More from the File of Things That Make You Go "Hmm"

What does it say when a parent touring one's school (Lutheran school, mind you) if the school holds to its own teaching or has been sucked in to the ways of the world? This actually occured today. The parent wasn't being mean; this person really wanted to know. The parent then proceeded to offer this explanation for the question. This parent has been looking at Christian schools in which to enroll a child, and one school indicated that they did not celebrate Christmas. This school had been directed by its board to celebrate "winter holidays" aka "ChanuRamaKwanzsMas" so as not to offend the sensitivities of its non-Christian students. Excuse me? I can understand a public school (our motto: thou shalt not offend any but those who need offense--Christians, those of European heritage, and those who support a male-dominated culture) not celebrating Christmas, or at least that holiday of Santa Claus, brown paper packages tied up with string, and the Grinch; but a Christian school?! This seems rather ridiculous. The parent even asked the school what they do for Easter. What next? They won't celebrate Mother's Day so as not to offend those without mothers or those with a mother and a stepmother and a surrogate mother and the girlfriend of the mother because the poor teacher doesn't have time enough in the day for four Mother's Day handprints in clay, let alone one because the teacher has to cover hygiene and safe sex and self-esteem and integrating counting in the early English language (een, tween, treen) to help the children become "the most limited of all specialists, the 'well-rounded' [person]"?
Maybe I've crossed the line over into the absurd. Maybe I'm not the one who has crossed the line. I just can't get beyond this question: if you don't stand for what you believe in, why bother believing at all?

'Tis Also the Season

It was not enough to put a picture frame in the nativity scene. It apparently is en vogue to make the nativity fit what whatever group one wants. If you want the Veggietales cast to portray the nativity scene, you can. If you are the hardcore outdoor type (or live in an uber-rural area such as northern Skaskatchewan), you can procure a set with either moose or bears.

Is the incarnation not enough that it must be replaced with bears, moose, or vegetables? Is creation more interesting than the Creator sending His Word to be flesh? Maybe it’s just marketing and Jesus doesn’t sell without a shtick. . .

'Tis the Season

It's the day I wait for every November: the annual Concordia Publishing House sale, the sale where I can get cheap organ music. I mean, I can buy quality organ music at a discounted price--I suppose they don't make cheap organ music because why write music for cheap organs; likewise, those who wrote organ music that was cheap stopped writing organ music years ago and began writing praise choruses--but I digress.

After I finished in the discount tent, I did what probably every other person who attends the CPH sale does: I went into the store to see what I couldn't find outside. The store had much Advent and Christmas inventory out. Advent wreaths from classic to contemporary were out, along with nativity sets. As I was browsing, one nativity set caught my eye. It was a resin nativity, complete with most of the characters, as well as a picture frame. My first thought was, "Huh, a nativity picture frame, that's kind of cute." My second thought was, "Wait a minute. . . What does this say? Are we trying to upstage Jesus?"

What is the point of a picture frame in a nativity scene? Is it because Christmas today is a time for family and, for the nominally religious, the nostalgic rememberance of Baby Jesus that we have to blend the two concepts; thus shoving Jesus out of the manger and putting ourselves in?

I couldn't find an image of the one I saw in the store, but I found two others for sale, both equally distasteful as the original. The second had a description:

Nativity Scene Picture Frame is an inspirational gift of love. Nativity Scene Picture Frame features a 3-D Christmas tree with a nativity scene in the front and a Christmas scripture on the base. The Christmas scripture reads, "...A Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. Luke 2:11" The Christmas red picture frame fits snugly into the side of the 3-D Christmas tree with nativity scene and is held firmly by a magnet. Both the picture frame and Christmas tree with nativity scene can be displayed separately, too. This unique Nativity Scene Picture Frame for an inspirational Christmas gift will become a family
keepsake.

I suppose I shouldn't complain: At least they mentioned that Christ is the
Savior.