There's an old story about an impoverished holy man who once lived in east Asia. Each day as he meditated he put a small plate of butter on the window sill as an offering to God, since he had such limited access to food. On one occasion his cat jumped up on the window sill and ate it, so, he simply began tying the cat to the bedpost during his time of meditation. This man was highly respected for his devotional life and over time other men became his disciples and worshipped as he did. Long after he passed away, his followers were still placing a plate of butter as an offering on the window sill during their quiet time. They also went out and bought cats to tie to their bedpost.

Religion is what happens when practice becomes absent of purpose.

So what do we do with all of our holiday traditions? It seems as the holidays come back around every year so do the discussions about how we should and shouldn't celebrate. What traditions should we hold to and what do we need to let go of? Jill and I have personally wrestled over this more than ever the past few years simply because we're raising humans now, and that brings added pressure to every practice in our home.

I'm a firm believer that the gospel and the life of Christ can be found in virtually every aspect of society. The Kingdom of Heaven is both NOW and not yet, therefore we can see glimpses of that Kingdom invading our everyday if we look for it. I think that's especially true of the Christmas story. The WAY we celebrate Christmas isn't nearly as important as WHY we do. If we keep the WHY of Christmas at the core of our practices, it brings great purpose and meaning to all of the traditions we hold to.

So here are five common Christmas traditions that I'm willing to bet you already practice, each one unique in the way that they can actually point us to the Christ story:

1. Hanging Lights

9After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen, when it rose, went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10When they saw the star, they were overjoyed.

- Matthew 2:9-10 NIV

Light has always been an announcement that God is present. In the beginning the first thing God created was light. 1 John says "God is light, in Him there is no darkness." That's why He calls us the light of the world, because we're supposed to represent Him in the world. So it should be no surprise to us that when He sent His son as a baby on the earth, He hung a light in the sky as a guide for those who sought Him.

We hang lights because God first hung a light in the sky over Jesus. Let every light you hang on the tree or on the house be a reminder that Christ lives here. May we find the same joy in each light as the Magi did when they saw that star.

2. Wrapping Presents

14"The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us..."

- John 1:14 NIV

12"This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

- Luke 2:12 NIV

I'm HORRIBLE at wrapping presents. The first few years of our marriage I used to just put Jill's gifts in plastic bags. She finally told me, "You know Zach, part of the joy of a gift is opening it." That made a lot of sense to me. So, ever since then, I do my very best wrapping job for every present I buy. It's perfect because half of the joy is opening it and the other half is laughing at how pitiful it looks. We all get a kick out of it.

The things that are most valuable must be found, fought for, or uncovered. Jesus instructs us to seek and find. The Kingdom beckons us to sow and reap. Proverbs says we must search out what has been intentionally hidden.

We wrap presents with paper because God first wrapped Himself with flesh, then was Himself wrapped with cloths. As you wrap presents this year, remember God's greatest present TO us is His decision to be present AMONG us.

3. Going Home

2In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world... 3And everyone went to their own town to register. 4So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David.

- Luke 2:2-4 NIV

There's nothing like going home and being with family for Christmas. The crazier the family the better. We wouldn't have some of the greatest Christmas movies without that very scenario as the centerpiece. The gathering of the family is very significant. Life's most special moments call for everyone to come home: to witness unions (weddings), to celebrate new life (the birth of children), and to bury those they love (funerals). So the fact that we gather together at Christmas means this is significant.

To put everything on hold and return to the ones who raised you (and whom you raised) is a powerful thing not to be overlooked or taken for granted. Many will celebrate this Christmas for the first time without a loved one. Just like HOW we celebrate Christ is not as important as WHY we celebrate, neither is it as important as WHO we celebrate with.

We go home for Christmas because Bethlehem was home to Joseph and the census called him to return to where he belonged. I find it profound that a census was taking place at the time of Jesus' birth. At its core a census is about taking stock of what you've got. There's no better time and place to do that than at Christmas surrounded by those you love.

4. Singing Carols

13Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 14“Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom His favor rests.”

- Luke 2:13-14 NIV

Let me get out in front of this before the keyboard warriors attack: I am aware that nowhere in scripture does it actually say the angels "SANG". It does say, however, that they were "praising." The bottom line is they came with a declaration. For centuries we have passed down life's greatest lessons and truths through song.

Similar to the gathering of the family, life's greatest events are accompanied by music. We teach our kids the foundation of our language (the alphabet) by teaching them a song. When it's your birthday people sing to you, whether you want them to or not. On your wedding day there will be songs. At your funeral some poor old soul is going to belt their best version of "I Can Only Imagine" while half the room fights back tears of sadness and the other half tears of laughter. It's inevitable, life comes with a soundtrack!

So, it's fitting that we reserve an entire library of songs just for this time of year (please reserve them)! You often SAY what you're thinking but you SING what you're feeling. It's natural. If you don't believe me, read Psalm 13. David sang things all the time that weren't necessarily true but were deeply felt. What makes Christmas special is that it comes with a feeling.

We sing Christmas carols that declare the coming of our Lord because the angels appeared to the shepherds praising God for the same. In between your best impressions of Mariah and Sinatra, make room for the songs that really embody the heart of Christmas.

5. Giving Gifts

11On coming to the house, they saw the child with His mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped Him. Then they opened their treasures and presented Him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.

- Matthew 2:11 NIV

16For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.

- John 3:16

Everybody loves receiving gifts. Many love giving gifts. But few people love sacrificial gifts. We most often give out of our excess. We meet our own needs then meet the needs of others out of what we have left over. But the gifts the Magi brought were from their own treasures. They didn't go to the store, they went to their closet. They gave to this child from their hearts.

Each gift was symbolic of who He was:

- Gold for the King of Kings.

- Incense for the God in flesh.

- Myrrh for the lamb of sacrifice.

What we give to someone is a reflection of who they are. The more special they are to us, the more special we want the gift to be for them. What does that say about God's relationship to us when He chose to give us His son? We give gifts at Christmas because the Magi presented gifts to Jesus who was Himself the greatest gift to humanity.

Conclusion

You don't have to abandon your traditions to find Christ this Christmas season. Just bring purpose back to your practice. Remember WHY you do WHAT you do and make sure you're not just tying cats to bedposts for no reason. Merry Christmas!