Please welcome Murray Pura.
The tree in our house goes up right after Hallowe’en on November 1st, which some Christians celebrate as All Saints Day. And because Hallowe’en really means Holy Evening, and was meant to be a night of prayer and worship in anticipation of All Saints Day, the trick or treaters who show up at our door are likely to hear the strains of ghost music – Holy Ghost Music! Because we will be playing all sorts of upbeat Christian worship music – sometimes even Handel’s Messiah – as we prepare for our two month celebration of the birth of Christ.
A culture war is going on around us. Some people want to supplant Christmas with Hallowe’en and make it the most important holiday of the year. These people are encouraging folks to string up lights, play Hallowe’en songs, exchange gifts, and tie in a big family harvest dinner with the trick and treating. Christians are fighting back but they have a problem. The spiritual heart of Christmas was stolen long ago by retail outlets that have made the Christmas season a vast commercial enterprise. On top of that, atheists have attacked Christmas, and secularists, and many that want to empty Christmas of its true meaning.
The Amish celebrate Christmas. There is a tree, some presents, some special dishes. However it really is a 1800s Christmas because the emphasis is not on gift giving but on gathering for carols, on worshipping God, on lifting up Christ, and on doing it together. It is a daylong affair of feasting and blessing and singing, not a day focused on opening presents and playing with them. They simply don’t make gift giving the most important thing and are modest about how many gifts are given and what kind they are– favorites are items made by hand, like chairs and tables or a leather bridle for a horse or a doll crafted by a doll maker who knows the girl it is being given to personally.
Perhaps that’s how Christians can give Christmas a daylong spiritual focus again – by emphasizing the personals instead of the presents – a personal gathering for food and fellowship, a modest number of personal and intimate gifts offered freely to one another, and the joyous celebration of a personal God in Jesus Christ the Lord.
About Murray Pura
Murray Pura
Murray Pura has published with Harper One San Francisco, Harper Collins/Zondervan, Baker Publishing Group, Barbour, and Harvest House Publishers, as well as Helping Hands Press, and has been a finalist for many literary awards in Canada and the USA, winning the Word Award of Toronto in 2012. Pura is a prolific writer and has produced over 25 books, including historical fiction, romance, westerns, suspense, and inspirational works.
Bestsellers include the novels The Rose of Lancaster County, A Road Called Love, The Wings of Morning, and Ashton Park, as well as the novella An Amish Family Christmas, and the short stories The Last Waltz and The Devil to Pay. He makes his home near the Waterton-Glacier Peace Park on the border between Montana and Alberta.
Two PDF copies to give away to persons commenting on the blog & selected at random by Kate Lloyd.
The PDF copies cannot be lent or borrowed but must remain with the contest winners. Thank you.
Winners may come from any country.
I believe everything that Murray said. Would love to have an Amish Christmas there
BLESS YOU BETTY!!!
An Amish Christmas would be wonderful if we could just ease up and do less. As I get older I’m simplyfying more and more!
What a special idea…singing on all hallows eve… Love the “Ghost” Holy Ghost music concept!
Ah, yes, my ghost music LOL. I’ll likely start with Phil Keaggy’s Freehand CD. Have a blessed Season of Christ’s Birth, Nat!
This is so amazing and interesting.
Thanks, Jane! BLESSINGS!!!!
An Amish Christmas sounds ideal to me…family, singing, praising God, with less focus on the materialistic side we see today.
So glad we agree, Leanna. Blessings on your Christmas this year.
I love the idea of putting the heart of worship back into Christmas.
Thank you, Jo! God bless and bless!
I really enjoyed reading that. It is a good reminder not to over-do, which unfortunately, is quite often the norm. Myself guilty!
Thank you for the comment, Sonja, and I hope you have a Christmas that Jesus shines right through everything and anything.
I think it would be wonderful. We need to get back to the true meaning if Christmas. Would love to win the book!
Yes, Rita! Thanks so much for coming by & entering the giveaway!
A few years ago, we decided to do something similar, yes, we still have the Christmas tree and decorations (put up around Thanksgiving) but we have simplified the gift giving to a much smaller scale and just truly enjoy the meaning of Christmas and having dinner and visiting with friends and family.
Our Christmases have gotten simpler over the years, but I know we need more worship in them. Hm…. Would enjoy reading the book.
Thanks for your comment, Deborah & I’m glad to hear about the way Christmas has grown simpler for you. All the best with this giveaway.
I would love to have more of Simple Christmas like the Amish, but I still would want a fresh tree in my home. and give homemade gifts out. We do read the Christmas Bible story of Jesus birth. on Christmas Eve.
Blessings, Kristina! I hope you have a sweet & meaningful Christmas season with your family!
I am looking forward to reading An Amish Family Christmas. an Amish Christmas sounds wonderful. Thank you for the opportunity to win. I enjoy reading your books.
Thanks for entering, Emma, and God bless!
This sounds almost angelic. How I would love to be a part of an Amish Christmas. I love. And respect the Amish so much. I would consider it an honor to win and read this book. Thank you so much for writing it.
Blessings, Sharon. All the best with the contest & I hope you are able to read the book one way or another.
I think an amish Christmas would be wonderful.Simple and just celebrate the birth of our Saviour.
Hi Jackie! Thanks for swinging by. Yes, I too would love to simplify Christmas and center it more on Jesus than presents.
I think this is a wonderful idea. One that I plan to put in action. There will be some gifts. Gifts made with love, a batch of cookies maybe. Something that comes from the heart. The true meaning needs to be prompted more in our lives. Family, a nice warm home, food on the table. Christ is the center of our life. God Bless. Merry Christmas!
Such good words, Linda. Thank you so much for posting them here.
The simpler the better. Too much commercialism these days. The whole idea of Christmas after all is the birth of Jesus!
The Amish Christmas is family and worship together and lots of singing. Sounds like an ideal way to celebrate. Plus good food of course;)
Yes, indeed, Jan, food is essential at a celebratory feast! Thanks for dropping in!
I also would love to have an Amish Christmas and love both of ya’ll books God bless ya’ll and ya’ll family thanks Ida houswife@gmail.com
I like the idea of keeping things simple for Christmas. Celebrate what the season is really about. It’s too easy to get caught up in the uproar. Thanks for the opportunity to win and the reminder. Linda
Nice to see you here, Linda, all the best with the contest & thanks so much for making a good comment on the blog post.
I do keep things simple for Christmas. I do no believe that we need all of the glitz and glamour.
We need to remember and celebrate the true meaning of Christmas… The Birth of Jesus!!
Hi, Elaine! That’s the spirit! Thank you for your comment.
What a blessing to celebrate the true meaning of Christmas and forget the stress!
Exactly, Dianne. Thank you for reading the blog post & leaving such a nice comment.
I think it’s a great idea. It’s gotten way out of hand and the whole reason for the celebration is totally lost.
I totally agree, Lia – thank you for your comment.
I like the idea of celebrating the true meaning of Christmas with less emphasis on so many gifts. When our sons were little we went Christmas caroling, then back to church for hot chocolate & Christmas cookies.
Would like to win a copy of Murray’s book.
Blessings, Tina
Thank you fort dropping in, Tina – all the best with celebrating the Christmas season in a month or so & all the best with Kate’s contest.
I love reading your books. Especially love Christmas books.
Thank you, Virginia. All the best in this giveaway.
There you are, Betty. Thanks for jumping in here. All the best with the giveaway & God be with you!
would love to win and give a review, been a long time since I have won anything so thank you for giving me this chance to do just that.
Cheers KAREN and all the best in the giveaway!
I think an Amish Christmas is a great idea! I’d like to start this year with the dinner and singing some songs; then sharing around the family what we’ve enjoyed the most as a family this year. We have a new baby girl and soon to have a new grandson adopted from India.
Wonderful, Sharon. Blessings on all of that.
I think Christmas would be wonderful to celebrate the Amish way. We have a tradition at our house to go together to midnight mass at our small church. The lights are turned down low upon entering, it’s very quiet and simple. I love handmade gifts and over the years I have tried to focus more on the reason for the season than buying the perfect gift. 🙂
I love what you’ve described here. It sounds wonderful, Janet.
An Amish Christmas sounds wonderful. We have never been at our Amish friends on Christmas, we have exchanged small little gifts though. My favorites have been a handmade rug and a wooden stool.
Thanks for the chance to win.
Yes, Marsha, exactly, thanks & all the best in the giveaway.
Christmas should be about the Christ and not about presents, other than the praise & glory lifted to Him on His special day. Great information today 🙂
Yes, thank you Deanna, bless you.
Over the past years I consciously made an effort to pare down Christmas to what I felt it should be. Only one or two inexpensive gifts, family, a meal together, remembering to keep Christ as the center of our holiday. I feel richer inside for having this kind of Christmas.
God bless you and your familes, Kate and Murray. Merry Christmas
That’s the spirit, Loretta. BLESS!
i hardly decorate anymore for Christmas. It is not about the decorations & store-bought gifts. It is about Christ & family & friends.
So true, Barb, thanks for coming in and saying that.
Sounds like a good read–I have a very modest Christmas w/ my adult children & 2 young grandsons–I didn’t want my children to have the “gimme’s” & still give practical gifts!
Great comment MS Barb, thanks!
I like the Amish way of celebrating Christmas because it focuses on the REAL reason for this season. Jesus and HIS wonderful gift to us. I enjoy just being with family and dear friends as we celebrate the birth of our Savior! We will be having an Amish Christmas for sure and for certain this year!!! Merry Amish Christmas!!!!
Merry amish Christmas, Marlene! Blessings!
Hello to Kate and Murray. Thanks for hosting Murray. I too wish our Christmases were simple like the Amish. Also like ours were when I was growing up. Less gifts and more family time and time spent thinking of the meaning of Christmas. I hate it has been so commercialized. But, the people didn’t have to go along with all of the hub-bub. I would love to win this book. Thanks and GOD bless you both.
Maxie > mac262(at)me(dot)com <
Hi Maxie. I agree with you 100%. A holy Christmas to you & all the best with the giveaway.
Very informative.
Christmas has gotten too commercialized , how, I wish we would go back to family vales of spending time together and not spending money.
Hi, Judy, nice to see you here. The heart of Christmas in your heart.
Sadly, our family doesn’t share our Christan belief, so we share the holiday with them on Christmas Eve after church service,. Christmas Day is spent very lcelebrating with our best Christan friends sharing food, gifts, and wonderful fellowship? So wonderful that our love for Christ binds us together as a Family of God. Thank you for the opportunity to be included in the drawing for the book.
Thanks for sharing, Sherry. We too have family who don’t believe as well as those who do. We pray for them all just as you do. Bless your life & faith.
i love amish christmas stories they are so heart warming
There you are, Pat! Bless you & thanks for entering & all the best with the giveaway.
Hubby’s family did not celebrate Christmas and ours is fairly simple.
Christmas tree? Yes, it goes up on my birthday, Dec. 22. My dad started that tradition, so I would not feel quite so left out having a birthday so close to Christmas.
We celebrate with family on Christmas Eve with a meal of home made soup and freshly baked bread.
Since our family has grown rather large over the years, all gifts are handmade, (mostly baked goods or candy) or very small, except crayons and coloring books for little ones. Stockings have a toothbrush, apple or orange and a quarter, another family tradition from my parents.
The ‘ladies’ try to get together a week or so before Christmas and have a cookie exchange
I would be very happy to be selected for one of the GiveAways.
It would give me the opportunity to “meet” a new (to me) Author.
Thanks for the opportunity to participate.
So glad you entered, Darlene. Blessings on you and yours and all the best in the contest.
Look forward to reading a new author. TY for the chance.
All the best with this giveaway, Lucy, you never know. Cheers.
Wow to win a copy of this book would be a great blessing. Can not wait to see who is blessed with a win.
It may be you, Cindy! BLESS!
We celebrate Christmas with family, food and friends. We do have a tree, but mostly greens and a candle. Our gifts are home made from whatever craft we are learning during the year. The small children are encouraged to make as much of their gift as possible. It is the love and the time that it takes to make a gift that gives it value and sentiment.
That is wonderful, Sparkle, I love hearing this. Christ bless you all.
I would love an Amish Christmas …so simple and blessed.
I totally agree, Vickie. And may that be your blessing this Thanksgiving & Christmas.
Would love to do an Amish Christmas! I love reading about the Amish.
Blessings, Barb, thanks for dropping in. All the best in the contest.
I love to read any book about the Amish and am fascinated by their lifestyles and traditions they have. I would love to win a copy of this book and in fact the cover is bright and catches my attention.
Cheers, Andrea & blessings! All the best in the giveaway!
As the world all around us gets more and more out of control and further from Christ the more I long for a simple “Amish” type life style. In the past few years I’ve learned how to quilt, garden and can and making meals from scratch and gifts by hand. Thank you for writing an Amish story that I can get lost in the simple life they lead.
Such good words, Dorie. Christ in you the hope of glory. Amen.
If we focus more on why we celebrate Christmas and less on the material side of it, we would truly know what we should be
That’s it, Sheila. Bless you.
I love to read about the Amish. Christmas should be personal instead of about all “the hype”. If we would all realize that, we’d have a merrier Christmas. God already gave us “the Greatest Christmas Gift” of His Son. What greater gift than to share that emphasis with our family/friends. Being together is so important…much more than gifts. The older we get (& more sicknesses, ailments, the more family members passing on, etc) we realize, we should just be thankful to be able to enjoy one another’s company at such a blessed time.
Such a good post! Thank you, Linda , and Christ be strong in your heart forever.
Lets keep Christ in Christmas. My favorite place to visit is Lancaster, Pa. I enjoy the simpler things in life and the Amish certainly embrace that.
Amen. Thank you, Christine & blessings on you & yours.
The older I get the less I do! And that includes Christmas time! I really wish we would focus more on being together and not so much on giving gifts! The Amish sure seems to have the right idea! Slow down & enjoy each other!
“slow down & enjoy each other” – you’ve got it, Brenda. God bless.