The Practical Parson

 We've all heard it before, echoed every December 31st through the first week of January: "New Year, new me!"   I can think of no worse a motto to proclaim, but so great an indictment against modern sensibilities, than this.  People spend so much time and money constantly investing in this idea of New Year's resolutions, telling themselves they'll change and that "this year will be our year!".   Yet how many of them actually end up committing to any form of actual, lasting, change to themselves or their surroundings?  The reason for this is quite simple- these resolutions are based on passing, changeable, and often momentary fancies; which we consider of utmost importance.  We promise to lose weight, to be kinder, to spend more time with friends and family, to work less, to enjoy life more; but rarely do we spend time in introspection, to see what the cause of our perceived troubles truly is.  True change, when it is needed, is not something ...

  Welcome, Dear Reader; and a Merry Christmas to you! Each year we commemorate the birth of Christ by church services and age-old rituals at church and home; to welcome the Lord of all creation into our hearts and homes.  However, increasingly I find, that our so-called "modern society" seems hell-bent on trying to undermine and destroy the very foundations of this Sacred Holiday; as though it were nothing more than a mere bootleg copy of pagan celebrations.   The argument over what in our Christmas celebrations is a holdover from pre-Christian traditions has been going on ever since the Puritans ruled England; and is unlikely (sadly) to end anytime soon.   The entire argument about Christmas's supposedly "pagan roots" stems entirely from the Puritanical notion that since the Romans were celebrating Christmas, it must therefore be a pagan holiday; since good, reformed Christians would NEVER celebrate a holiday.  Keeping in mind of course, that the Puri...