Reminder: We are reading the Bible in sync as one community – so check out today’s reading here.
Reminder: The best way to grow spiritually this year is to join our Christianity 101 in the Cafe Course in Pickering starting January 22nd. Register for you and a friend today!
Read the Bible in Sync Today
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What do you think Christmas is all about? We’ve included a video of some people answering that question on the street at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZ1050bLTVw
From that experience, or your own, you can probably identify some answers drive religious people crazy: Santa, gifts, Elf on the Shelf, and so on. They will shout – it’s about Jesus!
You can also probably identify some answers religious people would love. Jesus is the reason for the season. A saviour was born. God is with us.
You can see how polarizing Christmas can be! It is a religious occasion that is solemn, deep and meaningful, and yet it is also a cultural reality with rampant consumerism, time with family, funny traditions and oddities like eggnog and mistletoe.
You might think Chiristmas shouldn’t be polarizing, and that this is a new reality. But Christmas and its effect on the world was polarizing not just today, but 2000 years ago. We’ll see how later this week.
Question: How much of Christmas do you think is religious, and how much is cultural? How much Santa, how much Jesus?
Reminder: We have a great Christmas event coming December 14th, 2013: The Original Christmas Party. Hope you're coming!
In preparation for Christmas, our Daily Challenges are going to explore the lifechanging significance of Jesus' birth so long ago. It's more than a sentimental story, or a time for generosity, Christmas celebrates The Night that Changed Everything. We'll explore the original Christmas story from the Bible, and its impact on five kinds of people.
