Description 

Synopsis:

• A man contemplates his empty front yard and deems it lacking in something.
• He travels to a retail store and encounters the overwhelming display of holiday decorations and lights.
• He purchases a mountain of Christmas lights and inflatable figures, and goes to work on his yard.
• As the sun sets, his once-empty front yard is transformed into a blinking, bonking wonderland of retail Christmas.
• The man surveys his work, but still, it seems, something is missing.
• He notices a small, insignificant tree, sitting behind a bigger tree on his front walk.
• The man seems to take a particular interest in this little tree, unplugs it, and walks away from his house.
• On a lonely downtown rooftop, the man emerges with the little tree.
• He places the tree on the roof ledge and contemplates the lights of the city, seemingly glad to be in a relatively quiet space, away from the colorful mirage of his new front yard.
• Without warning, the little tree's lights blink on, although the tree isn't plugged into an electrical outlet.

Conversation:

• Yearly, the Christian / faith-minded person seems to battle the cultural Christmas in hopes of discovering the Christ-centered Christmas. What does celebrating a Christ-centered Christmas actually look like?
• What harm (if any) is there in engaging in a healthy amount of the cultural / societal celebrations of Christmas (retail shopping, lights, parties, sweaters, egg nog, et al)?
• At Christmastime, the world at large is ready to embrace themes of peace, love, family, and community, regardless of religion. Why is this?
• Can you find a quiet space this season to contemplate the mystic birth of the baby Jesus? Of what value is it to reflect on Christmas in isolation?
• How can the centuries-old Christmas narrative be retold to speak into the lives of friends, family, and neighbors?

Scripture Reference:

• Pause: Psalm 46:10
• Treasure up these things:
• Luke 2:1
• Luke 2:4
• Luke 2:8
• Luke 2:13- 20
• Don't love the world--love Jesus:
• 1John 2:15