Why I wore an elf suit to Sunday School class?

Elf in Sunday School

I get to teach Internationals in an ABF at Wooster Grace each week. We have been focusing on keeping Christ in front of Christmas. I perceived that Internationals have a hard time dealing with the out-of-control consumerism around them, from Black Friday to Cyber Monday, and now to After-Christmas sales.  Rather, I challenged our class to keep Christ in front of Christmas.

So on the last day of the series, I suited up in an elf costume, like Buddy the Elf. I wore it only for the illustration so I did not wander the halls of the church in the outfit (I have teenagers for goodness-sake).  But I wanted to emphasize that Christmas can be a lot of different things except Jesus' birthday celebration.

I asked them to turn to Matthew 1:21 to target the word "save." Jesus was to come to save His people from their sins. I asked the class to change the third letter in the word from "v" to "l," which made the word become "sale." In contrast to what is in the media, this time of year is about Jesus' birth, the Savior of the world. It's not about sales. 

I pray that you can help others who are not from this great country and help them navigate the rampant consumerism and redirect them to what is the reason for the season--the celebration of Jesus' birth to save the world from sins. 

I came across and article in RelevantMagazine.com by Elizabeth G. Korver-Glenn which resonates with me. She also challenges you to reclaim the true meaning of Christmas to communicate it clearly to those from other countries who happen to be here in the USA.  Thanks Elizabeth for your insightful words.