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Archives For November 30, 1999

A real gift: Seeing grace in Christmas consumerism

Meredith Flynn —  December 11, 2014

Nick_RynersonCOMMENTARY | Nick Rynerson

It’s that time of year again. Christmas pageants, Advent sermons, beautifully lit homes, crowded malls, and—of course—television commercials showing you “the perfect gift for this holiday season.” Consumeristic binge-shopping and “once a year sales” have become as much a part of American Christmastime as trees, stockings, and the Nativity scene.

Modern Christians are quick to point out the gross consumerism that surrounds the celebration of Christ’s birth and we often viciously fight to curb and challenge Consumeristic Christmas™.

Perhaps rightfully so. As we all know, Christmas is more than just an excuse to spend money in excess, get together with family, and watch “It’s a Wonderful Life.” Christmas is a time to celebrate that God loved humanity enough to send His Son to free us from the unsolvable mess of sin we’d gotten into. Christmas marks the beginning of the end for humanity’s sin problem.

And, amazingly, we live in a culture that recognizes that.

Our culture may not recognize that they recognize it, but think about it for a second: probably almost everyone you know (if you live in the United States) changes up their life rhythms to spend prodigious amounts of money on other people, make an effort to get together with estranged relatives, and even go to church (sometimes)!

Christmas shoppingWhenever I think of how most non- Christian Americans celebrate the Christmas season, I’m deeply moved. The secular “holiday spirit” reminds me of Paul’s words to the Greek pagans in Acts 17:

“And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, for, ‘In him we live and move and have our being’; as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are indeed his offspring’” (Acts 17:26-28 ESV).

If we set aside our criticisms to consider the Christmastime shopping habits of most people, we will glimpse something that echoes the woman in Mark 14:3-8 who anointed Jesus’ feet with expensive oil—people spending reckless amounts of money on gifts for their children, parents, friends, and relatives. At the mall, masses of people seek to communicate the deep and Christ-reflecting love they have for their families and neighbors in the best way they know how: through gift-giving.

While there are clearly sin issues at play in American consumerism, let’s be encouraged that—at least at Christmas—the generosity of Jesus flows through our malls and checkbooks. And when we talk with our non-Christian neighbors about Jesus this Christmas season, we, like Paul, can affirm God’s image, God’s love, and God’s common grace in them.

Nick Rynerson is a staff writer for Christ and Pop Culture and works for Crossway Publishing in Wheaton.

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Can this baby make a difference?

Meredith Flynn —  December 8, 2014

Why my family puts a shoebox under the Christmas tree

HEARTLAND | Serena Butler

UNCLE BENNY – The Butler family remembers the best reason to celebrate Christmas.

UNCLE BENNY – The Butler family remembers the best reason to celebrate Christmas.

Where do babies come from? It’s a question children have been asking through the ages and one that parents have found some creative ways of answering. My family has a unique explanation for a baby’s arrival to its new family.

When my dad, Charles, was about two years old, his mother was expecting a baby. The day came for the birth, and the doctor was summoned to the farmhouse in northern Florida. My grandfather took my dad and his older sister out into the fields to take a walk so that they would not be in the house during the delivery. A little while later, when they returned home, my newborn Uncle Benny was there. Because the family did not have a cradle for the baby, Uncle Benny was placed in a shoebox. So, if you were to ask little Charles Butler where babies come from, he would tell you that the doctor brings them in a shoebox.

Seventy-five years ago, Benjamin Harrison Butler was born and placed in a box. Two thousand years ago, another baby was born and placed in a box. Benny was a gift to his family. Jesus was a gift to the world.

This is the time of year when Christians remember the gift of the Christ-child. We hang lights, put up trees, and buy gifts for one another. We plan special worship services and send cards to family and friends. But we must remember that Christmas would not exist if it weren’t for the crucifixion and resurrection. The birth means nothing without the death. For this is the gospel, that Jesus died for our sins and rose from the dead, conquering the power of sin in our lives.

Grace, mercy, forgiveness, and new life are the true gifts given through Christ. But we celebrate the gift at its beginning, the birth.

2 Corinthians 5:17-18 says, “The old life is gone; a new life has begun! And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him.” When we accept the gift, our life is changed forever. In fact we are given a new life. And this new life is a gift from God.

We know that. We have heard it through numerous sermons and devotions. We know it through our own life experiences. But how often do we ignore the next part? Once we have received the gift of salvation, we then are given the responsibility of passing that gift on to others. The verse tells us that we have been “given the task of reconciling people to him.” That means sharing the gospel.

Christmas shopping season is upon us. We will visit malls and shop online. Some of us will spend hours making gifts to be given to loved ones. But the clothes we give will be outgrown or wear out. The toys will break or be cast aside. The electronics will become outdated.

Jesus is the one gift that will never fade away. It is truly the best gift anyone could receive. Paul describes it this way: “Thank God for this gift too wonderful for words!” (2 Corinthians 9:15)

A few years ago, my dad told the story of Uncle Benny’s birth to his Sunday school class. He also related it to the birth of Christ and how he was placed in a box. A few weeks later the class gave my dad a present. It was a baby doll in a shoebox to represent both Uncle Benny and the baby Jesus.

Now, if you were to visit the Butler home at Christmas and look under the tree, you would see a baby doll, dressed in blue, in a shoebox. He is named Uncle Benny, but he is a reminder to our family that the greatest gift of all is Jesus, a baby who was born and placed in a box. It is also a reminder that the baby should not stay with us, but we should be giving Jesus to others.

So, as you look for that perfect gift this Christmas, don’t overlook the gift you already possess. Jesus is the gift that is always the right size, won’t wear out or go out of style, and will be exactly what they were wishing for.

Serena Butler is Upper Midwest regional manager for Operation Christmas Child. She formerly served as IBSA’s director of missions awareness and Illinois WMU.

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A Christmas Devotional Journey: Week 5

Meredith Flynn —  December 30, 2013

Christmas_bannerWeek 5: Home to obscurity

Read Matthew 2:19-25

Once again Joseph is the unsung hero. He is sensitive to God’s leading as he takes his stepson Jesus home. Joseph dreams, angels speak, God warns, Joseph turns. If anyone can say “wherever He leads, I’ll go,” it’s Joseph.

The carpenter sets up shop in Nazareth. He makes a home there with his young wife and “their” boy. And the Son of God lives in obscurity for the next 30 years.

“What good can come of Nazareth?” one disciple would ask later as Jesus emerged into public ministry. Well, to answer the question, the Messiah.

God chooses “the sticks” as the place to bring up the Savior of the World. And he chooses a rough-hewn woodworker to serve as His Son’s stepdad. And He chooses as his mother a little-known young woman whose only qualification is to say “whatever you want is fine with me” when an angel announces God’s wonderous plan.

In this obscurity, God quietly works to rescue remote, undeserving people. The King of Kings is willing to move to our neck of the woods, to endure obscurity, embrace humanity, and suffer ignominy on Calvary for our redemption.

Pray Lord, take your rightful place over all Your creation. Reign over my life this Christmas and always. Amen.

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A Christmas Devotional Journey: Week 4

Meredith Flynn —  December 23, 2013

Christmas_bannerWeek 4: Sad prophecy fulfilled

Read Matthew 2:16-18

This is the saddest part of the Christmas story. And for many people, it’s also the most uncomfortable. Some Bibles use as a heading for this passage “slaughter of the innocents.” Why would God allow such a horrible event to follow such a joyful one?

Herod is angered because the Wise Men do not return. He exacts his revenge on Bethlehem. Fearful of being deposed, he seeks to eliminate his replacement. Scholars debate the number of boy babies slain, but given the size of Bethlehem, it is probably between 20 and 40.

Anyone who has lost a loved one knows the anguish of even one death. Multiply that by dozens, and we can only imagine the grief in Bethlehem.
What is God’s point? Look at the tragedy in Bethlehem as a great and pitiful word picture.

God wants us to know that sending His Son into the world is exceedingly joyful and deeply sorrowful. Contrast Christmas morning and Good Friday night: Angels sing as they welcomed his birth; sinners weep at their Savior’s sacrifice.

The joy of our salvation has a high price.

Pray Lord, thank you for sending Jesus. I begin now to understand what it cost him – and You.

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A Christmas Devotional Journey: Week 3

Meredith Flynn —  December 16, 2013

Christmas_bannerWeek 3: Conspiracy threatens monarch

Read Matthew 2:12-15

The Magi give the infant Jesus gifts fit for a king–and for a dead man. Like giving a life insurance policy to a newborn, these men who studied the prophecy present oils and spices used in embalming. At his birth, their gifts predict his death. How strange.

The gold will surely be helpful when Joseph scoops up his young family and flees in order to save their lives. They will need cash for the journey – food for themselves and the donkey. And they will need living expenses while in Egypt. God knew that and made arrangements ahead of time. But why equip them with frankincense and myrrh?

Joseph probably regifted the unusual gifts, or sold them, because they were very valuable. Even after the funeral gifts are gone, they remind Mary and Joseph that this Child has a special purpose in the world. Somehow, it is connected to life and death.

Mary ponders these things in her heart: Angels, shepherds, star, royalty, gifts fit for a funeral.

Pray Lord, as we celebrate Jesus’ birth, remind us also of his death, because the Christmas cradle is pointless without the Cross.

We’ll post a new devotional here every Monday; read them all in the Nov. 25 issue of the Illinois Baptist, online here.

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Red and green and blue

Meredith Flynn —  December 12, 2013

200371625-001For many at Christmas, ‘merry and bright’ doesn’t come easy

COMMENTARY | Meredith Flynn

“I think there must be something wrong with me, Linus. Christmas is coming, but I’m not happy. I don’t feel the way I’m supposed to feel.”

Charlie Brown is in a holiday funk. By the end of his half-hour special, his spirit is lifted by a spindly tree
and a retelling of the Christmas story by his friend Linus, with blue blanket in tow of course.

It’s not always that easy, or that quick. For millions struggling with the holiday blues, Christmas joy is hard to find. But there is hope, David Jeremiah wrote in a column titled “Wonderful Counselor.”

“Our Lord Jesus is the Christ of Christmas present, and He wants to deliver you from the Christmas blues, too.”

Thanksgiving at Christmas
Holidays are difficult for people for a number of reasons, Christian counselor Molly Ondrey said. Some may be overwhelmed by busyness or the financial pressure of the season. Others who have lost loved ones face a “new normal” at Christmas. Unmet expectations of what the holidays should look like can bring on the blues.

“They think back to a happier, merrier time,” said Ondrey, who works at Pathways Counseling in central Illinois. If the usual traditions of gathering around the Christmas tree or opening gifts together have changed, she added, people ask, “Now what?”

And it may not be obvious that someone is struggling.

“A lot of times, what people do is isolate when they’re depressed,” Ondrey said. They might need a
friend to reach out. A church family can help with the loneliness of the holidays by creating new
memories. Offer to be a listening ear, or to help someone put up a Christmas tree, or invite someone to
be part of your Christmas celebration, she advised.

Some churches plan a “Blue Christmas” or “Longest Night” service as a time to remember loved ones they’ve lost, and to focus on the hope Jesus brought into the world.

Finding a new focus is important in combating holiday depression, Ondrey said. Falling into “automatic
negative thinking” happens frequently when people are feeling down. Focusing on the blessings God has given, new memories that can be made, and the birth and hope of Christ might help improve a perspective.

I’m just stressed
Charlie Brown’s complaint – “I don’t feel the way I’m supposed to feel” – can result from holiday busyness too. The American Psychological Association reported in 2011 that up to 69% of people feel strapped for time and money during the holidays, and 51% feel pressure about the gifts they give and receive.

Create memories that are cost-effective, Ondrey advised. Watch a Christmas movie, go caroling, read
the Christmas story in Luke 2, go on a drive to check out holiday lights, or attend a special church service.

She also gave some practical tips for fighting off the holiday blahs. For example, eat healthy and stay active. And take charge of your schedule by saying no when needed.

Consider reaching out for extra help if holiday depression is interfering with your normal, everyday functioning at work or home, Ondrey said, if your depression occurs for an extended period of time, if you have thoughts of self-harm, or if your support system is limited.

For more information about Pathways, a ministry of Illinois Baptist Children’s Home and Family Services, call:
• (618) 624-4060 | Metro East
• (217) 483-2222 | Central Illinois
• (618) 382-3907 | Southeastern Illinois

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A Christmas Devotional Journey: Week 2

Meredith Flynn —  December 9, 2013

Christmas_bannerWeek 2: Caravan heads to ‘nowhere’

Read Matthew 2:7-11

How hollow is Herod’s declaration that he wants to worship the new king, especially knowing the murder he harbored in his heart. His whole lifestyle is threatened by a mewling babe. Herod is only a half-Jew, an Edomite, and his reign on the throne of David is
illegitimate in the eyes of his subjects.

So when Herod says he wants to come see the newborn monarch, we know he has no intention to bow before his replacement.

In stark contrast, the royal advisors from the East worship even before they see him. They are like Abraham and Moses and others who believed in God’s Promise, even without seeing the Christ. The Magi rejoice when the star appears over Jesus’ birthplace, even before they set eyes on the Child. They rejoice “with exceeding great joy.”

The Magi celebrate the promise; then they bow before its fulfillment. They give him gifts fit for a king.

Pray Lord, help me to be a true worshiper this Christmas, setting nothing above You. Let me celebrate the Promise of God, even before I see its fulfillment.

We’ll post a new devotional here every Monday; read them all in the Nov. 25 issue of the Illinois Baptist, online here.

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Nativity and atheist sign vie for visibility at the Illinois Capitol

Meredith Flynn —  December 3, 2013
The 2012 nativity scene at the Illinois Capitol.

The 2012 nativity scene at the Illinois Capitol.

THE BRIEFING | Meredith Flynn

The nativity scene in the Illinois Capitol’s rotunda will be unveiled today, likely near a “winter solstice” sign placed there over the weekend by the Freedom from Religion Foundation.

The sign reads: “At this season of THE WINTER SOLSTICE may reason prevail. There are no gods, no devils, no angels, no heaven or hell. There is only our natural world. Religion is but myth and superstition that hardens hearts and enslaves minds.”

Atheist blogger Hemant Mehta said “viewpoint equality” is the key issue in the dueling displays. “If Christian groups are allowed to put displays up in the Capitol building, then atheist groups can as well…” he wrote about the sign.

The nativity scene, now in its sixth year, is privately funded and organized by the Springfield Nativity Scene Committee. Thomas More Society, a law firm that specializes in religious liberty matters, calls the scene “classic free speech” in a release on its website.

“The SNSC’s primary goal is to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.  But its secondary mission is to proclaim and demonstrate to the public and to the media alike (statewide and nationwide) that such private expressions of religious belief in the public squares of our nation are not merely tolerated but fully deserving of robust legal protection.”

Read more at thomasmoresociety.org and christianpost.com.

Other news:

Tornado relief efforts continue
Disaster Relief chainsaw teams currently are serving in Washington, Ill., and surrounding areas, but are expected to complete their work by the end of this week, said Illinois Disaster Relief coordinator Rex Alexander. Since the outbreak of tornadoes Nov. 17, volunteers have helped with clean-up, provided childcare, and met emotional and spiritual needs as chaplains. A feeding team served for nearly two weeks in Peoria, preparing meals for storm responders and victims. Click here to donate to Illinois Disaster Relief.

Supreme Court to consider Hobby Lobby case
Baptist Press reports the U.S. Supreme Court will consider next year whether business owners can exercise religious freedom by objecting to the abortion/contraceptive mandate in President Obama’s healthcare reform package. The mandate requires employers to cover abortion-inducing drugs in their employee health care plans.

Craft retailer Hobby Lobby and its sister corporation Mardel found favor in an appeals court, but Mennonite-owned Pennsylvania business Conestoga Wood Specialties was ruled against in a similar case. The Supreme Court consolidated the cases and will hear oral arguments next year, with a decision expected by he court’s summer adjournment, according to Baptist Press.

“This legal challenge has always remained about one thing and one thing only: the right of our family businesses to live out our sincere and deeply held religious convictions as guaranteed by the law and the Constitution,” Hobby Lobby founder David Green said in a written release. “Business owners should not have to choose between violating their faith and violating the law.”

Read the full story at BPNews.net.

Americans weigh in on end-of-life issues
A new poll by Pew Research found 66% of Americans say there are circumstances where a patient should be allowed to die, but a growing number of people believe medical staff should do everything possible to save the life of a patient in all circumstances.

Religious beliefs play a role in what people think about the issues, Pew found. 42% of white evangelical Protestants and black Protestants say a person has a moral right to suicide if he or she is in a great deal of pain with no hope of improvement, compared to 62% of all adults surveyed.

Read more about the survey at PewForum.org, and check out Religion News Service’s analysis by Cathy Lynn Grossman here.

Week of Prayer for International Missions is Dec. 1-8Go to IMB.org for daily prayer guides, missionary stories, and creative ways to mark the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering in your church.

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A Christmas Devotional Journey: Week 1

Meredith Flynn —  December 2, 2013

Christmas_bannerWeek 1: Royal advisors seek new leader

Read Matthew 2:1-6

The journey to the hospital for a baby’s birth is familiar: suitcase packed and sitting by the door, route laid out. First-time parents rehearse the trip, often with comic results.

But the journey is actually serious stuff. Suppose the route is unclear or the destination unknown. Only the urgency of birth would force someone to set out on such an uncertain journey.

These advisors to an eastern ruler set out in search of a new king. They traveled by day and checked their coordinates at night. All they have to go on is an ancient prophecy and the strange and wonderful star that recently appeared.

But a promise is enough to keep them moving.

How odd it seems that these Magi who are not followers of Yahweh should believe and take action, and Herod, who should have known the prophecy in detail, is apparently ignorant of the Messiah or the place of tiny Bethlehem in his coming.

Pray Lord, help me to hold tightly to your promises and to move ahead because of them.

We’ll post a new Christmas devotional by Eric Reed every Monday; read them all in the Nov. 25 issue of the Illinois Baptist, online here.

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O Come, O Come Emmanuel

Meredith Flynn —  December 25, 2012

And ransom captive Israel
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, thou day-spring, come and cheer
Our spirits by thine advent here.
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night,
And death’s dark shadows put to flight.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, O come, thou Lord of might,Who to thy tribes on Sinai’s height,
In ancient times did’st give the Law,
In cloud, and majesty and awe.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

(“O Come, O Come Emmanuel,” original author unknown)

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