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.

The Body and the Bride

The church is an amazing entity, in it's uniqueness, it's value, and it's obligations. It's a worldwide organization that shouldn't seek to make a dime, that's singular purpose to work tirelessly for a goal that won't even be realized on this earth. The scriptures describe the church as the bride of Christ, a  picture of this divine romance between the Creator and the created. The church is also described as a family, as brethern, and here folks is where it get messy. All families have their moments, the days when our sanity hangs by a thread, contrasted by the times when were are so enamoured with each other that we would overlook all wrongs.

Ray and I have been blessed to be part of some great churches as we have been transferred all around the U.S., I have to say we have probably experienced the cream of the crop for the most part, especially in recent years. However we have still had our moments of disillusion with the family. There is an old saying "if you find a perfect church, don't join it, you'll ruin it" and that is so true. Much like the fact that even the best marriages are made of two depraved sinners attempting to live together to the glory of God, the church is comprised of many families from different backgrounds and convictions. In this line of thinking every Sunday is more like an extended family reunion, with all the relatives gathering at a potluck buffet, no wonder it can get stressful.

There are also cultural issues, especially in the American church, so much of what we call "traditional" in the American church are really unbiblical innovations that have only been around for less than a century. So what do we do? Do we continue to splinter off into our own groups, based on our comfort and sometimes our convictions? Are house churches the answer? Many of the problems facing the modern church never existed in scripture, it's hard to find time to squabble over ideology and social posturing when your brethren are being martyred all around you. Maybe that's our issue, we don't understand the severity of the christian life, the sacredness of our duty.

The second problem is the human condition, we tend to surround ourselves with people who makes us feel good, not necessarily what's good for us. For those who suffered through "normal" high school remember cliques? Well unfortunately the same ideology has invaded the church, we have bible studies by age segregation, by occupation, and so forth. Why should I participate in a bible study for homeschooling moms? If all the ladies of the church were part of one study, perhaps some might be encouraged that they could take on that challenge. I might also develop more compassion for moms who are single and have to work outside the home.What good comes of these divisions?  If we live and work as a whole unit we understand each other's weaknesses and strengths, we are able to love one another in unity and encourage each other toward godliness. Would my son not learn more about what it means to be a man by being his father's disciple and spending time with the men of the church? If my son is surrounded by godly men he sees godly manhood modeled around him. In even the best youth groups a young man sees immature youths still trying to grow themselves, not mature examples of believers. Age segregation and occupational groupings, in my opinion are some of the greatest tools of division and destruction in the modern church.

The American church has sliced and diced itself into all these sub-units that make us feel comfortable, and because of the prevalence of segregation in the school system we have come to know over the last 100 years, we have come to accept it in the church. Separating into groups makes life easy, and just like high school, it provides us with the cool crowd. We have the jocks, we just call them by a different name, we have the pretty girls, the wallflowers, the nerds, and so on. The reason we have these problems is because we are no longer viewing the church as a family, we have institutionalized the bride of Christ. So when trouble comes, we have an attitude of "privatizing" or we'll just find another church! The same thought process pervades our homes, my marriage isn't serving my needs, so I'll just find another wife! This ideology of "jumping ship" is nowhere in scripture, the bible tell us to learn, to train, to forgive, to disciple, to persevere. If our children are acting unbiblically do we trade them in? No we circle the wagons, look at the situation, and say this child needs training. Sometimes in my family an older child will encourage a younger child to be diligent or obedient, and as a parent this makes my heart warm, that is exactly how brethren should act. Other times my older child will jump in the muck of sin and whack that younger sibling, and that's how the church acts sometimes too. Only by the church working together has a family unit can it even identify the challenges it faces and overcome them, just like a family. The church should act like a family, but it doesn't take the place of the family, but that's another post altogether.

I have had my moments of severe disillusionment with the church, but I am the bride, I am part of the problem and if I submit myself to the Lord I can be part of the solution. I'm not talking about the "machine" that we have come to know as church, constantly churning out entertainment to satisfy our carnal wants. I'm talking about the true bride, who is fervently and passionately in love with the Savior. We are one body, there's no getting out of this, we cannot severe a human body in half and hope to survive, and we cannot severe the church into messy bits and hope to thrive. We have a choice, we can be the whiny child that fusses for their way or we can be part of the solution. We can be the ear that listens, the heart that cares, the eyes that weep for the body, and most important the knees that ache from hours in prayer for our church. As Americans we have a hard time with commitment, we can return just about anything or get out of almost any obligation. However the church of scripture is an eternal membership, if you don't like the product ask God to show you your part in improving it. I don't know about you, but I'm in this for the long haul...