HOW WE REPLACED SANTA WITH JESUS CHRIST

Stores and radio stations have already begun to prepare us for this Christmas season, bringing out their decorations and playing Christmas music much earlier than the day after Thanksgiving which was once the traditional beginning of the Christmas season. It feels like the pace of this month increases as the list of “have to do’s” grows longer and longer. Like me, many of you are probably looking for new traditions for this month and hoping to slow your family down and focus on Jesus Christ. Maybe you are like us, as you decide to let go of the man in the red suit since he does not belong in the story of Christ’s birth no matter how the story is told. He shows up once a year to dole out his judgments and the most we catch of him is something going bump in the night and a cookie famine. No wonder some parents are starting to replace him with new traditions and something more valuable.

CHANGING OUR FOCUS

Passing down correct traditions, worship, and faith is so important to me. I do not want to become a stumbling block to my family because of traditions I passed down that were not grounded in the scriptures. When we decided to change our family focus and purged everything to do with the commercialized Christmas, we looked for a way that might have a greater impact not only on who was at home but my entire family! What new tradition could I start?

After much thought, we decided we would make the entire month of December one of studying the attributes of our Savior and doing only as He has asked in worshipping Him. As we re-centered our lives around Him, we decided we would spend the needed time as a family to learn about who He is since He has asked us to follow Him. This invitation is not irrelevant, unrealistic, or impossible. To follow an individual means to watch him or listen to him closely; to accept his authority, to take him as a leader, and to obey him; to support and advocate his ideas, and to take him as a model. This season we decided to not just speak about Him, or throw a party in His name, but to learn how to become more like Him straight from the scriptures.

TEACHING THE ATTRIBUTES

My thoughts quickly turned to using films to teach! I have used this method before, but not for Christmas. What would my children think of doing a movie marathon? I thought I would use real movies to instruct my family with the attributes of Christ and fill my home with as many as I could. Films make an impression on your mind that is long-lasting — teaching about God and faith through the lens of various shows has a lasting effect. So what better thing to do on a cold winter evening, than to grab a blanket and nestle in with others and use the theatrical and aesthetics to be the teacher for the month? We decided to put away our customary movies such as Miracle on 24th Street, The Grinch, Home Alone, etc. — displaying Santa as a version of Christ and using Disney-ology to teach our family false teachings. Instead, we would replace Santa and bring Christ straight into our home through those who knew Him through their own lives.

We began by selecting a large variety of movies we wanted to purchase for our Friday night viewing (and maybe even Saturday). A large bowl of popcorn was popped each movie night, and with the remote in the other hand — we would pause as needed to discuss what we were watching and what could we do better as a family in living this way.

MOVIES WE CHOSE

THE INN OF 6TH HAPPINESS– To teach joy

MOTHER TERESA– To teach consecration

THE INHERITANCE – To teach selflessness

THE HIDING PLACE– To teach sacrifice

TIME CHANGER– To teach obedience

THE LEAST OF THESE– To teach faith

TORTURED FOR CHRIST – To teach forgiveness

CROMWELL– To teach boldness

ON THE WINGS OF EAGLE – To teach compassion

PRIDE AND PREJUDICE – To teach the nobility

I could not believe how beautiful the month was. Fruits of the spirit filled our home as siblings’ bonds were not divided with parties. Simplicity filled the air as our home was not over-decorated with tinsel and glitter ornaments but rather just a simple nativity was the focus (and now a Hanukkiah). Hymns poured out more frequently with songs of glorious praises as we spent more time at home focusing on Christ. Joy and peace were felt as the calmness of Silent Night was portrayed.

CHANGING THE FAMILY CULTURE

As a mother and grandmother, I was looking to wean my family— who were addicted to the poison of materialism — away from the enticing of the world. It is our job as Christians to change our culture with faith, sacrifice, nobility, charity, and an “I am mission”, rather than traits of self-centeredness and indulgence. When our homes and customs are enslaved by those things the Savior spoke against, we need to rethink and not be afraid to make the necessary changes and refocus even if it means replacing Santa! We learned that by doing this— Christmas ceased to be a greed-filled gauntlet of parties and shopping trips. Rather Christmas became a time to gather nightly under our lit-up ficus “tree of life” with white lights and a warm wood stove fire as a family to discuss that evening’s movie and how we could better develop that attribute and serve others with it.

MARATHON CHALLENGE

Many families like us are searching for God and want to know who He is. A Christian family is dependent on accurate knowledge of the Father. Knowing who Jesus Christ is and His attributes will show you who the Father is. In return, it is humbling — making you more willing to do His will. Our family was strengthened by doing this movie marathon. As we accepted this new idea for the Christmas season it transformed us and our home. Our Christian worldview was strengthened and helped us to live out the truth of the Christian faith greatly.

If you would like to do the same thing —here is a great compilation of additional attributes that you and your family could choose from and then find movies that teach them. Let us know what your results were from doing your movie marathon for Christmas.