"Commercial Christmas Causes Concern, As Some Christians Worry That Holiday Is Losing Meaning."
Commercial Christmas causes concern
Some Christians worry that holiday is losing meaning
By Jenna Mink
’Tis the season for shopping, discounts, advertisements, limited supplies, layaway and massive credit card charges.
For many, Christmas is no longer the most peaceful time of the year, but the most stressful. For retailers, it’s a time that can make or break stores. For shoppers, it’s a time to get the best deals and the best presents.
But for Christians such as Danielle Ray, it’s a holiday that has lost its true meaning. Christmas has become too commercial, a sad condition for what’s supposed to be one of the biggest Christian holidays of the year, some local Christians say.
“It’s silly. It’s not what Christmas is about,” said Ray, of Bowling Green. “It’s not ‘Happy Holidays,’ it’s ‘Merry Christmas.’ And people trampling over each other for a DVD player is just ridiculous.”
Christmas was established as a religious holiday, a time for Christians to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ in Bethlehem.
Christmas is supposed to be a mysterious, magical time. It’s about God intervening in human history and coming to Earth in the form of a baby. It’s a time to remember that we’re not alone, that God is with us, said Weston Williams, pastor of Bowling Green Christian Church.
“I think we have lost that, and I think we’ve forgotten why we give gifts,” he said. “We give gifts because we received the great gift ... the focus on the deals and the consumption and all of those things, I think is an illustration of how we focus on more of the what than the why.”
Even though research shows that Jesus Christ probably was not born in December, it’s important to take the time to celebrate that birth, said David Gifford, pastor of Calvary Baptist Church in Bowling Green. There should be festivities and there should be gifts, but in moderation, he said.
“It’s really disheartening the amount of commercialization that’s taken place,” he said. “You see the bumper stickers that say ‘Jesus is the reason for the season,’ but all of our actions ... seem to point to the fact that he’s not.”
And that problem has gotten worse over the years, pastors say.
Christmas advertisements are broadcast earlier in the year - some retailers begin pushing holiday deals before Halloween. Christmas trees and other decorations are popping up in stores months before Christmas. This year, Black Friday incidents were highly publicized as people battled to get limited items.
Nationwide, Black Friday sales hit a record high of $52.4 billion, up 16 percent from the four-day weekend after Thanksgiving last year, according to reports.
“I think Christmas can simply be a ‘winter pagan festival’ for lots of us, including Christians if we allow ourselves to be sucked into the promotionalism and the imperialism of the day,” said the Rev. Jerry Riney of Holy Spirit Catholic Church in Bowling Green. “It’s rampant.”
Carolyn Price, 77, remembers Christmas as a child, a time when gifts were sparse, decorations were scant and celebrations began no sooner than Christmas Eve. Looking back, those holidays were better than what Christmas has become these days, she said.
“It was a much simpler time and a more enjoyable time,” said Price, a member of Forest Park Baptist Church. “All the things you have to do now to get ready for Christmas, it is stressful.”
But some Christians are adamant that being commercial doesn’t necessarily mean they’ve forgotten the true meaning of the holiday.
As a Christian, Sheila Gerkins believes that people can have fun shopping for gifts and getting good deals as long as they remember that Christmas is about family and Jesus Christ, she said.
“Just like everybody else, we get into shopping and buying gifts. So, I guess we’re commercialized, too,” said Gerkins, a member of Forest Park Baptist Church. “But it’s not the most important thing. It’s about getting together and spending time together.”
Locally, pastors are encouraging church members to celebrate the true meaning of Christmas, even in the face of commercialism.
At Forest Park Baptist Church, church leaders hold devotions that help people focus on Jesus Christ during the hectic season. The Advent candle is lit every morning, and the church has a special Christmas Eve service, Pastor Mark Baldauff said.
Church leaders also wanted to teach local children that Christmas is about giving, not receiving. The church is perched on a hill off Old Morgantown Road, an area that’s home to many impoverished, single-parent families.
Children from those homes venture to the church, and, in many cases, their parents have not received Christmas gifts for years. So, the church garners donations and opens a Christmas store for children, where they can pick out free presents to give their parents.
“I would say that sometimes, we in the church have a problem of expecting the world to understand and accept our traditions and even promote our traditions,” Baldauff said. “I don’t think it’s the government’s job. I don’t think it’s Target’s job or Walmart’s job. It’s up to us in the church to represent Christ.”
On a positive note, Riney has heard several families at Holy Spirit proclaim that they are simplifying their holiday this year. They plan to cut back on material items and place more focus on family time, he said.
“That’s a challenge for our families young and not so young,” he said.
Ray, a member of Forest Park Baptist Church, also plans to cut back. Her neighbors have strung Christmas lights, but Ray is debating whether she will use her outdoor decorations this year.
“I don’t want to slap out that same Santa and snowman because I don’t want to be commercial,” she said. “I want to be an example in our neighborhood of the true meaning of Christmas.”
Some Christians worry that holiday is losing meaning
By Jenna Mink
’Tis the season for shopping, discounts, advertisements, limited supplies, layaway and massive credit card charges.
For many, Christmas is no longer the most peaceful time of the year, but the most stressful. For retailers, it’s a time that can make or break stores. For shoppers, it’s a time to get the best deals and the best presents.
But for Christians such as Danielle Ray, it’s a holiday that has lost its true meaning. Christmas has become too commercial, a sad condition for what’s supposed to be one of the biggest Christian holidays of the year, some local Christians say.
“It’s silly. It’s not what Christmas is about,” said Ray, of Bowling Green. “It’s not ‘Happy Holidays,’ it’s ‘Merry Christmas.’ And people trampling over each other for a DVD player is just ridiculous.”
Christmas was established as a religious holiday, a time for Christians to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ in Bethlehem.
Christmas is supposed to be a mysterious, magical time. It’s about God intervening in human history and coming to Earth in the form of a baby. It’s a time to remember that we’re not alone, that God is with us, said Weston Williams, pastor of Bowling Green Christian Church.
“I think we have lost that, and I think we’ve forgotten why we give gifts,” he said. “We give gifts because we received the great gift ... the focus on the deals and the consumption and all of those things, I think is an illustration of how we focus on more of the what than the why.”
Even though research shows that Jesus Christ probably was not born in December, it’s important to take the time to celebrate that birth, said David Gifford, pastor of Calvary Baptist Church in Bowling Green. There should be festivities and there should be gifts, but in moderation, he said.
“It’s really disheartening the amount of commercialization that’s taken place,” he said. “You see the bumper stickers that say ‘Jesus is the reason for the season,’ but all of our actions ... seem to point to the fact that he’s not.”
And that problem has gotten worse over the years, pastors say.
Christmas advertisements are broadcast earlier in the year - some retailers begin pushing holiday deals before Halloween. Christmas trees and other decorations are popping up in stores months before Christmas. This year, Black Friday incidents were highly publicized as people battled to get limited items.
Nationwide, Black Friday sales hit a record high of $52.4 billion, up 16 percent from the four-day weekend after Thanksgiving last year, according to reports.
“I think Christmas can simply be a ‘winter pagan festival’ for lots of us, including Christians if we allow ourselves to be sucked into the promotionalism and the imperialism of the day,” said the Rev. Jerry Riney of Holy Spirit Catholic Church in Bowling Green. “It’s rampant.”
Carolyn Price, 77, remembers Christmas as a child, a time when gifts were sparse, decorations were scant and celebrations began no sooner than Christmas Eve. Looking back, those holidays were better than what Christmas has become these days, she said.
“It was a much simpler time and a more enjoyable time,” said Price, a member of Forest Park Baptist Church. “All the things you have to do now to get ready for Christmas, it is stressful.”
But some Christians are adamant that being commercial doesn’t necessarily mean they’ve forgotten the true meaning of the holiday.
As a Christian, Sheila Gerkins believes that people can have fun shopping for gifts and getting good deals as long as they remember that Christmas is about family and Jesus Christ, she said.
“Just like everybody else, we get into shopping and buying gifts. So, I guess we’re commercialized, too,” said Gerkins, a member of Forest Park Baptist Church. “But it’s not the most important thing. It’s about getting together and spending time together.”
Locally, pastors are encouraging church members to celebrate the true meaning of Christmas, even in the face of commercialism.
At Forest Park Baptist Church, church leaders hold devotions that help people focus on Jesus Christ during the hectic season. The Advent candle is lit every morning, and the church has a special Christmas Eve service, Pastor Mark Baldauff said.
Church leaders also wanted to teach local children that Christmas is about giving, not receiving. The church is perched on a hill off Old Morgantown Road, an area that’s home to many impoverished, single-parent families.
Children from those homes venture to the church, and, in many cases, their parents have not received Christmas gifts for years. So, the church garners donations and opens a Christmas store for children, where they can pick out free presents to give their parents.
“I would say that sometimes, we in the church have a problem of expecting the world to understand and accept our traditions and even promote our traditions,” Baldauff said. “I don’t think it’s the government’s job. I don’t think it’s Target’s job or Walmart’s job. It’s up to us in the church to represent Christ.”
On a positive note, Riney has heard several families at Holy Spirit proclaim that they are simplifying their holiday this year. They plan to cut back on material items and place more focus on family time, he said.
“That’s a challenge for our families young and not so young,” he said.
Ray, a member of Forest Park Baptist Church, also plans to cut back. Her neighbors have strung Christmas lights, but Ray is debating whether she will use her outdoor decorations this year.
“I don’t want to slap out that same Santa and snowman because I don’t want to be commercial,” she said. “I want to be an example in our neighborhood of the true meaning of Christmas.”
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