Five Spirits of Christmas – Piety
The season of Christmas has long been accompanied by a sense
that a person should be good. If parents take their children to see Santa
Claus, he is likely to ask if they’ve been good this year. Many Christmas
movies include Santa’s Naughty and Nice List as part of their story arc.
In the church, we’re not so focused on being Naughty or
Nice. We know that Jesus’ purpose was to redeem sinners. It just follows that
if Jesus redeemed us, we must be sinners who needed redeeming and, therefore,
on the naughty list. Thanks be to God; we don’t have to earn our gifts from
Him!
However, one of the 5 Spirits of Christmas is piety. Piety
is different from being nice, although it can include kind behavior toward
others. It is bigger than being nice. Another word for it is godliness.
Long ago, Christians set up times to observe different
events in Jesus’ life and ministry. There is an ebb and flow in these times
between celebration and sorrow, or, as we often talk about it, liturgically,
feasting and fasting. As we prepare to celebrate Jesus’ birth with feasting,
rejoicing that our savior has been born, the church has historically had a
season of fasting and repentance that led up to Christmas. This season is
called Advent.
Advent is a time of piety. It is a time that we add extra
good and godly activities into our lives.
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Fasting
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Devotions – Advent wreath, counting down the
weeks – candles and prayer. Advent Calendars – Bible verses behind the doors
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Worship Services – Hear the Word – especially
around the prophecies of Jesus’ birth and return (and his presence with us).
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Alms giving – Giving Tree and Toasty Tree,
Non-profits’ budgets
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Hospitality
Christmas Eve Worship
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Home Alone, Kevin McCallister
The holiness of the season.
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“Christ-haunted” – Flannery O’Connor
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As it should be!
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Draws people in to experience a mystery – and we
often respond with piety.
Hot Cocoa with a little “something to warm you up!”
Christmas celebrations with a shot of piety – to warm the
heart in a wholly different, a wholly holy! way
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