I have been watching a lot of Christmas
programming over the last week or two on the television, as I expect
most of you have.

Apart from the actual religious
Christian channels the emphasis has been on the merry time we all
should or will be having.

The presents, the food, the snowmen,
the sleighs, the Ho Ho fat Santa Clauses,the drinks, the chocolates,
the cooks, the new clothes, the hosts and hosts of merry silly songs
and jingles, the hoards of Christmas advertising, the Christmas
trees, etc.and some of this commenced even before Halloween.

I watched an ABC Christmas show that
featured all the Disney characters hosted by Mickey Mouse. It was
three hours long – a huge spectacular – full of dancing and
singing. It had everything in the show, even a carol that was left
until just before the end – almost an afterthought. And that wasn't
sung in full.

The huge thing missing from all of this
is the birth of Jesus Christ.

Isn't that the most important element
of what Christmas is about?

What do our children think about
Christmas as it is portrayed now?

Not one of the material things I have
mentioned above will make them happy forever. The real meaning of
Christmas will. So why is His message neglected? His message of love
and why God sent Him into our world.

Seek God first, said Jesus, and the
things you really need will be given to you.

We now worship in a church full of
merchandise. The shopping malls, even the small ones we have here in
Cayman, would appear to be our temples with altars showing enticing
things to purchase, our scripture readings are not from the Holy
Bible but catalogues via print and Internet and the sermons we hear
and devour are from all the adverts that come to us via the
television and radio.

I leave you with these words from Jesus
(Matthew 6:19 -34) From NIV

19 “Do not store up for yourselves
treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves
break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in
heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do
not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your
heart will be also.

22 “The eye is the lamp of the body.
If your eyes are healthy,[a] your whole body will be full of light.

23 But if your eyes are unhealthy,[b]
your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within
you is darkness, how great is that darkness!

24 “No one can serve two masters.
Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be
devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God
and money.

25 “Therefore I tell you, do not
worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your
body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body
more than clothes?

26 Look at the birds of the air; they
do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly
Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?

27 Can any one of you by worrying add a
single hour to your life[c]?

28 “And why do you worry about
clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or
spin.

29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon
in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.

30 If that is how God clothes the grass
of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the
fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith?

31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What
shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we
wear?’

32 For the pagans run after all these
things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.

33 But seek first his kingdom and his
righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

34 Therefore do not worry about
tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough
trouble of its own.

END

From Joan and myself, Georgina and Colleen, A VERY HAPPY AND BLESSED CHRISTMAS to each and everyone of you.