What do you want for CHRISTmas?

[farouk]

The church I grew up in would have services Christmas Eve night and Christmas morning. We had not problem with it. We just planned around it. We would open family gifts quickly in the morning before getting ready for the service, then when we got home we would prepare for having extended family over. It became quite a full day.

I like the idea of a Christmas service as an evangelistic effort (not as some kind of supposed sacramental beatification). There are some lovely, Biblical carols and familiar Scripture readings with Gospel content.

For me, giving is the emphasis, rather than receiving.

Blessings.

 

[Danacovert82]

Now I get it. You guys want gifts, and not necessarily to celebrate the "reason for the season" type mentality. That's a good idea. That makes sense.

 

[Obadiah]

Now I get it. You guys want gifts, and not necessarily to celebrate the "reason for the season" type mentality. That's a good idea. That makes sense.

I think you might have missed some posts from a few here that have said they AREN'T looking for any gifts. It seems to be a divided issue among us in this thread and I don't think either side is wrong.

 

[farouk]

In the end, the idea of giving is about God's 'unspeakable gift' (2 Corinthians 9.15), of which our gifts are the palest of reflections.

'Blessed be God, our God,
Who gave for us His well-beloved Son,
The gift of gifts, all other gifts in one,
Blessed be God, our God.'

(Horatius Bonar)

 

[Danacovert82]

You're right Obadiah my bad. So, some like gifts and some don't like gifts. But what we all know is He's the ultimate gift for all of us.

 

[Obadiah]

I like the idea of a Christmas service as an evangelistic effort (not as some kind of supposed sacramental beatification). There are some lovely, Biblical carols and familiar Scripture readings with Gospel content.

For me, giving is the emphasis, rather than receiving.

Blessings.

Yeah, and that's EXACTLY what the pastor did that I was talking about above that refused to cancel his Sunday service just because Christmas fell on a Sunday that year. He had anticipated he would be heard by a lot of the "Christmas and Easter" type church goers as well as visitors from other churches that were closed some of whom may have never actually heard the gospel spelled out for them before. It was a good move on his part!

 

[evenifigoalone]

What I look forward to about Christmas, not just Christmas day but the whole season, is spending time with family and friends. And getting them gifts that I know they'll enjoy. That's what I was trying to say.

 

[Danacovert82]

What I look forward to about Christmas, not just Christmas day but the whole season, is spending time with family and friends. And getting them gifts that I know they'll enjoy. That's what I was trying to say.

I know. Let me post the summary of what is being said:

Some want gifts. Some don't want gifts. Some enjoy giving gifts. And ALL of us are celebrating the birth/not birth of Jesus. And we ALL like spending time with family and friends. And also hopefully going to Christmas mass wherever we may be.

 

[reba]

This is a quote from some place...and going along in the same idea is the weather of area and were the seep would be etc....IMO Honestly if God/Jesus had wanted us to make a big deal of His birth the exact time would be recorded in Scripture...


"Since Elizabeth (John's mother) was in her sixth month of pregnancy when Jesus was conceived (Luke 1:24-36 ), we can determine the approximate time of year Jesus was born if we know when John was born. John's father, Zacharias, was a priest serving in the Jerusalem temple during the course of Abijah (Luke 1:5). Historical calculations indicate this course of service corresponded to June 13-19 in that year ( The Companion Bible , 1974, Appendix 179, p. 200).

It was during this time of temple service that Zacharias learned that he and his wife, Elizabeth, would have a child (Luke 1:8-13 ). After he completed his service and traveled home, Elizabeth conceived (Luke 1:23-24 ). Assuming John's conception took place near the end of June, adding nine months brings us to the end of March as the most likely time for John's birth. Adding another six months (the difference in ages between John and Jesus (Luke 1:35-36 )) brings us to the end of September as the likely time of Jesus' birth."

 

[farouk]

What I look forward to about Christmas, not just Christmas day but the whole season, is spending time with family and friends. And getting them gifts that I know they'll enjoy. That's what I was trying to say.

Well, exactly!

Blessings.

 

[farouk]

Yeah, and that's EXACTLY what the pastor did that I was talking about above that refused to cancel his Sunday service just because Christmas fell on a Sunday that year. He had anticipated he would be heard by a lot of the "Christmas and Easter" type church goers as well as visitors from other churches that were closed some of whom may have never actually heard the gospel spelled out for them before. It was a good move on his part!

It's a time of year when neighbours and visitors to the district, who might otherwise never darken the doors of a 'church building', might well show. A good opportunity for the Gospel.

Blessings.

 

[Knotical]

Then September 30 of every year is the day I will celebrate His birth. You guys don't have to. But it's my choice. Everyday IS, WAS, AND ALWAYS will be a time to celebrate HIS life and death.

But the purpose of identifying a specific day of the year is to be able to celebrate it with other people. We are supposed to fellowship with other believers, not worship in secret in our own homes.

 

[Danacovert82]

I deleted my post cause I am realizing that I shouldn't dedicate one day to take out of life to celebrate HIS blessings in my life. I celebrate him everyday.

 

[Sinthesis]

While your intentions are honorable, you can't bring Christ back into a holiday the Christians technically stole from the pagans. For example, there's no shortage of Wiccan articles about the yule season, and you can't tell such people from those who celebrate Christmas because except for the nativity, the decorations are all the same, they celebrate and exchange gifts like everyone else! (except they celebrate 3 days earlier on the solstice).

If you need to know, Christ was born in September, at new moon the feast of Trumpets. I have done extensive calculation and biblical research where I know the birth date and death date to the very day. But the point I'm making is not to relate it to the Gregorian calendar, but rather there were "set times" feasts that Yahweh gave to the children of Israel, and they all point to the redemptive work of Christ --- I think that's all one needs to acknowledge and not worrying about bringing the so-called Christmas season back.

Would you post the birth date and your calculations?

 

[Claudya]

He had anticipated he would be heard by a lot of the "Christmas and Easter" type church goers

Hey you have that type of church goers, too, in America? We call them "submarine christians" here: they surface only twice a year. Hm, that wordplay doesn't work in English.
My church has lots of twice-a-year churchgoers on christmas, especially families coming to see the nativity plays. Many year we prepared and handed out little booklets with evangelistical messages and information about our church life and invitations to attend our regular services.
But I haven't heard of a single person that got closer to Jesus or attended church more often because of our nativity plays or our christmas booklets. People attend those nativity services are either christians, or ex christians that already know the message but consider church more as tradition and folklore. It seems people's sense of christmas is so influenced by commercials, TV and movies religion has no more place in it.

To be honest, a lot of the nativity stuff is quite cheesy anyway. The secular christmas is full of cheese, but the christian christmas symbolism ain't much better. All that sweet and kitschy nativity imagery and music is actually an insult to the unfathomably powerful, radical and world changing event of God Himself becoming human.
It's really just as kitschy as Hollywood christmas, although it shouldn't because we have a much greater message behind it. But it's no surprise our evangelistic christmas efforts are failing when our christmas looks the same as the worldy one.

 

[Claudya]

I deleted my post cause I am realizing that I shouldn't dedicate one day to take out of life to celebrate HIS blessings in my life. I celebrate him everyday.

Yeah that's the right idea! We should celebrate Him every day. Our whole life should be a celebration of God's gift that He gave us in becoming human.

 

[Danacovert82]

See I think I know what I'm doing.

 

[Claudya]

While your intentions are honorable, you can't bring Christ back into a holiday the Christians technically stole from the pagans. For example, there's no shortage of Wiccan articles about the yule season, and you can't tell such people from those who celebrate Christmas because except for the nativity, the decorations are all the same, they celebrate and exchange gifts like everyone else! (except they celebrate 3 days earlier on the solstice).

If you need to know, Christ was born in September, at new moon the feast of Trumpets. I have done extensive calculation and biblical research where I know the birth date and death date to the very day. But the point I'm making is not to relate it to the Gregorian calendar, but rather there were "set times" feasts that Yahweh gave to the children of Israel, and they all point to the redemptive work of Christ --- I think that's all one needs to acknowledge and not worrying about bringing the so-called Christmas season back.

I'm thinking it might be more honest to just have a non-religious celebration of winter solstice. No paganism, no christianity, just a season of coming together during the coldest and darkest time of the year (well that wouldn't make sense for Australians I guess, but for most people on the northern hemisphere it would), decorating our homes, lighting many candles and other lights, spend time together and eat good stuff, and those that want to express their love through gifts shall do so, to comfort ourselves through this dark time of the year and look back onto the year that is passing and encourage each other for the year to come. Like a time of fellowship and love to warm each other and ourselves when it's so cold outside. Those that believe would of course involve God into that, but nonbelievers could do the same things just in their own way.
That wouldn't be a christian season then, but still better than the pitiful wanna-be christian season it is now.

 

[reba]

Something i do really like about 'Christmas' is the old Christmas Carols

Maybe they are not EXACTLY right but the beautiful message is there..

 

[evenifigoalone]

My church will be going caroling. I've never actually gone caroling before.