I’ve heard the call go out to concerned Christians recommending they avoid those retailers who refuse to wish them a very, merry Christmas. Certainly I would be annoyed as an employee if the word came down from Corporate that we must not let those words slip passed our lips. I would probably ignore it until provoking their wrath, and then I don’t know what I’d do. But you and I aren’t working their now; we’re shoppers. Should we avoid certain stores over this?

No. I suggest it would be far better to teach and encourage Christian shoppers to shop as an act of worship to the Lord who provides for them. Some will take that to mean they should buy a verse for their wall, but whatever the learning curve, leaders of the church should lay aside trivial squabbles like merry-christmas-wishing and teach their congregations, radio audiences, and subscribers how to worship the Lord God wholeheartedly in everything–including shopping. We should shop at places providing good products, ones that treat their people well and invest in their community, ones where people we know and trust work.