How do you celebrate Christmas?

Christian ethics and theology with an Anabaptist perspective
Adam
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Re: How do you celebrate Christmas?

Post by Adam »

Valerie wrote:He makes the point that celebrating Christ's brith was not mentioned in the Bible- yet it was celebrated, just read about the angels when they proclaimed it to the shepherds! Or the Magi who came to worship Him, these Gentiles who knew this king was to be born!
Yes, you are absolutely right about the celebration of the actual event. However, it seems to me that the point that the author of the original article is making is that there is no record of subsequent celebrations or a command to celebrate Christ's birth (like there is a command to commemorate his death).
Valerie wrote:http://spofga.org/ten_commandments/2012 ... istmas.php (there are arguments against his (& others) assumptions that he stated as one of his points about shepherds being in the field in December)
Regarding the timing, it seems fair to say that nobody really knows when Christ was born. And even if one argues for a particular season, there is no way to determine an exact date other than this idea that somebody dies on the date when they were conceived, which seems to be an unconvincing argument to me with no biblical basis.
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Bootstrap
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Re: How do you celebrate Christmas?

Post by Bootstrap »

Is there an argument against a celebration of Christmas that focuses on reading the Bible passages and singing relevant hymns?

Even the arguments about Christmas trees strike me as a little off. There are various stories of where they came from, the link to pagan practices is not clearly true, and nobody I know of thinks of foreign gods or paganism when they look at a Christmas tree. Today, the bigger problem is Santa Claus, materialism, secular sentimental Christmas songs, and other things that try to drown out the Christmas story itself.

And I would rather not cede that ground. When the world around us is thinking of Christmas, I like having an event to invite them to so that they can hear the biblical Christmas story. Even if we have the date wrong. And I like to prick their conscience a little about materialism and Bing Crosby, reminding them that there is more to it. I like to put the focus on Jesus coming to be "God with us", Emmanuel.

To me, that's the weakness in arguing about Christmas trees and dates too. It takes the focus off of the biblical narrative of Jesus coming to us. It becomes just one more debate. We take our eyes off of the Christmas story to debate who has gotten technical details of history and religion right. I would rather focus on Jesus.
O holy Child of Bethlehem, descend to us, we pray;
Cast out our sin, and enter in, be born in us today.
We hear the Christmas angels the great glad tidings tell;
O come to us, abide with us, our Lord Emmanuel!
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Sudsy
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Re: How do you celebrate Christmas?

Post by Sudsy »

Valerie wrote:
Adam wrote:I read a post recently entitled The Top 10 Reasons Why I Don't Celebrate Christmas. It is written by a pastor in the United Church of God. Setting aside the denominational background of the pastor, which of his points do you agree with or disagree with and why? Or if you agree with most of his points but disagree with his conclusion, why do you disagree with his conclusion?

https://www.ucg.org/the-good-news/the-t ... -christmas

For summary and reference purposes, I am listing the ten reasons below, but please don't reply based on this summary. Please reply only if you have read the full article in which each point is clarified.

1. Christmas is driven by commercialism.
True but need not be for a Christian. I don't live my life according to how the world celebrates things.

2. Christmas is nowhere mentioned in the Bible.
True but neither is the word 'Trinity'. The celebration of Christ's birth is in the NT as well as gifts given by the 3 kings.
3. Jesus wasn't born on or near December 25.
True but I don't see where the exact day of the year is important to Him being born. I doubt many believers celebrate being born again tracing it to a specific day of the year. It is the birth that matters most.
4. The Christmas holiday is largely a recycled pagan celebration.
But regardless it is a time that to many, even non-believers with head belief only, it is an opportunity to take advantage of this and see it as an open door to express what Christianity believes is important to God entering this world and why He did.
5. God condemns using pagan customs to worship Him.
Yes but we don't need to participate in the pagan side of it. For instance, instead of gift exchanges, we give gifts to those in need throughout the world that cannot give us a gift in return. i.e. the Shoe Box ministry.
6. Christmas is worshipping God in vain.
Not if we worship God in the spirit and truth of why He came into this world.
7. You can't put Christ back into something He was never in.
Again, why reject an opportunity to redeem a celebration that does include a recognition of Christ. To me, 'putting Christ back into Christmas' is not about saying 'Merry Christmas' but rather showing the world how a Christian goes about celebrating God entering the world to save us from our sins and how this celebrating is focused on others and not ourselves.
8. The Bible nowhere tells us to observe a holiday celebrating Jesus Christ’s birth—but it clearly does tell us to commemorate His death.
Agree but scripture does not say it would be wrong to do so, either.
9. Christmas obscures God’s plan for mankind.
It is an opportunity for Christians to point to what God's plan is. I think of Paul being all things to all men to see some saved. I do not believe Paul did anything sinful to win others but I believe Paul would use Christmas as an opportunity to win others. He would see this as an 'open door', imo.
10. I’d rather celebrate the Holy Days Jesus Christ and the apostles observed.
Fine but I think there are some good reasons to join in Christ birth celebration in a way that is distinct from how the world celebrates this season of the year. Are we not to make use of occasions such as this day and season to 'shine our lights' ? I once was one who was a non-participant to a great extent but now see it quite differently.

Mostly, I would like to hear what others have to say on this topic rather than presenting my own point of view (which is still forming). However I will say at the outset that I disagree with the last point because we are not commanded to continue the festivals of the Old Testament, which find their fulfillment in Jesus and have run their course of pointing toward Jesus.
From what I have studied about it, this pastor is in error in many of his points- while at the same time being correct in some of what he said- I respect his right to his 'opinion' even if I disagree with much of what he had to say or his history.

You know who hates the true celebration focused on Christ? Satan-

Yes and a time when we can 'push back' on his attempts to do away completely with any recognition of Christ. We can 'push back' by redeeming what we can of this season and perhaps leading some to Christ rather than just rejecting it as another way we separate ourselves from the world.
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Adam
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Re: How do you celebrate Christmas?

Post by Adam »

Bootstrap wrote:Is there an argument against a celebration of Christmas that focuses on reading the Bible passages and singing relevant hymns?
I think we are on safe ground whenever we are reading Scripture and singing hymns. It seems, however, that there is great cultural pressure to include more in the Christmas celebrations than that. I personally have never met anybody who celebrates just by reading Scripture and singing hymns. There are always other things added in. I wouldn't take issue with what you are suggesting.
Bootstrap wrote:Even the arguments about Christmas trees strike me as a little off. There are various stories of where they came from, the link to pagan practices is not clearly true, and nobody I know of thinks of foreign gods or paganism when they look at a Christmas tree.
While we may not be able to identify the exact origin of Christmas trees, they are clearly not biblical in origin. I actually do think of foreign gods and paganism when I look at a Christmas tree and wonder why we have adopted this unbiblical practice, even singing songs of praise to the Christmas tree. It smacks of syncretism to me, and if not a syncretism with historic paganism, at least a syncretism that seeks to combine a search for the warm and fuzzy nostalgia of some idyllic past with the celebration of Christ's birth. I understand that others do not see things that way and respect their differences of opinion.
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Adam
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Re: How do you celebrate Christmas?

Post by Adam »

A quote to throw into the mix of the discussion:
What Jesus desires of us is not the observance of things He did not command, but the things He did command.
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Sudsy
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Re: How do you celebrate Christmas?

Post by Sudsy »

Adam wrote:A quote to throw into the mix of the discussion:
What Jesus desires of us is not the observance of things He did not command, but the things He did command.
Imo, using the opportunities to share who Jesus is and why He came to earth is an observance and act of obedience to the great commission that He gave us and the Christmas season is a time when many in this world are again reminded that it is a Christian celebration period regardless of how satan tries to take the attention off Christ.

Again this year my wife and I are participating in the Salvation Army kettle program to raise monies that go to help so many in need throughout the year in our area. Little booklets are also made available for those who care to take one and various stories are in these telling what Jesus is doing in people's lives. Occasionally, folks stop and talk about their views of Christmas and it gives opportunity to share the Gospel.

'Putting Christ back into Christmas' is, imo, about displaying what Jesus did to reach people where they lived and in how they lived. It should not be about a slogan on a sign in our lawns as much as it should be our actions that are what Jesus did. We don't know but His first miracle of water into wine was likely among those who were not His followers and likely got pretty wasted at this wedding celebration. Jesus was not afraid of being incorrectly criticized as being a 'friend of sinners'.

It is too easy to be so 'heavenly minded that we are no earthly good' in the sense of being so separated from the world that the light of Christ in us is hidden and has little to no effect on the darkness.

I would think what Jesus desires most of us is what Jesus was saying to the Pharisees that if they really knew God and understood what really mattered to Him, they would not put such overemphasis on rules about such things as ritual cleanliness and restrictive Sabbath observance. They were missing the big picture. Instead of us having an attitude of condemning and scorning "those sinners" in how they celebrate Christmas, reach out to help raise these sinners up and help them to repent.

With this said, I need your prayers that I will be reflecting the grace and mercy of God to those who are caught up in the celebrations of this world during this season.
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KingdomBuilder
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Re: How do you celebrate Christmas?

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I tend to, apparently, appear JW-esque in my celebration of what is known as "Christmas". :lol: I think the season and name has largely been hijacked by a godless society, so I rarely even use the word "Christmas". I'm big on my choice of words... Perhaps overly... I'm fine with celebrating the coming of Christ and our anticipation of his second coming with believers and within the church, but I think this is an important time to remain separated.
The world wanted it, so they took it. Let them have it and move on. The whole "reclaiming Christmas" is futile and silly in my opinion.
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Josh
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Re: How do you celebrate Christmas?

Post by Josh »

Generally speaking conservative Anabaptists do not make a big affair of Christmas celebrations and the more conservative they are, the less they do based around it.

Most of us do really get into singing Christmas carols. At my church this is a popular December activity. I can’t see how it’s harmful or against scripture at all - particularly when we do sometimes sing the same songs at other times of the year.
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Sudsy
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Re: How do you celebrate Christmas?

Post by Sudsy »

Josh wrote:Generally speaking conservative Anabaptists do not make a big affair of Christmas celebrations and the more conservative they are, the less they do based around it.

Most of us do really get into singing Christmas carols. At my church this is a popular December activity. I can’t see how it’s harmful or against scripture at all - particularly when we do sometimes sing the same songs at other times of the year.
Our pastor began a series last Sunday going through the verses of certain Christmas carols and the first one was Hark the Herald Angels Sing. Such timeless truths with a powerful salvation message !

Hark! The herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King;
Peace on earth, and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled!”
Joyful, all ye nations rise,
Join the triumph of the skies;
With th’angelic host proclaim,
“Christ is born in Bethlehem!”

Refrain:
Hark! the herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King!”

Christ, by highest Heav’n adored;
Christ the everlasting Lord;
Late in time, behold Him come,
Offspring of a virgin’s womb.
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see;
Hail th’incarnate Deity,
Pleased with us in flesh to dwell,
Jesus our Emmanuel.

Hail the heav’nly Prince of Peace!
Hail the Sun of Righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings,
Ris’n with healing in His wings.
Mild He lays His glory by,
Born that man no more may die;
Born to raise the sons of earth,
Born to give them second birth.

Come, Desire of nations, come,
Fix in us Thy humble home;
Rise, the woman’s conqu’ring Seed,
Bruise in us the serpent’s head.
Now display Thy saving pow’r,
Ruined nature now restore;
Now in mystic union join
Thine to ours, and ours to Thine.

Adam’s likeness, Lord, efface,
Stamp Thine image in its place:
Second Adam from above,
Reinstate us in Thy love.
Let us Thee, though lost, regain,
Thee, the Life, the inner man:
Oh, to all Thyself impart,
Formed in each believing heart.

A great opportunity to share our faith among many unchurched like seen here -
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Signtist
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Re: How do you celebrate Christmas?

Post by Signtist »

You can't celebrate a resurrection unless you recognize a death. You can't have a death unless there was a birth. Seems the angels were pretty stoked when Christ came to earth. Are we better than they are?

How do we celebrate Christmas? We sing songs about Christ's coming. We give gifts. We spend time together as a family. We reflect on the good things God has given us and give thanks, while remembering those who don't have these blessings. For myself, I could probably do a passable imitation of Ebeneezer Scrooge if pressed upon to do so. My wife on the other hand really gets into Christmas. Her memories of Christmas are far less happy than my memories of the season. And she does a good job of making it a special time for our children while building some happy memories for herself.
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