04/01/2020
Park Hill UMC
Children
While this may seem a bit silly in Spring, it can also be refreshing to hear the story of Jesus' birth in another time of the year. This story should be so much more than a reason for presents. I hope our children start to see the bigger picture of hope that people need - especially hope amdist poverty, oppression, and all forms of injustice and violence.
Youth/Students
The story of Jesus starts to separate Christians from their ancestors, Jews. While Hanukkah occurs in a similar season as Christmas, how are these two holidays similar and different? Have you ever wondered what it must be like to belong to a different religion and live in the US? What does our city and country do to help non-Christian religions celebrate and observe their winter time holidays, let alone their major holidays throughout the year? Christians emphasize Easter and Christmas, but can you name the primary holiday for the other major religions? In times like this pandemic, how are other religious groups being affected?
Parents/Adults
"Promised Land, Promised Time" (Chapt. 14 in We Make the Road by Walking) starts a handful of chapters focused on the people, circumstances and expectations revolving around Christmas and the birth of Jesus. These are some of my favorite passages in this book as they really challenge some of the negative values the USA has put on Christmas. You can pick and choose between Chpts. 14-17 today. A few months in the past now, can you remember Christmas and December? Is there anything that sticks out for you that you will keep, or that you wish to change? It's something I/Tory wrestle with each year. May our children know more than gifts, and may they see Christmas as a time that brought hope to the oppressed, marginalized and forgotten, and as a time to challenge and question the oppressors of our day.
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