings of the Holy Spirit. God had promised this old, faithful servant would never see death until the Messiah was revealed. I'm certain the Mary and Joseph didn't announce, "Hey, this is Him. He's the One. You don't even have to bless Him like these other babies. No, they arrived and did what all Jewish parents did. But there was something about the life and faith of Simeon that prepared Him for the special revelation he received. God rewarded him for His fidelity. When he took a child who looked so very ordinary in His arms, the Child revealed Who He was. Imagine what will happen in our lives when we live right and embrace Jesus.
Beloved Consolation,
The just man Simeon lived for You in a way that I only dream of. Help me to be as faithful as I can be. Your Holy Spirit rested upon Him. Let Your sweet Spirit hover around me, as in Creation the Spirit brooded upon the face of the waters. I open my arms, and my heart to you. Come into my embrace, dear infant Jesus. Reveal to me who You are, as You respond to my love and receptivity. And should You be so gracious to grant this favor, I will give you all the glory forever.
"Come, Lord Jesus."
Read more: http://blog.beliefnet.com/prayerplainandsimple/2009/12/advent-prayer-day-7-embracing-jesus.html#ixzz17D4aAtNw
Day Seven:
Down With Santa?
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above.
James 1:17
Better watch out: Santa Claus is coming to town, and not everyone's happy about it. While some parents think he helps teach kids about generosity and the spirit of Christmas, others worry that the idea of Santa encourages materialism and greed. Two noted Christian writers square off on the man in red.
In Defense of Santa's Values
A 6-year-old boy asserted confidently that God and Santa are next-door neighbors. He might not be far from the truth.
BY: Richard Mouw
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In an essay I read a while back, a social scientist described an American visitor to Japan who was walking through a Tokyo department store during the Christmas season. It was obvious the Japanese had begun to make considerable use of the Christmas symbols that are all-too-familiar to Westerners. But the visitor was not prepared for one combination of images he encountered: Santa Claus nailed to a cross.
I have heard enough sermons condemning the commercialization of Christmas to know what some Christian thinkers would make of this composite image. Here we have in a stark display, they would tell us, a symbol of all that is bad about our Christmas celebrations. Not only have we taken the Christ out of Christmas, we have even taken him down from the Cross--to be replaced by a symbol of the worst of Yuletide greed.
Behold, Santa Claus, the new consumerist savior!
While I have no desire to endorse all that is associated with holiday commercialism, I am not fully convinced by Santa's Christian critics. To be sure, the commercialization of Christmas is an obvious fact of contemporary life. But there is often a breakthrough in the Christmas season of something very different: We might call it the "Christmas-ization of commerce." In the midst of all the consumerist hoopla, there are genuine outbreaks of goodwill and a sacrificial spirit. And when this happens, Santa Claus sometimes serves a large and noble purpose.
Actually, the perspective of the Tokyo merchandiser who put Santa on a cross isn't so far removed from that of our own children. In her book "Flights of Fancy, Leaps of Faith," Cindy Dell Clark reports on interviews she conducted with children about their favorite holiday legends. She discovered a strong desire to integrate the Santa story with the Christian narrative. Not only did the children think of Santa as a guide to moral development ("He knows if you've been bad or good"), they also linked him directly to the God of the Bible. One 6-year-old boy asserted confidently that God and Santa are next-door neighbors. A girl of the same age reported that Santa distributes his gifts on direct orders from the Lord.
I think these children are on to something. While Santa Claus certainly has a prominent marketing role in the Christmas season, that is not the whole of his job description. The reductionist view of Santa as a mere consumer icon can only be sustained by assuming a similarly reductionist view of human nature.
We humans are not mere consumers. We are driven by deeper impulses than those shaped by market forces. St. Augustine put it well as he addressed God in the opening paragraph of his "Confessions": "Thou hast made us for Thyself, and our hearts are restless until they rest in Thee." During the Christmas season, our need for such things as belonging, forgiveness, and security can surface in dramatic ways. And none of our often frantic attempts to surround ourselves with sights and sounds and tastes of a consumerist culture can really speak to the longings that arise from the deep places in our souls.
Long ago, Santa Claus began his career as a fourth-century Christian bishop who was named a saint after his death. Saint Nicholas was known for his love of gift-giving, especially to children. The story goes that in the dark of night he would leave gifts at the houses of those in need. He came to be admired as a servant of a gospel that teaches us that even though we have rebelled against God, He has graciously offered a salvation that we could never find by our own efforts. As time went on, the legends expanded, and Saint Nicholas evolved into our present-day Santa Claus. And while Santa Claus does get co-opted for many purposes these days, he has never completely abandoned his commitment to moral accountability and unselfish giving.
Unlike much of the other mythology that has built up around the Christmas celebration, the original Christmas story, telling about a heaven-sent Savior who was born at Bethelem, has the marvelous feature of being true. There really is, as the angel told the shepherds, "good news of great joy for all the people."
The Tokyo merchandiser was surely wrong in suggesting that Santa Claus could die for our sins. In important ways, though, the man in the red suit still does minister on the side of the angels. So it is not so far-fetched to think that Santa can at least point us to that wonderful gift that was made possible by the one who did go from the manger to the cross.
Give Him the (Big Black) Boot
Yes, you can have Christmas without Santa. Yes, you should. Here's why.
BY: Frederica Mathewes-Green
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Close the damper, quick! If there's one thing your kids don't need this Christmas, it's Santa. The notion that someone, somewhere, has access to unlimited material goods, and can shower them around at will, would be hazardously intoxicating to just about anybody who believed it. (Picture it: your boss sends around a memo that the magic Lexus fairy will be visiting the office Christmas party with goodies for everyone.)
Yes, you can have Christmas without Santa. Yes, you should. Here are a few why's, followed by a few how's.
First, it's a big fat lie. What kind of an example are you setting here? How stupid are your kids going to feel when they realize they fell for this? What else of what you taught them are they going to doubt? Your kids should know that your word is always good and that they can rely on it without question every day of their lives.
Second, the Santa myth teaches kids ingratitude. You want your older children never to acknowledge your gifts? Enjoy the idea of never getting a thank-you note or any thoughtfulness in return? Santa-talk is a good way to start them on that path. They learn that goodies just magically appear and don't cost anybody anything. Their role in life is just to open packages and enjoy.
It also teaches greed. We may say piously that we want our children to develop just and generous virtues, but filling them with images of a toy-wielding potentate with a lifetime pass on eToys will knock all that flatter than Kansas.
Finally, how about your kids' spiritual development? You may be trying to help your children apprehend the wonder of an unseen God, trying to inculcate subtle awe. But the kid can
see
Santa--he's right there at the mall. Which one seems realer? Does anybody get their photo taken sitting on God's lap? Who dresses up in a God suit?
Santa's tangibility makes him seem a better bet to kids than vague old God. Santa lives at the North Pole. God lives in heaven. Which one can the kid find on a map? You write letters to Santa. You say prayers to God. Which seems like a more effective way to communicate?
Santa has another unfair advantage over God: He's imaginary. Lots of us could easily be more appealing if we existed only in fantasy. But why would you encourage your kids to dwell in fantasy, to place their trust and hope in something that isn't true, especially when its gaudy glow makes God seem irrelevant and pale?
It's possible to do without Santa. One first step could be to substitute the "real" Santa, St. Nicholas of Myra, and celebrate his feast in a pre-emptive strike on December 6. There are plenty of stories about St. Nicholas beyond the one about coins tossed into children's shoes; he was called, after all, "the Wonder-Worker." Storybooks can help your kids appreciate the courage of this beloved hero of Christians east and west. The real guy is a better example than Old Goodiebags; he's a man of courage and compassion, and the kind of person you'd like your kids to know.
With St. Nicholas, an actual historical figure, reliably in place, you can break it to your kids that the other guy, Santa-in-the-chimney, is just for fun. Explain that grown-ups get such a kick out of seeing kids excited about him that they can't resist spinning the tale--but that it's kind of unfair, like a joke at the kid's expense. Tell them that the world is wonderful enough, and the realities of faith are awesome enough, that made-up stories like that aren't necessary.
But kids need to be prepared for the grown-ups they'll run into who will assume they believe in Santa, and who will want to play the "Santa game" with them. Tell them to go along with it for the grown-up's sake, so the grown-up can get a thrill.
Likewise, kids should know that they must
never
hint to another child the truth about Santa if the child still believes. That's between that kid and his parents.
It can be tempting to jump on the Santa bandwagon. We grown-ups may also wish that magical goodies would drop into our lives with no strings attached. But which one--God or Santa--is going to matter more, and make kids happier, in the long run?
Santa knows everything everyone does and gives presents. God knows everything everyone does and gave his Son. "Santa Claus is coming to town." "Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him" (Revelation 1:7). Which one is true?
Christmas is about something better than free presents, something that has the tremendous advantage of being real and resonating with eternal consequences. Push Santa aside for a minute. See that manger?
The Year Santa Claus Skipped Our House
Our children's letters to the North Pole had turned into lists of demands, so we told them Santa wouldn't be coming.
BY: Lucy McCue Allan
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It was a magical Christmas that year long ago, when our wide-eyed, pajama-clad toddlers were captivated by their first encounter with Santa--a.k.a. my husband, Pat. Five years later we seemed to be having a less than magical Christmas. Our three oldest sons, Michael, 11, Matthew, 10, and Kevin, almost 9, were much too sophisticated to believe in Santa Claus--though they tried to keep up the pretense for their little sister, Patsy, and two younger brothers, Darin and Brady. Early in November, television commercials started promoting the latest greatest toys, and Christmas catalogues found their way to our mailbox. The children pored over the pages, coveting the toys.
What began as a simple letter to Santa soon became a long list of advertised products complete with explanations of desired features. Their wish lists sounded more like demands. Every day we were bombarded with a repetitive chorus of what they wanted for Christmas. "I want a Star Wars Millennium Falcon!" "I want a G.I. Joe action figure!" "I want a Hess truck with the motor that whirs and lights that blink!" "I want a Hess truck, too, and a doll with real tears!"
"You want, you want!" I exclaimed in frustration. "Well, we don't want to hear it anymore!" Pat and I decided we had to take drastic action to bring their focus back to the real spirit of Christmas. We gathered the children together in the kitchen, and Pat made the announcement. "Because of the way you have been behaving, Santa will not be coming to our house this year!" There was silence.
For a few moments they just stared in disbelief. Finally, in a voice sounding very close to tears, Darin asked, "You mean we aren't going to have any Christmas?"
"Oh yes, we are going to have Christmas," we explained, "and it will be a very special Christmas. This year we're going celebrate the real meaning of Christmas, not by getting presents but by giving presents to some people who are not as fortunate as you are." Come Christmas morning, our gaily decorated tree stood in its corner, but instead of the usual presents there was only the small crèche--the stable with the tiny figures of Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus--standing alone and prominent under the tree.
We went to church together, then came home and enjoyed a quiet, but festive family Christmas dinner. Then we cleared the dining room table and laid out piles of candies, dried fruits, personal-size bottles of shaving cream, lotions, colognes, and lots of bright Christmas wrapping paper and ribbons. We had contacted a nursing home and learned that there would be 26 residents on Christmas Day without any families to visit them. The director assured us that the children would be welcome.
We all worked together assembling packages. Christmas music played softly on the stereo, a log crackled in the fireplace, and large white snowflakes began drifting past the windows. The children's enthusiasm grew--as did their questions.
"Why are these people in a nursing home? Don't they have any families? Why can't their families take care of them?"
It was nearly dark by the time we finished wrapping, and we realized that the snow was piling up on the ground outside. We quickly arranged the presents in baskets, bundled the children in warm clothes, and piled into the car.
By the time we reached the nursing home, most of the residents had retired to their rooms, so the children delivered their gifts to each room, taking time to talk and visit.
On the way home they were so excited they all started talking at once. "Mom, they really liked the gifts!" "They kept thanking us for the presents and thanking us for coming!" "One lady said we were like her grandchildren but they live in California and she never gets to see them!" "Mom, one man said that we gave him the best Christmas he ever had!" It was an experience they never forgot!
We didn't do away with the idea of presents altogether. Since the children were so good about our alternative Christmas, we surprised them with gifts on January 6--the Feast of the Epiphany, which celebrates the arrival of the three wise men.
The following year, we decided to build on the children's new-found spirit of giving. We told them that instead of presents from Santa, their gifts would come from each other, and gave them the opportunity to earn money for gifts by doing extra chores in the house. It was amazing to see the industry with which they scrubbed floors, swept stairs, shoveled snow and kept asking for more work as they counted their earnings. Then came the fun part: shopping for just the right gifts. They pored over catalogs again, but this time they weren't looking for themselves.
This year they were thinking about what their brother or sister might want. Of course, there were the normal "dropping of hints" and pointing out toys they each "would really love to have." But, instead of the repetitive chorus of "I want, I want," we heard, "Wait till Patsy sees what I got for her!" "I found just what Matthew really wants!" "Brady's going to love the present I'm giving him!"
What a wonderful thing it was to see them so much more excited about what they were giving rather than what they were getting! They even had presents for me, and I saw the true joy of the spirit of Christmas in their eyes as they looked up at me saying, "Do you like it, Mom? Do you really like it?"
Our children are all adults now. They have their own lives, and some are starting their own families. Yet they continue to find ways to share their gifts and their time with people who are less fortunate. In the last few years, Christmas has included buying books for an inner-city school, helping a single mom buy toys for her children, adopting a child in Africa, and spending Christmas Day playing basketball with young teenagers confined to an institution.
Even though we all live in different corners of the country, we still come together each year to celebrate Christmas. We gather around the tree, and one by one the gifts are presented--some as elaborate as a computer, some as humble as a homemade card and a hug--all accepted with the same wonderful appreciation. And each year I again see the joyful magic and spirit of Christmas alive in their eyes as they present their gifts to me and ask, "Do you like it, Mom? Do you really like it?"
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