Should Christmas be extravagant?
With interest rates rising, and the cost of living increasing, many of us may feel the pinch this Christmas. Will there be the same consumerism, the same excess of years past? While I enjoy a Christmas gift as much as the next person, I hope the need to reduce spending might give us pause to consider how Christmas can be more meaningful?
There is, however, a case to be made that Christmas should be extravagant. The gift of God’s son, Jesus, given to the world to save us, is wildly, opulently extravagant. The Christmas carol, O Holy Night, by Adolphe Adam sings, “A thrill of hope, a weary world rejoices, For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn, Fall on your knees, O hear the angel’s voices, O night divine, O night when Christ was born.” Christmas is the time when heaven comes to earth in the form of Jesus. There is nothing more awesome, more extravagant than that! So yes, Christmas is extravagant, but perhaps not in the way we might think of extravagance today.
The Advent Conspiracy (adventconspiracy.org) was founded on the idea that we can celebrate Christmas humbly, beautifully, and generously. The four tenants are to worship fully, spend less, give more and love all.
Worship fully is the idea that Christmas begins and ends with Jesus. Can I encourage you to come to our Christmas Carols Service on Sunday 18th December at 5pm or our Christmas Day Service on Sunday 25th 9.30am? Spend less means freeing up your resources to support things that truly matter. On Sunday 11th December at our Sunday services, we are hosting a Baptist World Aid gift stand where you can buy a gift card for a loved one that gives to those most in need in our world. We’re also collecting for Christmas hampers for those in need locally. Give more means giving more intentionally and relationally. What can you give under the Christmas tree that means something? Is it the gift of time you can give a loved one, doing something special together? And love all refers to radically loving others like Jesus did. Who can you invest in or spend time with this Christmas? Is there someone lonely you could visit?
So yes, Christmas is extravagant. It just doesn’t have to be extravagant through spending copious amounts of money. May you all have a wonderful, extravagant Christmas this year!
Pastors Joel & Erica Noonan
South Coast Life Church
There is, however, a case to be made that Christmas should be extravagant. The gift of God’s son, Jesus, given to the world to save us, is wildly, opulently extravagant. The Christmas carol, O Holy Night, by Adolphe Adam sings, “A thrill of hope, a weary world rejoices, For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn, Fall on your knees, O hear the angel’s voices, O night divine, O night when Christ was born.” Christmas is the time when heaven comes to earth in the form of Jesus. There is nothing more awesome, more extravagant than that! So yes, Christmas is extravagant, but perhaps not in the way we might think of extravagance today.
The Advent Conspiracy (adventconspiracy.org) was founded on the idea that we can celebrate Christmas humbly, beautifully, and generously. The four tenants are to worship fully, spend less, give more and love all.
Worship fully is the idea that Christmas begins and ends with Jesus. Can I encourage you to come to our Christmas Carols Service on Sunday 18th December at 5pm or our Christmas Day Service on Sunday 25th 9.30am? Spend less means freeing up your resources to support things that truly matter. On Sunday 11th December at our Sunday services, we are hosting a Baptist World Aid gift stand where you can buy a gift card for a loved one that gives to those most in need in our world. We’re also collecting for Christmas hampers for those in need locally. Give more means giving more intentionally and relationally. What can you give under the Christmas tree that means something? Is it the gift of time you can give a loved one, doing something special together? And love all refers to radically loving others like Jesus did. Who can you invest in or spend time with this Christmas? Is there someone lonely you could visit?
So yes, Christmas is extravagant. It just doesn’t have to be extravagant through spending copious amounts of money. May you all have a wonderful, extravagant Christmas this year!
Pastors Joel & Erica Noonan
South Coast Life Church
