So, What About Christmas

I really have never discussed Christmas on this blog, but that time is here again.

I was raised with only half of Christmas. We really didn’t talk about Jesus or anything but we had Santa Claus (although I don’t really remember believing in him) and Christmas trees and presents but definetly not Jesus.

I just wasn’t raised that way.

I would like to say a few things about Christians celebrating Christmas from a person that never really celebrated it religiously.

1. I don’t really think it is so bad that people use Christmas to worship Jesus. It seems to me that it isn’t our fault that some early Christians made this whole thing up (for whatever reason). We may as well just accept it because I don’t think that it is going away.

2. If you don’t want to celebrate Christmas, you shouldn’t. There really is no reason that you have to celebrate Christ’s birth (especially at a time that someone else chose for you). If you would rather not have anything to do with it, I can understand that. I really don’t get too excited about the whole thing either.

3. We should never let anyone say that Christ wants us to celebrate Christmas. He never said anything like that. He didn’t come up with it. We did. I don’t see any reason He wouldn’t be honored by a sincere celebration of Christmas but we can’t say that this was God’s idea.

4. Don’t ever let anyone say that you cannot celebrate Christmas. God accepts true worship wherever it exists and in whatever context. If you use Christmas to worship, then God will accept it and everyone else should accept it as well.

5. God also accepts the worship of those who choose not to participate. Even Paul talks about this in Romans 14 and specifically says that some people practice holidays and some do not for the glory of God and that He accepts both. That was Paul’s understanding and mine as well.

6. The so-called “secular” aspects of the holiday are actually quite Christian in and of themselves. We should not grieve that some don’t acknowledge the birth of Christ while they focus on love, joy, peace, and family. These are things that Christ gave us and we should be happy when people focus on them. We shouldn’t look down our noses when people want to keep these and are just a little freaked out about the whole religious thing. “Secular” observance is actually very Christian.

Just a few thoughts on Christmas from someone in the middle of the whole thing.