robsingleton.net

A friend at work sent this to me.

Twas the month before Christmas
When all through our land,
Not a Christian was praying
Nor taking a stand.
Why the Politically Correct Police had taken away,
The reason for Christmas - no one could say.
The children were told by their schools not to sing,
About Shepherds and Wise Men and Angels and things.
It might hurt people’s feelings, the teachers would say
December 25th is just a “Holiday”.
Yet the shoppers were ready with cash, checks and credit
Pushing folks down to the floor just to get it!
CDs from Madonna, an X BOX, an I-pod
Something was changing, something quite odd!
Retailers promoted Ramadan and Kwanzaa
In hopes to sell books by Franken & Fonda.
As Targets were hanging their trees upside down
At Lowe’s the word Christmas - was no where to be found.
At K-Mart and Staples and Penny’s and Sears
You won’t hear the word Christmas; it won’t touch your ears.
Inclusive, sensitive, Di-ver-si-ty
Are words that were used to intimidate me.
Now Daschle, Now Darden, Now Sharpton, Wolf Blitzen
On Boxer, on Rather, on Kerry, on Clinton!
At the top of the Senate, there arose such a clatter
To eliminate Jesus, in all public matter.
And we spoke not a word, as they took away our faith
Forbidden to speak of salvation and grace.
The true Gift of Christmas was exchanged and discarded
The reason for the season, stopped before it started.
So as you celebrate “Winter Break” under your “Dream Tree”
Sipping your Starbucks, listen to me.
Choose your words carefully, choose what you say
Shout MERRY CHRISTMAS, not Happy Holiday!

MERRY CHRISTmas! Said it last night when I gave a dollar to a tween who wanted a candy bar but didn’t have enough money.

Every year I get so disgusted by the media and merchants that try to hide the true meaning of Christmas. Even our schools won’t let the true meaning be shown. I’ve attended school ‘Holiday’ programs where images of Hanukkah, Ramadan, and Kwanzaa were displayed, but a nativity scene was not allowed. In the workplace, we have a ‘Holiday Tree’ and ‘Holiday’ parties so we won’t offend any employees.

I’ve gotten to the point now that if anyone wishes me a Happy Holiday, I smile give them a big ole ‘Merry Christmas’ back. And in any online blogs or forums I visit that uses Xmas I always respond back with CHRISTmas.

It’s us that have given our lives to Christ that should be offended. And in my little corner of the world, I’m going to try and share the love of Christ and let people know why this ’season’ is so special to me.

When I was younger my mom told me never to say Merry Xmas and I guess that idea stuck. It is always so hard to forget the meaning of christmas with all the hub bub out there. Thank you for giving us a wake up call Rob!

Rob you are too good!!!! I have always been out spoken to anyone who says Happy Holidays to me!!!! I always say Merry Christmas right back at them. I ususally get a smile outta most people. What can they do to you? Nothing. If someone has been fired for saying Merry Christmas they didn’t need to be there in the first place!!!! MERRY CHRISTMAS to all my Southbrrok family…….

I met a person this week who thought ‘X-mas’ was just an abbreviation of the word Christmas and it is in a very sick way. Most people are unaware that Madeline O’Hare, a devout atheist (1940s-1970s) was instrumental in coining the term ‘X-mas.’ She spent most of her life trying to remove Christ from everything.

If they don’t believe in Christmas and don’t want to say it, that’s fine… God bless them. But if they think they are going to stop me from saying it… well I say “tough noogies…It’s my right!”
Merry Christmas

Amen Pastor Rob! God bless you and MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Merry Merry Chritsmas, I will join the charge to say what we mean and mean what we say. We as Christians are leading policitally incorrect lives anyway, or haven’t you heard. God Bless our nation and it leaders.

Here, here Pastor Rob, way to go! I have especially noticed the absence of the word Christmas this year in commercials. It is ok to show a menorah, kwanza candle holder, and other religious artifacts but nowhere in any commercial do you see a manger or a cross, it is so disheartening. I guess a turkey on the table and presents under the tree now represents a Christian Christmas.

Something we do as a tradition is order a Happy Birthday Jesus cake from –insert your favorite grocery store with a deli/bakery here-. You should see the workers faces when you tell them what you want. Here is a picture of last year’s cake -

http://img216.imageshack.us/img216/7974/dscf0001se7.jpg

It is also a good opportunity to share Christ with them and others around you when we order and pick up the cake. Hey that gives me a thought. This year I will order the cake, pick it up, go to pay for it, accidently on purpose lose the price sticker on the way to the check out, and have the cashier pick up the microphone and ask for a price check on a “Happy Birthday Jesus” Cake. Wouldn’t that be cool?

If you want to read more about how people are trying to take the Christ out of Christmas go to http://famulusdeus.blogspot.com/ for a repost from this very day last year.

ROB,

I heard this on the Radio yesterday It really rocks. I could not believe that the 103.7 DJ’s were being so ademant about their belief on their station. It was refreshing to hear them really voicing their beliefs. Check out the song they played.
It’s Called Christmas … With a Capital C!!! from GOFISH
I have some of the Lyrics and there is a part with a christian comedian. The Video is on You Tube. Check it out.

“It’s called Christmas
What more can I say?
It’s about the birth of Christ
And you can’t take that away
You can call it something else
But that’s not what it will be
It’s called Christmas With a Capital C”

Wow! I know I celebrate “Christ”-mas and make sure to re-iterate the Merry Christmas statement/greeting to any who dare to wish a Happy Holidays. I had a dear friend who whenever someone would wish her a “Happy Holiday” she would stop- engage deep eye contact and ask “Which one? I celebrate Christmas and I would just hate for you to wish me happiness about the wrong holiday!” Of course this was with beautiful finesse as not to offend. Rob- the Titanic went down because it had a shoddy foundation so let me join you on the iceberg…..MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!

Thanks, Steve, for sharing your version of “The Night Before Christmas.”

I was doing a bit of Christmas Shopping this morning at Wal-Mart and noticed that all the music over their sound system was decidedly Christmas music. Silent Night and Hark the Herald were among the carols playing………and more than once I heard several other shoppers quietly singing and humming along………..it is reassuring to know we’re not alone. The kids and I have commited to wishing a Merry Christmas to every store clerk or “sales associate” who attends to us as we shop for our Christmas Holiday and then pray that they will know Jesus, the only Reason for the Season!

[...]  Read the complete story here [...]

Rob - is your ADD acting up? Rhetorical question. I think your post is right on! I’ve recently moved up from South Florida, and I love the ‘freedom’ that people still have here to display things related to Jesus at Christmastime (there, I said it!). When I saw the light display at Hemby Bridge, I was thrilled. Imagine, a town unafraid to put up a GIANT Nativity Scene! What nerve, what bravado! This would never fly in S. Florida! I hope that never changes here. And I heard of one 2nd grade teacher who lets her class listen to 91.9 in class, and sing CHRISTMAS music! And compare that to the boy who got suspended from school for saying grace over his meal in the cafeteria!

Steve - Thanks so much for your post. I’m going to send it in an email to everyone I know (perhaps not a very extensive list, but I pray it spreads like wildfire - oops, poor choice of word - don’t want to ‘pick’ on California). And maybe everyone else that reads this blog can send it to everyone they know, and so on, and let go of the fear of their faith!

MERRY CHRISTMAS and GO IN CHRIST!

Well put Rob. It’s very saddening to see so many that don’t know the TRUE meaning of Christmas. I join you on that Iceburg!! Merry CHRISTmas to your Family and our Southbrook Family. God Bless.

Rob, we had a dear friend die on Friday..up in Maine…at church on the following Sunday, his wife jumped to her feet in praise and worship to God that her husband was with Jesus. Many folks cried. However, this Jesus…this precious Jesus began in a manger…for such a time as this. I can’t begin to thank Jesus for loving me, and Christmas is just a special time to remember His birth, and how horrible life would be wihout Him. To wish Jesus a Happy birthday is an honor. People can call it what they like, but it won’t change anything. So, for all that it is worth, (which is all) Happy Birthday, Jesus, Happy Birthday this Christmas and every Christmas.

amen. Rob.

oh. and MERRY CHRISTmas

Rob,

What a great blog. This Christmas has special meaning to me! Having been baptized at Southbrook in June and learning to know Christ through this wonderful church has made for such a wonderful year for my family and me.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!! Glory to God on highest!!!

Merry CHRISTmas just wants to make ya dance doesn’t it?

http://jayforeman.blogspot.com/2007/12/test.html

I see what you are saying, but Rob, why should we expect unregenerate people to worship or acknowledge Christ? This only validates their position and attitude toward Him. If they would like to drop Christ out of Christmas, than let us exult, proclaim, and rejoice in the true meaning of Christmas.

couldn’t disagree more!!! i’m a christian who LOVES christmas but this entire conversation which happens every single year is inane, passe and alarmist. i wrote much more about it 2 christmases ago - http://fakerepublic.typepad.com/fake/2005/12/_so_its_that_ti.html. i’d be interested in your thoughts.

grace and peace.

shane

Shane:
I read your post and lovingly disagree with your interpretation that this is a farsical battle over Christmas. What gets lost in this ‘battle’ is the one simple fact…this country was founded on Christian principles. There is always going to be a battle between good vs evil. But to call it farsical I think is a bit simplistic. Rob’s post was a reminder to me to not be apathetic on this issue. Sometimes as Christ-follower we run from conflict because we don’t want to offend others. Did Jesus run when betrayed by Judas?

As Christ-followers we should not be ashamed to say ‘Merry Christmas’. Our leaders of the ‘right’ have every right to voice their concerns of where society is taking this. It is a simple tactic used by Satan to take the focus off of Christ in this society and to put it on something else. Black Friday, 0% interest for 5 years and all the other consumer gimmicks that are out there are examples that try to detract from the true meaning of Christmas. Unfortunately, we as Christ-followers get caught up in that as well.

There are so many ‘traditions’ associated with Christmas: the star on the top of your tree, the gifts that we exchange, the name Christmas and countless others that certainly coincide with the birth of our Savior as outlined in Luke. It is a Christian holy-day…if others in this country or around the world don’t want to celebrate, that is OK…but that doesn’t mean because they are uncomfortable we shouldn’t call it Christmas or celebrate it…If they are uncomfortable, that is their issue. There are many things that I am uncomfortable with that I see on tv or hear on the radio…I turn it off. There are many things that I detest that politicians do and say, what do I do…I vote them out of office. That is how it works here in the US. We all have a voice…but what has happened over the past couple of decades is no one knows how to lose. We have become an entitlement society that thinks we deserve this or that and that we have rights. Well with our ‘rights’ come responsibility. And sometimes we don’t get what we want and we have to deal with it. That is what folks need to do that don’t celebrate Christmas or are uncomfortable with it, they need to be respectful for those that do enjoy Christmas and celebrate it.

We all have to live together in harmony, but we also have to be respectful of everyone’s heritage and way of life.

Can’t we all just get along? Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah and Feliz Navidad

“What gets lost in this ‘battle is the one simple fact…this country was founded on Christian principles.” -Rob

Rob, as a brother in Christ, I have to encourage you to reconsider this statement. This is where we have it wrong. For too long we have been enamored and have been feed with the historically erroneous idea that all who founded this country were Christians. In reality, many, if not the majority, of them were moralists, deists, et. al. This does not constitute a Christian state. The United States of America is not Israel. We are not God’s chosen people.
Though I whole heartedly disagree with the statement that this country was founded on Christian principles, the truth is that the overwhelming majority of American society today is pagan, not Christian. Therefore, since we are a democracy, there is nothing wrong with allowing the supposed ‘Christian’ nation to become ‘pagan’, for it only demonstrates what this country is made of. We, the church, are of course always different, but we must never allow the state to become the church, for they are not the church. Let the unregenerate be unregenerate. Let the regenerate be Christ-like.
Rather than smarting back at ‘Happy Holidayers’ with a ‘Merry Christmas’, we must walk in wisdom and grace (Colossians 4:5-6). This goes much further than a fast ‘Merry Christmas’ in-your-face attitude.
I humbly believe that both the premise and outflow of your arguments are wrong. Let me know your thoughts.

Scott

Rob, I laughed through your entire blog! Unfortunately, it’s really quite sad because it is so true. Christ is being taken out of Christmas all around us. People do not seem to ‘get’ that without Christ there is NO Christmas (or holiday). Why is that so hard for them to understand??? It’s definately up to us Christians to take a firm stand! Merry Christmas!!

Tracy,
Why is so hard for them to understand? Because they do not know Christ. Because God has yet to enlighten their hearts. You can yell Merry Christmas all day to them, but until God does the work, they will not understand our Savior.

Scott,

I’d be glad to reconsider the statement, “What gets lost in this ‘battle’ is the one simple fact…this country was founded on Christian principles,” however, I didn’t make it. Look up at the name on that comment and you will see that JT made it.

I will say this, I agree with him AND you and I’m not trying to play both sides. Let me elaborate…

This country was in fact founded by hardcore, orthodox and sadly “persecuted” Christ followers. You just didn’t go back far enough. The deists and agnostics and so forth really took a while to show up. The Ben Franklin’s and Thomas Paynes, Thomas Jefferson’s, etc were not among the Puritans who first settled this country. They did some great things for America, but I am not naive enough to think it was God first for men like these. So, you are right when you say that the majority of our early nation’s fathers were not Christ followers — wrong if you are referring to the “earliest” majority as being unbelievers. That simply is not the case. Most were in the 1400’s and even into the early 1600’s. The greatest men of influence then were the pastors and founders of religious institutions. By the way, every Ivy League school so many consider great today was first founded by Christ followers and primarily as seminaries rather than the secular universities they have since become–Harvard, Yale, Princeton, to name a few.

Now, in reference to the “smarting back,” with a Merry Christmas to the “happy holidays” crowd, I would only hope and trust that a right heart and common sense would prevail in how people say this. Anything said with a flippant tone can be taken negatively…ANYTHING, even the words I love you or I’m sorry can come across empty and vain if the heart is not in it.

When you say, “Therefore, since we are a democracy, there is nothing wrong with allowing the supposed ‘Christian’ nation to become ‘pagan’, for it only demonstrates what this country is made of. We, the church, are of course always different, but we must never allow the state to become the church, for they are not the church. Let the unregenerate be unregenerate. Let the regenerate be Christ-like,” — I disagree. Not with the democracy part, that’s obvious, but with the part that says we ought to do nothing about the nation becoming pagan. Nothing is never an option. What we should do is love them to Christ and keep fighting for our freedoms while we can…NOT on the premise that this is a “Christian” nation, for I agree with you. It is not (or at least no longer is). In fact, it isn’t even post modern or post Christian, it is decidedly “anti-Christian.”

In the end, Scott, Satan will win the battle for America — scripture is pretty clear about the outcome for people who refuse to follow God’s ways (whether that be Israel under King David or Babylon under King Nebuchadnezzar’s, or Persia under Xerxes, or America under George Bush), however, the WAR’s final outcome belongs to Christ.

A ‘Merry Christmas’ will not stop secularism, but I for one am all for keeping Christ the focus for as long as we can rather than simply, “doing nothing,” and letting Christmas turn into national Commercialism Day.

Pastor Rob

Well said Rob…There is a book out there called Roaring Lambs by Bob Briner that addresses the very topic of our ‘American Culture’. I encourage all to read this book. It gives a clear and simple means to lovingly influence our society for the cause of Christ.

As Christ-followers we have to be a part of this world in order to let God do his work through us. If we stand pat and do or say nothing we are guilty. The question will be asked of us when we get to heaven…God will ask…’What did you do with the gift that I gave you?’ If we keep our faith, our love for Christ hidden inside, we will have ZERO influence on our society.

Being a Christ-follower isn’t a free ticket to heaven…it’s advancing the kingdom of Christ by 900 or so people a year. It’s through our actions and our words being a testimony of God’s love for us. It is NOT standing by and letting our society become anti-God. Grant it, man does not save man, but God is the one that does the work. But man 99.9% of the time gets to lead his fellow man to God. Look at Europe and the resurgence of the church there in the last 10+years. Somebody stood up and said enough. We need to continue to do the same here in America.

Rob is right, we have to make sure that we say Merry Christmas with love…we need to do all things with love…and that includes telling the truth.

Truth?

I wish Southbrook had a hundred more like JT!

Keep after it, bro!

[...] Christ. Few posts have ever stirred up so much reaction. If you missed it, you can get up to speed here. It was entitled, “No more Xmas!” Perhaps people read it just to see who this pastor [...]

“Xmas”­ isn’t a modern convention at all. It was used commonly in 16th-century Europe, when many people began using the term “Christos,” the Greek translation for Christ, to refer to Jesus. The letter chi in the Greek alphabet is symbolized by an X and translates to “ch.” So along with the Greek letter rho for “r”, the term Xmas was used to refer to the birth of Jesus as an informed abbreviation, not an offensive one. Xmas was a way for Christian scholars to refer to Jesus respectfully in an ancient language — not to disrespect his name with a harsh symbol. In fact, variations of “Xmas” date back to 1021.

That said, I love to see and write the name of Christ as people understand it today.
And i won’t even go into the whole “Happy Holidays” thing!
If people don’t like to say “Merry Christmas”, they need to get their OWN holiday and not celebrate this Christian one that IS the ‘Mass of Christ’! : )

We have Jewish friends who do not observe Christmas.
They don’t wish us Happy Holidays. They aren’t celebrating holidays during this season.
They don’t have a “holiday tree”.
They simply don’t do Christmas and that’s okay.
It really is sad that some people are just so lonely and miserable without “Christ”!

Peace of Christ to you!

Ok, in order to make sure no one missed this I will say it a THIRD time. Xmas isn’t new. It wasn’t even intended to be negative — quite the contrary.

The problem is that this isn’t a matter of, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” It’s a matter of it is broken, so we need to fix it. Xmas is no longer seen in a positive light by most Christians and almost all non-Christians. Very few actually understand it’s origins. So, today, it’s reduced to just another way to keep Christ out of Christmas.

This is our blog o’ the week! Good stuff!

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