Luke 18:9-14

If the purpose of the prayer is true to what prayer is supposed to be then the minds of those participating in it should be in the proper frame when a "mistake" by others is made. That is, tolerant and forgiving. I don't doubt the sincerity of their prayer, but I might doubt their motives.

The better question might be, can the Holy Spirit work to reach people (non-believers) in people who act this way? Following Christ is more than a simple prayer at dinner in a restaurant. Was their prayer "bless this food"? Or, was it "bless this food and provide for us an opportunity to reveal Christ"? There is a difference.

That's truly over the top my friend! What a beautiful tree... ;-)

If by the "size and timing" of Christmas you're referring to how early and how commercialized it is, there has definitely been a change even over the last 10 years. Run up for Christmas seems to begin around the last week in October just before Halloween. As for size, I see people's response to Christmas time as the factor there. People seem to be responding with the thought that I can do bigger and better than my neighbor and sometimes co-worker. The true meaning of Christmas is truly lost in all of this or at least that's how it appears.

Great post! And... very funny indeed!

Mike