At Sweet Holy Spirit church... Bishop Larry Trotter made a bold statement.
"I want to talk about the death of Christmas," said Trotter.
He says the true meaning of Christmas is lost.
"I think that the original purpose behind Christmas is dead," said Trotter. "So many things sidetrack us from the true meaning, which is the birth of Christ and then giving, but giving not expecting in return."
His parishioners took notice.
"Sometimes we forget the true meaning of Christmas, and it's all about the shopping and buying the gifts and people and love, but the real meaning of Christmas is the birth of Christ," said parishioner Carolann Davis.
Parishioner Louise Scott asked for an act, not for an item, this Christmas.
"I told my kids, my son, I don't want nothing for Christmas, I just want you to come to church," said Scott. "My son came to church, and that's all I wanted him to do, was to hear that message that it's about god."
Trotter says in this time of need for so many, our good intentions get lost in the materialistic side of the holidays, and it is time for us to refocus and get back to our roots.
"Some of the old family traditions, pulling the family back together, people reading the Christmas story from the bible to their children," said Trotter.
His message struck people young and old.
"A lot of people forget that - what Christmas is actually about. It's not about the gifts, it's not about just going out buying things, it's about Christ," said parishioner Marvin Allen.
Trotter hopes that in 2012, everybody takes his message on Christmas and applies it for months to come.
