What do you think Christmas is all about?  We’ve included a video of some people answering that question on the street at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZ1050bLTVw

From that experience, or your own, you can probably identify some answers drive religious people crazy: Santa, gifts, Elf on the Shelf, and so on.  They will shout – it’s about Jesus!

You can also probably identify some answers religious people would love.  Jesus is the reason for the season.  A saviour was born.  God is with us.

You can see how polarizing Christmas can be!  It is a religious occasion that is solemn, deep and meaningful, and yet it is also a cultural reality with rampant consumerism, time with family, funny traditions and oddities like eggnog and mistletoe.

You might think Chiristmas shouldn’t be polarizing, and that this is a new reality.  But Christmas and its effect on the world was polarizing not just today, but 2000 years ago.  We’ll see how later this week.

Question: How much of Christmas do you think is religious, and how much is cultural?  How much Santa, how much Jesus?

Reminder: We have a great Christmas event coming December 14th, 2013: The Original Christmas Party.  Hope you’re coming!

Read the Bible in Sync Today

Ryan Sim - February 3, 2014

Monday - A New Idea - Reset: Money

We’re recently started a new series called “reset”. In the first week, we talked about how Jesus makes it possible to reset all of life, giving us a fresh start in life that impacts every key area. We’re going to look at many of these in depth, and this week we see how Jesus resets our use of money. Have you ever dramatically changed your priorities around money? Some examples would be at the birth of a child – people usually budget for fewer restaurant meals, and more diapers. Suddenly RESPs and life insurance all become more important. On news of a serious Illness, if one’s future earnings are suddenly in doubt, spending priorities change. Or in a recession, when jobs are being lost, and investments are losing money. On a nicer note, getting a new job can mean a new budget with less debt, and some important expenses finally covered. There are many more examples, not always tragic, but following that usual pattern. New priorities in life get reflected in how we spend our financial resources. Sometimes we realize it should have been this way all along, and have our eyes opened. We look back now at some financial choices in our past, and realize we were being short-sighted, lazy, cheap or any number of other missteps. Sometimes we should have known better at the time, other times we couldn’t have known better, just lack of experience and wisdom. Following Jesus is meant to be that kind of moment where you completely reassess, reset life, including finances. Quote: Our chequebooks and appointment books say as much about our faith as our prayerbooks. Question: What kind of life event would make you completely reassess your finances?

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