UPFRONT December 24, 2007 Issue

No expiration date

KIM SHIPPEY, SENIOR WRITER

Apparently this Christmas, decorations and celebrations are likely to be more extravagant, more energy-consuming, and more expensive than ever before—perhaps even more contrived, as people try to put a new face on their holiday gatherings.

Newsweek magazine predicts Americans will use more than 38,000 miles of ribbon. And if you're throwing a party and want to go over the top in your efforts to be different, instead of a jovial, generous Santa, you can engage a fun-loving curmudgeon who comes to town complaining about the food and hurling presents around. There's a house in Bellingham, Washington, that's expected to display more than 35,000 lights.

But rest assured. We'll be talking a lot less about external trimmings in these pages than about rediscovering the newness within ourselves. We'll be focusing on fresh approaches to the age-old story of the birth of Christ Jesus, which doesn't call for rewriting or refurbishing, just reliving. It's a narrative filled with wonder, comfort, and hope—and freely available to everyone, everywhere.

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