Tis the Season part 2
I just looked over a comment that was posted on this blog asking about what I thought about the controversy over whether churches should or should not have service on Christmas day. The person who posted the comment is a close friend, and I sent him this reply:
“I think it’s a lot of hype about a non-issue. The only reason it is getting press is because people have started making a big deal about the War on Christmas. If it was all about following rules and meeting on the right days we should all just become Seventh Day Adventists or Catholics. Or am I being too outspoken? “
I think that this fits right in with what I said about the “War on Christmas” in the original posting; are we focusing on restoring the tradition, or honoring the Savior in whose name we celebrate? If a church chooses to gather together as a congregation on Saturday, Christmas eve, for a time of worship, and so frees families to spend time together on Christmas morning by not having Sunday service, what is the problem? Is it about crossing all our “T’s” and dotting all our “I’s” by saying we met EVERY Sunday, even on Christmas, or is it about preserving the family, spending time as a family? Is there a commandment that I missed somewhere about meeting on Sundays or having service every Christmas morning? Aren’t those things just tradition? And isn’t putting tradition and the letter of the law above the heart and intent of the law what Jesus chastised the Pharisees for?
So my thought on the question of “should churches in the USA have service on Christmas Sunday morning?” is it’s up to them. The real question is are they honoring Jesus by what they do that morning, whether it’s meeting together in church or being with family at home. After all, you can be on church Christmas morning, be up-tight about the Christmas meal you have to prepare when you get home, worrying about family visits, thinking about the present you just gave or received, and be totally self absorbed, and it won’t honor Jesus one bit. And you could be home with those same attitudes and still not honor Jesus. Or, you can have the right heart, one that focuses on Jesus and His birth and what God did for us, and be full of thanksgiving and praise, and that will honor God whether you are in Church, at home, in an airport in jail, or anywhere.
So this season let someone else fight over the traditions, and instead do good to those who try to hurt you by attacking the way you choose to celebrate Christmas, because in doing that you are following Jesus’ command and example, and what could be more appropriate on Christmas?
Tis The Season
Ah, Christmas time. Even here in Cambodia the retailers are beginning to catch on to this year end opportunity to increase sales. Only a few years ago the only, if you were to drive down the main streets of Phnom Penh during December, you would see basically the same thing you would see during any other part of the year. But now, you can see some stores “getting into the spirit of things” and putting up Santa Claus signs and cheap decorations. When we returned to the field a few years ago we made sure to bring along an artificial Christmas tree so that we would have one. But now, off the top of my head I can think of about 4 different places I can buy one in town. Even little Cambodian kids recognize Santa Claus now as “Grandpa Christmas.”
At the same time, the knowledge of Jesus Christ is also spreading. When we first came to Cambodia in 1994, there were only about 120 evangelical churches in the entire country. Now the Evangelical Fellowship of Cambodia recognizes more than 2400! Things have certainly come a long way.
Bangkok has also caught on to the retail holiday aspect of it all. I was there in early November, and all the malls already had their Christmas marketing in full swing. Then, I went from Bangkok to Manila in the Philippines for a few days, and they really go all out for Christmas. The country is predominantly Catholic, so by early November there are decorations of all kinds everywhere you look. And at least there they don’t totally ignore Jesus, but recognize that He is at the center of what Christmas is really about.
Even in the States there is a growing gulf between what Christmas is supposed to be, and what it has become. I try to follow the news via the internet, and one of the big things I have been hearing about this year is the “war on Christmas.” I think it’s great that some of the politically correct nonsense is being rolled back, but have you noticed the emphasis of the arguments? It’s all about reclaiming out traditions, not the meaning behind them.
Even in my own life I see this more and more. Even though I am not servicing as pastor of a church here, being in the ministry still makes Christmas a very busy time. At times it can be overwhelming to think of all the things I need to finish this month. Lisa has been in charge of the kids Christmas program at the international church we attend, and so, by proximity, I have also been drawn into the maelstrom of frenzied activity surrounding it all. The program actually took place this past Sunday, and it went well, but as I sat there running sound and working on some of the technical parts of the production, I found myself focusing on performance details and technical needs, and totally ignoring the more important parts of the program; what it said about Jesus, and what He means to us.
It’s easy to point the finger at the businesses who try to capitalize on Christmas for missing the point, but I find myself doing similar things every day.
This Christmas is also marking the beginning of our Dan and Louie radio broadcasts. This is a story based children’s radio program that has already received some good response. At 7:00PM, on Christmas day, we will have our first broadcast on a local FM radio station that reaches 75% of the country! Hopefully, this is one more step toward bringing the people of Cambodia closer to the savior whose birth we are celebrating.
