timfost
Puritan Board Senior
Dear all,
Here are some thoughts on Christmas, communication and Puritan Board.
I know that Christmas conversations tend to stir up some strong feelings on PB. My pastor preached the last couple of weeks in Isaiah concerning the prophecies foretelling the incarnation and ended yesterday with a sermon in Luke 2. We also had a “Christmas Eve service” where our pastor read from both OT and NT on relevant passages with short expositions and a hymn between each section. This was not in lieu of Sunday worship and Christmas is not viewed as some kind of “holy day” (I will use “holy day” and “holiday” differently). Though we often referred to the day as “Christmas,” our pastor made it clear that we were not celebrating Mass but the incarnation, and though he explained that “incarnation” was the more accurate word, he did use the word “Christmas” on various occasions throughout the weeks as the word itself is not so closely linked with its etymological beginnings.
Leaving aside whether one should or should not celebrate Christmas, I find it disheartening the uncharitable, sometimes downright rude and hostile tone some on PB have taken against those wishing a merry Christmas. It seems as if some cannot get past the etymology of the word “Christmas” and they end up judging the one who used the word. If God looks at the heart, shouldn’t we be able to get past the word and understand what the person means when they use it? Imagine if we employed this tone in our households-- how provocative it would be!
A rule that I try to use in forums (and often fail!) is this: “Would I say this to their face?” or “Would I be ashamed of myself if I saw them at my church next Sunday?” The danger of communication on a forum is that sometimes we forget that we are speaking to people-- at least we act like it.
I’m hoping that if people would like to speak against Christmas, they do so in a thread designed to look at the issue. But I find it very discouraging when well meaning people are chewed out for wishing all a “merry Christmas.”
We had a number of visitors for our Christmas eve service as well as Sunday worship. Yes, it is terrible that so many in our country believe that going to church for Christmas and Easter is sufficient. However, people heard the gospel! My wife’s grandparents (90 years old) were both there. They are both unbelievers, but God used their Roman Catholic habits to get them to a Reformed church. I don’t know if God will change their hearts or not, but dear friends, they heard the gospel!
Please, try to look past the word “Christmas” and be charitable. Do you really believe that any on this board are celebrating a Christ Mass?
Thank you for hearing me.
Blessings,
Here are some thoughts on Christmas, communication and Puritan Board.
I know that Christmas conversations tend to stir up some strong feelings on PB. My pastor preached the last couple of weeks in Isaiah concerning the prophecies foretelling the incarnation and ended yesterday with a sermon in Luke 2. We also had a “Christmas Eve service” where our pastor read from both OT and NT on relevant passages with short expositions and a hymn between each section. This was not in lieu of Sunday worship and Christmas is not viewed as some kind of “holy day” (I will use “holy day” and “holiday” differently). Though we often referred to the day as “Christmas,” our pastor made it clear that we were not celebrating Mass but the incarnation, and though he explained that “incarnation” was the more accurate word, he did use the word “Christmas” on various occasions throughout the weeks as the word itself is not so closely linked with its etymological beginnings.
Leaving aside whether one should or should not celebrate Christmas, I find it disheartening the uncharitable, sometimes downright rude and hostile tone some on PB have taken against those wishing a merry Christmas. It seems as if some cannot get past the etymology of the word “Christmas” and they end up judging the one who used the word. If God looks at the heart, shouldn’t we be able to get past the word and understand what the person means when they use it? Imagine if we employed this tone in our households-- how provocative it would be!
A rule that I try to use in forums (and often fail!) is this: “Would I say this to their face?” or “Would I be ashamed of myself if I saw them at my church next Sunday?” The danger of communication on a forum is that sometimes we forget that we are speaking to people-- at least we act like it.
I’m hoping that if people would like to speak against Christmas, they do so in a thread designed to look at the issue. But I find it very discouraging when well meaning people are chewed out for wishing all a “merry Christmas.”
We had a number of visitors for our Christmas eve service as well as Sunday worship. Yes, it is terrible that so many in our country believe that going to church for Christmas and Easter is sufficient. However, people heard the gospel! My wife’s grandparents (90 years old) were both there. They are both unbelievers, but God used their Roman Catholic habits to get them to a Reformed church. I don’t know if God will change their hearts or not, but dear friends, they heard the gospel!
Please, try to look past the word “Christmas” and be charitable. Do you really believe that any on this board are celebrating a Christ Mass?
Thank you for hearing me.
Blessings,