Giving Our Best on Christmas
Recently, I heard a pastor talk about how many churches try to go all out during the Christmas season to communicate The Story in new, powerful, and meaningful ways. He went on to say that The Story is already powerful and meaningful and doesn’t need to be dressed up. In some ways I agree…and in some ways I disagree.
The birth of Jesus is an incredible story. Simply reading and reflecting on the story can be a moving, life-changing experience. The beauty of the story itself can fill us with joy, wonder, and awe. Standing alone, the story of His birth is rich with imagery and mystery.
However, I think the Church has a responsibility to effectively communicate the story. The reason why so many churches go out of their way to find new and creative ways to re-tell the story is so that we will find it fresh and exciting. Too often we hear that people have “heard it all before.” We all know the story so well…And so it’s tempting to simply go through the motions. But, if the Church is finding new and different methods to communicate this old message it might actually impact people in new and different ways. God is a creative being and He created us to be creative beings as well. So, when we don’t put much into the telling of the story…I feel we’re not really being who He created us to be.
At one time, the Church was the epicenter of creativity…amazing art, music, etc. The Church had a major influence on the culture. However, it seems that the Church has been stuck in a rut for many, many years and the influence has been replaced and the church is largely overlooked as a creative entity.
So, how do we re-capture our creative nature? How do we once again reclaim our position of influence over the culture at large?
It just might begin with pastors realizing their responsibility to effectively communicate the Message in fresh and creative ways. The message remains the same, but the methods should continually be adjusted to capture the power and beauty of the story…otherwise we’ll simply continue to go through the motions and fade away.