Search Results for: blog using secular tradition to glorify god christmas

What is Saint Patrick’s Day Really About?

Posted on by

I realize St. Patrick’s Day has passed but I was eager to share this anyway… When I think about St. Patrick’s Day, I think about four leaf clovers, leprechauns, rainbows and pots of gold. The purpose behind Saint Patrick’s Day has little to do with most of this. As a teen in the early 400’s Patrick was captured and brought over from what is now Scotland to be a slave in Ireland. No, he wasn’t the first missionary and no, he didn’t literally drive any snakes away as some legends proclaim. He was the grandson of a priest and the … Continue reading →

What Made the Wise Men Wise?

Who were these Magi, also known as “wise men” who came to Christ? These men were believed to be Zervanism, a religious branch of Zoroastrianism which was pagan in essence worshiping the god Ahura Mazda, whose name in part means intelligent or wise. The men were astrologers as well, likely studying the heavens as part of their religion. Though traditionally we see three wise men pictured in the nativity scene, the Bible gives no exact reference to how many actually came to see Jesus. We know there were three types of gifts that were brought for Christ: gold, frankincense and … Continue reading →

Commercialism and Christmas: You Set the Tone

This time of year, we are always presented with a dilemma: how do we celebrate Christmas without getting too caught up the commercialism? Many great blogs have been posted on this very topic here on Families.com, and I link to some of them below, but I couldn’t let the season go past without putting in my two cents. You know I’m not known for being quiet. In my community, I’ve heard commercialism spoken of like some looming monster that we can’t avoid. Often the comments sound helpless, as though we are forced to partake of all the heathen traditions and … Continue reading →

The Christmas Spirit in an Easter Basket?

The general attitude of goodwill associated with Christmas perplexes me. Don’t get me wrong – I’m all for it. But when you contrast the birth of Christ with His atonement and resurrection, you would think Easter would draw out more kindly behavior than Christmas. I understand the sentiment behind the goodwill, and I fully support it. As we celebrate the birth of Christ, we celebrate the gift that Heavenly Father gave to the world – that of His only Begotten Son. And yet, with the resurrection and atonement we celebrate each spring, the gift becomes infinitely more valuable to each … Continue reading →

Using Secular Tradition to Glorify God: Christmas

The Christmas holiday is a favorite for so many. I love visiting the mall and smelling the cinnamon potpourri and seeing the beautifully lit wreaths. I enjoy hearing the instrumental melodies declaring the birth of our Savior, but sadly no words are sung out of concern for “offending” others. I love the tastes of the season; pumpkin pie, gingerbread lattes, eggnog… While there are so many things that make this time of year special, we ought not to forget what Christmas should really be about for a Christian. If you’ve read some of my other blogs (please visit the links … Continue reading →