How do you celebrate Christmas?

Christian ethics and theology with an Anabaptist perspective
Wade
Posts: 2683
Joined: Tue Oct 25, 2016 12:09 am
Affiliation: kingdom Christian

Re: How do you celebrate Christmas?

Post by Wade »

A family who lives close by (we are actually in another village 30mins from church) that used to attend the Baptist church phoned and asked if we would like to go caroling with them and give Bibles and/or Bible story books as gifts to neighbours and their children. :)
0 x
User avatar
Bootstrap
Posts: 14442
Joined: Thu Oct 20, 2016 9:59 am
Affiliation: Mennonite

Re: How do you celebrate Christmas?

Post by Bootstrap »

Adam wrote:
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.
For me, the Christmas tree is a family tradition, decorated with Christian symbols. On Christmas eve we light the candles and sing carols. it reminds me of times I spent with my great-grandmother, my grandparents, my parents, and many of the decorations came down from them. These are also people who influenced my faith. So yes, it definitely involves some nostalgia.

At our house, Christmas Eve is the real Christmas, the time that we read the passages and sing Christmas carols. We exchange presents on Christmas day.

My inlaws come to spend Christmas with us most years. So do my children. If I decided to get rid of the Christmas tree, we would have lots of discussions, and the conversation would shift from the Christmas story to the lack of a Christmas tree. I don't know if that would really help put the focus more solidly on Jesus. I already explain why we don't have Santa Claus as part of our Christmas to my inlaws, and that conversation does tend to put the focus more solidly on Jesus. (My kids grew up this way, it's not new to them.)
0 x
Is it biblical? Is it Christlike? Is it loving? Is it true? How can I find out?
Wade
Posts: 2683
Joined: Tue Oct 25, 2016 12:09 am
Affiliation: kingdom Christian

Re: How do you celebrate Christmas?

Post by Wade »

I think the hardest thing for me to understand is symbolism at times. I see things more at face value instead of reading between the lines or trying to decifer the implied. For example, when something in scripture like not wearing gold comes up, it is disregarded because of what is "implied," and I am left thinking, I don't understand why if you agree with the implied why it isn't actually applied when it coincides without being implied?

How does a decorated Christmas tree relate to Christ? He died on a cross and yes in scripture it even calls it a tree but how does that relate to His birth. He was born to die for man, so maybe that is why? But yet where did a decorated tree come into this?
I think of the children who we are to model in some respects how they see things at face value and how they look on these things. If something is implied and therefore we "know" it, why are we "more" spiritual than doing it?
What is really being seen at face value the way we conduct ourselves in expression of who our Lord is? Are we being honest with ourselves?
But then again I grew up without Christ and only with Santa and materialism so I really struggle to relate these things and am sharing thoughts rather than judging others who do Christmas differently.
0 x
User avatar
Bootstrap
Posts: 14442
Joined: Thu Oct 20, 2016 9:59 am
Affiliation: Mennonite

Re: How do you celebrate Christmas?

Post by Bootstrap »

Wade wrote:How does a decorated Christmas tree relate to Christ?
How does a nice tablecloth relate to Christ? It's pretty. It's celebratory. We used to go out in the woods and cut down a tree, then come back and drink hot cocoa and glögg, so it brings back memories. It's traditional in our family's celebration, which is very much focused on the biblical narratives about the birth of Jesus. There's no command in the Bible to use a nice tablecloth, but we have always done that for Christmas.

I grew up without Santa Claus, but with Christmas trees. As far as I can tell, nobody has engaged in pagan worship because of our Christmas trees.
0 x
Is it biblical? Is it Christlike? Is it loving? Is it true? How can I find out?
User avatar
Josh
Posts: 23823
Joined: Wed Oct 19, 2016 6:23 pm
Location: 1000' ASL
Affiliation: The church of God

Re: How do you celebrate Christmas?

Post by Josh »

Where does the Bible say you can’t have a Christmas tree?
0 x
MaxPC
Posts: 9044
Joined: Sat Oct 22, 2016 9:09 pm
Location: Former full time RVers
Affiliation: PlainRomanCatholic
Contact:

Re: How do you celebrate Christmas?

Post by MaxPC »

Wade wrote:I think the hardest thing for me to understand is symbolism at times. I see things more at face value instead of reading between the lines or trying to decifer the implied. For example, when something in scripture like not wearing gold comes up, it is disregarded because of what is "implied," and I am left thinking, I don't understand why if you agree with the implied why it isn't actually applied when it coincides without being implied?

How does a decorated Christmas tree relate to Christ? He died on a cross and yes in scripture it even calls it a tree but how does that relate to His birth. He was born to die for man, so maybe that is why? But yet where did a decorated tree come into this?
I think of the children who we are to model in some respects how they see things at face value and how they look on these things. If something is implied and therefore we "know" it, why are we "more" spiritual than doing it?
What is really being seen at face value the way we conduct ourselves in expression of who our Lord is? Are we being honest with ourselves?
But then again I grew up without Christ and only with Santa and materialism so I really struggle to relate these things and am sharing thoughts rather than judging others who do Christmas differently.
Well said, Wade. For those who were blessed with a Christ centered family and environment, they may not realize the pain you went through. I appreciate your thoughts on this. An aversion to those things related to your past experiences without Christ is quite understandable. Thank you for trusting us with your thoughts.
0 x
Max (Plain Catholic)
Mt 24:35
Proverbs 18:2 A fool does not delight in understanding but only in revealing his own mind.
1 Corinthians 3:19 For the wisdom of this world is folly with God
KingdomBuilder
Posts: 1482
Joined: Tue Nov 01, 2016 9:00 pm
Affiliation: church of Christ

Re: How do you celebrate Christmas?

Post by KingdomBuilder »

Josh wrote:Where does the Bible say you can’t have a Christmas tree?
It's, in my opinion, a matter of conscience. If putting a tree up makes you feel Pagan or uneasy, then by all means don't put up a tree.
If it doesn't weigh on your own or your congregation's conscience, then I see nothing wrong with it.
0 x
Ponder anew what the Almighty can do
Wade
Posts: 2683
Joined: Tue Oct 25, 2016 12:09 am
Affiliation: kingdom Christian

Re: How do you celebrate Christmas?

Post by Wade »

Josh wrote:Where does the Bible say you can’t have a Christmas tree?
Are we to read scripture for what it does say or for what it doesn't say?
0 x
User avatar
Josh
Posts: 23823
Joined: Wed Oct 19, 2016 6:23 pm
Location: 1000' ASL
Affiliation: The church of God

Re: How do you celebrate Christmas?

Post by Josh »

Wade wrote:
Josh wrote:Where does the Bible say you can’t have a Christmas tree?
Are we to read scripture for what it does say or for what it doesn't say?
What it does say.

The Bible never lays out a principle that celebrating holidays is forbidden - indeed, it says the opposite. It certainly doesn’t say decorations with trees are wrong. Indeed, at Palm Sunday the Jews celebrated Jesus’ entrance with tree branches.

I’ll be frank: someone who is explicitly anti-Christmas usually has a number of attitudes that don’t contribute to building Jesus’ kingdom and are usually a poor witness to the world.
0 x
User avatar
Bootstrap
Posts: 14442
Joined: Thu Oct 20, 2016 9:59 am
Affiliation: Mennonite

Re: How do you celebrate Christmas?

Post by Bootstrap »

Wade wrote:
Josh wrote:Where does the Bible say you can’t have a Christmas tree?
Are we to read scripture for what it does say or for what it doesn't say?
Where does scripture say you can post on forums, drive a car, drink root beer, have a pet dog, wear pajamas, eat peanut butter, ride a bicycle, or make a pot roast?

If we really want to help people focus on Jesus and what the Bible says about him coming to us, I really like reading those passages and singing carols. The best way to put the focus on Jesus is to put the focus on Jesus.
0 x
Is it biblical? Is it Christlike? Is it loving? Is it true? How can I find out?
Post Reply