Sara Groves pokes fun at seasonal 'wrap rage'
Posted: Wednesday, November 26, 2008, 11:05 (GMT)
It's not only Amazon customers who are fed up nursing war wounds from mountains of unnecessary product packaging. Critically-acclaimed singer-songwriter Sara Groves takes a humorous look at what is beind dubbed 'wrap rage' in her new Christmas single 'Toy Packaging'.
Amazon.com CEO Jeff Bezos recently sent out an email to all of the supersize company's customers talking about the wrap rage many feel when trying to free their products from "nearly impenetrable packages".
The company this month launched its new Frustration-Free Packaging to minimise the amount of packaging around its products and has even set up a gallery featuring images and videos showing customers' cuts and cutting equipment.
Groves humorously addresses wrap rage in her new Christmas single, aptly titled 'Toy Packaging', from her new holiday offering, O Holy Night.
Comments Groves, “Last year at Christmas I had to use a screwdriver, wire-cutters, and scissors to open a toy and nearly cut off my finger in the effort.
"I was relieved to see on Amazon.com that I am not the only one who suffers from 'wrap rage' - where better to vent my feelings about toy packaging than on a Christmas album!”
Groves is fresh from her ART*MUSIC*JUSTICE tour this autumn which benefitted both International Justice Mission and Food For the Hungry.
By the tour's end, 550 kids had been sponsored in the Rwandan Village of Gisanga that the AMJ tour and Groves family support, and their goal to raise $50,000 for the International Justice Mission was surpassed.
The tour was such a success that Groves is planning another justice-focused tour for autumn 2009.
On the web:
To get a free download of “Toy Packaging,” just go to this link: www.inorecords.com/saragroves/downloads
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Added: Friday, November 28, 2008, 23:23 (GMT)
I have read of many churches celebrating Christmas with Pageants that include an actual baby portraying the role of 'baby Jesus'. Our first child Ruth, was born December 12th, 1981 and was chosen to be 'baby Jesus' for our church's (Reba Place Fellowship) Christmas Eve service. Last year, our grandson, Charlie, born on Oct. 19th 2008, was chosen, also at Reba Place Fellowship. But in prison no such ritual exists.
I wasn't even thinking about babies being in Christmas plays back in 1972. This was yet another year in prison the difference being this was my first Christmas as a christian. The Christmas service held new meaning for me as we sang the traditional Christmas Carols bringing with it a hope for a new life with a redeemed future. Christian volunteers were apart of our service at the U. S. Medical Center for Prisoners in Springfield, Mo.
As our service wound to completion a cry was heard. The faint whimpering of a baby. My first thought was that I wasn't hearing what I thought I had heard. I had been in prison for many years and had never even seen a baby inside of a prison (not counting my infrequent times in the visiting room.) But there it was again, a baby crying. Someone, a volunteer, had brought their baby into the service wrapped in a blanket unnoticed by the guards. I then thought, there was our 'baby Jesus'.
The parents of the yet unknown child were the children of an older couple (Lloyd and Nita Colbaugh) who had only a few years previously began their ministry to the prison. Even the great-grandmother (Mom Carter) was a volunteer and had played a significant role in my own conversion, telling me that God had a plan for my life.
Life would go on and the incident of 'baby Jesus' coming to prison would fade to a memory, until the baby grew up and now is known throughout many countries far and wide as acclaimed singer/songwriter Sara Groves.
I hope this story adds to your appreciation of the life of Sara and her family.
John C Thomson
John C Thomson, Evanston, Illinois USA
