Yearning for Simplicity (a Re-Post)

'Tis the day after Christmas, and we are enjoying a post-Christmas snowfall while the kids break in the new toys. I should note here that I spent a grand total of about $11 on gifts for the kids, due to the fact that nearly all of the presents were found at garage sales this summer. (Don't worry, they're not ghetto.) In addition to our few gifts, they were showered with lovely presents by their Ta and Pa (my mom and dad), so we have plenty to keep us busy today.

Since we're so busy, instead of hatching up new material, I'd like to share part of a post I wrote early last December. As an explanatory note: we no longer attend this particular church, although my family does, and it continues to be a pillar of the community. I realize that what I wrote can come off as rather grumpy, and I hate to sound irritated with this particular church. Please understand that I was simply irritated with their Christmas production; this church continues to do fantastic work, and I have nothing but admiration for their dedication to our town.

Without further ado...

from the post Yearning for Simplicity, December 7, 2008

Church this morning was a little... different. It was the adult Christmas musical, which is evidently a big deal for our church. Not only was it performed as the morning worship today, but it was also performed Saturday night and tonight (Sunday) for the public at an admission cost. Whoa! It was a pretty big production that the performers had obviously put a lot of hard work and time into. The orchestra and choir were great, and the people participating were having a great time. In addition, the two evening performances evidently had a very outreach-centered approach, as the organizers understood community members were more likely to come to those shows versus the Sunday morning performance. All of this I could appreciate. What I couldn't appreciate was the sheer magnitude of it all. When did Christmas become such a production?

I understand that we have a large church (1,000+, from what I understand) and that, more than likely, things like the adult Christmas musical are Sacred Cows Which Must Not Be Touched, so probably my opinion on the matter won't turn the tide. But it truly was over-the-top and, more annoyingly, sort of repetitive. When the flyer said "live nativity," I didn't realize this meant no less than three donkeys, several sheep, a couple lambs, and two CAMELS. Yes, camels. (Where in the heck do you get camels in the middle of December in the middle of Illinois?) The original, gospel-themed compositions were very repetitive, and I had a hard time staying interested when we weren't singing the traditional Advent hymns and carols. Toward the end of a particularly emotional piece, "Joseph" held "Baby Jesus" over his head in a move that looked suspiciously like it had been copied out of The Lion King, and streamers popped out of mini cannons to inform us when the climax had been reached.

Just slightly over-the-top.

I'm sorry. I'm going to stop complaining. A lot of good, Christian people put a lot of time and effort into this musical. I don't feel like I'm normally so super critical. I just long for simplicity, especially now, especially at Christmas, especially with children of my own. I get sick of the hype, the noise, the glittery, false luster that often serves, even unknowingly, to distract us from the true meaning, that being Jesus Christ's advent here on earth. Why is it so hard for us to get excited about that one simple fact? Why do we have to hide the baby and His incredible story behind popping streamers and loud productions? It hit me this morning, as I was gazing at the images of the Holy Family being broadcast from the large projectors (heaven forbid we not have visual stimulation), how truly incredible the whole story really is.

God came to earth in frail human form!

Jesus was born to a virgin! That's impossible!

She gave birth in a stable!

SHE GAVE BIRTH IN A STABLE! Folks, I have given birth, and this fact is incredible in and of itself.

They laid him in a manger! Presumably there was hay involved!

Angels from heaven appeared and sang the good news!

Shepherds came to honor and worship this baby!

A baby! They came to see a baby! Jesus was a baby!

Three mysterious men traveled from a distant land to visit the baby because they read the tidings in the stars!

Mary, Joseph, and their baby had to flee from an enraged king who slaughtered thousands in his attempts to kill Jesus!

This is all so incredible! Without such an example, these kind of circumstances would be beyond the workings of our limited imaginations. Why can't we see this? Why do we have to surround these astounding truths, so incredible that they seem absurd when I write them out and actually give them meaningful thought, with any sort of production? It's as if we think Jesus can't stand on His own, can't get His point across by Himself, needs our help to seem cool.

I'm sorry, folks, but Jesus' birth and the circumstances surrounding it are pretty dang cool without our help. Maybe I sound like a crusty, embittered old man, but this is truly how I feel. This is truly how I want to live: without the hype, without the glitter, shouting these simple, astounding truths for all of us, who are so dependent on hype, to hear and once again believe.