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#34574 Mon Dec 04, 2006 11:48 AM
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I've read a lot about Christmas so far this year. It's pretty different from a reformed viewpoint. What do the Highway folks think about it?


Josh
"...the word of God is not bound."--2 Timothy 2:9
doulos #34575 Mon Dec 04, 2006 3:39 PM
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hello there doulos. I am English Rose and live in the south of England.
Regarding the festival of "Christ-mass" - I do not want to upset anyone here, but its a non-event for us, since 1984, when I read The Two babylons by Hislop.
Sure you will get many responses.

Yours, in Christ, English Rose

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English Rose,

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Regarding the festival of "Christ-mass" - I do not want to upset anyone here

You're certainly not going to upset me. What upsets me is going to my mothers house near the "Holidays". There is a Santa Clause on every door and on every wall and believe it or not, on every kitchen utensil. She used to put out a simple manger scene with angels and all, but the last few years the baby Jesus is mysteriously missing.

There is a very sad tale to tell but I'll leave it to your own imagination, and only add that my believing father died some 28 years ago.

When I try to speak of the Scripture to her it's as if I just threw a vile pornographic magazine on her lap.

The rest of my family, it seems, simply wants to party and enjoy the "spirit" of Christ-Mass.

Please pray for them.

Denny

Romans 3:22-24


Denny

Simon Peter answered Him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life." [John 6:68]
doulos #34577 Tue Dec 05, 2006 1:57 AM
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I am less and less enamored of the holiday each passing year. Although I think a Christian is free to celebrate it in his home, I am more impressed now by the freedom not to be pressured to celebrate it. Unfortunately, American evangelical culture regards it almost as a litmus test for being a Christian, as though you can't be a true believer unless you're willing to say, "Merry CHRISTmas!" and put up a CHRISTmas tree and defend the propriety of public displays of the nativity. Insofar as that culture has infiltrated the Reformed churches, there is pressure there as well to celebrate it, even in Sabbath worship.

So, while I still enjoy Christmas trees and lights and gifts and carols, the day and season mean less to me than they have in previous years. Frankly I'd have virtually nothing to do with celebrating it this year were I not living in the home of some who do. And since I prefer not to create dischord over what I regard as a Christian freedom anyway, I'll be participating in some of the festivities.

I am of course open to correction if anyone thinks I'm wrong in this matter.


Kyle

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CovenantInBlood #34578 Tue Dec 05, 2006 9:33 AM
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CovenantInBlood said:
I am less and less enamored of the holiday each passing year. Although I think a Christian is free to celebrate it in his home, I am more impressed now by the freedom not to be pressured to celebrate it. Unfortunately, American evangelical culture regards it almost as a litmus test for being a Christian, as though you can't be a true believer unless you're willing to say, "Merry CHRISTmas!" and put up a CHRISTmas tree and defend the propriety of public displays of the nativity. Insofar as that culture has infiltrated the Reformed churches, there is pressure there as well to celebrate it, even in Sabbath worship.

So, while I still enjoy Christmas trees and lights and gifts and carols, the day and season mean less to me than they have in previous years. Frankly I'd have virtually nothing to do with celebrating it this year were I not living in the home of some who do. And since I prefer not to create dischord over what I regard as a Christian freedom anyway, I'll be participating in some of the festivities.

I am of course open to correction if anyone thinks I'm wrong in this matter.

My opinion is similar to Kyle's. Actually it's been almost four years since I was in the U.S. to celebrate Christmas, but I always felt that even in Christian homes it was hard to keep the focus on Christ and keep from letting the commercial aspect completely taking over. Since I've been in Japan (which is a decidely non-Christian nation), Christmas is not really observed much at all among non-Christians. Even among Christians, it doesn't seem to be a family holiday like it is in the west. Although my church has a special Christmas service it is fairly low-key (and quite nice). No one worries about running around at the last minute finding presents, shopping, etc. I've found it quite a relief actually compared to Christmas in the U.S. (although I dearly miss being with my family for Christmas). It's so much easier to focus on Christ when all the other distractions are removed.

I can understand partly the evangelical cultures desire to say "Merry Christmas", defending public displays, etc., although I agree it shouldn't be and is not a litmus test for being a Christian. I think they (I do to actually) feel that it's sort of a slippery slope we are on as Christ is slowly being removed from every aspect of life. For now, it is "voluntary", but who knows when it may become required. One day, it might reach the point where you could lose your job for saying Merry Christmas.

John

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Josh,

I found the following article written by Rev. Steven Doe. He addresses your question about Christmas and even includes Good Friday and Easter Sunday. He believes it's a matter of liberty rather than mandate.

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The Observance of Christmas by Stephen D. Doe

There is no argument against having a church calendar or observing "sacred days" in Roman Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, or general Protestantism. It is only in the Reformed branch of Protestantism that the question has arisen. Simply stated, the question is this: should (or may) our churches do anything special to mark the notable events in Jesus’ life when the Christian church in general, along with secular society, commemorates those events?

For example, should the pastor preach on the birth of Jesus in December, as the rest of Christendom and our society move toward Christmas? Should the session schedule a Christmas Eve service or a Good Friday service? Is a sermon on the resurrection of Christ appropriate on Easter Sunday? Or are such things at least permitted?

On the other hand, do we forfeit our claim to be Reformed according to the Word of God if we do these things that are nowhere specifically commanded in Scripture? We are not talking about Christmas trees and lights, wreaths, or the sending of cards. We are talking narrowly about whether the church of Jesus Christ may take note of particular events in Jesus’ life on dates not set forth in the Bible, and may give herself to worshiping her Lord at times other than the weekly Sabbath.

The Regulative Principle

The regulative principle of worship is a uniquely Reformed idea. It is expressed in the Westminster Confession of Faith (XXI:1) like this: "The acceptable way of worshiping the true God is instituted by himself, and so limited by his own revealed will, that he may not be worshiped according to the imaginations and devices of men." We are to worship God in the way he has commanded, and not according to our own desires.

Having said that, we have to acknowledge that the application of the regulative principle has varied widely within Reformed circles. The continental Reformers did not go in the same direction as the English Puritans and Scottish Presbyterians. For example, the Second Helvetic Confession of 1566 states (XXIV): "Moreover, if the churches do religiously celebrate the memory of the Lord’s Nativity, Circumcision, Passion, Resurrection, and of his Ascension into heaven, and the sending of the Holy Spirit upon his disciples, according to Christian liberty, we do very well approve of it."

The old Dutch Reformed Church, at the famous Synod of Dordt (1618–1619), adopted a church order that included the observance of various days on the Christian calendar (art. 67). To this day, it is the practice of many of the continental Reformed churches to use such a calendar. This should at least give us pause in how we seek to apply the regulative principle in these matters, since the Orthodox Presbyterian Church has fraternal relationships with a number of churches which follow the Order of Dordt.

Within Presbyterian churches bound by the Westminster standards, there has also been considerable variation. Certainly in our day there is diversity within and without the Orthodox Presbyterian Church on the question. None of this, of course, proves anything beyond the fact that what Christians are to do with these "sacred days" is a contested point in Reformed circles.

The Arguments against Observing Sacred Days

Many of the arguments about the origins of these days focus on the abuse of them in history and in current society. However, arguments based on abuse are not very helpful, because the mere abuse of a thing does not tell us whether or not it may be used rightly. Marriage, for example, is subject to abuse because of man’s sin, yet marriage is inherently good as instituted by God.

Nor can we use the association of sacred days with the Roman Catholic Church to settle the question. The Reformers did not condemn everything the Roman Church said or did. Infant baptism, for instance, was and is practiced by the Roman Catholic Church. That in itself did not lead the Reformers to reject infant baptism or even to deny that baptisms performed in Roman Catholic churches were valid.

The main argument against sacred days is that the observance of them violates the regulative principle of worship, since their observance is not specifically commanded in the Bible. This would seem to be an irrefutable point—were it not for the fact that, as already mentioned, Reformed churches have, down through the centuries, differed on their application of the regulative principle to this matter.

Let me here also challenge what is often said to be an accepted fact, namely, that John Calvin himself took no notice of any Christian calendar. T. H. L. Parker (in Calvin’s Preaching [Louisville, Ky.: Westminster, John Knox Press, 1992], pp. 160–62) marshals evidence from extant records to show that in the years 1549, 1550, and 1553 Calvin broke off the sermon series he was then preaching and delivered messages specifically on Christ’s nativity, on his death and resurrection, and on Pentecost at the "appropriate" times. Now the fact that John Calvin did something does not mean that we are free to do it as well, if it violates Scripture. Nonetheless, there is an important point here. The company of pastors of Geneva abrogated the celebration of festivals, but those pastors, including Calvin, were still free to preach about the events of Christ’s life on certain occasions.

Christian Liberty

Is the regulative principle to be construed to say that God commands a pastor not to preach about certain things at certain times of the year? That cannot possibly be true. The church is commanded to teach everything that Christ commanded (Matt. 28:20), and the church has always understood that to include all of Scripture (cf. 2 Tim. 3:15-17; 4:2; Acts 20:27). The preaching of the redemptive-historical significance of all of Christ’s life is profitable for God’s people. A case could be made that an emphasis on Christ’s nativity arose when the church was doing battle over the true humanity of Christ, and that the church today faces a battle as well over the reality of the Incarnation as an event in time and space. The birth of Christ is part of the whole counsel of God, which must be preached.

The real issue is one of liberty. This is the question with which James Bannerman wrestles when he deals with "ecclesiastical holidays" (in The Church of Christ [Edinburgh: Banner of Truth Trust, 1974], pp. 406–20). Does the church have the authority to establish certain holidays and to command pastors and sessions to observe them? The question of the imposition of these things was the real issue lying behind the language of the Westminster Confession of Faith. Its framers were used to the burdens imposed on their worship by the established Church of England, which required such things as prayer books and vestments. It was the imposition of these things, rather than the things themselves, that constituted the issue. For example, Puritan ministers would wear gowns, but not if they were commanded to do so. Such was a matter of Christian liberty (cf. WCF, XXI).

Does the church have any warrant to obligate God’s people to anything beyond the weekly Sabbath when it comes to the matter of a church calendar? No. Does the regulative principle as stated in our Confession of Faith mean that since God has not commanded a pastor to preach on the birth of Jesus Christ in the month of December, he may not do so? No. If I, as a pastor, do not have the liberty to preach what I see is good for the people of God from the Word of God, then the regulative principle is being misapplied. And if a session is not free to provide for the worship of God’s people to celebrate the mighty acts of God in the life of his Son on any certain occasion, then we have bound the church of the new covenant more than the church of the old covenant. That church exercised her liberty in worship by establishing the Feast of Purim (Est. 9:18–32). The apostolic church exercised her liberty by meeting on many occasions other than the Lord’s day to worship and act as a community (cf. Acts 1:14; 2:42-47; 4:23-31; 5:42; 13:2; 20:7–38). This is a foretaste of the church in glory, when she is always worshiping (Rev. 4).

God commands us to worship him once weekly in a corporate manner, but allows us to apply biblical principles to worship him at other times. The church under the new covenant does not have less liberty than the church under the old covenant; we are not the underage church, but the church which has been baptized in the Spirit of Christ. If we were to apply the regulative principle without clearly understanding these things, then we would have to condemn the apostolic church for meeting daily, since God had never commanded such meetings. Instead, they understood that what God was commanding was for them to worship him acceptably (cf. John 4:24; Rom. 12:2; Heb. 10:25; 13:15).

This balance is seen in the example of our Savior, who exercised his liberty of conscience, while not violating the regulative principle, when he attended the Feast of Dedication (that is, Hanukkah; cf. John 10:22). That was an extrabiblical feast not commanded by God in Scripture, but begun by the Jews to commemorate the rededication of the temple after the close of the Old Testament. Jesus was free to go up to Jerusalem or not to go up. God commands us to worship, and Jesus was using that occasion to obey the command of God.

May the church command God’s people to attend a Christmas Eve service? No. May the church worship on that occasion without requiring attendance? Yes. May a minister preach on any passage of Scripture at any time of the year? Yes. Must he preach about the Incarnation in December? No.

Stephen D. Doe is the pastor of Covenant OPC in Barre, Vt.

What do you think about his conclusion?


Wes


When I survey the wondrous cross on which the Prince of Glory died, my richest gain I count but loss and pour contempt on all my pride. - Isaac Watts
Wes #34580 Thu Dec 07, 2006 12:04 PM
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Thank you Wes, that was an interesting read and helpful as I too struggle with my own observance of holidays. I don't belabor whether or not he was born 12/25 or not—which I doubt. It is good to have reason to rejoice that a child was born, not just any child but my savior.


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Quite understand where you are coming from, but one only has to think about the true meaning of the word "Christ-mass" which it is, and leave it to the R.Cs to keep their mass. Nowhere in the scriptures are we told to celebrate - although of course, we realise the true meaning of Christ being born of a virgin, but it was not on 25th December. This festival was not even instituted until about the 3rd or 4th century. What an awful mixture it is, and we cannot be a part of what the unbelievers choose to do at this time, so prefer to be alone and feed on the Word.

Also how can any true believer teach their children about Santa (which is is really satan spelt differently)?

The few believers here we know do not have anything to do with it, but lets the world get on with it!

English Rose

English Rose #34582 Fri Dec 08, 2006 2:36 AM
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Just wondering what happened to the Scripture here. Is it not our freedom to celebrate or not to celebrate?

As to Church councils, they do have the authority to impose schedules of observances. The governmental structures that are mentioned in Scripture do not disalow it. And, where the Scripture is silent we need to bow to preference and discretion. What we cannot do is make the observance a sacrament necessary to the attainment or the maintenance of the faith. On the other hand, churches are allowed to structure the means by which they teach the Scripture around anything that is done, decently and in order. If a calendar of Scriptural events is the means by which a church uses to guide its adherents in the teaching of Scripture, and finds it the most effective, they should not be discouraged.

What can be observed is that any programmed device in worship can become tradition that willfully or not, can be layered with more traditions until they no longer resemble the truth. For example, December 25th, no matter the reason that it was established has obscurred our understanding of the season of our Lord's birth. Consider for a moment what season of the year are lambs born? In the book of Ruth we have perhaps one of those imbedded prophecies. It just so happens that Naomi heard that the Lord had visited her people with bread. She was from Bethlemhem. It was the beginning of the barley harvest. The firstfruit would have ripened March or April. If we include the Law, then Jesus was presented in the Temple in the month of Nisan also called Abib. If the Passover was late that year, then it is possible that Jesus was born in March. There is also the curious actions of Simeon when he took Christ in his arms. Could this be the wave offering, two loaves, two natures? There is much in Scripture, I believe that commend the idea that Christ was born during the same season that he was crucified.

I also have become disenchanted with this holy day as it is, for many reasons. The greatest of these is the lack of the pursuit of and proclaimation of truth. We may not be able to come to an agreement upon when, but we should surely teach what the Scripture says about the event, and as closely as we can, so that the revelation is not veiled by our traditions.

This year the Lord has made it impossible that we should have a "commercial" Christmas, but we will (that is my wife will)still indulge many of our desires. I love to see the joy on my children's faces. However, with a 17, 13, and 10 year old, I have already seen that there is a carelessness about the gifts that they receive. When I relate that to the knowledge of the gift of God, I shudder.

My memories of childhood, I cherish too, and I grew up in a non-Christian home. The one thing that Christmas provided even in that environment, was a taste that the Lord was good. Even in the obscure, in the darkness, a little light is a beacon.

Wes #34583 Sun Dec 10, 2006 4:28 PM
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Wes I agree with the author in the article. It is totally a matter of Christian liberty to set aside special days. And isn't violating the regulative principal at all.


Peter

If you believe what you like in the gospels, and reject what you don't like, it is not the gospel you believe, but yourself. Augustine of Hippo
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Thank you, Denny, for responding. I do realise how difficult it must be for you with your family wanting to "party" etc.
it is easier for us to be alone at this time, as our family would not want us anyway to spoil their fun.....and also being ill, I would just be a pain to them. I could not also tolerate the noise with a neurological/muscular illness.
I also think that this festive season must be made so much more of in USA than here, though its bad enough here!
There is much spoken about Christian liberty, so each one must seek to do what is right and true in the sight of the Lord.

Yours, in Christ, English Rose

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doulos said:
I've read a lot about Christmas so far this year. It's pretty different from a reformed viewpoint. What do the Highway folks think about it?

I love the holiday times. Decorations all over the place and remembering the reason we celebrate, regardless of roots of the holiday.


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Wes #34586 Mon Dec 11, 2006 1:36 PM
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Wes

Thanks for the article. That was great and I think I agree with most of that.

I like the conclusion and it goes along with most of what I'm beginning to believe about what a Church should do and be.


Josh
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Dear friend, Of course the flesh loves the decorations and all that goes along with it, but surely we are to mortify the flesh! Does this mean that we can do anything we want to. and call it Christian liberty? it costs to be separate from the crowd, it costs not to party along with your unsaved family! But isn't that the way we are supposed to be, entirely separate? So much that goes on in this festive season is quite unbiblical!!! Please someone enlighten me,and if I am wrong, then I'm willing to admit it.
Even if I were well, my husband and I would still not want to be a part of it.

English Rose

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doulos said:
I've read a lot about Christmas so far this year. It's pretty different from a reformed viewpoint. What do the Highway folks think about it?

I can only give a somewhat uneducated answer. In my opinion the holiday is pagan. I prefer that it be keep out of the church. Preaching on the incarnation is proper and acceptable.

Just to share - My first couple of years as a professing Christian I spent my Christmas eves handing out tracts at Cardinal Bernadine's "Holy Name Cathedral" in Chicago Illinois (house of Baal).

Some fifteen or so years later (2006) we put the verses of 1 John 4:9-11 in large letters surrounded by lights on the patio doors of our apartment. We have had the opportunity to show and read them to five of our neighbors and many more have read them on their own.

I've never had a tree nor do I want to and by the way more Christians worship the television than a tree and more days out the year.

P.S. I also confess that I kissed my mother and said the merry C-word last year and also gave a couple of toys to the local fire department this year.

1 John 4:9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.
10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.

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