Out of Season

On Thursday past (2/15/07), I was investigating faith-based podcasts for Gooseberry Lane and for another blog I started, CHOOSE CT Teens. In the midst of this search, I found a website called FaithStreams...Light for the Journey. Now, I have no idea of the overall quality of this site, having just encountered it; however, it did seem to have a rather extensive section on holidays/holy days. Being the celebratory nut that I am, I had to check it out. Being the Christmas nut that I am, I checked that link first. This is one of the items that caught my eye:

Questions for the Twelve Days of Christmas

1. Is Christmas a time of spiritual renewal for you?

2. Which receives the most attention in your household at Christmas, the “advent” of Santa Claus or of Jesus Christ?

3. Do you feel pressured at Christmas --- by the media, friends, and relatives --- to do things and spend in ways that do not honor the birth of Christ?

4. Are you comfortable with the gift-giving patterns of your family? Does your spending for Christmas reflect your faith?

5. The Gospels say that Christ’s coming was “good news to the poor.” Are your celebrations of His coming also “good news to the poor?”

6. Should your church provide resources and encouragement for members who want to find new ways to celebrate Christmas?

7. Santa is supposed to bring gifts to those who are good and not to those who are bad. What do you think that says to children who are too poor to get Christmas presents?

8. Do you find it ironic that some of the most popular gifts to children at the celebration of the birth of the Prince of Peace are war toys?

9. Three-fourths of advertising dollars are spent in the last quarter of the year. Does all that advertising influence the way you celebrate Christmas?

10. Is the environment better or worse off because of the way you celebrate Christmas?

11. When the bills came last January and February, did you wish you had spent less in December?

12. At the conclusion of last year’s celebration, did you wish your Christmas celebrations had been more in keeping with your faith and values? Do you want to resist the commercialization of Christmas?

Surprisingly enough (or maybe not so surprising), this list of questions had a reference line that read “Resources for responsible living and celebrating since 1973. Since 1973. Apparently, mine is not the first generation to be challenged by the commercialization of Christmas. Somehow, that does not surprise me.

Anyway, I just thought I would throw this list out there for consideration, even though it is out of season. Check back, soon. Maybe I will have a thought-provoking list for Lent in the next few days.