Christmas

Christmas Gifts

The Birth and Reception of Jesus

Have we become misdirected in our gift giving?

God freely and generously gave His best to those who had never given Him anything of significant value. God even gave His best knowing that most would give nothing in return. We have become conformed to the world in our Christmas-time gift giving. Has the time arrived when we should come to an agreement in our churches and in our families that we will give their gift and their card to the needy instead? “And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? for sinners also do even the same” (Luke 6:33; see also 14:12-14).

(Written way back in 1992 sometime.)

Best Seats in Church

I like my title — All Welcome (Except on Christmas) — better than the one used by Yahoo! News for this Reuters story:

Some senior German politicians have caused a stir by suggesting that only citizens who pay church tax should be allowed to attend Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve.

Worried that regular churchgoers cannot find a seat due to the popularity of the traditional Christmas service….

What’s the rate of this church tax, ten percent?

And how are the collected monies disbursed?

Martin Lindner, a member of the liberal Free Democrats (FDP) in Berlin, also expressed alarm at the lack of places in church and told Bild that parish members should get tickets entitling them to the best seats.

I wonder where their best seats are?

Where are the best seats in your meeting house? And what makes them so?

Germany’s Catholic and Protestant churches get most of their funding from revenues collected by the tax office.

😯

So most people don’t tithe or give offerings?!

Above all, love God!