De Jager
Puritan Board Junior
Hello Romesh,A minister in our denomination (Pastor Nathan Eshelman, who at least at one time was active on this board) wrote this piece, which may be helpful as well.
Jesus Died & Freed me from Christmas
https://gentlereformation.com/2021/12/23/Jesus-died-freed-me-from-christmas/
Is it possible to not "observe" Christmas and still attend a service that is on Christmas Day?
For example, I am under no illusion that I must celebrate Christmas. As far as I am concerned, the Lord does not require me to celebrate his birth with a special service. He does not require me to attend a service on Dec. 25 unless it happens to be on a Lord's Day. I agree that Christmas is an unwarranted imposition on the church and is a human invention. Notwithstanding this, our church does have a service on Christmas Day.
We gather as a church and our minister will read scriptures, give an exhortation, we will sing songs, etc. I have a hard time believing that this is sinful because of the simple reason that the elders can also call the believers to meet on other days and do those exact same things - read, pray, and sing. For example, we have biannual congregational meetings. In those meetings we read, pray and sing (and also discuss matters of the church). In all of these things, I do not feel compelled in my conscience to attend - that is, I believe I am free to do so or not do so. The elders would not administer discipline for failure to attend a special service or a prayer meeting, or a congregational meeting.
I suppose I am setting myself for a beatdown with the RPW club. But I am having a hard time squaring the concept that "worship shall only be done on the Lord's day" from the fact that we can and do worship on other days - for example, my family sings Psalms in our devotion time. We as a church will gather on occasion for a prayer service in which we will sing some songs and perhaps the minister will give a homily. What makes those OK but attending a service on Christmas Day not ok? Is it the day itself? The association? The fact that there is a "call to worshp" and a benediction?