HOLIDAY Even at the mall, Christ's in Christmas

Pastors say people can find Christ during the holiday season.
By D.A. WILKINSON
VINDICATOR RELIGION EDITOR
YOUNGSTOWN -- 'Tis the season for the two Christmases: the secular, commercial Christmas and the religious Christmas.
The commercial Christmas is already under way, complete with detailed news reports on consumer spending to date and projected spending. Still to come are hectic weeks of more shopping and wrapping, mailing, decorating, entertaining and traveling, at least to the church by Dec. 24.
So how do Christians find the true meaning of the birth of Jesus in the face of the secular juggernaut?
By practicing their faith, say area ministers. "The root of the word 'disciple,' is 'discipline," said the Rev. John Horner, pastor of St. John's Episcopal Church.
The Rev. Russell Q. Adams, pastor of Western Reserve United Methodist Church in Canfield, said that Christians are called to be disciples 365 days a year.
The Rev. G. Thomas Badanjek, pastor of West Austintown United Methodist Church, said, "We stay biblical. We focus on Christ."
Don't mind the secular
The pastors aren't bah-humbugging the commercial Christmas. Indeed, several noted there are nice things about the secular Christmas.
"I enjoy the holiday season," said the Rev. Mr. Adams.
The Rev. Peter Lawson, pastor of Brownlee Woods Presbyterian Church, noted, "God is there, too, at the shopping mall."
And Mr. Horner noted that holiday spending accounts for a large portion of annual sales and provides important jobs for many people.
But the Rev. Mr. Badanjek said he has long warned of the dangers of overspending. "It's not just a Christmas problem, it's a 12-month a year problem," said the Rev. Mr. Badanjek.
Younger people have been brought up in a culture of easy credit and a "want it-buy it" mentality. As a result, the average credit card has thousands of dollars on it.
"That's ridiculous," said Mr. Badanjek, who added he had told parishioners they don't have to buy gifts for everyone. The Rev. Mr. Adams said that several parishioners have told him they've cut back on spending in recent years and plan to cut back this year.
In other words, it's not necessarily the gifts: "People make people happy," said Mr. Adams.
This season, many people will be searching for the peace on earth and goodwill toward men mentioned in St. Luke's account of Christ's nativity.
"Most people need it but don't know how to get it," said Mr. Horner.
Historically, the Christian liturgical calendar has helped prepare people for Christmas. Advent, the four-week period before Christmas, focuses on penance and contemplation of the birth and second coming of Christ.
During Advent, said Mr. Adams, believers consider that, "Christ came into the world for us."
That's not going to be of much help to the churchgoers who attend only on Christmas and Easter.
One thing Advent does is provide time for quietness and perspective. That helps people move beyond their problems. "God's command to us is to be a comforter," said Mr. Lawson.
The Brownlee Woods pastor recalled that a parishioner going through a divorce asked him for advice about what to do last Christmas. He suggested the woman help a needy family for Christmas. "That's what happened," Mr. Lawson said.
wilkinson@vindy.com