The Scoop: Spirituality over stocking stuffers

Generally, I’m not a hard person to amuse. Now I’m not at the level where I call a bug zapper and a six pack quality entertainment for the night, but you get the idea.

That’s why I can’t help but chuckle at the guy accused of scraping off a portion of the back of his bathroom mirror so he could spy on his wife and two teen-age stepdaughters. The reason for his actions? He told police he just wanted to find out who was using his shampoo. I’m sure a jury will buy that excuse.

It’s also why I find one of the recent controversies surrounding Christmas a bit on the funny side ? although the humor begins to wear off the more I think about it.

Some churches, believe it or not, have made the bold decision to cancel services on Christmas day, which is a Sunday this year. The reasoning, according to news reports, is Christmas is a family day, and families should be free to enjoy time at home without the hindrance of church.

I shouldn’t be surprised by this decision. People toss logical thinking in a blender any time a major holiday falls on Sunday.

If you recall, Halloween fell on Sunday last year and folks were baffled about what to do. Should trick-or-treating take place on Saturday or Monday? The Fourth of July also fell on Sunday last year and the same confusion was widespread.

But churches and Christmas are a bit different. The two are connected at the hip ? and the heart for that matter.

The birth of Jesus Christ, and his resurrection, are the two most significant facets of Christianity. For a church to cancel services on Jesus’ birthday sends a conflicting message. It says Jesus is our Lord and we should devote our entire lives to serving Him, but he’s not more important than that new video game under the tree.

Since I do listen in church, I’ve learned thou shall not judge. That’s why I can’t be too critical of the families who opt not to attend church on Christmas Sunday. They may be on the road. They may have company in town. They may rather open gifts with the kids.

But for a church to have that stance is inappropriate. There is no better time to deliver a powerful message than the day Jesus came into this world as the son of a virgin. What does it say about the state of religion in this country when churches are willing to close during one of the highest holy days of the year?

We’ve already commercialized the holiday enough. And I’m as much to blame as the next guy.

I want expensive stereo equipment for Christmas. I want electronics, CDs and DVDs. I want power tools and gift cards. I want, I want, I want.

With Christmas merchandise popping up in stores as early as October, it’s all too easy to lose sight of the reason for the season. That’s why it’s up to churches to keep our priorities in order. We need to be told, again and again, about the sacrifices of Jesus. I don’t think we can hear that message enough.

We don’t need to hear church is closed so families can be free to open gifts at their leisure. That defies the very name of Christmas. It’s Christ-mas, not Gift-mas.

It only takes a matter of minutes to rip through a pile of Christmas presents. To clarify, it only takes me a matter of minutes to rip through my presents. Then you’re left wondering what to do for the rest of the day because everything is closed.

There’s a time and a place for everything, and Christmas is definitely a time for worship. I have to seriously wonder about a church that thinks so little of its message it values stocking stuffers over spirituality.

James Clark is editor of the Standard. He can be reached at 473-2191 or by e-mail at [email protected].