Glorifying God in our Christmas shopping

Lat minute Christmas shoping today? This article, Glorifying God in our Christmas shopping, discusses how investing a little thought into our shopping will help us give gifts that will encourage faith and hope in God.

Jesus is better than Santa

Santa lives at the North Pole. JESUS is everywhere.
Santa rides in a sleigh JESUS rides on the wind and walks on the water.
Santa comes but once a year JESUS is an ever present help.
Santa fills your stockings with goodies JESUS supplies all your needs.
Santa comes down your chimney uninvited JESUS stands at your door and knocks. And then enters your heart.
You have to stand in line to see Santa JESUS is as close as the mention of His name.
Santa lets you sit on his lap JESUS lets you rest in His arms.
Santa doesn't know your name, all he can say is "Hi little boy or girl, What's your name?" JESUS knew our name before we did. Not only does He know our name, He knows our address too. He knows our history and future and He even knows how many hairs are on our heads.
Santa has a belly like a bowl full of jelly JESUS has a heart full of love.
All Santa can offer is HO HO HO JESUS offers health, help and hope.
Santa says "You better not cry" JESUS says "Cast all your cares on me for I care for you.
Santa's little helpers make toys JESUS makes new life, mends wounded hearts, repairs broken homes and builds mansions.
Santa may make you chuckle but JESUS gives you joy that is your strength.
While Santa puts gifts under your tree JESUS became our gift and died on the tree.
It's obvious there is really no comparison. We need to remember WHO Christmas is all about. We need to put Christ back in Christmas.

Jesus is still the reason for the season.
May the Lord bless and watch over you and your loved ones this Christmas 2008. And may He prosper and bless the work of your hands in the New Year.

[courtesy of Andrew]

Baubles are the big Christmas peril

The greatest menace to yuletide wellbeing is not a half-raw, half-scorched turkey, nor family arguments uncorked by too much wine at lunch. According to the Children's Secretary, Ed Balls, the prime suspect could be the humble bauble that has festoones unsuspecting Christmas trees. Baubles have joined candles, hot pans and perfume in a government leaflet that discusses the dangers of the Christmas period.

Last-minute Christmas cake

If you haven't got round to making a Christmas cake yet, it is not too late! Cafédirect have a simple recipe using Teadirect Gold which makes a moist, delicious cake with a wonderful mixture of rich and fragrant tea-soaked fruits.

Twelve steps to an ethical christmas

On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me a fairly traded box of chocolates
On the second day of Christmas my true love gave to me two recycled cards
On the third day of Christmas my true love gave to me three ethical hoodies
On the fourth day of Christmas my true love gave to me four recycled gifts
On the fifth day of Christmas my true love gave to me five fair trade rings
On the sixth day of Christmas my true love gave to me six tree decorations
On the seventh day of Christmas my true love gave to me seven gifts that give twice
On the eighth day of Christmas my true love gave to me eight days of service
On the ninth day of Christmas my true love gave to me nine Christmas outfits
On the tenth day of Christmas my true love gave to me ten gifts that cost less
On the eleventh day of Christmas my true love did for me eleven acts of kindness
On the twelfth day of Christmas my true love gave to me twelve bags of rubbish

[From the Tearfund website]

How to have an ethical Christmas

From the Tearfund youth website: We believe that there’s a better sort of celebration to have – better than the Consumer’s Christmas, the Shop-a-holic’s Santa-Fest or the Me Me Me Mistletoe Marathon. We reckon that there’s every chance we can all enjoy something different this year: an Ethical Christmas.

They offer ten suggestions:

1. Buy gifts from http://www.livinggifts.co.uk/, Tearfund’s alternative gifts scheme.
2. Make a cheque-book of favours… like cleaning the car, cooking a meal or giving a foot-rub.
3. Buy a Fairtrade Cookery Book.
4. Shop at http://www.tearcraft.org/ for amazing items produced by Tearfund partners, all paid a fair wage for their skill.
5. Check out http://www.ethicalsuperstore.com/ - it does what it says on the tab.
6. Get some divine Divine chocolate from your local stockist or online (http://www.divinechocolate.com/ or http://www.tearcraft.org/)
7. Offer a day out on you. There’s a stack load of things to do and exciting places to go all for FREE: museums, art galleries or that pretty impressive thing we call God’s Creation.
8. Buy nothing Christmas. Why not duck out of the system and instead of buying any presents this year give the money you would have spent to Tearfund instead.
9. Check out charity shops for some Christmas gems.
10. Get hold of some eco-pampering gifts for that special someone who loves beautiful things (try The Centre for Alternative Technology).

Online Advent resources

In addition to the WhyWeAreWaiting website, here are some other online resources for Advent:

• Sign up to Christian Aid's Advent-inspired email and receive daily tips to help beat the credit crunch this Christmas. The handy hints, which will be emailed daily from the 1st December until Christmas Eve, are designed to help you save cash, cut carbon emissions and have some Yuletide fun.
• The Evangelical Alliance offer their Advent Prayer Guide for 2008.‏
• The IVP Advent Calendar offers excerpts from the Bible and from a range of IVP books each day - gems that point us to the coming of that pearl of great price, the greatest gift of all, the Lord Jesus Christ.
• Paperless Christmas offers a time-locked Advent countdown of 24 videos produced by Jerusalem Productions Limited, in association with Bible Reading Fellowship.

Why artists can't resist the lure of Christianity

In today's Guardian, Mark Lawson discusses why artists can't resist the lure of Christianity. He notes that "Christian iconography still has a powerful presence in contemporary culture: at a time when churches have almost no political power".

Related to this, it is worth noting that although the Royal Mail presents Pantomime as the theme for this year's Christmas stamps, they are also offering the Madonna & Child stamps first produced last year. The website states that "these beautiful stamps feature classic paintings from the 14th and 19th centuries and reflect a more traditional view of Christmas". Do ask for them specifically when you buy your stamps, as it will encourage the Royal Mail to continue to offer an option for those who hold a "traditional view of Christmas".

Going green as you wrap

With only a month to go until Christmas, here's some advice on "green" gift bags and wrapping paper. See also these other posts on gift wrapping:

• Wrapsacks
• Science of wrapping presents
• Wrap art

WhyWeAreWaiting

An Abbott, a Bishop and a Canon Theologian are today launching an Advent website aiming to put the ABC of waiting back into wanting as the countdown to Christmas begins. The WhyWeAreWaiting website includes an introductory film featuring the Archbishop of Canterbury and an Advent Calendar with a difference made up of reflections, podcasts, and waiting tips. The website has been produced by the Church of England.

Stir-up Sunday

Stir-up Sunday is an informal term in the Anglican Church for the last Sunday before the season of Advent. The term comes from the opening words of the collect for the day in the Book of Common Prayer:

Stir up, we beseech thee, O Lord, the wills of thy faithful people; that they, plenteously bringing forth the fruit of good works, may of thee be plenteously rewarded; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Through an association of ideas, the day has subsequently become connected with the preparation of Christmas puddings, and many people still prepare and "stir up" their Christmas puds on this day.

Real Christmas in under 30 seconds

A competition has been launched challenging the public to tell the story of Jesus’ birth in just thirty seconds. It’s the latest campaign from the Churches Advertising Network (whose previous Christmas campaigns included describing the Virgin Mary as having a “bad hair day”).

This year's Christmas campaign includes 30 second ads to run on commercial radio in December, plus a competition for individuals and groups to tell the Christmas story in under 30 seconds. There's a prize of £500 for the best competition entry, plus exposure on YouTube. The impetus for the campaign came from a recent poll which found that only 12 per cent of adults in Britain know the facts of the biblical Christmas story.

Do Nothing... Christmas is Coming

In 2007, Do Nothing to Change Your Life encouraged us to nurture our inner slob. Now, Do Nothing... Christmas is Coming turns to what, for many, is the busiest time of the year. For every day of Advent, Stephen Cottrell provides short, practical steps to help us slow down, take time out - amd resist the pressure of the Christmas whirl. Described as "an Advent calendar with a difference", this gift book is perfect if you need to slow down during Advent - or if you know someone else who needs an injection of calm!

Don't forget the Hogalogue!

If you are looking for a Christmas gift for someone interested in hedgehogs, then check out the catalogue from the British Hedgehog Preservation Society - called The Hogalogue - with goods such as hedgehog food, hedgehog houses, cards, and books.

Alternatively, you could give them A Prickly Affair: My Life with Hedgehogs‏ by Hugh Warwick, which you may have heard plugged on Radio 4 and which is described as "a highly original and entertaining book".

Christmas albums

Christmas music remains a huge staple in the Christian music industry, and Christianity Today reviews 20 new album releases from a diverse array of popular artists.

Wrapsacks

I keep an eye on the Onya website (the people that make the OnyaWeigh) and was pleased to see that they are now distributors for wrapsacks - just in time for wrapping Christmas gifts. Wrapsack gift bags are reusable gift bags that let you "pre-cycle" to save trees and reduce more than $5 billion in giftwrap landfill each year. You dress up a gift in a gift bag, tie it, and give it! You can give your wrapsack a name and enter its number at Wrapsacks.com, and track its travels.

Tea-related gadgets

Wondering what to get your tea-loving friends and family for Christmas? If you don't go down the alternative gifts route, you could consider these tea-related gadgets:

• Tea Tool: Designed by a doctor who couldn’t bear the drips created when transferring a soggy tea bag from mug to bin, Tea Tool is a simple solution. Pop a tea bag in the cage, place it in your cup and pour the hot water in; give it a stir and press the plunger to squeeze the bag, releasing all the flavour and excess water. Then, pull the plunger to drop the bag in the bin. No drips on worktops, no burnt fingers, and no mess!
• Teabag Bin: The Teabag Bin is as simple as its name suggests: a bin for used tea bags! This stylish little container made from high grade steel or plastic sits happily next to the kettle and swallows up used teabags keeping your kitchen mess free.

Or you could just buy them a new mug and a box of their favourite tea!

Alternative gifts: the 2008 round-up

This is an update of last year's post on alternative gift ideas (sometimes called ethical gifts). They won't clutter up anyone's home, but will make a significant contribution to the individual or community who are given the gift.

• Bible Society's Bible a Month
• Good Gifts
• Oxfam Unwrapped
• Samaritan's Purse Gifts to change a World
• Tear Fund's Living Gifts
• UNICEF Inspired Gifts
• World Vision's Alternative Gifts

And don't forget the Gift offset calculator which lets you to purchase carbon offsetting for driving, holidays, homes or even individuals!

Operation Christmas Child

Last year this blog ran a Countdown to Christmas series and the first post looked at Operation Christmas Child.

With less than 80 days until Christmas Day, maybe its time to preparing to send a message of hope to children in need around the world through gift-filled shoe boxes. You can drop off your filled shoeboxes between 1st - 18th November at a local Drop Off Point. If you would like to add a personal touch to your box, you could knit a scarf, hat or teddy. Its probably better not to knit a dalek!

Want to learn more about the impact of Operation Christmas Child? Then watch the video or read some stories.