Gifts

I heard that some retailers are going to be dropping prices early this year. Have you got your Christmas list all ready? The discussion about whether giving Christmas gifts is good for our economy is an interesting one.

I just read an article by Tyler Cowen debating the issue against Joel Waldfogel's book "Scroogenomics." In the book Waldfogel apparently suggests (I haven't read it) that we shouldn't give gifts because people value the gifts they receive at only about 85 cents on the dollar. Since we spend approximately $60-$90 billion on gifts that 15% drop is a considerable loss. That 85 cent figure is probably high too. That puke colored sweater you got from your in-laws you probably value a lot less.

So there we have it. Clear cut case against buying presents. The Christian thing to do is to be a good steward and not by gifts. It will cut billions of dollars in waste.

But then Cowen muddies the issue all up again by pointing out all the intangibles that are associated with gift giving, or "indirect costs" as he puts it. One could add the stress involved in deciding what to get to the cost of the gifts along with many other factors to really drive up the cost of giving gifts. But then you also have to count the value of joy, celebration, love, not feeling forgotten or alienated, relational growth, etc. on the plus side. And what about all the valuable information you learn about yourself and your friends from the gifts you receive or don't receive. "How come Jim got such a nifty gift from Julie while all Julie gave me was a new pair of socks?"

The articles goes on to mention a lot more but the result is that it just isn't cut and dried. It is just another thing with which you have to live with the tension. So I hope everyone enjoys their holiday season while you roll that one around in your head.

Worship

Saw a beautiful sunset the other day. Absolutely stunning. I was reminded of how incredible God is. It was a very worshipful experience as I humbly felt overcome by his magnificent presence.

I know that there is a scientific explanation for sunsets like this. I suppose it has something to do with light, water droplets, and fine grains of dust, and maybe a few other things thrown in. I don’t believe that those players in the masterpiece have any feelings at all towards God. They are simply objects of his creation. But that doesn’t matter. To me it is all God. They play a part in his revelation whether they like it or not.

Sometimes I hear people say that they are worried about how we approach music in churches today. “It’s not worship, it’s a performance. We shouldn’t draw attention to ourselves, we should focus our attention on Jesus. It’s not about us, it’s about him.”

Well, yes and no. If you have the right attitude, isn’t playing or singing with all the ability God gave you an act of worship of the highest order? Isn’t watching someone perform like that very similar to watching that amazing sunset?

And what if the performer isn’t a follower of Jesus and couldn’t care less about God. When that performer performs at a very high level aren’t they still revealing the magnificence of God anyway, just like the water molecules and light?

Sure, there will be times when inappropriate use of talent occurs. But that works both ways. Failing to use the talent God gives us is just as bad. When people fail to play or sing to their highest ability what is that saying about God? Yeah, it might be excellent technically speaking, but unless it is inspired playing it really is tepid. Does that really reveal God’s magnificence? Or is it just a false humility that really says that the really good stuff we can do is all ours and God has nothing to do with it.

So I don’t care how people participate in worship as long as they participate. If that means they sing along, fine. If it means they sit and enjoy the show, just as good. In either case I’ll be praying they have the focus on God.

As for me, I just want to be mindful of his great creation whether it is a beautiful sunset, awe inspiring mountain ranges, or someone’s virtuoso performance. And the next time I see someone pick up a Stratocaster I’ll be rooting for them to play the hell out of it. Pun intended.