It’s that time again, the office party or works’ dinner out looms, and someone has come up with the bright scheme of having a Secret Santa. The idea (in case you are unfamiliar) is that each person in the organisation buys a gift for one other person, whose name is drawn randomly from a top hat, if done properly, but an old Jiffy bag if not. The end result is that everyone receives a present at the event, with no one left out.
What if we chose joy during Advent by choosing Jesus first? And what if we continued making that choice beyond Christmas; a daily conscious decision that flies in the face of whatever lays ahead?
What makes the difference between blessing and spoiling our kids at Christmas? Is it really about the number of shiny boxes under the tree?
I stagger away from the shopping frenzy that is Leeds city centre in the run-up to Christmas. I’m burdened with own-label shopping bags indiscreetly disclosing my buying habits. I stumble awkwardly over the outstretched hand of a beggar and realise that I have been sidestepping other anonymous outstretched hands at intervals all along the precinct.
Think of Advent and what springs to mind? Angels and shepherds? The journey of the magi? Mary and Joseph travelling to Bethlehem? But what about the prophets?
Christmas is coming, and whether or not you’re the sort of person who has everything organised and check-listed to within an inch of its life, Christmas is a God-given opportunity in countless ways.
10 hints to make each shopping day a joy and 5 tips for staying cheerful.
Sometimes just you have to admit defeat. For me, many of those times seem to come around Christmas. The whole month is a blur of work, school, church, carol concerts, school concerts, work dos, decorating, cleaning and preparing for and hosting visiting family. I learnt long ago that I was powerless to stop it.
Acoustic cover of a classic pop tune? Check.
Emotive cinematography featuring something cute and Christmassy? Check.
Feature of an act of extraordinary generosity? Check.
In the midst of the consumerist hum we invite you to stop and reflect on the Christmas season in a wholly different way, with Stewardship's free Advent Wonder email series...
blogs by the Stewardship team and selected guest writers.
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