The Art of War
lists seven factors that determine the outcome of warfare. Factor number four measures, "On which
side is discipline most rigorously enforced?" If Christians are losing the war on
Christmas, it's possible that we are losing because of a lack of
discipline.
We can make a list of the things that
"must" get done during the Christmas season. Ask a set of friends to complete this
sentence, "It's not Christmas until . . . ." These are the Disciplines of Christmas. Some example:
1. Buying presents for friends and loved
ones.
2. Sending Christmas cards to friends and
loved ones.
3. Decorating
4. Watch Holiday Classic
5. Make traditional Christmas Treats
6. Get picture taken with Santa
7. Negotiate who, what, when, where, and
how all necessary family members will be seen.
Do not ask why, it will only depress you.
8. Wear ugly Christmas sweater
9. Get kissed under mistletoe
10. Obsess over weight gain
Perhaps these items are not on your Christmas
To-Do list. But most of us do have an
implicit Christmas to do list. And there
are some things that are so universal that we enforce them with one another. Twelve
years ago, John Grisham published a novel that was subsequently made into a
movie that played on the rigorous discipline the army of Christmas warriors
impose when people decide Skipping the secular Christmas is a good idea. If we imposed such discipline on the side of
the sacred Christmas disciplines, it would be viewed as judgmental and
pietistic.
I can ask a very personal question,
“Have you finished your Christmas shopping?”
It is not viewed as an offensive question. But if I ask, “are you keeping up with your
reading and devotional time using the advent devotional book?” How would that be taken? I suspect several people would tell me it’s
none of my business, even people for whom I serve as their pastor. We are willing to accept accountability when
it comes to the secular Christmas discipline of gift-giving but unwilling to
accept accountability for our spirituality.
Most people will give preference to the
secular Christmas discipline when the sacred Christmas discipline confronts it.
Try the discipline of singing only Advent songs during Advent and waiting until
Christmas to sing Christmas carols. See
how long that lasts. Postpone family
gift unwrapping until after the entire Christmas story is read Luke
1:1-2:20. Awkward silence will begin
with the dedication to Theophilus.
Visible fidgeting will be uncontrollable by the time Mary goes to visit
Elizabeth. Someone will interrupt
Zechariah’s prophecy. You will feel
palpable disappointment when you blow past 2:7 when people think the story has
concluded and keep reading for another 13 verses! The secular discipline has
been so rigorously enforced that the sacred discipline will wilt when the two collide.
Religion is present in the season. Religious symbols, charitable giving,
volunteerism, and faith expression are ubiquitous. Yet the faith discipline of Christmas is not rigorously enforced. Not the way we
enforce the secular conventions of shopping, indulging and frivolity. We enforce the secular discipline, even
impose it on each other, while we leave the sacred discipline largely up personal
discretion.
The New Testament speaks frequently
about the need for us to enforce discipline.
James 5:16 told the early church to practice mutual confession of
sin. James says a little later that
“whoever brings back a sinner from wandering will save the sinners’ soul from
death and will cover a multitude of sins” (James 5:19). Hebrews 10:24-25 says, “Let us consider how
to provoke one another to love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together,
as is the habit of some, but encouraging each one another, and all the more as
you see the Day [of Christmas?] approaching.”
If you feel like we’re losing the war on Christmas it may be because we
do not rigorously enforcing discipline. We
do not hold one another accountable. So,
how are you doing on your Advent devotional reading?
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