Fasting Slowly

Modern Christmas has been modern for a while now.

The big lament in modern Christmas as evidenced by Christmas movies is usually that it's is too commercial, too fast paced and just too out of control to capture the "true meaning" it holds.  If we throw in newspaper articles and editorials, we have a history of at least a hundred of years of contrasting what Christmas has become as opposed to what it's supposed to be.  We love the idea; we just don't like living it out.  And yet year in and year out, we continue to celebrate it in the same way anyway.  I think this century old conundrum points to one of the "true meanings" of Christmas, namely hope.

Generally, we don't like denying ourselves much of anything.  (I suppose I didn't have to say "generally.")  At Christmas time, that affection for indulgence is elevated to religious importance.  I include in this definition of self indulgence, our seasonal generosity to our kids.  After all they're our kids and they need all the stuff, experiences and "joy of the season" we can inflict on them...probably.  As a result, we wind up doing all the really important seasonal things until we're exhausted and broke.  We mean well, nothing bu the best really.  Hiding under this all too often failing is another "true meaning" of Christmas.  This true meaning is about generosity of heart and spirit.  It is giving to the point of sacrifice.

We will also likely bend, break borrow and steal everything necessary to be with some component of our extended family.  I love my family and I love spending time with them.  I can't remember a Christmas season in which we didn't travel somewhere to be with someone; in some cases we have even traveled good distances on Christmas day.  I can honestly say that in every case this was, at least on balance, wonderful.  Never the less, it is tiring, can be expensive and can lead to the occasional uncomfortable moments that only those truly close to us can provide.  And here we run full into what is certainly the greatest of the "true meanings" of Christmas.  Love.

 At Christmas time, we're carried away from the hope, generosity and love of the reality of God and his love incarnate in the person of Christ, on a raging river of seasonal activity and expectation.  We can't change the fact of this unpleasant circumstance by riding the current.  We're going to have to do something about it...on purpose.

We can and probably should commit to slowing down some, paring back the activities and commitments.  However, just about any change in behavior can't be limited to subtraction.  Something has to be added back in place of the original offense.  We not only need to prepare for the stuff of Christmas, we need to prepare for what we are remembering.  And most of all, we need to prepare ourselves.

Redeemer Anglican church is intentionally preparing for Christmas in what might seem to be a counter intuitive way.  They offer a day a week fast, concluding by receiving the Eucharist.   The middle of the week (fasting day is Wednesday) becomes a speed bump, slowing us down and hopefully jarring us a little, returning us to the reason we're celebrating.  One day of the week, meals are left behind (yea verily, even very excellent Christmas candy) allowing the rumbling stomach to pull us back to the place where Christ lives as the center of our thought and prayer.  The place where unless all movies and articles do lie, we've always wanted to be.  While it might be counter intuitive, it never the less makes sense doesn't it?  After all, it's chasing after the Christmas for which we were created.

We're preparing one more time, to experience the hope, generosity, joy and love of the greatest gift ever given.  Praise God, Merry Christmas and "may God bless us, every one."