Celebrating Christmas?

So its boxing day and I turn on the radio only to discover that the local radio station that we've been listening to during Christmas has stopped their playlist of Christmas music and returned to their regular popular music montage. Why did they do this? I mean if you think about it, they've been playing Christmas music for weeks now and in the days just before Christmas the frequency increased until it was all they played. Perhaps its because we don't really know how to celebrate Christmas anymore, rather what we're good at is celebrating Advent - even though that's not what the secular world calls it and it certainly isn't what the stores call it.
If you think about it for a second the hype during the advent season, which after all for the Christian is the time of preparation and waiting, builds to a frenzied pace on the weekend before Christmas. The stores fill up and the mall parking lots are full. Items fly off the shelves of stores and people who wait until those last few precious shopping days often discover that the item they seek is no longer available. Christmas arrives - the presents are opened - people gather to eat glorious meals - and then - its over. As quick as we can, we return to our "normal" lives refusing to bask in the glory of what God has done. Gone are the 12 days of Christmas that lasted from new Christmas day (the 25th of December) to old Christmas day (the 6th of January).
Perhaps we move so quickly to normality because we're afraid of what might happen if we celebrate Christmas for more than 24 hours. Perhaps we're too uncomfortable with holy days that call us beyond ourselves. Perhaps its because we really don't want to acknowledge the real reason for Christmas. Either way, another Christmas day is over and the stores will soon be changing their appearance again, this time for Easter - which is a whole other issue.
As for me, our tree stays up until old Christmas day. We'll have people over during that time, continue to play Christmas music, sing carols, light our advent wreath and remember that a gift was given that changed the world.

Remembering One of Ours

Today we celebrated the life of Don Jowett, a long time member of our congregation and the beloved husband of Audrey for over 61 years. While Don passed away suddenly on Saturday December 15, 2007 - he will live on in his family. People will know his daughter Carol and her 5 siblings. There are many things to remember about Don, one is that he was an avid fisherman. He loved to take people out on the lake at the cottage and spent days, yes literally days, fishing for lake trout. He loved to work with his hands and spent many hours toiling over projects that had to be just so at the museum. Indeed Don was a staunch believer in the dictum "if its worth doing, its worth doing well or not at all." Don spent many hours volunteering his time as indeed it was he whom people called when no one else was available or the weather too bad. His death leaves a hole in our community, especially so close to Christmas. Yet, we can rejoice that we knew him. We can hold onto his memory and the Christ light that burned clear and bright in him. Don was one of our saints and we will do well to live our lives as he lived his. Farewell Don and may you know the warm embrace of the God of love, peace, justice and comfort.