As I said last week, I love Advent and the whole Christmas season. I enjoy Christmas movies and Christmas music (yes, we start early, deal with it). I enjoy seeing all the lights and decorations people put around their homes. Just a sentimentalist, I guess. I like almost all of the Christmas traditions, both in the church and at home. I like Advent Wreaths and Christmas Carols. I guess you could say I'm also a traditionalist when it comes to Christmas. Traditions are good things, they remind us of past joys and great truths.

But taken too far, traditions can become obstacles to present joys and can, in fact, come to obscure great truths. And that's what Jesus is dealing with in this week's passage. We're starting Matthew 15 this Sunday and we discover that Jesus can be somewhat confrontational when it comes to traditions taken too far. How then do we discern between what makes up real faith and what's merely religious tradition? And what difference should it make in our relationship with the Lord? Come Sunday to find out more.

See you then, Dr. Dave