When Christmas Isn’t Christmas

When he originally published “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” as a stand-along story in 1957, Dr. Suess set out to tell a Christmas story that pushed against the mainstream. We don’t all have a personal aversion to Christmas, like the Grinch does, but maybe we all have parts of the season which we dislike, allowing us to identify with the Grinch. Throughout this series, we’ll discover that much of what resonates with us in the Grinch’s story can help us understand our faith as Christians, the hope that we find in the birth of Jesus and the love that grows in our hearts because of Emmanuel, God with us!

“Although John seems angrier than we might expect, John’s ministry and message point to Jesus. John prepares the way, not for himself, but for the coming Messiah. We too often tragically see ourselves as John in the story, and not as the villains. Over time, as our Christmas celebrations lean into our own preferences and traditions, we just might need an ‘ax at the foot of the tree’ in order to help us once again point toward Christ instead of ourselves.” -Pastor Matt Rawle