Christ or Christmas?
“…But there is something that requires a Christian to make this 25th December a day of particular focus. It is the Lord’s day. It is that one day in seven, that first day of the week, that resurrection day, the day on which the church can and should gather in order to worship their living Lord. And that act of privileged obedience takes precedence over every act of liberty.
That imposes certain demands and pressures on us, on some more than others. For some, we face the desire to ‘do Christmas properly,’ a desire that might need to be toned down or put aside, at least for the day itself. However, for others it is the pressure of making it a real ‘family day,’ as if the family of God should take second place (Mark 3.32-35, anyone?). Such pressure will be painful, especially if many or all of the family are unconverted. But is this an opportunity to show where your priorities lie? It may be the sense of a lazy day, when you get up late and just mooch around, the temptation to minimise or even do away with the public and private exercises of worship. It may be the pressure, especially with young children, to flood the day with gifts and treats, and – even if you do seek to be in church – the forms take precedence while the substance is washed away on a tide of weariness, carelessness and greed. It may be that Christmas trumps Christ altogether, as services of worship and private devotions give way to the fact that, “It’s Christmas, after all.” Indeed, ironically, where in most years saccharine nativity scenes and pappy Christmas sermons rule, this may be the very year when some decide to give church a miss altogether.
However, if we are believers in God and followers of Christ and indwelt by the Spirit, worshippers of the Most High in all his majesty, might, and mercy, then Christmas must give way to Christ. Our attachment to the Lord Jesus must take precedence over all cultural and other pressures. Let the day be, before it is anything else, the Lord’s day. Plan and prepare around that priority, and let that which does not fit within such a framework give place. Indeed, a fairly simple solution might be to postpone or promote the occasion by one day.”
Jeremy Walker Christ or Christmas? (via Strob).
“Here we are approaching the time of year where everyone pays lip service to the central facts of the Bible’s religion, singing carols that speak of the great miracle of the incarnation and the grand purpose of redemption that focused on the birth of the God-man, the Mediator Jesus Christ. Yet how many people will forego church-going on December 25th to indulge in presents, eating and watching television? Is that the sign of a deeply religious community? In one of the great perversions of doctrine, we have succeeded in masking the truth of the incarnation by a festival of self-indulgence; the very truth being celebrated – that of a rich God who made himself poor – has been turned on its head as we worship at the altar of materialism.”
Ian D Campbell, Are we religious enough on the Isle of Lewis?
On the Christmas theme, Ian D has a good post entitled The Season to be Jolly. He begins:
“The secularists tell us that the reason we have a desire to brighten up our houses at this time of year with fancy coloured lights inside and out is nothing to do with celebrating the incarnation; it is simply a way of helping us survive the darkness of winter. We need something to lift our spirits, and what better than decorations and winter wonderland scenes to lift flagging hearts?
The problem is that it doesn’t seem to be working; the festive season, apparently, is the most likely time of year to experience depression, and the suicide rate is often much higher during December than at any other time of the year. For many people, Christmas is not merry, and the New Year not very happy.
The reasons for this are not hard to find. While most people revel in the company of family and friends, there are those who are isolated and lonely, and who keep little company of any kind over the year. They imagine the family occasions of others to be much more than they actually are, and that everyone else is much happier than they are themselves.” (read the rest)