Is Labor Day a Christian Holiday if You're a Christian?
Christmas has always seemed forced to me. Like we’re supposed to have this ONE day during the year where we are to remember and celebrate the birth of God. And it is always heavily mixed with cultural nonsectarian sentiments – not necessarily PAGAN sentiments, but just definitely not CHRISTIAN ones, you know? And that’s where the rub came in. I have never been able to reconcile this grand and ‘holy’ event with all it’s other elements, like Christmas trees, getting presents, having big dinners, watching movies like Miracle on 34th street, It’s a Wonderful Life, Frosty the Snowman, and good old Rudolph; singing songs like Deck the Halls, Jingle Bells, etc. These things are enjoyable and FUN, and they are definitely part of what makes up ‘magical special’ feel of Christmas – but then there’s this nagging thing in the back of your mind saying “I thought this was supposed to be all about Christ – where is Christ in this part?” And so you end up with a majority of traditions and song and movies and memories that are warm and cozy but void of Christ – not sinful mind you, but just not Christ-centered – thus the urge to always remind each other ‘the reason for the season’ Ok, thanks for sticking with me for so long… so here’s what I am thinking. There is no call to celebrate Christmas anywhere in God’s Word. Nor do you find any example of Christians ‘doing Christmas’. Now there is a call to celebrate and remember the death and resurrection of Christ and to remember what that means for us (and it’s not called Easter, it’s called communion). SO, here is my take. The Christmas that is celebrated today in America (and the way most people celebrate Christmas with all it’s added non-Christian elements) is not a ‘Christian’ holiday, but it can still be celebrated without guilt by Christians, just like other non Christian holidays are celebrated by Christians – like the Fourth of July; my family LOVES buying fireworks and making a big dinner and having a big party. It’s fun! We are simply Christians celebrating the Fourth of July. See where I’m going? Christ is first and foremost in every aspect of our lives – every day — and not with just a focus on one certain day (a day that is not even *the* actual day that Christ was born – God’s word never tells us the exact day nor does he tell us to celebrate it). And if you think about it, we don’t have any holidays commemorating Christ’s first miracle. Nobody celebrates ‘Water into Wine’ Day. Nobody celebrates ‘Walking on Water’ Day, or ‘Feed the Hungry Multitudes’ Day, or ‘Choosing the 12 Apostles’ Day, or ‘Got Left Behind in the Temple’ Day, or how about ‘Flipping Over the Money Changer’s Table’ Day? There is no call in God’s word to do any of that, nor is there a call to celebrate His birth – is it not all just as incredible and important? So yes, we will celebrate Christmas as Christians this year. But we don’t look at it as if it is a ‘holy event’, or even as a ‘Christian event’. We will have fun and get a tree, and sing and cook and give gifts and receive gifts with gratitude, but it will be with the same every-day steady Christian dedication that we have as we celebrate Thanksgiving, the Fourth of July or Labor Day, because our entire lives are already centered on Christ – we take Him with us everywhere and give thanks to HIM for every good thing we have. We are already living Christ every day (or we should be), and remembering all parts of His incredible life on earth. Did this make any sense what-so-ever? |
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December 5th, 2006 - Posted in Uncategorized | | 0 Comments No Responses to ' Is Labor Day a Christian Holiday if You're a Christian? 'Leave a reply |
on December 5th, 2006 at 10:53 am
WOW!
Great take on this Christmas thing. I’m behind you all the way.
~Betsy
on December 5th, 2006 at 11:02 am
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Very true. I have decided to spell CHRISTmas differently this year to help remind me that the shopping and cards and gifts and lights are not the real reason for the HOLIday. 😀
In fact, I just wrote a new eBook I am giving away for free this month. I am waiting to get it updating on the site right now. The eBook is called The Difference Between Santa and Jesus. It is fully illustrated in PDF and addresses the differences between the Christian and secular CHRISTmas figures.
By the way, would love to pick your brain on any sites you know that are fun and help us keep Christ in CHRISTmas. I am hosting the semi annual Carnival of FUNschooling on the 15th. It will be the Merry CHRISTmas Carnival of FUNschooling featuring all the fun and creative sites/blogs etc for keeping Christ in your CHRISTmas.
JoJo
on December 5th, 2006 at 11:35 am
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Jen –
My sentiments EXACTLY! Thank you for writing this so eloquently.
We enjoy Christmas – celebrating Christ’s birth, and we also enjoy the “non-Christian” elements as well. I have long been bothered by the “Jesus is the Reason for the Season” line when, really, man is the reason for the season.
We know that Jesus celebrated the Festival of Lights (see John 10), even though that was not a God-ordained feast or festival, such as the Passover, Feast of Tabernacles, etc. I think Jesus understood about celebrating life and enjoying life to the full, don’t you?
I don’t see anything wrong with celebrating the fact the Jesus was born into this world as a baby to become a man to die on the cross for our sins – I celebrate it! But I also enjoy my Christmas tree and decoraions and lights, and 4th of July fireworks and picnics, and Thanksgiving feasts, and New Year’s Eve celebrations, and Valentine’s day love and on and on and on …. around here we just like to celebrate life and live it to the fullest!
Blessings!!
~Heather
on December 5th, 2006 at 11:40 am
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Wow! I never thought of it that way. I have always celebrated Christmas, Santa and all, because it is so fun for the kids. I love them having these experiences. I love my kids using their imaginations. We are a Christ focused family, but I honestly did not feel it was wrong. Thank you for putting into words what I could not. I loved this post.
on December 5th, 2006 at 12:04 pm
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THAT was an amazing post. When did you get so smart?
~Annemarie
on December 5th, 2006 at 1:13 pm
Great Post!
I’m linking to this one!
After intense family discussions, we have come to many of the same conclusions in “the Austin Family Christmas Talks of 2006”.
There is nothing wrong with twinkly lights, the colors red and green, nor giving gifts of love to those you love.
I have a palm tree in my house, and a hibiscus plant. I see nothing evil with having a pine.
But as you state, it should ALL be about Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior! Everything we do, whether celebrating an anniversary or whatever else, all to the Lord in thankfulness!
This should be our focus every day of the year, not just December the 25th. There is nothing holy about that day.
I’m glad you cleared some things up for me as well, we were considering celebrating: ‘Flipping Over the Money Changer’s Table’ Day. We were going to put plastic tables out on the deck covered with merchandise on a windy day and watch them get blown over. Knowing that we DON’T have to celebrate that is good. It will save a lot of time that we would have had to spend cleaning up the yard.
Blessings to you in the name of Jesus Christ our ONLY Redeemer, during this season and all others!
on December 5th, 2006 at 1:13 pm
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I agree with you totally. As a matter of fact, I am right there with you in your thinking process… as a matter of fact, most of what we think of as “Christian” about Christmas is ACTUALLY pagan… the tree, the decorations, the gift giving, even the DATE which is completely inaccurate (Jesus was most likely born in the fall during the Feast of Tabernacles)… besides which Dec. 25th was traditionally the birthday of several false gods in pagan traditions such as Nimrod, Tammuz and others.
Constantine placed the celebration of the birth of Christ on Dec. 25th to coincide with the pagan’s already established holidays… just like he did with mixing Easter and Passover/Communion and several other so-called “Christian holidays.” Constantine’s goal was not to prostelytize the pagan, but to make Chrisitanity more palatable to the pagan and more comfortable.
I have said on my blog before it is almost as if your spouse had an affair and afterwards he refused to acknowlege YOUR birthday anymore. From now on he insists on celebrating the birthday of his mistress b/c it is more fun and convenient and he has happy memories from that time in his life. He SAYS it is your birthday, but everyone parties and gives gifts to each other and NOT to you and no one is even sure when YOUR actual birthdate is anymore b/c they all love celebrating MISTRESS DAY instead!
YUK!
Besides, God never commanded us to celebrate His birth, but He did give us Passover and Communion as a lasting ordinance.
Now, with that said, we do celebrate Christmas at our house, but we celebrate the life, love, birth, death, resurrection and saving grace of God through Jesus all year long. We do some decorating and baking and gift giving, but we are very careful about WHAT we do, HOW we do it and WHY we are doing it!
on December 5th, 2006 at 1:51 pm
Wow…
And I say WOW, because I spent the better part of the day yesterday researching Christmas to see if I could find anything associated with christmas that was NOT pagan.
I think it is a wonder that God moves in His People to think of these things and be drawn to Him to search for truth. So, it is Wow! that you posted it… ( ;
Any way, I searched and searched to find a Biblical reason to celebrate what we Christians term as “Jesus, the Reason for the Season”. I couldn’t. Trees-pagan, wreaths-pagan, mistletoe-pagan, yule logs, cantatas, holly, lights, decorating the tree, giving gifts!! All rituals from pagan holidays or offerings to other gods that were Christianized so the Christians wouldn’t feel bad wanting to celebrate what the pagans celebrated to worship other gods.
********
So… I just copied and pasted the rest of this comment onto a wordpad, because I think it may be longer than your post! NR…. If anyone is interested, I guess I will put the rest of it on my own blog (and refer to yours)… even though I wasn’t sure I wanted to go there.
Take care my friend… You are a blessing, and I enjoy reading your blog and “knowing your family.”
Many Blessings to you!
Jacque
Mom to SuperAngel, Myrtle, Tigerlily and Young Man in Training
on December 5th, 2006 at 2:10 pm
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I think I get what you are saying. I tend to have this terrible guilt at Christmas if we didn’t focus on Jesus enough. I think I am hearing that we should be focused on him throughout the year continually and living our lives for Him. Waiting for that one day a year to give Him credit is wrong. We will be going to my unbelieving parents house for Christmas and while we are there we tend to lose the focus. But really, if I am working on my relationship with my mom and being gracious instead of critical then in a sense I am focused on Him because I am living my life according to His will, being a Godly example to my unbelieving family. Thank you Jen for this post. Strikes a cord with me. We will also do all the other stuff, because it is fun and we really enjoy it, but really, that isn’t the point of Christmas.
I get it!
Susan
on December 5th, 2006 at 2:49 pm
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Mrs. Ig, that’s pretty much how we ended up feeling about Christmas. Because Christmas is ostensibly about Jesus’s birth, we Christians feel like we should be assigning more value to it than the pop culture does. We always hear about “putting the Christ back in Christmas,” but what would we do different? Would we *not* buy our kids presents? Would we put on sackcloth and ashes instead? That would be no fun! Even if we had a Christ-less secular holiday called Santamas that was all about giving gifts and “peace on earth, good will to men,” there would be nothing inherently wrong with celebrating a day like that. The fact that it’s nominally called “Christmas” is a bonus. This way everyone who celebrates speaks the name “Christ” whether they believe or not. I’m not opposed to even the most materialistic celebration under those terms.
Most evangelical churches do little or nothing on Christmas. Places I’ve been have treated it as a family day, and that’s what we do. But Deb and I grew up Catholic and we actually miss going to church on Christmas. Either way, I find this Christmas issue fits within Romans 14 — celebrate it or don’t, but do whatever to the glory of God. Our family does reflect on the Incarnation at some point in the day, but like you say, there’s no reason why Christians should only do so on this day. One thing it does is give us a friendly occasion to pray and share our faith with unsaved family members, who seem more open at Christmas than at other times.
No offense to anyone on the subject of the “pagan origins of Christmas,” but I’d encourage people to read some of books out there that cite actual historical sources and debunk all this “fakelore” from Hislop’s “Two Babylons” and all the other undocumented, unhistorical allegations. Check out my latest blog post for more info on the subject.
on December 5th, 2006 at 3:12 pm
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Great post.
My husband and I have always struggled with tradition. I mean…..who started the tradition? That’s a biggie to us, since we’re not wanting to be followers of anyone but Christ.
I get upset that Christmas is referred to as a Christian holiday and yet He has to share glory with a mortal. My husband thinks Santa should have his own day, and Christ His own day…..that way, we can all just celebrate what we want and be happy.
I remember that The Lord says that He is a jealous God.
Santa Claus traditions don’t even come close, and he’s just a distraction in my eyes.
on December 5th, 2006 at 4:27 pm
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Jen,
Once again you put into words what is on my heart! You are a beautiful writer and can express yourself so eloquently. CHRIST is the focus of my life–each and everyday–not just at CHRISTmas. Thank you for sharing!!
Blessings,
Pam
on December 5th, 2006 at 4:43 pm
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that is exactly what i have been thinking and wanting to say but could not say it as well as you did. we love christmas. we love the lights, the tree, the gifts, the family, the food, the movies, and i started doing the jesse tree thing with my girls because i thought it would be some good devotions to look at each day until christmas plus they get to make an ornament, which they love. the first day we read, my daughter said to me, you know mom, jesus wasn’t born on christmas really.
and i was like, yeah you’re right and we remember his birth all the time and talk about it all the time, not just at christmas. i don’t think i’m making much sense. see why i didn’t write this?
anyway, i loved what you said in this post. i got it and i think it was well said, and exactly the way i would have said it 🙂 (if i had your brain).
and, i hope you are planning to come with gena to arkansas in february. get it all planned. i hope to meet you both! it will be the highlight of my year.
on December 5th, 2006 at 4:43 pm
GREAT post!
This has been weighing heavily on my heart lately.
I grew up in a family that celebrated Chritsmas in all of it’s materialistic glory… (Santa and going in debt up to your eyeballs to buy gifts).
I knew that wasn’t what I wanted for my kids, so we have tried to focus on the Christian aspect of it…..but then the more research I did, I began to see that there really ISN’T a Christian aspect of it! It isn’t mentioned in the Bible and the ‘traditions’ all stem from pagan practices.
I began to feel guilty about the whole thing – all the way around.
Then I read about a Christian family that celebrates Christmas as a time of love, giving, and family togetherness. They decorate, bake, give gifts, and have family and friends over for a big meal. They also keep Santa out of it, and teach their children that Jesus was probably not born in December, and that while they remember His birth, they do not celebrate Dec 25 as His birthday, and that we need to celebrate and be grateful to God ALL year for the gift of our Savior.
Like you said – it’s like any other ( non-religious) holiday.
It’s a time family fun and togetherness, and I’m at peace with that.
I still wish people Merry CHRISTmas and send out CHRISTmas cards, because I do feel that this time of is a huge opportunityto share the Gospel, and that maybe because it is a widely known holiday, people are more receptive to hearing the news.
Thanks again for this great post!
Michelle W.
on December 5th, 2006 at 4:46 pm
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Magnificently said!
Jay cracked me up with his "Santamas" statement… oh, but so true!
Hugs,
Dianna
BTW – I linked to this post on my blog and gave a few of my thoughts as well=)
Edited by HappyApple on Dec. 5, 2006 at 3:18 PM
on December 5th, 2006 at 5:58 pm
…
In the same way we thank God for our liberty and freedoms here in the US on the 4th of July (for they are given by Him and Him alone), I thank God that the Word became flesh and dwelt among us during the Christmas season. I love that the whole world celebrates this time of year, that the songs sung by my sister-in-law’s secular (Sac. State) choir were almost exclusively Christian God-honoring songs. That the entire *church* we heard them sing in erupted with thunderous singing of His holy birth, death, and resurrection. I love that even the secular institutions choose songs that were created in the church to honor our Savior. I love that even those who are unsaved will sing of His saving grace at this time of year. It is a brief glimpse of what is to be–what is to come. That every knee shall bow, every tongue confess, that Jesus Christ is Lord.
I love this time of year and thank God it exists for all things secular are ultimately His. Col. 1:16 says it perfectly: “For by Him all things were created, [both] in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities– all things have been created through Him and for Him.”
Warmly,
Kate
on December 5th, 2006 at 6:13 pm
Great thoughts –
I was reading a book while I was away for Thanksgiving called “Velvet Elvis” – it’s about the repainting of the life of a Christian. Anyway, it was a good read – made me think. But one thing that he points out is that Christian is a noun – and not intended to be an adjective. Your writings here made me think of that.
BTW, don’t you wish sometimes you could turn that thinking off and be like the airheaded bimbo – who while I’m stading next to her in line at Walmart I imagine has the sound “waaaaahhhh” going on in her head, while I’m trying to solve world hunger, tell people about Jesus, wondering if anyone fed the dog, and if I turned off the oven, and a million other way more theological things all inside of my head AT THE SAME TIME!!!
on December 5th, 2006 at 6:49 pm
Hi Jen
I appreciated your putting into words what I have tried to for many years.
I guess the only difference for us is that we don’t make a huge deal out of any holidays. If family is around, it is an excuse to take a day off and have a day with them, but that is all. That makes December 25th even less of an event for us. We have made a decision not to celebrate the day at all–again unless family happen to be around.
Because all of our extended family don’t feel the same way, the one year that this was an issue for us, the rest of the family got together on the 25th and then they all came to us for a sleepover and a big meal on the 26th (we’re three hours away from the city). We had a lovely time, and there was very little stress. I was so glad for that.
We do exchange gifts with family members (but don’t do much on our own), and the children are often given (and give) gifts. We have chosen to save our gifts to open on New Years Day.
I am very grateful that my family don’t give us a lot of grief over our decision. I realize that many many people wouldn’t agree with what we do, but that is up to them. It has resolved a lot of my inner conflict to do things this way, and now the task of teaching my children is before me. I hope that if my children decide to celebrate Christmas on the 25th when they grow up that they won’t attempt to make it more important than any other holiday.
Sorry this is so long. Maybe I should have blogged it–but I’m not sure I want to stick my neck out that far yet. 🙂
Blessings, and thank you,
Karen
on December 5th, 2006 at 8:38 pm
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Along the lines of what Kate wrote, the whole world pretty much does tune into Jesus in some fashion around this time of year. I have a friend of Syrian extraction who grew up in the USA, a thoroughly assimilated non-practicing Muslim. He got married a while back around Christmastime and was honeymooning in Egypt. He said the elevator music at the hotel was all American-style Christmas music. I find it ironic that Christ-oriented music would be playing in a Muslim country while many Christians in this country are eschewing Christmas for being too “pagan”!!!!
BTW, I was just reading this tonight — do you know where the first Christmas tree in the USA was erected? You got it! Cleveland, Ohio! In 1852 at Zion Lutheran Church, the home of many German immigrants who brought the tradition with them from the Olde Countrie. Funny… the article said that many of the WASPy types who had moved to Cleveland from Connecticut were disgusted by this practice, but eventually it caught on here and elsewhere. 150 years later, some people are apparently still disgusted!
on December 5th, 2006 at 10:39 pm
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Bingo. Well put, friend.
Many blessings,
Christi
on December 5th, 2006 at 10:53 pm
Question…
OK, I’m tracking with your thinking,
We’ve been all over with how God would want us to celebrate. I read your entry to Tony to see what he thought and he could understand too, but it put us back to the question of what about Halloween then? See we’re still all over the place with that one too. I mean if my kids enjoy dressing up and our neighbors get a kick out of seeing them – nothing spooky involved… rather just hospitality and time with the neighbors, does God give us the freedom to do that as Christians? Or do we refrain because it might be interpreted as being a stumbling block for others?
on December 6th, 2006 at 6:28 am
Wow Jen!!
Your clarity and insight are truly amazing!! Thanks for sharing this – certainly alot to think about! Living in a land where the schools still do a nativity play IN SCHOOL, and stores still display nativity scenes,and everyone goes to church on Christmas morning even if they don’t go any other time, I guess the debate is not quite so hot over here. But I know things are a changing, so not sure how much longer it will be like this.
Off subject! If you try to feed my kids marmite as Mr Jay has suggested you won’t get very far with it!! They aren’t THAT polite! And I certainly won’t force them to be THAT polite!! YUCK!!! If you need to get rid of it I suggest the old fashioned bury it in the back yard approach, unless you have any cracks in your driveway that need patching?
Also, Mr. Jay, to set the record straight (as it is obvious you have never visited my blog or you would see right at the top!!!) I AM AMERICAN!!!!!! I am not actually british!! I am married to a wonderful Englishman and my kids are half and half! And yes we are all coming to Jen’s!! I am used to being asked if I am Canadian since most british can’t tell our accents apart, but I get VERY offended when people call be British!!! There! Now that I’ve had my little rant I feel better!! 🙂 And that was a close call about the marmite because it was on my shopping list for this week to buy you a jar and mail it when we got stateside. If you have had the dubious ‘pleasure’ than you will understand my reaction to the stuff. I even checked the airline regs already!! We were clear to go. Nevermind!(Sorry for not responding sooner – we were away for the weekend and I only just managed to catch up with the thread!! )
on December 6th, 2006 at 7:30 am
Great post!
This is precisely why we celebrate Halloween. We can enjoy the treats and costumes right along with everyone else. Anyway-great post! Rebecca from Renaissance
on December 6th, 2006 at 9:12 am
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Hi DeeDee, hmmmm…. well I had been to your blog way back when and did forget that you are a transplanted Yank. My apologies, too many things to keep track of, like the names of my friend’s kids and things like that. Being an American certainly does explain your disdain for mahmite, among other things! You seem to be… um, well… a bit too… shall we say… perspicuous to be anything but an American! I shall henceforth never confuse you with an actual Englishwoman, even if your handle is “deedeeuk.” With respect to the mahhhmite in question, guess that means I need to take one for team! *ugh* -j
on December 6th, 2006 at 10:06 am
Thanks Jay!
I do understand you having one or two other things to remember other than the heritage of every blogger!! Sorry if I sounded a bit sour – didn’t mean to! And now you made me have to get out the dictionary to find out what ‘perspicuous’ meant! Do you know how long it has been since I had to look a word up?? I guess it is good practice to make sure I haven’t forgotten how! And very brave of you for taking one for the team!! You shall have to have a medal for that one!! You have earned my respect for your bravery! 🙂
on December 6th, 2006 at 10:33 am
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I don’t think you can use the same reasoning to celebrate halloween. There is just way too much evil that goes on that night.
My dh used to tease guys at work about why should Christmas be a paid holiday. He’d ask them if they were going to church that day, etc. They’d get really peeved…
on December 6th, 2006 at 11:32 am
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Jen,
What an awesome post! I think you are right on the money with this one! Thanks for taking the time to post this fabulous epiphany!
In Him,
tulip
on December 6th, 2006 at 12:51 pm
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Your Christmas musings are refreshing. Thank you. As a Christian family we celebrate Christmas but my increasing desire is to let it slip quietly past. The idea of a holy infinite God sending forth His Son to redeem sinners “you shall call His name Jesus, (why?) for He will save His people from their sins.” is marvelous. The incarnation contrasted with Santa and his trappings seem incongruent. Yes, being with family, feasting, giving and receiving are all blessings from the hand of God. Christ being born in a lowly manger–no fanfare whatsoever– is enough to make my heart rejoice.
on December 6th, 2006 at 1:58 pm
Thank you, Jen…
You’ve articulated why it is that we don’t celebrate Christmas. At all. No one gets it and I always feel like a freak of nature this time of year. Oh well.
on December 6th, 2006 at 4:20 pm
just stopping by
to say hi! Nice entry. Made me think and ponder. Wow!! Good thoughts and insights.
I’m off to trim my tree, watch some Christmas movies , and make cookies shaped in the form of angels and trees. LOL.
Have a GREAT week!!
on December 6th, 2006 at 4:44 pm
Cross Walk Article "Not Raising Monsters"
Thank you for your article. It is so easy as parents to get caught up in the holiday season of giving (or should I say getting) that we forget that are children do not need everything. I do need to as a parent, to remind my children about being thankful and to not feel bad when I do tell my children “No”! But I do catch myself falling in to societies trap of I am a mean parent. When in actuality I am not a mean parent, I am just instilling values into my children. Which sadly most children do not have anymore. So thank you for reminding me that it is OK to say NO!!
on December 6th, 2006 at 5:36 pm
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And I’m so glad that you did;-). Well, there are lots of things to be thankful for, and those are my greatest. Thanks for stopping by. Stop by again soon.
Taters
on December 6th, 2006 at 6:24 pm
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We feel pretty much the same here. We don’t do Santa, we do Advent, read the Christmas story on Christmas day, have lots of nativities, sing of his birth, (and of decking the halls), etc. I think it is a time to REMIND us to focus on the incredible gift God gave us. But, as you said, our family worships God and celebrates His gifts year round. I am not any less Christian, and I do not believe I disappoint God because I have a Christmas tree that has angels, penquins, churches, bears, various Guatemalan ornaments, and many other themed ornaments. He’s okay with the fact that I hang garland and ribbon in the doorway. He knows that whatever someone else intended hundreds of years ago, I love Him with all of my heart, and anything I do is done honoring Him. One time a pastor’s wife said to me that she felt bad that she didn’t feel in extra special feelings on Easter. I told her that that was because she loved God year round, and was thankful for his forgiveness all of the time. He didn’t expect her to be extra emotional just because it was a certain date on the calendar.
Thanks for sharing.
Letitia
on December 6th, 2006 at 7:24 pm
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I couldn’t agree more, Jen. I especially liked your take on the fact that Christ should be celebrated each and every day, not necessarily set aside one day a year. There is alot of freedom in realizing that you can still take part in the season of Christmas by fellowshipping with family and friends, and it doesn’t have to take away from your relationship with Christ…because that should be evident each moment.
Thanks for the perspective!
Christy 🙂
on December 6th, 2006 at 8:26 pm
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Well said! I wrote an article with similar sentiments a while ago: it’s here, http://www.littledozen.com/samgen.html, under the title “Tinsel and Trappings and the Meaning of Life.”
Rachel
http://rachelstarrthomson.blogspot.com
on December 6th, 2006 at 9:03 pm
Hi Jen,
I enjoyed reading this entry and ALL the comments from others on the subject. I’m reminded of God telling us in his word, “One man esteemeth one day above another. . . let every man be persuaded in his own mind.” Yep, we are persuaded to enjoy the cookies most of all! Karen
on December 7th, 2006 at 12:06 am
Great post!
That gave me a lot of food for thought. Thanks! Our family does the Santa thing on a separate day; I just blogged about that earlier today. Great comments, too.
Blessings,
Keri
on December 7th, 2006 at 9:16 am
Hi Jenefer…
I guess I kind of avoid posting comments to your site as you’re usually well-stocked, but I wanted to stop by and let you know I read your “How to Make a Monster” devotional in the Crosswalk Parenting e-newsletter I received yesterday. I was like, “Hey, I know who that lady is!” I really enjoyed reading your thoughts on Christians celebrating Christmas, but I probably would have missed it if I hadn’t gotten that e-mail from Crosswalk!
P.S. Anyone else reading this… if you liked Jen’s post on Christmas, go to http://www.crosswalk.com and search for an article by Jenefer Igarashi called “How to Make a Monster in Three Easy Steps.” The two actually go together quite well! 🙂 Thanks again for your wise words, dear sis-in-Christ!
on December 7th, 2006 at 10:15 am
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Yes, you are making sense! As Christians we should have a “Jesus is the reason for life” attitude rather than just “Jesus is the reason for the season.”
on December 7th, 2006 at 1:11 pm
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Thank you for this very wonderful post. It reminded me how we use to celebrate as a child. We would bake a cake and celebrate Jesus’ birthday. And instead of getting presents we would give hime presents.
I to enjoy the lights and things but things have become so commercial. We need to get back to the realization that He should be celebrated everyday not just this one particular day.
Blessings
Beverly
on December 9th, 2006 at 4:42 pm
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My comment was too long so it’s on my blog 🙂
http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/HeartnSoul/252648/
blessings
Denise T
on December 9th, 2006 at 10:39 pm
Untitled Comment
This is why I don’t think we should decorate. It is why my family doesn’t have a tree. If people want to celebrate it that is fine but I think it is silly to try to link it to the Bible. I could get on a soapbox here but I just don’t feel like it tonight. I enjoyed this post.
on December 11th, 2006 at 9:15 am
Advent perhaps?
Hi, I am late jumping on this bandwagon, but I had a thought. I do think it is super important to celebrate Christmas as Christians. We were given a Messiah, a Savior, let's celebrate, party, feast, hang the lights, give a gift, let the world know.
Before we get there though, I think we have to slog through Advent. We have to remember why it was so important for Jesus to come. To remember Israel, and their centuries of waiting, oppressed and exiled, for a Messiah. We need to remember ourselves, our own poverty and how much we need Jesus to come to our hearts. And we need to remember that he is coming again and we are still waiting, hanging in between the beginning of his redemption and the full restoration that he will bring when he comes again.
And not that we can't remember this all through the year, but I really appreciate the reminder of a whole season, set apart to remember that I need Jesus to come, and to celebrate that he has and he will.
Sorry to preach a sermon the first time I comment!
I sort of blogged about this on my own so you're invited to check it out. I am not a homeschool blogger, just a regular one.
http://theviewfromwoodroad.blogspot.com
Thanks for the great discussion!
And Jen, love your blog.
on December 13th, 2006 at 1:51 pm
Great thoughts
Your comment on Tony Sisk's blog reminded me of this post, and so I added a link to this on the post you already saw on my theology blog. This is very fascinating, and I need to give this whole concept much more thought. You seem to think outside the box as much as I do! 🙂
on December 19th, 2006 at 1:39 am
Unashamed to Love Christ more than the World!
The number of women that are strong enough to be ladies that love their Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and unashamedly dress feminine and have a conversation void of complaints, & criticisms is very few in this dark world of rebellion. Obedience to God's word will always be necessary. When you "Love not the world neither the things that are in the world..it will be very obvious! ( when Jesus cast out the devils from the maniac of Gadara-he was in his right mind and clothed again!) I rejoice whenever I see or meet a Godly lady! The world knows who you are. Our Heavenly Father knows His sheep-and they know His voice and follow Him! Keep rejoicing for every season, and every opportunity we can tell of Christ's birth, death, resurrection & return!