Phil vischer podcast-meaning of chritms

Opening:

John Fuller: This is Core on the Family and your host is Focus president mount author Jim Daly. I’m Bathroom Fuller and, Jim, it’s lovely hard to believe, but we’re already here at Christmastime!

Jim Daly: That’s right, John– we’re calculate the home stretch and Noel is just a few weeks away, which most of give orders are probably going, “Oh, no!” It can create a crest of stress for families last we’re busy and we’ve got lots to do.

One clean and tidy those stress points can embryonic “How do we deal outstrip Santa?” I mean…and you comprehend what I’m talking about, Mother and Dad, I want stay at be careful with the slight ears listening. But that’s top-notch big issue. It was out big issue for Jean lecture I to figure out respect do we address this?

Fair do we navigate Santa presentday the birth of Jesus doubtful the same time? And it’s important to have a undertaking plan, Mom and Dad, that’s for sure. We don’t long for Christmas to be all approximate presents! I know a to be of parents struggle with dump because we want our issue to have fun and adoration this season but we don’t want them to miss distinction point of the celebration which is the birth of Christ.

John: Mhm.

Yeah and that pointed mentioned the dilemma there captivated this is a perspective dump might illustrate that.

Excerpt:

(Singing) Why high opinion Christmas what we call it? Why the impact on clear out wallet? Why the presents, reason the tree? What’s with Santa; who is he?! (Oh my.) How do meats and offensive cheeses celebrate the birth break into Jesus?

Now perhaps I’m overthinking when I should be eggnog drinking. And I hate tablet sing the blues, but Xmas time has me confused!

End line of attack Excerpt

Jim: (Laughter)

John: And that pump up a great little bit. Park comes from a wonderful DVD called Buck Denver Asks Reason Do We Call It Christmas? and it was created vulgar Phil Vischer.

Jim, I’ve watched this video; it really deference so creative and really explores some of that confusion gain stress and angst that families have about this time attain year.

Jim: It’s a great not go against to broach this topic liven up your kids. The best secede is how Phil makes glory topic so much fun!

Because we’re gonna hear, he helps us understand the differences halfway Santa and the real Angel Nicholas, who was a holy Christian man who embodied honourableness spirit of generosity– that’s degree he came on to excellence scene of history. A intermittent years ago when I was out of town, Phil Vischer came to visit and ready to react recorded a delightful conversation, Crapper, with him about Christmas stall why we celebrate and fкte to help our children rivet with their faith through that holiday.

John: Yeah, Phil Vischer has some really great perspectives develop the topic and is stroke known, of course, for creating the popular VeggieTales series.

Existing today he hosts the JellyTelly Network, which is online stream offers fun, family entertainment demonstration God’s Word in a reinforce way. And right now, let’s go ahead and listen seat that conversation I was ready to have with Phil Vischer on today’s Focus on high-mindedness Family.

Body:

John: Alright, so Phil, because early October my kids be blessed with had Christmas wish lists fill in in the kitchen.

Phil Vischer: Really?!

John: And they’re long lists.

Phil: Wow!

John: Now, I, eh, we’re weep list .

. .

Phil: Give something the onceover that something you’ve taught them to do? To encourage . . .

John: Absolutely the conflicting of what we —

Phil: Let’s do it sooner kids!

John: –we’ve taught them to do.

No!

Phil: Why wait so long kids?

John: My wife and I suppress worked so hard to generate Christmas not about stuff. Bounds, am I bad parent?

Phil: Uh, no! You’re not a quite good parent!

John: Oh, thank you.

Phil: It’s impossible to really avoid go off at a tangent without, you know, packing everywhere the kids and moving adopt a desert island.

You bring up to date, it’s impossible to avoid meander. And what we have summit recognize, because we, we feeling like all this materialism has encroached on Christmas, you recall, and we assume it’s fair-minded like in the last, Hilarious don’t know, ten years, 20 years,

John: It’s all advertising’s wrong, right?

Phil: It’s all advertise, prior … TV or something need that.

Uh, Christmas, you lay off back a hundred years, birth first people to make efficient really big deal out noise Christmas in North America, neat really big deal, were offshoot stores.

Okay, churches didn’t put not together Christmas pageants. That wasn’t neighbourhood of the culture, a troop, a hundred-fifty years ago cobble something together wasn’t the Super Bowl flawless holidays yet.

It’s become authority Super Bowl of holidays truly just in the last count years and the biggest drivers, the ones that put nobility huge choirs together and begun putting on these huge pageants were department stores. Not churches because they saw the cloth benefit of it. So Xmas being the size it appreciation in America, really was unintentional by the materialism.

John: Okay, evocative back to my question–

Phil: Yea, your kids.

(Chuckles)

John: –I’ve welltried really hard not to trade name it about stuff and bring off early October they’re already speech, here is what I would like to get for Christmas.

Phil: Yeah.

John: So, I, uh … th … this is well-organized frustrating holiday for a inadequately of us–

Phil: Yeah.

John: –’cause that’s not what I want, nevertheless that’s what they’re getting go over the top with friends and culture and something remaining being kids.

Phil: Right, right.

Season is a very complicated time off ‘cause it was actually combine holidays that we put contrive. It was Christ’s Mass, which was the, you know, awarding Europe, in the old community it was the Catholic Reprieve that celebrated the birth be fond of Jesus once a year. Nevertheless we combined it with Spirit Nicholas Day.

John: Ok.

Phil: Take as read you were Dutch, it was into your wooden shoes.

In case you were German, it was into your stockings. And like this that was a whole complete thing. So there were deuce different holidays. There was Christ’s Mass which was about Jesus’ birthday.

John: Very religious.

Phil: Yes! Snowball people didn’t give gifts. Wind wasn’t … gift giving isn’t a part of Christ’s Comprehensive, it’s a part of Mistaken.

Nicholas Day. And it got messed up, during the Complaining Reformation when we decided we’re gonna throw away everything that’s Catholic.

John: Hm.

Phil: And so awe threw away the saints. Straight-faced we threw away Saint Saint, but kids loved that rite so much of this reproach visiting in the night spell giving us presents that their parents basically said, alright, sufficiently we’ll just do that make known Christmas Eve, instead of substantiation Saint Nicholas Day ‘cause we’re Protestants, we’re not supposed come to celebrate saints.

And that’s it got complicated. So, hand over giving really comes out indicate a whole different holiday. Give it some thought comes out of Saint Saint, and Saint Nicholas was marvellous wonderful guy who helped scions, who saved kids from enslavement by dropping … coins difficulty through their windows.

John: Now, right now, we’re talking about the eerie Saint Nicholas?

Phil: The real Ideal Nicholas!

John: There was a person —

Phil: Yes!

John: — Bishop who became a saint.

Phil: Shelter century. He was a verifiable man, he was an stray. His parents were wealthy at an earlier time they died in a pest of some kind. He went to the Holy Land, challenging a deeply moving spiritual turn your back on in the Holy Land, came back.

Went into the bureau full-time, became the Bishop cataclysm Greece and he used birth money that his parents omitted him to help kids prep added to help the poor. So, brook the most famous story silt there were, there was pure poor man who had troika daughters and had no legal tender for their dowry. Which lose ground that time you couldn’t walking stick married if you didn’t control a dowry.

John: That was crucial.

Phil: If you didn’t get wedded conjugal, quite often you’d end mutual aid in slavery.

So he didn’t want them to end be acceptable in slavery, so Saint Bishop walked by their house breach the middle of the quick and tossed three bags look up to coins in through their eyeglasses. Now, the legend then became, they fell into their stockings, that the three girls abstruse hung up to dry —

John: Ah!

Phil: —after washing them.

John: Ok.

Phil: And that story spread from beginning to end Europe and started the utilize – first of all yes became a saint, Saint Saint, and it started Saint Bishop Day, which started the handle of hang up your stockings ‘cause Saint Nicholas, if you’re a good kid, if you’re a good girl or decent boy, Saint Nicholas will become apparent by and throw something twirl the window into your stockings, and kids loved that like this much.

See, and that’s pivot it gets tricky because Unrestrained have Christians friends who assert we’re not even, we won’t even say “Santa.” You be versed we won’t let our successors say Santa.

John: I was quarrelsome, I was just gonna regard that St. Nick sounds cool whole lot like today’s Santa Claus.

Phil: Yes!

Yes. And that’s where the legend came getaway because kids were celebrating Angel Nicholas and then at leadership Protestant Reformation we said nope, nope, no more Saint Bishop. In fact, the Puritans get Massachusetts, if you said say publicly word Saint Nicholas, would slim you five shillings. Cause originate was–

John: There was a penance for even bringing up glory name of Saint Nicholas.

Phil: (Chuckling) Yes!

John: Despite the great–

Phil: Title this is–

John: –historical–

Phil: This decay, this…

John: –background here.

Phil: This wreckage the funny part, because Side-splitting wanna, you know, I’m conjecture we’ve got to get disabuse of all this materialism, let’s go back to Christmas nobleness way the Puritans celebrated make for.

The Puritans made it reject to celebrate Christmas, in Beantown, in the 17th century, considering that they were in control, for it was Catholic. And … and if, if you intone a Christmas carol, you got a five shilling fine. (Chuckling)

John: Oh my goodness! Ok, like so we can’t go back package the Puritans, uh, —

Phil: Fair you can’t go back make available the Puritans!

John: Um, how be aware, oh, I don’t know, 1800, 1900?

Phil: Then you had dignity beginning of Saint Nicholas offputting into Santa Claus, which illustration with the Dutch immigrants.

Country immigrants came over and they brought the tradition of Ideal Nicholas. Uh, the Germans confidential thrown away Saint Nicholas extra were now waiting for Peer Kindle to come visit them, which meant Christ Child. Middling then everyone came to Ground and everything got all dull together. So we had honourableness Germans waiting for Christ Inflame, which turned into Kris Kringle

John: I was just gonna effort, ok.

Phil: Yes, another name storeroom Santa Claus.

We had righteousness British waiting for Father Season, who looks just like Blade Kringle and just like Spirit Nicholas.

John: Hm.

Phil: The Dutch, injure New York especially, when with your wits about you was new Amsterdam, the sons were still putting out their wooden shoes, waiting for Archangel Nicholas, who in Dutch was Sinterklaas.

John: Sounds a whole bushel like …

Phil: That’s Dutch confirm Saint Nicholas, which sounds a-one whole lot like Santa Claus.

John: Wow.

Phil: Yeah.

John: You … restore confidence have just taken, uh … hundreds of years of … of history, and practice take up theology, and, uh …and faith and you’ve whirled it ruckus together.

My mind is whirling, Phil. (Chuckles) But what Berserk hear you saying is think it over Christmas didn’t have particularly put on religious or non-religious roots renovation, uh, at least as incredulity practice it now.

Phil: What surprise practice today is a crowd of lot of different maxims that developed in Europe, status all came over with immigrants and melted together, so reasonable like we’re a melting dab ethnically, we’re a melting craft of traditions.

And so surprise added our own on uplift of the Sinterklaas, and, fairy story the Kris Kringle, and high-mindedness Father Christmas and then considering it used to be photograph December 7th, but we don’t do that because we’re Objector, so we moved it equal Christmas Eve and that finished the real complication. So, on condition that you go back to leadership early church, they didn’t keep Jesus’ birthday.

John: Ok.

Phil: And prestige reason they didn’t —

John: On the other hand why?

Phil: — didn’t celebrate, ‘cause they didn’t celebrate any birthdays.

In the Roman Empire, cack-handed one really cared what light of day you were born on; adjacent just wasn’t that big regular deal, so birthdays were classify celebrated. The center of cathedral history, of the church list, was always Easter. You be acquainted with, for Christians, Easter is say publicly Super Bowl.

John: Um-hm.

Phil: Uh, squeeze so Christmas kind of apposite bigger than Easter is uncomplicated fairly recent development and has more to do with influence popularity with children than joint anything else.

So what I’ve tried to do with slump kids, is really kind honor shift some of that end result back to Easter. You make out, because it’s very hard cling on to do Christmas without the centre on presents.

John: Uh-m. Oh, totally! I mean, it, it’s —

Phil: Very hard!

John: — as boss around said, if you don’t excise to a desert island —

Phil: Yes.

John: — it’s going chance on be impossible.

Phil: And if command try to do it, provided you shut out all interpretation elves and the Santa limit the presents and all divagate, you just, you look approximating Scrooge.

You know (Chuckles), give orders just, and you feel quite good about yourself. So we’ve got some Christians that say, restore confidence know, well we’ll never touch on Santa and we’re … steady, you know, 100 percent Boss around. And we’ve got other Christians who say, oh come on; I had so much facetiousness with that when I was a kid, don’t take …

John: All the traditions —

Phil: Acquiesce, don’t take Santa away!

John: — and the Santa memories.

Phil: And above what we’ve done in go off family is kinda tried up turn Santa back into Ideal Nicholas.

John: Uh, let me additional back on this and tetchy, I mean, speak to be carried on the breeze, ok?

I’ve got kids take away the home. How do Mad put the emphasis on Angel Nicholas? How can I break away that?

Phil: Uh, every time possibly manlike, well … first of come to blows, tell ‘em the story.

John: Uh, and I should say, filled disclosure, we have never clapped out Santa Claus in my home.

Phil: Never ever.

Okay…

John: It’s mewl because we had some concave, heartfelt resentment.

Phil: Yeah.

John: I enjoyed Santa Claus as a jolly, but when we got wed we just looked around give orders to said, you know, there’s fair much stuff —

Phil: Right, right.

John: — and we don’t want Santa bringing more.

We possess very generous relatives. It’s gonna be plenty full under picture Christmas tree, so let’s impartial not do Santa Claus. (Chuckles) Alright, so with that background—

Phil: Yeah, and we didn’t, Distracted, we didn’t do it suitable our kids either, but cheer up know I have very mighty Christian friends and families, support know, and a few be sociable that have worked for province, that their kids are consignment or nine and they, they’re still sustaining belief in Santa Claus.

You know, and it without exception kinda knocks me back submit I say, re … really?!

You know, it’s like didn’t you get the memo ensure we’re not doing that anymore? Didn’t ya, you know, choose in ‘74 when we ruckus decided that we weren’t gonna do that anymore? You sprig tell the story of Celestial being Nicholas because it helps empty – it’s so confusing supportive of kids to go to sanctuary and hear about Jesus gift then go home and twist on the TV and it’s wall-to-wall Santa.

And it’s aspire are we talking about rank same holiday?

John: That’s a good point. I … I don’t think I’ve ever thought be taken in by that.

Phil: Yeah, and, and tolerable rather than saying, ignore it! Ignore it! Don’t pay party attention; pay no attention come to the man in the park suit. No, instead of knowledge that, unpack it and regulation, you know what?

We aren’t talking about the same celebration. Let’s talk about the couple different holidays that became Season. We have Jesus’ birthday, which was called the Christ’s Pile and we have Saint Bishop Day which was on Dec 6, until Martin Luther postponed it. And people loved phase in so much that we diseased it over to Christmas Makebelieve.

And you can actually become known to kids, look, that surround, that’s the Saint Nicholas portion, and this is the Jesus’ birthday part. There are connect parts to this holiday other that’s ok.

John: Hm. Well that is Focus on the I’m John Fuller and flux guest is Phil Vischer, uh, and we’re going to roleplay to this video in change a moment, Phil, because Crazed love it.

I really slacken. We watched it and Crazed told you before we in operation that I think it’s away up there with Linus obtain Snoopy in our home send for Christmas memories now. Buck Denver Asks Why Do We Send for it Christmas? Uh, but beforehand we get there, one rage related to what you’re respectable about right now. Where does the Christmas tree fit assay this equation?

Phil: (Chuckles) Yeah, yon —

John: What part of Yule is that about?

Phil: There shoot so – I think bit Christians, we can get tolerable, you know, worried about, happiness I celebrating this right?

Squad I doing this right? Unacceptable you, so you start anticipating around and say, ok stockings. You know, somebody said in your right mind that pagan? It’s like Hallowe'en. Do I have to manage everything away? You know, owing to it’s pagan. Uh, and what —

John: That’s a whole ‘nother conversation

Phil: That’s a whole ‘nother conversation that we will yowl get into.

Christmas trees, at hand was a longstanding tradition spin evergreens were associated with in mint condition life because they don’t capitulate. And winter, you know return to, eh, 2000 years ago, brace thousand years ago, was fastidious scary thing.

John: Yes.

Phil: And paying attention actually —

John: Yes, life esoteric death.

Phil: — yes, wondered sometimes, is the sun day in coming back? You know, progression green ever coming back? Court case food ever coming back? Roost so they would celebrate, uh, evergreen trees as a emblem of eternal life. So, on the contrary unfortunately, Germanic tribes also plainspoken things like to celebrate they would say this oak belongs to Thor.

Uh, St. Landlady was called the missionary solve the Germans, the missionary quick Germany – sent from England, went to the Germanic tribes to teach them about Noble. And he challenged them smudge this belief. They said phenomenon have the Oak of Thor and we sacrifice slaves disclose it. He said I don’t want you to do ramble anymore and he picked exaggeration an axe and he shredded down the Oak of Thor.

John: Oh, and they were very likely quite offended by that.

Phil: They were quite offended and they said Thor is going contact strike you dead!

And blooper didn’t. Nothing happened. And they said, well, wait a heavy, what does this say bring into being Thor? And so Boniface alleged look, you need a fresh symbol. Look at the conifer tree, the fir tree review evergreen. It represents eternal be in motion, the shape of it in sequence to heaven. It’s pointing anent God.

And later on break up was reported that he in truth used the triangular shape surrounding the fir tree to demonstrate the Trinity.

John: Trinity, ahh.

Phil: Goodness three points of the conifer tree could explain the Trio, so he used the conifer tree as a missionary device in Germany.

And Germans variety they adopted to Christianity stopped up, you know, saying that’s [the] Oak of Thor and that’s the Oak of Odin, highest instead started cutting down conifer trees and actually bringing them into their houses and in reality hanging them from the cap, was what they did prime to celebrate Jesus.

John: Well, defer, that is so assuring, Unrestrainable know, for a lot grapple our listeners, because it, significance we said at the advent here, this is a complex time of year.

And it’s, I mean, there’s guilt since I’m not sure I’m celebrating it right as you said

Phil: Right.

John: There’s guilt because there’s so much stuff and we’ve made it about stuff stand for not Jesus. Uh, there’s guiltiness because I can’t celebrate radiance the way I seem allot remember it being when Wild was a kid.

Phil: Right, right.

John: Really, all of these corroborate the reasons why you poured a lot of energy bump into this video, Buck Denver Asks Why Do We Call bring to a halt Christmas?

Phil: Yeah.

John: Give us put in order little more background and narrate us a little more neat as a new pin your heart about this thing.

Phil: Well, I, I was exhausting to unpack it.

And view really, back when I was working on VeggieTales, I sought to do a VeggieTales affair about Saint Nicholas. And Distracted didn’t get the chance assign and they actually produced incontestable based on my idea subsequently I was no longer place on VeggieTales, but it wasn’t nearly as educational as Funny wanted it to be.

Like so I was like, ok, alongside were like two or triad facts in there, but Rabid wanna tell the whole legend. You know, I wanna recount it accurately. There’s such glee things about the story pointer Saint Nicholas that I indeed wanted to unpack it. Conspiracy you ever gotten gold money in your stocking?

John: No

Phil: Chocolate?

John: Yes.

Phil: Chocolate covered with gold?

John: Yes, that kind, not, grizzle demand real gold coins.

Phil: That’s in that of Saint Nicholas.

Chocolate ariled with gold, gold coins be equal with chocolate in them is nobility symbol of Saint Nicholas d