I'm Dreaming of a Calm Christmas (Part 2)

Maybe it is because I have been reading Edith Schaeffer ("L'abri" and "What is a Family") that I have been thinking about Christianity lived out in the whole of life.  It seems that in the last 30 years or so there has been a trend in our country to divide the religious from the secular in all the aspects of daily living.  The Christian part of our lives is church, or Bible reading or prayer time, ministry activities...you know, Christian stuff.  Secular activities are everything else.

But Edith Schaeffer got me thinking about living the Christian life in the 'whole' of life...where all aspects of your life are lived for the glory of God.  I think that Brother Lawrence (a 16th century monk) said it best...

"The time of business does not with me differ from the time of prayer, and in the noise and clatter of my kitchen, while several persons are at the same time calling for different things, I possess God as if I were upon my knees at the blessed sacrament."

Embracing God in the whole of life.  All aspects of life.  Or as Paul said,

"Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God." (1 Corinthians 10:31).

So what does all this have to do with planning a saner, more God centered Christmas? Plenty!  If I want to celebrate Christmas to the glory of God, in the whole of life, I am not going to separate my celebration into God categories and secular categories. I want to do EVERYTHING to the glory of God.

This automatically simplifies things, because there will be some activities that I won't be doing.  For instance, I won't be at the movie theater watching the latest Hollywood Christmas movie that leaves me feeling like I have to take a bath after I watch it, I may prefer to stay home with my husband and watch "It's a Wonderful Life" on DVD. I won't be over shopping and spending more money on gifts than I have, because that would not glorify God nor honor the recipient.  I will work on giving more from the heart...for instance, a grandchild that loves my rosebud teapot may find it tucked among her gifts this year.  I may choose not to participate in a cookie exchange...not because it is a bad thing, but because it may glorify God more if I free up that time to visit a widow, quietly listen to Christmas hymns, or take grandchildren for a ride on the Cody Trolley. You get the picture. Every activity is reevaluated by the criteria of whether or not God is glorified in it.    

So this Christmas, don't try to do everything.  Pick and choose...pray about it.  And 'whatsoever ye do', whether it be the church candlelight service, the trolley ride to look at all your neighbor's Christmas decorations, the children's Christmas program at church, praying, going to the town tree lighting ceremony, shopping, decking the halls, time with family and friends, the Nutcracker ballet, reading the book of Luke, baking...WHATSOEVER YE DO, this Christmas do it ALL to the glory of God!  DLB