"Treasures that moth and rust cannot destroy..."

He writes that they try not to be overly righteous. I found this to be a bit preachy and righteous, but I also feel that a lot of people need to hear this stuff. Over at the CrabCasa, they're always making me feel better that not everyone out there is oblivious to the non-material human needs. --blogbuoy

"Treasures that moth and rust cannot destroy...": "Now here are some good holiday, er, Christmas ideas...

Materialism and greed might ruin your Christmas
by David Batstone (from Sojourners Magazine)

Some Christians this season are boycotting retailers that choose not to use the phrase 'Merry Christmas' in advertising. I have been fired up for some time about Christmas commercialism. But the target of my concern is not how a clerk delivers holiday greetings at the check-out stand.

The spiritual foes that I resist this time of the year are materialism and greed. I note the corrosive impact of hypercommercialism on family life, and I don't like it one bit. You can order in wood or plastic the baby Jesus in a manger who had no place to lay his head. But can you find a place for this baby Jesus in your home this Christmas? It's hard to find time to deliver tidings of joy and peace on earth when we're stressed about getting our shopping done before Christmas Day.

My wife, Wendy, and I opted out of the American Christmas package the year our first child was born nearly 15 years ago. In the years ensuing, we brought three more children into our lives. The Christmas tradition we have developed instead is of course not the only proper way to celebrate. Perhaps, though, our effort may spark the imagination of other parents to craft "