I don't like Christmas.

[talitha]

ohhh would that there were some other time of the year for families to get together and eat big and exchange gifts. Perhaps we should do it on Thanksgiving Day. I like those things, but I think they muddy up Christmas.

And I don't like going to church needing a spiritual drink only to be offered wassail instead of water - so for my only visit to my home church in over two years, this coming Wednesday, I have requested NO CHRISTMAS CAROLS, PLEEEEEASE!

Anyone feelin' me?

blessings
tal

 

[Timothew]

I wish I had seen this thread earlier!
This is exactly how I felt all December. And all of our worship songs for Dec were Xmas songs. I felt as if I may as well have been playing jingle bells.

Tim

 

[Aibrean]

What's wrong with wassail?

We operate on a church season, not a season of the year. We always include law + gospel so Christmas is not really about Christmas. It's about Christ which is what we focus on every Sunday really. Our Christmas carols include Jesus and his birth which I don't think is wrong....but we typically keep a variety (not just carols). Actually on Christmas the sermon was about the Festival of the Holy Innocents and the Martyrdom of Stephen....so it was about the death of the babies and why it's important to be included in scripture (the ones Herod killed - the point was that Christ died for everyone...including Herod - evil as he was).

 

[Timothew]

There's nothing wrong with wassailing or christmas songs. As a musician, I get tired of the same old songs. Even though everyone loves those songs. Joy to the World stops being joyful when it becomes "That song we play all December."

 

[talitha]

Albrean. During one period in my life, I was involved in the Episcopalian communion, so I know what you are talking about. I remember Advent and the penitent tone of it, along with the feeling of waiting to hear HALLELUJAH! on Christmas. Although I prefer a freer style of worship these days, at that time of year I miss the liturgy in a way.

 

[alongexpected]

I do.

 

[alongexpected]

But that's cool.

 

[alongexpected]

S

 

[talitha]

FYI: the worship ministry forum is an all-Christian forum.

But I'll take this opportunity to say I'm not all that fond of Easter either. Shouldn't we celebrate the resurrection every Sunday?

 

[JoeyWhiteshoes]

Personally, I like the warm, fuzzy feelings that I get in church on Christmas and I'm usually out freezing on an Easter sunrise service somewhere. I wouldn't miss either one.

But I think the most important part of the Easter and Christmas programs is the fact that there are so many unchurched that only attend church twice a year, Christmas and Easter. This is prime opportunity to show them the Gospel and to get them thinking about spiritual things.

Joey

 

[talitha]

If I were to only attend church twice a year, I for sure would not pick Christmas and Easter. No wonder the world things the church is cheesy and irrelevant. Much of what happens at those two services (not counting liturgical churches of course) is often (sadly) cheesy and irrelevant.

 

[pappastratos]

I know what you mean, Christmas has lost its focus. Jesus was born at the end of September, Santa (St. Nicholas) was orginally a Greek priest who gave to the poor children,,now it is lights, snowmen, santa clause, zillions of $$$ on gifts, booze, yelling, mad family members, While all of this is going on, trying to organize a cantata or Christmas program at church !Sometimes I look forward to December 26th !

 

[mysterE]

Yeah, to give celebration to the birth and resurrection of our Lord once a year is just aweful.

sheash!

 

[talitha]

You are totally not getting my point, are you, mysterE?

 

[freezerman2000]

FYI: the worship ministry forum is an all-Christian forum.

But I'll take this opportunity to say I'm not all that fond of Easter either. Shouldn't we celebrate the resurrection every Sunday?

At Resurrection, we celebrate the Communion every Sunday.
I too get bummed out by hearing Christmas music for over a month, the commercial hype and the corporate greed.
BUT I do love the lights in the children's eyes..so full of hope and joy.
The joy at Christmas Eve High Mass and on Christmas morning in my Grandchildren when they see the tree is worth getting bummed out by the above..

 

[mysterE]

You are totally not getting my point, are you, mysterE?

Maybe,

What I'm getting from this thread is that Christmas and Easter should not be celebrated in the church service because of secular marketing stratagies. Is this what you are proposing?

 

[talitha]

not exactly.

I do believe we should celebrate the birth of Jesus, and I have no problem with December 25 even though it's probably not when He was born. I just don't want the celebration to be about family and dinner and presents and boring hymns. Let's worship and adore him in our own way, not hindered by some stuffy style when we usually aren't hindered by that.

I go to church for one thing - corporate worship. When corporate worship is pre-empted by a Christmas pageant that is truly (let's face it) more about how cute the kids are than it is about Jesus, it frustrates me......

Those are the kinds of things that frustrate me.

 

[mysterE]

That could be the rub. I don't go for corporate worship. I go for the fellowship. So you can see why I have opposition to your veiw.

 

[Incariol]

YouTube - ‪God is with Us: Russian Znamenny Chant: Vaalam Monastery in Russia. (English)‬‏

God is with us!
Understand this, O nations, and submit yourselves for God is with us.

Hear this, even to the farthest bounds of the earth, for God is with us. Submit yourselves, O mighty ones, for God is with us. If you rise up again in your might, you will be overthrown, for God is with us. The Lord shall destroy all who take counsel together, and the word which you speak shall not abide with you, for God is with us. For we do not fear your terror, and we are not troubled, for God is with us. But we will ascribe holiness to the Lord our God, and Him will we hold in awesome fear, for God is with us. And if I put my trust in Him, He shall be my sanctification, for God is with us. I will set my hope on Him, and through Him I shall be saved -lo, I and the children whom God has given me, for God is with us. The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness - on them a light has shined, for God is with us. For unto us a Child is born; to us a Son is given, for God is with us. And the government shall be upon His shoulder, and of His peace there will be no end, for God is with us. And His name shall be called the Messenger of Great Counsel, Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace, the Father of the World to Come, for God is with us.

 

[talitha]

This is beautiful, of course, but I'm not sure why you posted it here on this thread?