Hermenuetics

Comments

You have voiced my own concerns/frustrations for the season perfectly! Bravo!

Posted By: Mallory | December 14, 2010 11:01 AM

Very thought provoking and well-communicated. I am going to check out that site!

Posted By: Marlena | December 14, 2010 1:11 PM

Being pastor of a Presbyterian Church following the Westminster Confession and adhering to the Regulative Principle of Worship, the congregation I serve does not acknowledge so called “holy” days in public worship, because they lack any scriptural command. Rather, we have 52 days each year, which God commands us to keep holy. I suppose we’d be placed on the Grinch Alert by some!

It does not bother me when merchants fail to acknowledge Christmas; after all it is a mere cultural and seasonal winter solstice, end of year festival. Have your parties, lights and time off from work with family with good food. I’m all for a celebration, especially at the beginning of winter. “Happy Holidays” is sufficient for me. Jesus is not the reason for the season.

“Joy, Peace and Good Will to All Men” are not found in lights– though they brighten the gloom of late December; why not leave them up until mid February at least?– gifts, trees or holiday church attendance. Joy, peace and fellowship with man and God are found in Jesus Christ and his sacrificial death on the cross. Dickens would have us think salvation is in Christmas, benevolent deeds, and sentimental remembrance of past relationships. All this is a false gospel, promoted by church and culture this time of year.

If Christ is born, died, ruling and coming again, let us honor him each Lord’s Day by worshiping him as he commanded. He promised us he’d be with us until the end of the world, if we would “teach them to observe all he commanded.” Leave the pagans and humanists to their “holiday,” while we remember the holy one and his redeeming work. Use all the time, energy and expense which goes into churches promoting "Christ Mass" to promote Christ and the gospel.

Posted By: Glenn Ferrell | December 14, 2010 4:44 PM

I am a member of the Catholic
Church. This is not a problem in a Catholic service, as every Mass is to worship God. Nick

Posted By: nick | December 14, 2010 4:51 PM

Wonderful article! Right on sister!

Posted By: Jill | December 14, 2010 5:19 PM

Good message.
I spent a few hours this afternoon reading sections from a book "The Arts" by Hendrik Willem van Loon. I guess it was just a co-incidence? Merry Christmas!

Posted By: Bill Osterholt | December 14, 2010 5:23 PM

I love this solution--to clearly distinguish "holiday fun" from the celebration of our Savior's birth.

I attend a large church and the staff kindly hosts Christmas parties for many of us who serve in different ministries. I go, but I squirm a little too.

I'd be delighted if instead we gathered in the midst of bleak February, when calendars are lighter. And I'd be happy to bring a dish to share to this February gathering so church resources can be concentrated on serving the needy around us.

Posted By: Sheila | December 14, 2010 5:32 PM

Wonderful article! Such practical thinking and advice.

Posted By: Maureen Lang | December 15, 2010 5:34 AM

Two things:

Great article with allot of meat. Secondly,
to "Glenn" whose church celebrates the 52 "Holy'days
as commanded in Scripture. I respect that stance for many reasons. The ability to examine Jewish traditon, the lack of having to deal with "pagan" holidays as you call them.
However, I see you're stance as a breeding ground for pride in thinking that you're way is exactly what God would want for all Christians. Does'nt the new testament talk of deciding for yourself what seasons and days you dicide to celabrate. Have'nt we matured past thinking that God cares about such things. Yes, Christmas is the "winter soltice" but since the 1700's in Europe, and 1800's in America its been accepted as a Christian holiday. So "Jesus is the reason for the season" if you want it to be. And without
that reason it truly is a pagan Holiday.

Posted By: Rick | December 20, 2010 2:58 PM

Many thanks, Michelle, for your column. Christianity has far more things to be concerned about than whether or not a person says "Merry Christmas." (Personally, I temper my greeting to whoever I'm speaking with.)

Those who use tradition to justify their belief that Christians should patronize only those stores that say "Merry Christmas" may be wise to remember what Christ said about the tendency, especially among the hyper-religious, to set aside the ways of God to keep traditions which, in the case of Christmas and Easter, derive primarily from pagan European customs. Also, the more diehard among us may want to consider that, according to the 11th edition of the Encyclopedia Brittanica (under the topic of Easter), "The first Christians continued to observe the Jewish festivals, though in a new spirit, as commemoration of events which those festivals had foreshadowed." I dare the "Merry Christmas" group to be truly traditional and try imitating the first century church's example!

Posted By: Deborah Dessaso | December 26, 2010 10:10 PM

I'm wholly in favor with explaining the real meaning of Christmas to those of other faiths. The "froth," the fun, should also be ditinguished.

Posted By: Paul Walker | January 21, 2011 10:55 AM