Are you celebrating Christmas this year?

Are you guys celebrating Christmas this year?

That was a question that began to come our way a lot over the last few months, and our ever infuriating answers probably didn’t help. The answers we gave to inquirers may not have been satisfying ones, but they were truthful, “I don’t know”, “Maybe”, and the ever vague but slightly more spiritual sounding “We’re still praying about it” tarried much longer than we wanted them to. Finally God provided answers through searching the scriptures, studying the works of the church fathers and reformers, and the writings of many modern day theological giants, such as Sproul, Brown, and Piper. First a definition of terms, no we are not celebrating Christmas, nor any “mass” as there is no need for my Savior to die more than once for my sins. That may seem like a mincing of words, but for point of clarification the Via family is celebrating the Incarnation/Advent this year.  We are doing it like never before and it’s because we laid down our idols last year and took a year off!

 

This year we are lighting Advent candles, hanging Jesse Tree ornaments, and all of our decorations will be packed away in a few weeks in a medium sized rubber made container. The only decorations joining our Jesse ornaments on our tree are stars and angels because the Father used stars and angels to herald our Savior’s birth. We also have a few doves to properly represent the Holy Spirit’s participation in the nativity story. Every single decoration points us to the Savior in worship and is useful in training our children in the word of God.

 The truth is in our culture Christmas is not recognized as pagan, and in many countries where missionaries have spread the gospel Christmas is only known a Christian holiday. We are faced with a quandary as followers of Christ, we know that Christ was most likely conceived around Christmas time, and we could stretch the taffy to declare that since life begins at conception that Christmas is in the safety zone. However when you stretch taffy that thin it usually dries a breaks, so I wouldn’t build to much of  an opinion on that one. The Father did indeed mark the Saviors birth, with a star, with the heralding of angels, sending wise men to seek the Savior. The birth of Christ certainly wasn’t done on the fly or passed unnoticed or undocumented, scripture gives us repeated accounts of the birth of Christ, because it fulfilled numerous prophecies and because it was a joyous event! It’s is the fulfillment of the promise to made to Eve after the fall, the covenant made with Abraham that through him the whole world would be blessed, it’s certainly worth celebrating. However the date Christmas shares on our Gregorian calendars is one that was placed there in an attempt to replace pagan traditions, and some of those traditions exist even today! Does the date or pagan history make Christmas a sin?

St.Patrick used a three leaf clover to teach the pagan Irish about the trinity? St. Valentine was martyr massacred for his faith and the church attempted to replace Cupid’s celebration with a remembrance of his death. Reformation Day happens to actually coincide with Halloween. Does the date matter? Can it be redeemed and used an discipleship tool? Are we being holy by abstaining from Christmas or are we throwing out the baby with the bath water? More questions that I cannot give definitive answers to. I can only tell you our story and share our journey.

What is so different about this Advent for us? To answer that question, you need a little Via Christmas history and for me to eat a little crow. Christmas was never about Santa at our house, never once did we celebrate or perpetuate that myth to our children. However I did turn Christmas into a full month event with so much glitz and activity that nary a spare simple moment could be spared for worshipful contemplation and my husband’s blood pressure soared as we erected our decorations each year. We had an entire closet dedicated to Christmas décor, four trees (yes 4), a lawn full of lights and the accompanying electric bill, and busy busy busy! Fourteen years of Christmas gorging met up with us last fall as we read through the bible in 90 days as a family and coming to the knowledge of the pagan roots of Christmas created a perfect storm of spiritual conscience last fall. We knew it would be a sin for us to celebrate it that year, or celebrate it the way we had in the past ever again, and since it could not have been of faith we took a year off and celebrated the Old Testament holidays for a year.

If you are a believer in covenant theology like we are, you believe the first half of scripture is a profitable as the second half, for us walking through the biblical holidays last year was a great learning experience about the nature of God and His desire that our holidays serve as a remembrance of His works and a tool for training our children. This flies in the face of the way we had celebrated Christmas in the past. For me as Ray’s helpmate seeing my husband’s stress at my over-the-top Christmas revelry and not changing course was a sin on my part. So the question became an issue of could we celebrate Christmas and it not be a sin?

This is where we dove into the scripture and the writings of godly men. The reformers and many great theologians are split on the issue. Martin Luther thoroughly enjoyed Christmas and started many traditions that we still see today, like the lighted Christmas tree. Spurgeon preached against Christmas and then in a later took a more neutral stance, as did Calvin. The early church fathers didn’t really celebrate Christmas, some riled against it, though Augustine is recorded as reading an advent passage on Dec.24^th. Modern day conservative church leaders are also divided, Doug Phillips of Vision Forum abstains from Christmas, but Matt Brown of the NCFIC, John Piper, and RC. Sproul Jr. of Highlands Ministries embraces Christmas as a time to celebrate the Incarnation.  Not a lot of conclusive evidence here to help us, so we turn to the primer source for a Christian, the scriptures.

The verse you often here quoted the most against Christmas is Jeremiah 10:1-5 “Hear the word that the Lord speaks to you, O house of Israel. Thus says the Lord: “Learn not the way of the nations, nor be dismayed at the signs of the heavens because the nations are dismayed at them,
for the customs of the peoples are vanity. A tree from the forest is cut down and worked with an axe by the hands of a craftsman. They decorate it with silver and gold; they fasten it with hammer and nails so that it cannot move. Their idols are like scarecrows in a cucumber field, and they cannot speak; they have to be carried, for they cannot walk. Do not be afraid of them,
for they cannot do evil, neither is it in them to do good.”

“See, there is an indictment against Christmas if ever there was one!” many would say and yes I absolutely agree with them, you’d have to be either a bumbling idiot or blind as a bat not see the Christmas tree in the above verses. But don’t be so forgone on a conclusion that you also don’t see the last part of the passage “Do not be afraid of them, for they cannot do evil, neither is it in them to do good”, or in southern vernacular, “it aint’ nothing but a thang honey”. Idols, historically recognized or privately erected in our own hearts only possess the power we ascribe to them. As I confessed earlier I ascribed a lot of power to the idol of Christmas in years past, to the point that I sinned against my husband in order to preserve their “high place” in my life. Not only did I do this with Christmas, I did it with birthdays and other holidays, turning feasts of joy into stressful events. Through much prayer God has crumbled and destroyed the high places in my life when it comes to holidays. Not that we are giving them up, oh no, we are giving them over to be used as tools of training and days of worship!

Now before someone accuses me of turning a blind eye to the pagan elements this scripture warns against, let me ask you a few questions about another passage of scripture. “Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear”1Peter 3:3. I know some denominations that do not wear gold or allow the braiding of hair due to this passage. Now I freely admit I’m not a huge jewelry buff, as a musician bracelets and rings are a nuisance, and as the mother of eight earrings and necklaces are often occupational hazards, so what jewelry I own is often rarely worn. I have however worn wedding bands for more than 15 years with great regularity. I have even left the house on an errand and realized I left my rings by the sink, doubled back, and retrieved them. Why? Because they are a sign of a covenant promise I have made, they have spiritual significance in my culture and as a woman who believes in spiritual headship it is physical reminder that my life, my heart, and not even my body is my own. Are these few ounces of gold and stone idols? Are they a sinful violation of the above verse? I can tell you without hesitation that in full knowledge of this verse, I am fully convinced that it is not a sin.

We do long hair around here, we believe it’s the most feminine and modest, another heart issue. With five daughters and myself sporting long locks, I should have stated we do a lot of long hair around here and we often braid it. Rarely elaborate braids, most often to get it out of our faces so we can work, but are braids in violation of scripture? Here is where culture has shifted so much that what once was a sign of prostitution and decadence is now a sign of something else. In biblical times the Roman women of means would spend hours having their hair braided into elaborate designs. The prostitutes of the era also wore certain type’s jewelry and braided hair particular to their trade. So when I work my hair into a French braid without even consulting mirror as I scurry to my kitchen each morning with my wedding bands on, intending to commit my day to the work of a housewife and mother am I in violation on the intent of this verse? I don’t think so, you may disagree and that’s fine by me.

We could go on and on this trail and discuss head veils, menstrual tents, kosher dietary laws, and so forth. The reality is we are not bound to the law but we dare not disregard it, it gives us finite and ignorant human beings glimpses into the will of God and His absolute holiness. So how then do we make a decision about Advent, braids, jewelry, women wearing skirts, or any other issue? We have to do the most difficult work of all; we have to commit ourselves to the reading of the word, to prayer, and to God taking a scalpel to the darkest cravings of our hearts. I know many people hear the words “heart issue” and misinterpret it as freedom or liberty in Christ. However I let out an often audible moan when I realize something has fallen into this jurisdiction, because I know how corrupt and evil my heart is. When something must be vetted and made a confidence of faith with my heart’s assistance, I have learned that it will be a long and painful process. So I cannot tell you that it’s “okay” for you to celebrate the Advent, wear your wedding bands, eat a bacon cheeseburger, or pray with your head uncovered. I can share verses with you, pray for you, love you no matter your choice and encourage you to keep submitting all things to Christ. However that’s all I can do. There is one verse that summarizes our crazy journey this year and I’ll leave it with you, some will see it as a “get of jail free card” or cop-out on our part, and others will see it as the challenge that it truly is, as Christians nothing is secular and all must be done in confidence of faith and in subjection to Christ…

“One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind. He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord; and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it. He who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks; and he who does not eat, to the Lord he does not eat, and gives God thanks. For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself. For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s” Romans 14:5-8.

Dirt or Diamond?

"An excellent wife who can find?
She is far more precious than jewels." -  Proverbs 31 :10 

Have you ever seen a ruby? Not cut and polished bobble perched on a ladies hand; I’m talking about a ruby just lying around on the ground? I didn’t think so. Rubies, diamonds, and other precious metals generally don’t pop out the ground like dandelions. It’s quite a process to get them to the surface.  The ideal condition for the formation of diamonds exists some 93 miles below the earth’s surface. When you hear about sites where you can “mine your own gems”, that’s usually the bed of an inactive volcano, which has provided a way for these precious rocks to spring to the earth surface. Then you simply dig and sift through mounds of dirt and you might find a gem.  I recently read an article by a man who makes his living this way, he sifts through thousands of lbs. of dirt weekly, and he considers it a good month if he finds one gem.  That’s a lot of sifting through crud to get to one diamond!  Yep, that sounds like dating, not much has changed in the 3,000 years since King Lemuel’s mother gave him similar advice. Dirt you can find my son, a virtuous woman though, that’s going take some digging.

Truly the process of creating a virtuous woman is much similar to the one needed to create a gemstone, ideal conditions and lots of pressure exerted on it over a prolonged period of time. I know in my own life my journey of attempting to walk in the way of this virtuous woman has been a long a winding path, and now I am raising four daughters and calling them to the challenge as well. We all spring forth our of our mother’s wombs steeped in original sin, desiring the very things that will destroy our lives and families, and now our depraved natures have been aided by the scourge of feminism and we are pretty much left with mounds of dirt. Sometimes the task of sifting through it all seems like an overwhelming task.

I’d like to talk about what have been the largest challenges in my own gemstone becoming process and the unfortunate struggles my own daughters seem to face.  My largest challenge is contentment! Hands down, don’t have to ask me twice, no need to think it over; my “thorn in the side” is not being content. How odd is that? I doubt a diamond sets around think, “oh poor me, here I am in the dirt, under appreciated, my dreams never realized, blah blah blah” No!  It’s just sitting there, doing its thing, take it or leave it in the dirt, it couldn’t care less. Not women though, we need validation, “me” time, titles, paychecks, all sort of man-made credentials. Usually these pursuits led use directly away from our God given mandate as women. Our feminist world says “You go girl!” God says stay and be still, keep yourself at home. Our world says “I am woman hear me roar! I can do any job a man can!” God’s word says Eve’s curse that she shares with her daughters will be to desire her husband’s life and position.  We are born filthy rags and then we reject the process God’s had ordained for us to walk through to become diamonds! We have the opportunity to be shining examples of God’s glory, and instead we insist on the dirt, and we will never find contentment this way.

So what pressures to we need to conform unto the beauty God has for us? What are our ideal conditions? I think each of us have different challenges, but there are some woman-wide. I believe contentment is one. One of the best decisions we ever made as parents was to out-law Barbie in the Via house, no career dolls in immodest clothing, flaunting their perfect bodies, driving their perfect convertibles, and living in their three story dream houses with elevators. That’s not reality folks; give your daughter a baby doll and a play kitchen. Teach her to find joy in the ordinary and precious tasks of life! Don’t breed discontentment, it will find her on its own, but dear parent don’t aide the enemy by esteeming ideals in movies, toys, and books, that can never be attained in real life.  Secondly we need to redefine beauty, what does God call beauty? Sacrifice, gentleness, patience, kindness, hard work, joy, care for others, even servants! The list of virtues God extols for the Virtuous woman goes on and on! In jockeying for man’s position we have been robbed of the beauty of feminine life and it’s benefits. Children teach patience, like nothing else on this earth, the raising of children will teach sacrifice and patience. Devoting yourself to the love and care of your family and home is the very essence of kindness and its hard work. Having the time to love the elderly or needy around you because you’re not consumed by your own “dreams” will not only be a blessing to your own life, but God says it’s the same as doing a service for Him.

As daughters of God we need to wake up and throw of the shackles of feminism. The business that seems of consume our lives. We have this program the kids must do, this store we must shop, this bible study we must attend. Keep at home, love your children, love your husband, be hospitable. That's ALL, A-L-L, God has asked of us, the reason we are stressed is because we are living contrary to the way of our designer. The slavery of living in our own sinful desires instead of following God’s process for us has cursed us to a life as dirt! We can be beautiful precious fixtures in the lives of our husband, families, churches, and community, but we can’t do it our own way. You can fool with dirt all you want, you can make mud and various other things, but unless a seed is introduced to it nothing of use will grow, until pressure is exerted on it the composition will not change. Dirt or diamond dear sister, which one will you be?  

Growing Family...Growing in Faith

We're pregnant! There really are no words to describe the elation and excitement of peeing on a stick (or four) and seeing two pink lines appear! It's Whoo Hoo time, God has blessed and sooner than you will be ready for it, another sweet precious life will be in your arms and filling your heart. Life! However, for many like myself who have dared to have more than the average, it's also the time when you have to endure rude comments from people who may be totally ignorant themselves of the fact that their attitude is stemming from a hate of children and life. The culture of death mentality has rooted itself so deeply in American culture. Abortion, euthanasia, and the ideology that it's "irresponsible to have a large family" are all ideas new to the last century, yet they have permeated our society. I''m used to dealing with a clash of worldviews "out there". You expect the assault from unbelievers. What really shocks and saddens me is the friendly fire in the church.

Many churches don't even want to be bothered by children, so we invent program after program to dice up the family and have children in their place and adults in theirs. Often times there is a devaluation of the family unit as well, I personally know of  two couples who choose not to have children in order to devote more time to ministry work. I'm tempted to blame this all on the abortion/birth control mentality that has invaded our churches, and make no mistake dear reader abortion and birth control are two sides of the same coin. Of all the families I know, there is only one that was told to stop having children by a doctor who had a legitimate reason to fear for the life of the wife if she continued to have children. That means that birth control by and large is a "convenience", just like abortion. Yet, like I said, that's not our problem.

Our problem is that we have an over-inflated view of man and a grossly under-inflated view of God. Man at is best is a redeemed sinner and should live his life in obedience to a Sovereign God. A misunderstanding of the greatness of God's Sovereignty and His rightful control over every aspect of our lives is our problem. I don't believe we can completely grasp the concept of the vastness of God's authority, but if we can comprehend just a glimmer of this doctrine it changes everything. There is no part of your life you would attempt to withhold from the Lord, we submit ourselves mind, soul, and BODY. His truths trump our convenience, His commands override our "common sense", and "His will be done to His glory" should be the mantra of the truly born again. In that light I'd like to pose a rebuttal to some of the most common questions I receive as a mother of seven.  and one precious baby bean, bear in mind these are questions from people in the church. I'll spare you the "out there" comments.

Question 1 - Don't you think God expects us to use wisdom? Use the good sense He gave you?

Let's look at this biblically, numerous times we are told in Scripture to seek wisdom, pursue it, and Christ sent the disciples out two by two with the admonition that they were to be "as cunning as serpents and as innocent as doves" in Matthew 10:16. However, nowhere in Scripture do I see  a command to rely on our own wisdom and direction. I see very clear instructions to do otherwise, not trust our hearts (Jeremiah 17:9) and that we are not to lean on our own understanding (Proverbs 3:5). So the answer would be, No, I do not think God wants us to live by our own "common sense".

Question 2 - Do you know what causes that?

Yes, as a matter of fact I do, the Lord opens and closes the womb.A cursory read of the First Testament will tell you the stories of Eve, Hannah, and Rachel, all women whose stories bear testament of the fact that it is the rightful place of God alone to open and close the womb.

Question 3 -  Don't you think you could do more with your life and ministry if you weren't so tied down with children?

I call this the pre-resurrection Peter/Or get thee behind me Satan argument. Peter takes a lot of flack for having a big mouth, but the man had passion, his problem was that he had already concocted a plan in his own mind for Jesus' life on earth, and without the Holy Spirit he just couldn't handle the detours. Yet again,  if we believe in the Sovereignty of God and the perfectness of His will, we don't need to manage the situation for Him. How ridiculous a prayer would this be, "oh Lord I will always serve you, it's good that I'm here to worship you, I would die for you Lord-even if all other forsake you,  but don't you think it would be better if it all played out the way I have pre-conceived in my mind?" We may not dare to pray like that, but many, many, many people live like that. My answer would be this, I believe God has a plan for my life, and He does a much better job than I would with the controls. We must also bear in mind that our feminist culture has twisted the way our society views motherhood. The idea of 20-30 years of motherhood doesn't seem as precious to us and it should, yet that is the primary ministry of a daughter of God.

Question 4 - What about your health?

Usually this is the last question I am asked, perhaps I should be offended at the lack of concern. Frankly, I think this falls into the "lean not on your own understanding" passage mentioned in earlier. Also, as I said earlier, I  know of only one woman who was told absolutely not to have another child and she chose not too, that's a rarity. Only a small percentage of couples have sought out the medical advice of "a multitude of counselors" and were told that to honor the life of the woman she shouldn't have another child. For the vast majority of women, pregnancy is not a life threatening situation, and in actuality there is a growing body of research emerging that shows the hormones of pregnancy and nursing can lower a woman risk of many cancers and other ailments. Our bodies were designed to birth and nurture children, and I believe God gives us strength and grace to do His will and work. For women of God we understand the largest portion of that work during our childbearing years is the nurture and care of children.

Lastly, we have to remember we see things through the cultural filter in which we live, and rarely does this view of life serve us well. When our opinions run contradictory to the Word of God we must change. God's word is clear that children are a heritage and blessing from Him. To argue against the Word of God in favor of our opinions or ideas is pride, and a prime example of having an over-inflated view of ourselves and an under-inflated view of a Sovereign God. And that dear reader is our problem, in not just this area, but many areas afflicting the church.