Ragamuffin: Christmas

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hristmas season is a busy time for The Salvation Army. For other churches it is busy as well but usually a “regular” church is busy with worship stuff like “Hanging Greens”, “Christmas Eve Services”, Cantatas, and things such as these. Within the corps officer’s life the Christmas season (at least in the USA) is a PR and fundraising event. We often cancel many other programs to place our time and effort into the Christmas red kettle campaign and anything related to the Christmas ministry to others like toys and food Baskets. I would suppose that many officers during this November and December season leave any thoughts of Christmas being “merry” behind for the busy-ness of business of our endeavors.

For 25 years I ministered as a pastor and enjoyed the Christmas season of Advent. Oh, the joys of a Christmas Eve service and communion. But no more. Don’t get me wrong, I still try to enjoy it but its gets lost in the task of my Christmas efforts. But that is Christmas in The Salvation Army. If we don’t raise our certain goal amount through the red kettle campaign then families suffer, programs go without, and people don’t get the help they would have received normally. It may even mean staff cut backs. So the money we raise is not for me but for others. That was the thought behind the first kettle many years ago. The officer wanted to help others via the generosity of the public. It is Booth’s famous word all coming back to us again – “Others!”

In other areas of the world I realize Christmas is a little different but to some extent the same idea is there. We are busy. However, we are busy in the service of helping others. Let’s be reminded again; “As much as you have done it to the least of these you have done it to Me.” (Jesus in Matthew 25:40)

Ragamuffin appears every Monday on theRubicon. Find past Ragamuffin posts and a bio of Jay Davis here.

1 Comment to Ragamuffin: Christmas

1. For the winter months my wife and I are blessed to spend the winters in Palm Springs Cal. I spend December at the Corps 7 days week.I can testify how very busy the officers with 3 young children are they dont have time for much Christmas. The phone is always ringing with people wanting help. We count money ealy mornings and then drive bell ringers to the market place and then pick them up at 6pm. The blessing comes from the stories of each person hired to ring as most have great problems and I can give them a little hope. We are blessed with some great volunters.Some say its a duty I do it out of love for others. To be honest I feel it is over done with the toys given out to the kids. If it was up to me we would have church then out comes the gifts and food baskets. Pray for wisdom for all officers who have little or no soldier support. Henry Armstrong just marching along
Henry Armstrong on December 12th, 2007

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