As we approach Christmas, it’s easy to forget that it has become something of a secular festival in the UK. For most people, Christmas has become detached from the Christian story. Of course, the things that secular Christmas is focused on - family and feasting - are no bad thing. But I do think we should consider how to distinctively engage with this season of celebration.
I’m not suggesting we become Christmas grinches, spending our days decrying the commercialisation of Christmas on social media. But neither should we simply unthinkingly embrace everything this secular festival offers. I want to suggest five distinctive Christlike principles for approaching this time of year:
1. Hospitality. For most Brits, Christmas is about being with family. This is a great thing. But I think the New Testament vision of hospitality is bigger than our biological families. The New Testament provokes us to look beyond our immediate families, to practice generous hospitality with our Christian family and beyond. I’m reminded of Luke 14, where Jesus calls us to invite the poor and the outsider to our tables. How much are we willing to step outside our comfort zones to practice this distinctive Christlike hospitality?
2. Generosity. Much of the excitement around Christmas is around the annual gift-giving rituals. Again, this is no bad thing. This is probably the most socially acceptable time of year to give gifts. This is a perfect opportunity to model something of Christ’s radical generosity to those around us. I’m thinking of friends, neighbours and work colleagues. This is a great time to be thoughtfully generous to those around you.
3. Thanksgiving. It’s easy to be swept up in the culture of materialism around Christmas. This manifests itself in the subtle feeling that having more stuff will transform your life. Sure, presents are lovely, but it’s important to remember that they’re not life-changing. Instead, I’d suggest the correct posture is one of thanksgiving, where we thank God for his abundant generosity to us, in the big things and in the small gifts that we enjoy.
4. Healthy rest. There’s something important here about resting well. It’s easy to approach Christmas as a time to binge on food and boxsets. I often come away from Christmas having overindulged in both. I think we’ve misunderstood what true rest looks like. Real rest involves ceasing from work, enjoying time with other people, and making a conscious effort to engage with God. In him, we find true rest for our souls.
5. Christ-centred rituals. Perhaps this is more for those of you with young families. We want our Christmas celebrations to be Christ-centred. Father Christmas is getting no airtime in our house. Instead, we’re starting to tell the Christmas story using a crib scene. I love to think of families creatively coming up with rituals that point to the real story of Christmas. John and Noel Piper have some good ideas here.
Now, with all that, I think I can go back to enjoying my mulled wine!
I’m looking forward to gathering together on Sunday, for our last service together before Christmas. Do remember we’re only meeting in the morning!