we were fundamentalistic Southern Baptists

Dude, you were just pretenders to fundamentalism. I grew up as an independent Baptist — those Southern Baptists were way too liberal.

Lottie Moon offering

If you’ve ever heard, “Who is this Lottie Moon lady, and will she ever be paid off?”, you might be a Southern Baptist.

And now for the serious one: Saw Bryan Duncan in concert many years ago (when he came out with his Christmas album). He reminded us that no amount of man’s efforts, even in those things that demean of the holiday can outweigh what God did (i.e. what it really means), and therefore we ought to enjoy it all.

It does strike me as somewhat amazing that many Evangelicals complain about the commercialization of Christmas and then want to boycott businesses that decommercialize Christmas.

I’m sorry, this reply doesn’t have anything to do with the post. Please forgive me.

I just wanted to say that I really like the new “look”, you’ve done a great job!

Although, It will take some time for me to get used to not seeing the cool looking parish building.

I would just like to make a comment though and please don’t take this as criticism. It’s just a suggestion.

Now I realize that you put yourself in the line of fire with your bold subject matter and I know that it can be hard sometimes running your own blog, being in ministry and being the head of a family.

Believe me, I know.

But I would just like to suggest this….. I “feel” and “think” that the “first appearance” of your main page would be so much more encouraging if you would be smiling in your profile pic.

Right now, it looks like your really mad. I know this sounds silly and it might be, but I enjoy your blog and I know you have a lot of traffic and I just thought that maybe people would like to see the “happy” and “loving” side of you.

In His grace,

Dave.

I kind of thought we should expect to be different that the world. Why not be what we are… salt, light, and an attracting influence because of what we stand for, not just against?

The early success of faith in America has led to complacency and the expectation that we’ll be accepted everywhere we set our foot. This was not the expectation of Christ and his early followers. They knew that persecution and defiance would come. They expected it and rejoiced over it. It validated their faith.

I believe we must cleanse ourselves of the expectation that America will behave in a Christian way. I believe only Christ’s followers will behave in a Chris-like way. When that happens we might just be a light in darkness once again.

Rather than the Advent season of repentance and perperation, we have the “Christmas season” of celebration and feasting. Or, as a friend of mine pointed out, there’s something silly about demanding that shopping centers say “Merry Christmas” during Advent.

Really, I guess I’m just a little annoyed because I’ve recently begun to incorporate the Church Year into my life more, and I’ve found it to be very helpful in making my faith more real, and I’m thinking, “Why wasn’t I told about this sooner?” This sort of thing is kept from thousands of Christians for no reason other than that it’s “not in the Bible” (and it’s associated with Roman Catholicism).

And, all that besides, without Advent and Christmastide, “The 12 Days of Christmas” doesn’t really make any sense…

Above, I was trying to say all of that in a more concise, and more humorous way (by revising the common lament of “taking Christ out of Christmas”).