Christmas Sacrament Program Message
2014
Remarks by Bishop David Parish
There’s a
beloved children’s book by Dr. Seuss, familiar to most, titled How
the Grinch Stole Christmas. Just
last week I was thinking that one might well write a book titled How the
World Stole Christmas. I couldn’t help but consider how drastically
things have changed in my lifetime. Gone
are the days where you might see a school nativity pageant, conspicuously
missing are the traditional Christmas songs I sang as a child in school. As I sat and listened while my own 9 year old
daughter participated in her school Christmas program in the very school I
attended as a child, I noted that the songs were all about sleigh bells,
snowflakes, snowmen, reindeer, Santa Claus, holly berries, hot chocolate,
Hippopotamuses, and even teeth! Everything, it seemed, but what Christmas was
really about.
In many
places in the U.S. a public display of even a Christmas tree is now met with
protest and scorn. Any public display of
the nativity or even a private display on public property is viciously attacked
and has even fostered lawsuits against communities.
Through the
pressure of political correctness and the spiteful actions of a handful of
vocal minorities, one major retail chain even experimented with using the
phrase “Happy Holidays” instead of “Merry Christmas” in order to avoid offence,
and tailored their ads, and employee training accordingly.
Retail
stores seem in a mad rush to be the first to start capitalizing on Christmas. On numerous occasions I’ve witnessed
Christmas merchandise on store aisles even before Halloween. The Thanksgiving turkey hasn’t even time to
digest before crowds of people are fighting for a chance at door buster prices
on the first “official” Christmas shopping day of the year, and unquestionably the
busiest shopping day of the entire year.
Newspapers, television commercials, radio ads, and online media inundate
us with a veritable tsunami of enticements urging people to buy things they
don’t need, with money they may not have.
A few years
ago I even heard a radio ad that asked if you weren’t tired of getting lame
presents you didn’t want or need each Christmas… It then invited you to get something for yourself this Christmas that you truly deserve
and will truly appreciate. Why not a
Lexus?? I was stunned as I contemplated on
not only the magnitude of the commercialism which had overrun Christmas, but
how the focus, at least in this instance, had shifted from selfless giving to self
gifting.
In almost
all cases, there is a clear and steady departure away from Christ, and a
substitution of the things money can buy…
How the Grinch
Stole Christmas
In Dr.
Suess’ story of How the Grinch Stole Christmas, a pitiful creature called the
Grinch hated Christmas and everything associated with it. He despised the Whos in Whoville for their
celebration of Christmas and devised a scheme to steal the holiday from
them. He sneaked into their houses the
night before Christmas and took all the food, presents, lights, Christmas trees,
stockings, and decorations. As he pulled
his enormous load to the top of a mountain to dump it, he reveled in the
anticipation of what would happen down in Whoville when they awoke and
discovered that no Christmas was coming. He was certain they would start to cry, which
was a sound he simply had to hear.
[So he paused. And the
Grinch put his hand to his ear.
And he did hear a
sound rising over the snow.
It started in low.
Then it started to grow.
But the sound wasn't
sad! Why, this sound sounded merry!
It couldn't be so! But
it WAS merry! VERY!
He stared down at
Whoville! The Grinch popped his eyes!
Then he shook! What he
saw was a shocking surprise!
Every Who down in
Whoville, the tall and the small,
Was singing! Without any
presents at all!
He HADN'T stopped
Christmas from coming! IT CAME!
Somehow or other, it
came just the same!
And the Grinch, with
his grinch-feet ice-cold in the snow,
Stood puzzling and
puzzling: "How could it be so?"
"It came without
ribbons! It came without tags!"
"It came without
packages, boxes or bags!"
And he puzzled three
hours, till his puzzler was sore.
Then the Grinch
thought of something he hadn't before!
"Maybe
Christmas," he thought, "doesn't come from a store."
"Maybe Christmas...perhaps...means a little bit
more!"]
Perhaps if
the Grinch had been familiar with the scriptures, he would have realized earlier
that Christmas was never built on those things which cannot satisfy.
Scripture 1
Wherefore, do not
spend money for that which is of no worth, nor your labor for that which cannot
satisfy. Hearken diligently unto me, and remember the words which I have
spoken; and come unto the Holy One of Israel, and feast upon that which
perisheth not, neither can be corrupted, and let your soul delight in fatness.
2 Nephi 9:51
Christmas is Especially for the
Burdened
I recently
sat with a member of our ward who had suffered significant loss. As I inquired about Christmas, I received the
following reply: “I just wish Christmas wouldn’t come this year…”
I’ve heard
these sentiments before, and they are nearly always born of sorrow. It’s true that for many, Christmas is a
difficult time. It can be a reminder of
significant trials in life, financial burdens, overwhelming loss, shattered
dreams, loneliness, grief, sorrow… but are these not the individuals for whom
Christmas should hold the greatest comfort?
I also recently
sat across the room from a good faithful member in significant financial
difficulty who told me “We’re just going to focus on Christ this year...” How I love this member! Did not Christ understand grief and
sorrow? Does he not know how to lift our
burdens and succor all who come unto him?
Scripture
2
He is despised and rejected of men; a man of
sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised,
and we esteemed him not.
Surely he hath borne our griefs, and
carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and
afflicted.
But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities:
the chastisement of our peace was
upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. Isaiah
53:3-5
Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me;
for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. Matt 11:28-30
Scripture 4
Peace
I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I
unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. John 14:27
The Foundation of Christmas is Love
There is a
story told of a 3 year old who was sharply reprimanded by her father for using
an inordinate amount of expensive gold wrapping paper to wrap a present which
she placed under the Christmas tree.
Money was tight, and the sloppily adorned package in its wasteful
extravagance was an irritation which the father felt compelled to address. On Christmas day, he was ashamed to discover
that the present was for him and his heart softened. Upon opening the gift, he found a box with
nothing inside. He chided the small girl
for giving a gift with nothing in it.
Imagine his feelings as she responded; “It’s not empty Daddy, I blew
kisses into it, and they’re all for you.”
The box, in reality, was not empty as it appeared. It had been filled with love.
Strip away the
presents, lights, evergreen trees, Santa Claus, Elves, Reindeer, stockings,
food, sweets, decorations… all the adornments we associate with Christmas, and Christmas
may appear empty. However, if we look
closer, we’ll discover that what remains is the love.
Scripture 5
For God so loved the world, that he gave his
only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have
everlasting life. John 3:16
Love which
enables us to repent and overcome all
our weaknesses; Love which enables us to be raised from mortality to
immortality with a perfect body of flesh and bone; Love which enables each one
of us to one day return to our Heavenly Father and live with him in a state of
never ending happiness; Love which compelled Christ to submit to the will of
the Father and endure extreme pain and suffering as he took upon Himself the
sins of all mankind. Pain so extreme, we
are told, that no mortal man could endure except it be unto death; Love which
compelled Christ to lay down his life and die in a most cruel manner that we
might not be bound by the chains of death; Love which placed such an enormous
demand upon the laws of justice, that it could only be satisfied by an extreme
act of mercy of equal magnitude towards all mankind…
It’s difficult to imagine more humble
circumstances under which the Savior of the world could have come into the
world. A God, a king, surrounded by
livestock and laying in a feed trough, it’s not likely that the air was filled
only with the sweet smell of hay.
Historically we know that the Wise men bearing gifts of Gold,
Frankincense, and myrrh were not present the night Christ was born. Foreordained by God before the world was,
foretold by prophets, heralded by angels, welcomed by lowly shepherds, he came…
"[He] came without ribbons! [He] came without tags!"
"[He] came without packages, boxes or bags!"
[Because] Christmas," [in fact], "[didn't] come from a
store."
"Christmas...[indeed]...[is something much] more!"
This Christmas…
May the Light of Christ Direct.
May the Life of Christ Inspire.
May the Love Christ Permeate.
Is my sincere prayer in the sacred name of Jesus Christ.
Amen
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