Syndicate
Related Websites
Our Sunday service is at 10:00 AM.
View Map | Learn More
Church Pushes To Shed Some Of Season’s Trappings by Cassondra Kirby (Knight Ridder)
Posted by Ed and Lois
LEXINGTON, KY. - A Kentucky church is approaching Christmas a little differently this year: It’s skipping it.
Crossroads Christian Church in Lexington isn’t suggesting bailing out on the celebration altogether, just the bad parts:
We want to encourage people not to get so caught up in the trappings of the season that they miss the heart of what Christmas is about,” said Fred Turner, a minister at the church. “We are not calling for people not to buy presents or put up trees, but we are trying to turn the focus on the things that matter.”
He said the church got the idea from John Grisham’s book Skipping Christmas, which has been made into a movie, Christmas With the Kranks. The story is about Luther Krank (Tim Allen), who is sick of the high costs of Christmas and persuades his wife to skip the holiday and spend the money on a cruise. When his Peace Corps-bound daughter decides to come home for Christmas, he goes into a frenzy of preparations.
The nondenominational church began weekly discussions earlier this month. The sessions focus on helping the community find simplicity, joy, rest, belonging and Jesus, while skipping the loneliness, obligations and rush that come with the holiday. The last session will be on Christmas Eve.
“We really think this is important because the heart of Christmas needs to be getting back to who Jesus is and why he cares,” Turner said.