Keeping the Christmas Spirit Alive

Keeping the Christmas Spirit Alive
by
December 23, 2025

I am happy to report that our GENERATIONS OF FAITH Capital Campaign has resulted in $21 million dollars committed so far over the next three years towards our new Family Life Center. Some commitments are still coming in, and it is not too late to be a part of this. I am grateful for the hard work of our campaign committee. We wanted to share an update on our progress as we near year-end. This is remarkable news, and I am grateful to everybody who has made a commitment to support this important vision. We look forward to moving it ahead in the new year.

On Christmas Eve, we are offering 6 worship services here at Woodmont – 2 & 3 PM Napkin Nativity (for smaller children), two candlelight services at 5 PM (sanctuary and chapel), and then candlelight services at 7 & 9 PM in the sanctuary. Come and worship with us on this holy night. It is perhaps the most beautiful service of the year!

I mentioned Sunday that Beverly Keel once published an article in The Tennessean that was a letter asking Santa to help our culture move beyond materialism and consumerism to the deeper meaning of Christmas. She said, “Stuff has become a substitute for real relationships, connections, self-esteem, and time spent with our loved ones. Consumerism is an empty escape from reality, one that is only momentarily satisfying because it ultimately can’t fill the empty and lonely voids that haunt and taunt us.” As we celebrate Christmas this week with family and close friends, this may be the perfect time to take her advice. The virtues of hope, peace, joy, and love can and should live on in our hearts well beyond Christmas.

The quality of our relationships is what defines life. This will always be true. I came across an article that described the basic characteristics of miserable people. It certainly caught my attention. The list included things like never being thankful for anything; leading a very unadventurous life; living in and glorifying the past; doing things only for personal gain; being afraid of economic loss; loving to pick fights; blaming others and playing the victim; thinking people’s intentions towards you are always dishonorable; giving yourself a negative identity and reveling in it; getting involved in other people’s drama; always expecting the worst; focusing only on yourself; being critical of everything; worrying too much; being envious of other people’s success. The truth of the matter is, we can all be guilty of these things, and this can suck the joy out of life.

Christmas should change us to where we don’t return to life as usual. The wise men in Matthew’s account went home by a different road. Aristotle once said, “The goal in life is not to be superior to others, but superior to our former selves.” This is real wisdom. As we prepare to enter 2026, we can all strive to be better. We can all strive to let go of the past and practice forgiveness and reconciliation. We can all strive to love better and to be present in the moment. We can all seek to show compassion and mercy to those who are suffering. But perhaps the greatest challenge that has evolved in this new age is to face and overcome the incredible fear and anxiety that pervades our culture. Fear is a powerful emotion that ruins our quality of life. Anxiety has become the defining condition for so many people. Perhaps the best opportunity Christmas brings is to work towards being a non-anxious presence as we live our lives.

Paul Tillich talked about three existential fears that we all have: death, meaninglessness, and guilt which leads to shame. These are fundamental challenges that come with being human. However, although these fears are ever present, they should not define how we live. The Christmas story should give us strength and courage to face our fears, to center ourselves, and to recognize that there are many things out of our control. Let us seek to hold on to the wonder and spirit of Christmas. May it bring you peace and a new beginning!

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