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How Goodie Bags Ruined Birthdays and Churches
Goodie bags have ruined birthday parties. Now that might be a stretch, but it does illustrate an important point.
While the tradition of giving party favors dates back centuries to European aristocracy, providing birthday party goodie bags became more common in the 1940s and 1950s as parties became standard household events.
Apparently, my parents missed that memo! We brought gifts TO the friend celebrating a birthday. We didn’t get gifts.
When my children were growing up, the trend hit our household. I objected. The rest of the family won.
Then it got worse. Parties competed for guests by who gave out the best goodie bag.
Now why do I say gift bags or goodie bags ruined birthday parties?
Before giving that answer, let’s take a turn.
Churches have ruined worship because one of the largest complaints is, “I didn’t get anything out it”. “The preacher didn’t….” “The singing wasn’t….” “No one came up to me and said….”
That kind of attitude is like complaining about a birthday party you were invited to, “I didn’t like it. I didn’t get a goodie bag”.
Birthday parties became more about the person attending, and less about the person being celebrated.
Likewise, churches gathered to worship became more focused on the person attending, and less about the Person being celebrated!
When we celebrate Jesus (1 Corinthians 5), we assemble (Hebrews 10:25), and encourage one another to love and good works (Hebrews 10:24). Why?
1. “Where there is forgiveness”; there is Jesus’s “offering for sin” whom we celebrate (Hebrews 10:18).
2. Where there is “boldness to enter the sanctuary”; there is the blood of Jesus whom we celebrate (Hebrews 10:19).
3. Where there is a “new and living way”; there is “the flesh” of Jesus whom we celebrate (Hebrews 10:20).
4. Where there is a “great high priest over the house of God”; we can “draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith” because of Jesus whom we celebrate (Hebrews 10:22).
5. Where there is a “heart sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and bodies washed in pure water”; there is Jesus whom we celebrate (Hebrews 10:22).
6. Where there is our “confesion of an unwavering hope”; there is Jesus who is faithful and promised whom we celebrate (Hebrews 10:23).
That’s how we encourage one another to love and good works, by celebrating what Jesus has done for us. So we do “get something out of it”! Our soul-searching question is, are we celebrating Jesus and all He is and does; or are we wanting an assembly that gives us temporary goosebumps?
And that’s how goodie bags ruined birthday parties. And I hope you got the real lesson which wasn’t about birthday goodie bags.
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