Every Christmas I seem to stumble across one article that forces me to grimace with disgust, yell at the author in my head, and then take a deep breath and try to formulate a logical, reasoned response. I hope you enjoy my take on the Christmas front of the so-called "culture war."
[link to the original article]
Whose Holiday?
While there are many positive suggestions for a meaningful Christmas later in the article, the first two paragraphs alone are enough to push all my buttons. It begins with a lovely image of the Christmas ideal: enjoyable time with friends and family, a time for good feelings, etc. However, we are informed that this holiday is in extreme danger! Why? Because according to Mackay, we just can't have these things without mangers and shepherds as well. According to her, gathering with family and friends without an explicitly religious theme is "dull, obscure" and "meaningless."
The mission of Christians, then, is to "restore Christmas to its rightful owner – Christ." Reading this, I began to wonder: would Christ really want us to fight for "his holiday"? How did it even become "his" in the first place?
The last time I checked, Christ was the subject of Christmas, not the owner. Christmas was not created by Jesus; it was made up by Christians. Therefore, Christmas is our holiday, not his! You may think I'm nitpicking - but by making this simple point, any defense of the Christmas Crusade crumbles away. Making up a divine mandate to protect a human interest is known in the Bible as taking the Lord's name in vain. Fighting for our "right" to mandate a religious holiday observance is cultural imperialism, not Gospel living.
A Different Gospel
Ironically enough, Jesus made a big deal out of a very similar issue, and it was part of what got him killed. Allow me to (over-)simplify and summarize:
The Pharisees were building a snazzy new temple. "This belongs to God!" they said. "Everyone has to worship here like we tell them to. Furthermore, anyone who opposes our agenda is really opposing God, and will be punished." Jesus, however, didn't agree. "That building has nothing to do with God and neither do your silly observances; and he's not very fond of you signing his name on to your pet projects and proceeding to beat other people down with them."
Isn't there just a bit of an echo through all the years? There's only one problem: Jesus is on the wrong side! Is it possible that Christ really has been removed from Christmas– not by the Secularists, but by the Christians who claim to love him?
A Really Christian Christmas
It should be clear to Christians that if Christ really were the centre of Christmas, it would not lead to the fuzzy-feeling, cozy holiday that Mackay describes and that we all enjoy. Jesus "did not come to bring peace, but the sword." In other words, Jesus does not intend to give us comfort and security, at least not before sacrifice, pain and trials. If our holiday merely reinforces a general sense of "good will to all" and warm fuzzy feelings, we can be assured that it is not Christian is any significant sense. Mackay unfortunately tries to have it both ways by fighting for a Christian holiday (supposedly for the good of Christians and non-Christians alike), when a truly Christian Christmas would by definition exclude those who are not part of that faith community... or at least seriously piss them off.
Of course there are many Christians, including me, for whom Christmas really is a Christian holiday, a time to reflect on the "image of God" as flesh and blood, beginning to the long road to the cross. For me it involves feelings of joy ("Can it really be true?"), doubt, ("Can I really believe it is true?"), and struggle ("How can I learn to follow him?") My question is this: how could we argue (or simply assume, as Mackay does) that this aspect of Christmas can have any relevance to the rest of the world? And without the core of obedient discipleship, what is the use of mangers and wise men?
Whether Christians choose to admit it or not, there has always been a "winterval Christmas": the family dinners, warm sweaters, trees and presents. There is also a "Christian Christmas," where those who want to follow Jesus take the oppourtunity to reflect on his arrival in our world. To force the rest of the world to take part in a religious Christmas is not only an affront to non-Christians, it is an injustice to those for whom Christmas does have spiritual value. It is one thing to use Christmas as a time to share with others the light of Christ: it is another to harass the Royal Mail for not putting Jesus on their stamps.
This Christmas, let's give up fighting to preserve a religious culture that is devoid of spiritual value, a culture that emphasizes form over substance, that misses the forest for the trees; the same religious culture that led Jesus to the cross. Let us embrace the "winterval" as a chance to live as Christians in fellowship with the unbelieving world on their terms, not ours, and let us also celebrate Christmas as the arrival of our Lord, as only humble Christians can.
Happy holidays,
and Merry Christmas,
Chris
13 December, 2006
02 December, 2006
Week 24 update
Hello everyone
Sorry we have been lax about posting, but we always seem to be busy. This is Melissa, by the way, in case you can't tell from the writing style.
I am currently 24 weeks pregnant and doing very well. I saw the midwife on Monday and we heard the baby's heart beat again. I told her that I have been tired lately and she thinks my iron levels could be low. They don't officially check the levels until 28 weeks, so I am supposed to eat lots of leafy green veg and red meat and eggs and apricots and drink OJ because the Vitamin C helps your body process the iron. Hopefully I can get the levels up so I won't need to take tablets. Besides that I feel good, the baby is always kicking and Chris can feel it. He gets excited when he feels it. :) I am still walking about a mile a day to and from work which is keeping me healthy. I have attached a couple pictures so you can see how huge I am.
Chris' parents were here visiting for a week. They really tired us out, we are still recovering and both are fighting off colds. :( We are resting this weekend and hopefully next week we'll be back to normal again. We had a nice time and it was great to see them.
We showed them around York and did lots of shopping and eating traditional British foods e.g. fish n chips, Indian (seems weird but Brits love to eat it), mince pies and mulled wine, tea with milk, fruit cake with cheese(really yummy even though it sounds weird), tea room fayre, sausage and mash. We also did some pub hopping.
We had a nice Thanksgiving dinner. Chris and I got a fresh organic free range turkey from a farm just outside of York. You have to order it ahead of time so they can make sure they will have one big enough, but when we went to pick it up, someone had taken it the day before by accident! So they apologised and then told us they would kill one and deliver it our house. When it got here it was still warm......that is fresh for you! It was delicious. I have to give credit to my friend Sue who showed Chris how to cook a really nice turkey.
The weather has been pretty mild and I think the rainy season is almost over. We did a riverboat tour up the Ouse River which was nice and I learned some new facts about York.
On another note Chris got a new laptop for Christmas. Of course he had to open it early :) He is very excited about it and has been working more at the University which is good. This gives him more of an opportunity to liaise with other students and keeps him in-the-know about different things on campus. He is very happy with his laptop and so I have to attach a picture of it. I told him that people wouldn't care ;)
I think that is it. I hope you enjoy the pics.
Melissa
Sorry we have been lax about posting, but we always seem to be busy. This is Melissa, by the way, in case you can't tell from the writing style.
I am currently 24 weeks pregnant and doing very well. I saw the midwife on Monday and we heard the baby's heart beat again. I told her that I have been tired lately and she thinks my iron levels could be low. They don't officially check the levels until 28 weeks, so I am supposed to eat lots of leafy green veg and red meat and eggs and apricots and drink OJ because the Vitamin C helps your body process the iron. Hopefully I can get the levels up so I won't need to take tablets. Besides that I feel good, the baby is always kicking and Chris can feel it. He gets excited when he feels it. :) I am still walking about a mile a day to and from work which is keeping me healthy. I have attached a couple pictures so you can see how huge I am.
Chris' parents were here visiting for a week. They really tired us out, we are still recovering and both are fighting off colds. :( We are resting this weekend and hopefully next week we'll be back to normal again. We had a nice time and it was great to see them.
We showed them around York and did lots of shopping and eating traditional British foods e.g. fish n chips, Indian (seems weird but Brits love to eat it), mince pies and mulled wine, tea with milk, fruit cake with cheese(really yummy even though it sounds weird), tea room fayre, sausage and mash. We also did some pub hopping.
We had a nice Thanksgiving dinner. Chris and I got a fresh organic free range turkey from a farm just outside of York. You have to order it ahead of time so they can make sure they will have one big enough, but when we went to pick it up, someone had taken it the day before by accident! So they apologised and then told us they would kill one and deliver it our house. When it got here it was still warm......that is fresh for you! It was delicious. I have to give credit to my friend Sue who showed Chris how to cook a really nice turkey.
The weather has been pretty mild and I think the rainy season is almost over. We did a riverboat tour up the Ouse River which was nice and I learned some new facts about York.
On another note Chris got a new laptop for Christmas. Of course he had to open it early :) He is very excited about it and has been working more at the University which is good. This gives him more of an opportunity to liaise with other students and keeps him in-the-know about different things on campus. He is very happy with his laptop and so I have to attach a picture of it. I told him that people wouldn't care ;)
I think that is it. I hope you enjoy the pics.
Melissa
12 November, 2006
Ultrasound #2 - 20 Weeks
Hello everyone!
First of all, I apologize for neglecting the blog these last few weeks. Our life right now is the busiest it's ever been, for better and for worse. : I'd also like to start a blog specifically to chronicle my musical thoughts and experiments, but we'll see if I get around to it...
Most importantly though, I need to keep you updated on Melissa and the baby!
Last week she had her 20-week ultrasound scan. As far as we can see, everything is looking great. Here are the pictures...
We're getting more excited about it every day. I know that after the arrival I will think back longingly to my last full night of sleep, but I can't help looking forward anyway.
Melissa's belly is getting bigger every day, and I was even able to feel the baby kick one time. Melissa feels movement every day.
We're at the half-way point, so there probably won't be much news on the baby front until it's almost time, and of course there will be lots to say then. In the meantime, I hope to keep you up-to-date on my music, and hopefully we'll take some nice pictures when my parents come to visit in a week. Stat tuned!
First of all, I apologize for neglecting the blog these last few weeks. Our life right now is the busiest it's ever been, for better and for worse. : I'd also like to start a blog specifically to chronicle my musical thoughts and experiments, but we'll see if I get around to it...
Most importantly though, I need to keep you updated on Melissa and the baby!
Last week she had her 20-week ultrasound scan. As far as we can see, everything is looking great. Here are the pictures...
We're getting more excited about it every day. I know that after the arrival I will think back longingly to my last full night of sleep, but I can't help looking forward anyway.
Melissa's belly is getting bigger every day, and I was even able to feel the baby kick one time. Melissa feels movement every day.
We're at the half-way point, so there probably won't be much news on the baby front until it's almost time, and of course there will be lots to say then. In the meantime, I hope to keep you up-to-date on my music, and hopefully we'll take some nice pictures when my parents come to visit in a week. Stat tuned!
15 September, 2006
First Contact
On Monday of this week, Melissa had an appointment with her midwife, and we were able to hear the baby's heart beating! Unfortunately, we couldn't record it to play for you.
Then on Thursday she had her first ultrasound, and we made visual contact! We were excited to see for the very first time...
The due date is set for March 21st, the same day as Melissa's birthday. But everyone knows that the Bryans have a tendency of being fashionably (cough) late, so we won't be surprised if it's an April event.
It's too early to know the gender or anything, all that they can tell is roughly how old it is, and that everything seems to be going okay.
We hope you enjoy these first snapshots. We'll keep you informed in the coming weeks!
Chris & Melissa
Then on Thursday she had her first ultrasound, and we made visual contact! We were excited to see for the very first time...
The due date is set for March 21st, the same day as Melissa's birthday. But everyone knows that the Bryans have a tendency of being fashionably (cough) late, so we won't be surprised if it's an April event.
It's too early to know the gender or anything, all that they can tell is roughly how old it is, and that everything seems to be going okay.
We hope you enjoy these first snapshots. We'll keep you informed in the coming weeks!
Chris & Melissa
03 September, 2006
A short update (more to follow...)
Hello, I am writing from the University because (for some reason) it takes 10 - 12 days to change the address of our account with our internet provider. After that I will post some pictures, and I'm also planning to include a video walk-through of our new home! Here is our new address:
1 Daysfoot Court
York
YO10 5BP
UK
In other news, I received more financial aid from the University! About 2/3 of my tuition is now covered, meaning less loans to pay back, which makes us very happy.
We're busy unpacking our few boxes and buying home stuff (I always get excited when I can get a new frying pan). We'll be having a house-warming party later this month and you're all invited, so buy your tickets now! :)
Pictures are forthcoming,
-Chris
1 Daysfoot Court
York
YO10 5BP
UK
In other news, I received more financial aid from the University! About 2/3 of my tuition is now covered, meaning less loans to pay back, which makes us very happy.
We're busy unpacking our few boxes and buying home stuff (I always get excited when I can get a new frying pan). We'll be having a house-warming party later this month and you're all invited, so buy your tickets now! :)
Pictures are forthcoming,
-Chris
22 August, 2006
And then there were three
We know that most of you already know, but you can consider this the official announcement...
Melissa and I are expecting a child.
Yes, repeating it hasn't made it sound any less weird. Childbearing? Yes, maybe someday... but suddenly that someday has become this day. I remember having the same feeling about getting married, and I expect (without being morbid) to feel the same when I die. Each represents a massive shift in the experience which I call my life. Since the circumstances of my life define who we are, it is we who are changing, transforming in the same way that the joining of two strands of RNA is quickly becoming a full-fledged human being.
It is in these experiences that I come to understand what theologians mean by 'mystery'; the things that we experience without being able to understand or explain. The experience is both humbling and exciting, as our perspective is transformed in ways beyond our control.
Yet, the whole thing is still only a theoretical reality; our day-to-day life is not much changed. Sometimes we wonder whether it could really be happening at all. In three week's time we'll have an ultrasound scan, which will hopefully add some sensory evidence.
And there are all the tantalizing questions: Who will this person be? What will they be like? What will it be like to have her or him in our family? Will I be an okay parent, and will that be enough for them?
I set up this blog to keep record of our journey to England, and suddenly we find ourselves on the brink of a much longer journey. At the moment we both have a strange sense of calm; maybe because we're getting used to these expeditions into the unknown, or maybe because this one hasn't sunk into our psyche yet, who knows. Anyway, I will try to keep some record of the medical checkups and the state of our life for anyone who is interested, as well as our own posterity.
Melissa's first appointment was today, not much happened except answering the doctor-type questions ("are you the father of the baby?") and the upsetting questions ("is this a wanted pregnancy?"), and some blood tests to check for diabetes and stuff.
The whole birthing process is different here than in the US, something I will talk more about later. Melissa's main point of contact is a midwife. Also, she has the option of giving birth at the horspital or at home, as long as things look okay. There are also some pregnancy perks, including free prescriptions and dental care!
Her next appointment is in three weeks' time, when they will check the due date (tentatively March 17th, St. Patrick's Day!) and do an ultrasound scan. So, with any luck, the little one can make her/his online debut at that time.
If this news has renewed your interest in keeping up with the blog, make sure you've subsribed to the RSS feed, so you don't have to keep coming to the website! The address is http://bryanadventure.blogspot.com/rss.xml If you have no idea what I'm talking about, search the internet, or just ask me.
I think that's all for now. Send us all of your questions. I'll try to get Melissa posting at some point as well. As we begin down this long road, it is nice to have others to share the experience with...
-Chris
Melissa and I are expecting a child.
Yes, repeating it hasn't made it sound any less weird. Childbearing? Yes, maybe someday... but suddenly that someday has become this day. I remember having the same feeling about getting married, and I expect (without being morbid) to feel the same when I die. Each represents a massive shift in the experience which I call my life. Since the circumstances of my life define who we are, it is we who are changing, transforming in the same way that the joining of two strands of RNA is quickly becoming a full-fledged human being.
It is in these experiences that I come to understand what theologians mean by 'mystery'; the things that we experience without being able to understand or explain. The experience is both humbling and exciting, as our perspective is transformed in ways beyond our control.
Yet, the whole thing is still only a theoretical reality; our day-to-day life is not much changed. Sometimes we wonder whether it could really be happening at all. In three week's time we'll have an ultrasound scan, which will hopefully add some sensory evidence.
And there are all the tantalizing questions: Who will this person be? What will they be like? What will it be like to have her or him in our family? Will I be an okay parent, and will that be enough for them?
I set up this blog to keep record of our journey to England, and suddenly we find ourselves on the brink of a much longer journey. At the moment we both have a strange sense of calm; maybe because we're getting used to these expeditions into the unknown, or maybe because this one hasn't sunk into our psyche yet, who knows. Anyway, I will try to keep some record of the medical checkups and the state of our life for anyone who is interested, as well as our own posterity.
Melissa's first appointment was today, not much happened except answering the doctor-type questions ("are you the father of the baby?") and the upsetting questions ("is this a wanted pregnancy?"), and some blood tests to check for diabetes and stuff.
The whole birthing process is different here than in the US, something I will talk more about later. Melissa's main point of contact is a midwife. Also, she has the option of giving birth at the horspital or at home, as long as things look okay. There are also some pregnancy perks, including free prescriptions and dental care!
Her next appointment is in three weeks' time, when they will check the due date (tentatively March 17th, St. Patrick's Day!) and do an ultrasound scan. So, with any luck, the little one can make her/his online debut at that time.
If this news has renewed your interest in keeping up with the blog, make sure you've subsribed to the RSS feed, so you don't have to keep coming to the website! The address is http://bryanadventure.blogspot.com/rss.xml If you have no idea what I'm talking about, search the internet, or just ask me.
I think that's all for now. Send us all of your questions. I'll try to get Melissa posting at some point as well. As we begin down this long road, it is nice to have others to share the experience with...
-Chris
27 July, 2006
Anniversary celebration week
Hello, and get ready for lots of pictures!
This week has seen the close of our third year of marriage. We keep saying it feels like so much longer... but in a good way. We both took some time off work and spent a couple of days exploring (in between the days of rest, of course...) I hope you enjoy the photos and brief synopsis of our expeditions. Remember that you can click on any of the pictures for a larger version.
On Tuesday we went to the town of Harrogate. One consequence of living without a car is that the world seems so much bigger than it used to! Even a 20-mile journey is a big to-do.
Harrogate was originally a Victorian town built largely around the sulfur springs.
Mostly we just spent the day exploring, so below are pictures of an interesting church building, the outside of the mall, and a park where we hung out (including when Melissa shrunk to a midget... or maybe it was just a big plant? and the shrubbery-person)
On Thursday we took a free ride to Scarborough on a 1930's steam train as "Friends of the National Railway Museum"! Basically what that means is, our friend, Ian Smith, receives commissions from the museum to write glossy picture books about the trains, and he's allowed to bring people along to sell them to people as they ride. Cool, eh?
Notice the "Hogwarts" sign; part of the train was used in the Harry Potter films!
Scarborough is slightly further away, a coastal town on the North Sea. Unlike York, it is very hilly. Like Harrogate, most of the history is Victorian, but up on a very high peninsula there are the remains of a castle which was built in the 12th century. They have also determined that the area has been inhabited for at least 3000 years.
I hope you've enjoyed the pictures, it took me so long to organize and upload them that I don't have time to say much about them; you can e-mail or comment with questions and, well, comments. It's been a fun week, but now it's time to catch up on work. Later!
Chris
This week has seen the close of our third year of marriage. We keep saying it feels like so much longer... but in a good way. We both took some time off work and spent a couple of days exploring (in between the days of rest, of course...) I hope you enjoy the photos and brief synopsis of our expeditions. Remember that you can click on any of the pictures for a larger version.
On Tuesday we went to the town of Harrogate. One consequence of living without a car is that the world seems so much bigger than it used to! Even a 20-mile journey is a big to-do.
Harrogate was originally a Victorian town built largely around the sulfur springs.
Mostly we just spent the day exploring, so below are pictures of an interesting church building, the outside of the mall, and a park where we hung out (including when Melissa shrunk to a midget... or maybe it was just a big plant? and the shrubbery-person)
On Thursday we took a free ride to Scarborough on a 1930's steam train as "Friends of the National Railway Museum"! Basically what that means is, our friend, Ian Smith, receives commissions from the museum to write glossy picture books about the trains, and he's allowed to bring people along to sell them to people as they ride. Cool, eh?
Notice the "Hogwarts" sign; part of the train was used in the Harry Potter films!
Scarborough is slightly further away, a coastal town on the North Sea. Unlike York, it is very hilly. Like Harrogate, most of the history is Victorian, but up on a very high peninsula there are the remains of a castle which was built in the 12th century. They have also determined that the area has been inhabited for at least 3000 years.
I hope you've enjoyed the pictures, it took me so long to organize and upload them that I don't have time to say much about them; you can e-mail or comment with questions and, well, comments. It's been a fun week, but now it's time to catch up on work. Later!
Chris
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