I'm ready to deck the halls with some sarcasm, aren't you? But in order to serve it up properly I need your ideas. What topics would you like to see me write about in December? Don't be shy! Leave your blog fodder here.
And, by the way, guess who's taking the reigns at SCL tomorrow? I'll meet you there, and here. Two places at once, it can be done!
Monday, November 24, 2008
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24 comments:
November 1, 2007
10:00 am
Barry Manilow robo-calls me to inform me that my favorite elevator music radio station is now all Christmas and is most definitely the first all Christmas radio station in my area this year.
The rival station began playing all Christmas music the next day, but did not send me the obligitory phone call from Barry to let me know.
So, umm....Christmas music stations.
There.
how about how pathetic it is that there's christmas stuff out in stores before halloween & christmas music playing & people decorating their houses before thanksgiving - gimme a break.
how 'bout some sort of Christmas-y SFL Christian University post - maybe a test of sorts, to see if our holiday celebrating is appropriately messiah centered, or, more likely, pagan tradition laden?
nativities. 'nuf said.
okay, so nativity sets wasn't all i had. how bout...
AWFUL christmas songs (a.k.a. "Christmas shoes")
Houses that go overboard with lights in every tree and blow-up santas and reindeer on the roof and snowmen in the yard and icicle lights hanging from every eave and moving elves in the windows and rudolph projected onto the garage door and you get the point.
cheesy jesus ("cheesus")things like the Legend of the CandyCane.
fruitcake
holiday traditions
white elephant gift exchanges
Visitors...
Since we recently moved to Kuala Lumpur we are looking for a church. I had hoped that American ways would not have invaded this part of the world, but last Sunday we were faced with:
Filling out visitor cards
Being presented with name tags to wear (I didn't)
Being singled out, forced to stand up, and be stared at (welcomed) in the middle of the service. (felt like a monkey in the zoo.)
Being invited to buy a ticket to the anniversary dinner to be held that evening.. Hmm welcome the visitor, how bout presenting a free ticket?? nah.
Sitting in some elses pew...
It was a lovely church, but in my mind they committed all of the deadly sins of embracing visitors...
Churches that boycott stores wishing customers a "Happy Holidays" rather than "Merry Christmas," but then CANCEL SERVICES when Christmas Day falls on a Sunday morning. I don't get it...
best and worst gifts....
saving Christmas wrapping paper - yeah, my scroogey grandmother used to make us do it
Being electrocuted or otherwise injured while hanging Christmas lights/decorations - tell your story
gaudy Christmas trees/decorations - friends of mine actually have a contest to see who can make the ugliest ornament - submit yours
most embarrassing/funny Christmas gift or moment
How about a pick the cheesiest Christmas song contest. Nothing obvious like Grandma Got Runover by a Reindeeer, or beautiful the first time you heard it but overdone like the Christmas Shoes (I cried the first ten times I heard it, but after number 25...)
How about churches that put on (what I fondly term) Cecil B. DeMille Christmas pageants/concerts. You know, the kind that get bigger and cheesier every year.
Or, on the flip side, churches that insist on trying to accomplish such a thing with woefully few people so everyone ends up with a dozen different tasks?
Talking about the stores starting Christmas too early, I saw the funniest thing at Walmart this year. I went a few days before Halloween to pick up an accessory for one of my kids' costumes, and they were (no joke) starting to sneak the Christmas merchandise over into the area where they were selling out of the Halloween merchandise. How sad is that?
I think the O holy night renditions of famous non-christians is a good place to start.
word verify - "ilessess" Isn't that what John said.
@ Steve -
Not only American ways... but unfortuneately the "era of your father's church" American ways...
the church you visited in KL seems stuck in the 70's
Old ladies and Christmas sweaters...ususally combined with a pot-luck...I imagine a photo contest forming!
And don't send the worship eagle after me, but am I the only one who gets annoyed that we as Christians go crazy celebrating and promoting Christmas as "Jesus' birthday", even though we have no idea when it really is? I mean, what if I want Jesus' birthday to be the same day as mine, or what about April 10th? That seems like it could be a good day - not much else going on in April. Seriously, we could be getting an extra holiday here people. Maybe I'm the only one perfectly happy to just know that Christ was born at some point, and to enjoy Christmas as a good, fun holiday. Do we have to make everything so serious?
Ok...sorry to all of you that may not agree. Since only like 1 person will read my comment, I'm probably good.
Alison,
If it will make you feel better I will read your comment twice. I got yer back, girl!
Nativity sets...most definitely! a collection of the really kitsch's one's...chickens, marshmallow, etc.
ps...my word verify is hunalize...makes me wanna eat Chinese for lunch.
~Lois
I'm with Alison about celebrating the birth in December. A cool Biblical scholar I get to visit with ocassionally tells me it was likely early fall when Christ was born (although I've heard Spring too). Your post could be a petition to "Take Back Christmas" by declaring that all Jesus freaks will start celebrating the real Christmas in October or April and there will be NO blow up Santa's in our yard, NO heathen lit up trees in our homes, NO commercialization because we won't be exchanging gifts, NO dorkified songs, and we'll say Merry Christmas by God, and not Happy Holidays.
Who's with me???
;)
Kentucky Kiddies are sad
And so are Mom and Dad.
There will be no Whoville
In good ol' Lou'a'vl
For the Grinch has stolen Christmas once again.
[would an outing to Oxmoor help ease the pain?]
I read Alison's comment, too.
As a fellow Kentuckian, how about Christian bourbon balls? It's wrong to drink, unless it's been injected into chocolate and served at a Christmas event! Talking about Christmas spirits.
Knowing your love of unique candy, go to Cracker Barrel and you will find Santa's Bag of Coal.
The best video I have seen in awhile. So hilarious. I found your blog through Jon on Stuff Christians Like. Thanks for sharing...oh, and I loved the Jelly Belly post.
Tricia, Tobyhanna, PA
i think you need to write about how christians abuse the saying 'jesus is the reason for the season.' us christians need to get a new jesus christmas phrase.
would love to hear how to cope with family who doesnt really seem to want you around because your not "religious" enough for them on one hand and then not wealthy enough on the other. Wish we'd have "Christian bourbon balls" (eastern ky pastor) in ohio! Boy could we use that! To bad those havn't been sanctioned just yet in this mennonite world!
Seriously, I think its easy for us to have so much religion and be so pious....but really make it awful for anyone outside of our nice little world. Maybe my in laws are just mean? Or I'm just not mennonite enough? Either way, the holidays stink...
Thanks for the rant! :)
I second the 'Christmas Sweater' idea. But what about all of the gaudy Christmas jewelry? The pins, necklaces with gaudy pendants, jingle bell earrings....
What about the cheapo re-use of wrapping paper and boxes? There's nothing like carefully peeling off the paper (because we have to save it for next year!) to find a Godiva Chocolates box. Then opening the box to find underpants.... true story!!
The people who only come to Church on Christmas and Easter.
Your Christmas lights/yard display- how holy is it? (Clearly should include at least one Nativity scene.)
Relatedly, the Nativity scene controversy: Is it ok to have a Nativity with baby Jesus in it before His "birthday" ? Or should the baby Jesus figurine only come out on Christmas? And, people who put the three wise men out in their nativity scenes (they didn't come 'til later!)
Alternative Christmas markets- where you can make donations to charity.
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