Say My Name, Say My Name.

Without Christ there is no Christmas; no reason for us to sing,
Without Christ there is no celebration because there is no King.
Without Christ there are no wisemen no gifts for us to leave,
Without Christ there is no Christmas no reason to believe.
Without Christ there is no Christmas and no way for us to win;
Without Christ there is no Christmas and no atonement for our sin.
Without Christ there is no Christmas and our lives would be a mess;
Without Christ there is no Christmas, nothing more, nothing less.

As Christmas gets increasingly commercialized and the United States gets more and more religiously diverse many do not associate Christ with Christmas. There are many, even believers, who don’t say His name but instead shorten the word Christmas by writing Xmas or maybe omitting the word Christmas all together. Happy Holidays ring out in malls, stores, and the airways. It is politically correct, and no one gets offended. What! This is the Christmas season so say His name!

There also is a group of people that say since the name Christ (Christo) begins with an X in Greek that Xmas is actually an ok way to abbreviate Christmas. They believe that Xmas actually means Christ Mass. Hmm, the young people would say that sounds like crap. Then there are those who celebrate Christmas but they don’t believe in Jesus, so Xmas works best for them. My belief is that advertisers and store owners decided that the word Christmas was too much to write in their window and store decorations or is a word that represents exclusion. So, to capitalize on the buying potential of the holiday they put an X through Christ to make it more palatable to the world. Regardless, of what people believe, too long, its Greek, or it’s not politically correct, there is no Christmas without Christ so say His name! Do not replace His name with an X or any other symbol when writing the word. Whenever or however you celebrate Christmas remember that Jesus is the reason for the season and there is no Christmas without Christ.

PRAYER: Lord, forgive us for getting so caught up in gift giving that we forget that Jesus is the greatest gift of all. As lights are strung, help us remember that Jesus is the light of the world. As evergreen trees are decorated, help us to remember that Christ gives us everlasting life. Lord, thank You for the gift of Your Son, who is the sole reason for the Christmas season. Lastly Lord, help us all remember that without Christ there is no Christmas and there is no salvation. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.
By Sis. Patricia Towns