Keeping Christmas alive

At Christmastime, many people talk (and sing!) about trying to keep the Christmas spirit alive throughout the year. The reality, however, is that we are already into the spirit of celebrating the new year, delving back into work and dealing with the routines that consume most of our daily lives. But even though Christmas 2012 is behind us, I wanted to share some thoughts on the keeping-it-alive concept....concrete suggestions, not just some "Keep Christmas in your heart" stuff.

1) Keep the lights on - On my home block the day after Christmas, I saw a de-decorated Christmas tree by the curb of a house down the street. I'll give them the benefit of the doubt that the tree was possibly dried out and a fire hazzard (our own tree dried out quickly this year) and they had to throw it out...but the day after Christmas! Are we so anxious to get rid of that glow (figuratively and literally)?  Two years ago I took our modest outside lights down a few days after Christmas, only to have a very snowy January that often took me shoveling snow outside the front of our house at night.  I kept thinking how pretty the front of the house would be with several hundred lights on our bushes shining through the snow.  Last year I left the lights on for a few weeks, but we only had about two minor snow falls all winter.  I'm seeing how long I can keep the lights on this year until my wife insists I take them down.

2) Go to church - Christmas Eve mass was packed at the church we went to, with lots of young adults home for the holidays and attending services.  That was great, but where are the people - - young and old alike - -  the rest of the year?  I fear that the perception that God is not relevant on a daily basis throughout the year continues to grow.  People pray for something and it doesn't happen, or some natural or manmade disaster happens and people say that God isn't answering their prayers or they don't want to pray to a God that lets evil things happen.  I can understand that feeling, but I try to remember that God has a lot more going for him than I do.  I remember Jesus' words that God's ways are not man's ways, and I sort of assume the position that it is my job to worship, respect and pray to God, not the other way around. Going to church once a year - - then sitting there and talking throughout the services - -  doesn't seem to give much recognition to the actual hierarchy in the universe.  God's way ahead of Bob, not Bob dictating what God should do.

3) Go to Frankenmuth - - If you live within a couple hundred miles of Michigan, you probably have heard of Frankenmuth.  If you don't, take a bit of time to learn about this fantastic town about sixty miles north of Detroit.  Enjoying a chicken dinner at the Bavarian Inn or Zender's is worth the trip alone, but there is also a warm little town and the world's largest Christmas store.  (Yes, indeed, the world's largest Christmas store, Bronner's.) We actually had the chance to meet the late Wally Bronner a few years ago, and he remains an inspiration.  But Frankenmuth is a town that understands how to be a warm destination town, that understands tourism and plays to its charming strengths.  My wife and I go there a couple times a year, but we actually made it there three weeks before Christmas this year.  How fantastic it is to make a purchase in a store and have someone say "Merry Christmas" instread of the politically correct "Happy Holidays."  And you get the sense that they really mean it.

4) Give - This is something I think Americans are pretty good at, as evidenced by the response to support victims of hurricanes, fundraising to find cures for diseases, etc.  But I think there are smaller opportunities to help the poor and needy on a routine basis that are often overlooked.  For example, you see lots of people contributing to the Salvation Army's red kettles at Christmas, but, Kroger stores (at least in our region) let you "Round Up" your grocery bill to the next dollar, with the donation going to a local food bank; it's possible more people contribute to this than I know, but I doubt it, because when we ask the clerk to round up our total, they often don't know how to do it, which suggests that not that many people do it.  I have stood outside a local grocery store (with their permission) for several hours a few times to collect funds for a local non-profit, and I know first hand that, a) you can collect a meaningful amount of money, and, concurrently, b) the majority of people will just pass you by, often pushing overflowing carts with their beer and snacks.  Yes, I know giving is a personal thing, we all have causes we believe in and those we don't and I can't always make charitable gifts to the level I would like.  But I think we're called by God to help the poor and those in the greatest need, and that opportunities to so do are out there.

5) Listen to Dean Martin's Christmas CD - I'm often the first to get tired of hearing Christmas music, and if I never hear The 12 Days of Christmas, Little Drummer Boy or the start of the Christmas Song ("Chestnuts roasting on an open fie...")  again, that's fine with me.  But, hey, Dean Martin!! You can hear the smile on his face as he sings, and he was not afraid to sing classic religious Christmas songs as well.  You may feel free, however, to substitute any other Dean Martin music in place of Christmas songs.