Escape and Participate

What "makes" your Christmas? Is it the...

Music
Decorations
Presents
Parties
Family Gatherings
A Church Service

Ceremony or Rituals
Seasonal Dramatic Theatre

The halls are decked and the malls are filled with ornaments of Christmas. Store fronts adorned with every imaginable decoration. Merchants arrogantly touting that we have created Christmas -- only they have what will make your Christmas special. They use every marketing strategy to play upon our senses and draw us in.

Meaningless. Mindless. Fearless.

Believers in Christ have purpose in our Christmas. We know the truth of the gifts of God that reaches far beyond the season. We enjoy the great gift of eucharistic living. Year round communion with Jesus in giving thanks to God, our Father. A continual awareness of God in Christ.

His divine power has given us
everything we need for life and
godliness through our knowledge of him who called us
by his own glory and goodness.

Through these he has given us his very great
and precious promises, so that through them
you may participate in the divine
nature and escape the corruption in the world caused
by evil desires.
[1 Pt 1:3-4]

Escape and participate. Escape the trappings of the commercial world and participate in the life of our Lord. The prime opportunity of advent is to prepare our hearts, instead of our homes, for Christmas.

Celebrate the New Life that brings life. Rejoice in the birth that would birth a church -- a nation of believers. Laud the arrival of the World's Salvation.


God, Our Father; Have mercy on us. The Baby came that we might be saved from ourselves and our errant ways. That we can be forgiven of our sins. Resore reverence and meaning to this God's-day. I accept the gift of power in Christ for godliness and rejoice in Your very great promises fulfilled. In Christ, Amen.