Let's Talk Christmas

[Rollo Tamasi]

It's almost Christmas.
8 more days to go.
What about Christmas?
What about the name?
Christ-mass.
Sounds Roman Catholic to me.
x-mas, x being an unknown.
But we know Christ, so that doesn't fit.
Seasons greetings, happy holidays, etc., nope, doesn't fit.
Let's stick with Christmas, we're use to it and it has meaning to us.

On this day we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Christ was not his last name, it's his title.
We should actually say Christ Jesus, I think.

Santa Claus is not Jesus although "he knows when you've been good or bad, so be good for goodness sake", sure sounds like Jesus.
And it's just like Jesus to want to give us gifts on his birthday for, "it's better to give than to receive".

So, he was born in Bethelem.
Was it snowing?
I don't think so.
Therefore, Christmas in Florida is more realistic than the rest of you.

Joseph was his father.
Not really, but sort of.
I wonder how he handled things all his days?
I bet God was proud of him.
Mary was his mother.
Jesus is God and Mary was his mother, therefore, Mary was the mother of God.
Don't go there, just accept it.

We 3 kings of Orient are - yes, they had to come visit the child king.
Their generous gifts provided for this young family on their trip to Egypt.

The shepherds.
What ever became of the shepherds?
Were they the first to be born again?


Well, that's the Christmas story.
I hope you like it.
It is the source of some great Christmas carols.
Break out that "Let's go caroling!" book and join in the chorus of many who are rejoicing in the birth of our Lord and Savior.
Amen!

 

[farouk]

It's almost Christmas.
8 more days to go.
What about Christmas?
What about the name?
Christ-mass.
Sounds Roman Catholic to me.
x-mas, x being an unknown.
But we know Christ, so that doesn't fit.
Seasons greetings, happy holidays, etc., nope, doesn't fit.
Let's stick with Christmas, we're use to it and it has meaning to us.

On this day we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Christ was not his last name, it's his title.
We should actually say Christ Jesus, I think.

Santa Claus is not Jesus although "he knows when you've been good or bad, so be good for goodness sake", sure sounds like Jesus.
And it's just like Jesus to want to give us gifts on his birthday for, "it's better to give than to receive".

So, he was born in Bethelem.
Was it snowing?
I don't think so.
Therefore, Christmas in Florida is more realistic than the rest of you.

Joseph was his father.
Not really, but sort of.
I wonder how he handled things all his days?
I bet God was proud of him.
Mary was his mother.
Jesus is God and Mary was his mother, therefore, Mary was the mother of God.
Don't go there, just accept it.

We 3 kings of Orient are - yes, they had to come visit the child king.
Their generous gifts provided for this young family on their trip to Egypt.

The shepherds.
What ever became of the shepherds?
Were they the first to be born again?


Well, that's the Christmas story.
I hope you like it.
It is the source of some great Christmas carols.
Break out that "Let's go caroling!" book and join in the chorus of many who are rejoicing in the birth of our Lord and Savior.
Amen!

Another name for Christmas is The Nativity of Our Lord.

Blessings.

 

[Claudya]

It's almost Christmas.
8 more days to go.

Good. Only eight more days until it's over.

 

[farouk]

Good. Only eight more days until it's over.

Oh....

 

[Knotical]

Good. Only eight more days until it's over.

 

[farouk]

I can understand people not liking the commercialization of Christmas, but the Incarnation of the Son of God is certainly a glorious truth (John 1.14).

 

[TOG]

Good. Only eight more days until it's over.

The TOG​

 

[Rollo Tamasi]

Don't let the world take away your joy in celebrating our good Lord Jesus.

 

[TOG]

It's almost Christmas.
8 more days to go.

I don't celebrate Christmas, and I have a number of problems, both with what you said and the holiday itself, but I don't want to ruin anyone's holiday, so I won't go there. There are a couple of things I'd like to say, though.

What about Christmas?
What about the name?
Christ-mass.
Sounds Roman Catholic to me.
x-mas, x being an unknown.

The X is not unknown. It's not even an X. It's the Greek letter Chi, which is the first letter of the Greek word "Christos", which we translate in English as "Christ". "Xmas" is really an abbreviation.

Santa Claus is not Jesus although "he knows when you've been good or bad, so be good for goodness sake", sure sounds like Jesus.

Even though I don't do Christmas any more, I have to share this with you. A friend of mine, who was instrumental in leading me to Christ, sent me a Christmas letter with this in it many decades ago. I hope I can remember all of it.

Dear Santa,

I have been hearing some disturbing things about you lately, and I was hoping you could clear things up for me. They say that you see us when we're sleeping. Does that mean that you're omnipresent and can see us wherever we are? They also say that you know when we're awake. Does that imply omniscience? Do you know everything that goes on in the world? They say that you know if we've been bad or good, so we better be good, for goodness sake. Are you in a position to make absolute moral judgments? Do you realize the immense theological implications of all this?​

The TOG

 

[Claudya]

I can understand people not liking the commercialization of Christmas, but the Incarnation of the Son of God is certainly a glorious truth (John 1.14).

Of course it is. It's so glorious setting aside but a single day for celebrating it is ridiculous.
Plus the day set aside for it used to be a pagan holiday they conveniently picked so they could conveiently keep their traditions alive. Jesus Himself never told us to celebrate His birthday.

Also, if you are single and barely have a family christmas just sucks.

 

[Rollo Tamasi]

I don't celebrate Christmas, and I have a number of problems, both with what you said and the holiday itself, but I don't want to ruin anyone's holiday, so I won't go there. There are a couple of things I'd like to say, though.



The X is not unknown. It's not even an X. It's the Greek letter Chi, which is the first letter of the Greek word "Christos", which we translate in English as "Christ". "Xmas" is really an abbreviation.



Even though I don't do Christmas any more, I have to share this with you. A friend of mine, who was instrumental in leading me to Christ, sent me a Christmas letter with this in it many decades ago. I hope I can remember all of it.

Dear Santa,

I have been hearing some disturbing things about you lately, and I was hoping you could clear things up for me. They say that you see us when we're sleeping. Does that mean that you're omnipresent and can see us wherever we are? They also say that you know when we're awake. Does that imply omniscience? Do you know everything that goes on in the world? They say that you know if we've been bad or good, so we better be good, for goodness sake. Are you in a position to make absolute moral judgments? Do you realize the immense theological implications of all this?​

The TOG

I only meant to bring a little joy to your day.
I'm sorry you are depressed.
I will pray for you.

 

[Northman]

Christmas in Florida is more realistic than the rest of you.

You just keep telling yourself that, brother

 

[reba]

I only meant to bring a little joy to your day.
I'm sorry you are depressed.
I will pray for you.

We all know you meant joy Allen. I dont believe any one here has meant to make you feel bad.... It is sad how times are. Sad how many hurting people there are all around... In doing what we each can in our areas can spread His joy, His Righteousness , In His Spirit.. His kingdom Rom 14:17 No matter the time of year.

Dad told me if your feeling bad do something nice for some one else..
Invite them to dinner, coffee . We dont have to wait til Christmas time... Maybe some folks need and invite more at this time of year ... Halve the world is kinda dark and cold a bright fire and cup of hot chocolate can warm the body and the spirit.

I like your Christmas Story.. My view on the date doesn't change the fact that the King was born to be a man and the Lamb of God...

Glory to the New Born King. ​

 

[TOG]

I only meant to bring a little joy to your day.
I'm sorry you are depressed.
I will pray for you.

I am not depressed. And nothing you said really bothered me. I only meant that I could point out a number of things that are theologically or factually wrong in what you said, but I know that this is not the time or place.

 

[farouk]

You just keep telling yourself that, brother

We both know that up here with the Canucks Christmas is more authentically white...

 

[Northman]

We both know that up here with the Canucks Christmas is more authentically white...

Indeed! Although its understood that God by no means made a mistake in how the planet operates with the whole north/south hemisphere thing, im convinced it was done to get us in the upper half to invite the others to dinner and a rest. And with that, my fingers are now going in my ears as I sing la la la real loud as to not hear any naysay on the issue.

Oh a PS...you guys from the hot parts need to bring the vegetables lol

 

[reba]

 

[farouk]

 

[Chopper]

Hi there everyone, yep! It's the old Chopper. Christmas is either a happy time or a depressing time. For me it is a depressing time. If this is a happy time for you that's great, I'm glad for you, really! For those of you that are depressed, like me, you have a fight on your hands. My first wife Jennie and I were married 33 years. She died of cancer in 1993. Christmas of that year was terrible. She was always a great person to celebrate Christmas. I mean really really celebrate. When she died, a part of me died with her. Christmas was always and still is a bummer!! I have had to alter my thinking about Christmas because I'm so lonely. Oh I am fortunate to have friends, two great kids, grandchildren etc. but emotionally it's a killer. How do I survive it now? I have to concentrate on Jesus as a new born, as a child. For children, it's the greatest! The mind is a wonderful thing because I can focus on something good and it brings a smile on my face. When I begin to focus on something depressing, I shut it out. That takes a lot of practice. Over the years I have intentionally practiced shutting my mind off something, sounds stupid, right? It's not, it really works. You've heard of a closed mind person? Yep! that's how it works. Christmas? I don't think about it anymore, I have shut it out. I have the power over my mind! I don't let my mind tell me what I'm going to think, I'm stronger than that! I will dictate, I won't be pushed around by my mind.

So, are you happy about Christmas? Great I'm happy for you, really! Me? I couldn't care less. That took practice, but I'm not the least bit depressed over anything because I control my mind, my mind does not control me!!!!!

 

[evenifigoalone]

Santa Claus is based on a real person, Saint Nicholas, who did things to help the poor and kept their children from being sold into slavery due to not being able to pay taxes. (Even the stockings on the chimney come from this, as they hung their stockings there to dry and Nicholas would secretly drop gold coins in them.) I already knew about this, but we were talking about that last night in a Bible study I attend and how while Santa Claus as we know him in American culture isn't real, the person we based him on is and helped to point people to Christ. I hadn't thought of it in that way before.
They also explained how other things to do with Christmas, like the Christmas tree, came at least partially from similar origins and how those things can still point us to Christ because of that. That I didn't know. And that while Dec 25th was originally a celebration of the shortest day of the year (because the Romans worshipped the sun), they came up with it being a celebration of Jesus' birth because they wanted people to worship Jesus and not the sun. That I kinda knew.

While yes, the whole "Saint" thing does suggest Roman Catholicism, it's still neat.