Archive for November 22, 2012


Nov 22

Good Advice for Holiday Gatherings

2012 | by Trent Hunter | Category: Recommended Link

Russell Moore raises a great topic in his article, “How to Deal with Holiday Family Tensions.” Here’s his introduction:

We tend to idealize holidays, but human depravity doesn’t go into hibernation between Thanksgiving and New Year’s. One thing that will hit most Christians, sooner or later, are tensions within extended families at holiday time. Some of you will be visiting family members who are contemptuous of the Christian faith and downright hostile to the whole thing.

Others are empty nest couples who now have sons- or daughters-in-law to get adjusted to, maybe even grandchildren who are being reared, well, not exactly the way the grandparents would do it. Still others are young couples who are figuring out how to keep from offending family members who are watching the calendar, to see which side of the family gets more time on the ledger.

Click here for Moore’s advice to Christians around the holidays, and especially those with difficult family situations.

Two additional articles are worth checking out as well. In, “Family Feuds and Tensions over the Holidays,” Justin Taylor summarizes a helpful booklet by Timothy Lane, Family Feuds, available at the Resource Center and here for free. Then, at The Gospel Coalition Blog, Kathleen Nielson offers, “5 Aims for Holiday Family Gatherings.”