Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Why does Christmas Day being on Sunday complicate things?

Why does Christmas Day being on Sunday complicate things? For one things a lot of businesses will have trouble shutting down or giving employees a courtesy day off. Typically, it is a time when families try to get together somehow. Yet, the day included in its very name is about Christ. Churches figure it to be a lesser attended day, because the uncommitted folks won't show up or may be swayed by non-believing family members into skipping. Ultimately, it tests our allegiance as believers to what the day is really about. The commercialism and secularism of the day face-off with the true meaning. It's not really about reindeer, the gifts and all the lights. It is about the Lamb of God coming to the world to take away the sin of the world. ---It's uncomfortable. It cramps our plans when the real story and our pretend story collides. ---Resurrection Sunday is celebrated in churches every week of the year. But how do we handle it when Resurrection Sunday meets Christmas Day...on the same day? This only happens once in a while, but it makes us think (if we will). It's painful to realize that many of us Christians have made it a secular (without God) day or family (without God) day. Christmas is about the birth of Christ, and you can't separate the Christ for why He came. And, the truth is, we do. Yet, we should never separate Christmas and the Resurrection. Oddly enough it should not complicate things, but rather it should simplify. He came, he died, and he was resurrected. What child is this? He is the Savior of the world!