I’m not particularly good at planning way ahead, but this Christmas is an exception. I’m starting to plan for Christmas now, and frankly because of this blog. Christmas is just 46 days away and we’ve got some great ideas to help make Christmas fun again.
But wait - Fun? Aren’t supply chain problems going to ruin Christmas? Don’t we need to scramble now so we have gifts under the tree? Christmas is fun because of gifts. Right?
Last time I checked, gifts are the main reason many of us get so stressed out at Christmas. Could there be a better way? Let’s find out together.
We’re not anti-gift giving, rather we’re pro fun. We think fun is often misunderstood and under utilized during the holidays. Fun can be a great anecdote for the stress, commercialization, expense, and most of all the lack of spiritual awareness at Christmastime.
What does fun have to do with spiritual awareness? Read on…
Remember when the angel first appeared to half awake shepherds in the hills around Bethlehem the night Jesus was born? Here’s what happened…
Luke 2: 8-14
That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby; guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” He said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior, yes, the Messiah, the Lord - has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.”
The Bible, NLT
So an angel came with a dm (direct message) from God that Christmas is and should be a time of great joy. Why? Because the baby born in a manger is God’s way of showing us he will go to any length to give us a way to know him and enjoy him - to have a relationship with him.
What happened next? We know that the shepherds headed out to find the baby, THE MESSIAH, so picture that. Do you think they just meandered down the hill to see what all the fuss was about? Or do you imagine they were running and jumping around in disbelief, laughing and slapping each other on the back, astounded that real glowing-in-the-dark-angels visited them, a bunch of nobodies. THAT was the first Christmas celebration. I bet those shepherds were still grinning ear to ear years later when they told Luke the story so he could write it down for all of us.
What does all that have to do with having fun this Christmas? Good news is usually followed by a celebration and if you think about it, celebrations are supposed to be fun and help us enjoy our relationships. Weddings, birthdays, graduation parties, etc., they involve our relationships and create memories that we often recount for years to come. They build our relationships. That’s what we’re determined to do this Christmas - build our relationship with God and each other as a first priority - in a way that will bring some much needed fun during this difficult time in our world.
How about we intentionally celebrate this Christmas by taking our cue from the shepherds? Let’s have fun by making time for wonder and astonishment at the great gift given to us. Let's remind each other that Christmas is supposed to fill us with joy. It’s our prayer that you will experience Jesus in new ways, whether you have believed in him for years or are just curious about who he really was. We have ideas for that! We even have giveaways coming up for that!
And let’s make this Christmas about a new kind of gift giving. These gifts aren’t expensive, aren’t hard to find, won’t be forgotten or taken to the thrift store next month, but will be fun. We have ideas for that! We even have some free downloads for that!
Come on, let’s make Christmas fun again!