Freeing the Saints From Hallmark Festivals

First this specific got my attention: "Robyn learned the story of St. Nicholas, the Turkish bishop who became a symbol of anonymous gift-giving by providing dowries to three destitute sisters. (You can read the story in Samantha Baker-Evens article, “The Real Santa Claus”.) When Robyn shared the story of St Nicholas with her children, she was able to encourage them to focus their gift-giving on those who were really in need at Christmas and remember the One who gave us the greatest gift of al—Christ our Saviour. The whole family volunteered to serve Christmas dinner at a local homeless shelter, and they bought a goat for a poor family in Ethiopia. “It was our most satisfying Christmas ever,” she said."
As much as anything because I'm considering sending a note to most of the people that usually buy me presents to suggest to them that (a) I don't really have anything that I especially want as a present, (b) I recognise that it can be difficult to know what to get someone and (c) when people have done what I'm about to suggest for me in the past, I have found it really moving and quite exciting. So I'm going to suggest that they surprise me by whatever it is they select to improve the life of someone in the developing world. Here's one site that enables that Present Aid.

It was actually the more general message of this article that got my attention in the first place, so secondly I'm signalling my agreement with the basic message here about extracting ourselves, somehow, from the fact that our culture has a really unhealthy and vicious little trap around gift and card sending. The occasions for these things are expanding and you are made to feel a heel if you try to opt out of the spiral of reciprocity. So the important message here is "Rather than ranting and raving against consumerism, however, I think that we need to explore ways to transform these corrupted symbols of the consumer culture into real celebrations of our faith." And it gives an example. We need to be able to do this kind of thing with Valentines, parents' days, and so forth, not to mention Christmas and Easter.

Starting article: Mustard Seed Associates � Freeing the Saints From Their Hallmark Holidays � Creating the future one mustard seed at a time: