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Advice Needed Concerning Christmas
- Thread starter Apostolic1
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mina
Brown Eyed girl
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You truthfully and gracefully say, "I'm sorry, I must decline, I do not celebrate those days." and you leave it at that. You don't have to get preachy or rude. If they persist in inviting you to their celebration and you really don't want to attend, you say again, "I'm sorry; I can not, but perhaps we can get together another time." There is no way to escape feeling being pressured if you are declining a sincere and loving invitation from someone who loves you and wants to see you there. If you truly want to decline, then you stay steadfast in polite refusals and do not allow yourself to be swayed.
When people wish you Christmas greetings, you say thank you. It is good manners to accept nice wishes towards you, even if you don't celebrate whatever they are wishing at you. It doesn't hurt you for people to celebrate things their own way. You do what you are comfortable with doing, but you can't stop others from celebrating what they wish to celebrate.
I have friends of different faiths and have been in their homes for celebrations that had nothing to do with me and my beliefs. I was able to maintain my beliefs while showing I care about them as people and friends, learning about them and they then took the time to learn about things that matter to me (one being my faith). So, I see situations like these as a way to show people that I care about them in sincere and loving ways even if they are different from me; and that in turn has led to a sharing of my faith.
When people wish you Christmas greetings, you say thank you. It is good manners to accept nice wishes towards you, even if you don't celebrate whatever they are wishing at you. It doesn't hurt you for people to celebrate things their own way. You do what you are comfortable with doing, but you can't stop others from celebrating what they wish to celebrate.
I have friends of different faiths and have been in their homes for celebrations that had nothing to do with me and my beliefs. I was able to maintain my beliefs while showing I care about them as people and friends, learning about them and they then took the time to learn about things that matter to me (one being my faith). So, I see situations like these as a way to show people that I care about them in sincere and loving ways even if they are different from me; and that in turn has led to a sharing of my faith.
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ChristianFromKazakhstan
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I come from a country where everybody drinks alcohol all the time everywhere. For all sorts of reasons and without one. It's the hugest social glue there. I never drank in my life. You can imagine how much I stand out and how much pressure I'm under all the time.
There is no best way to refuse. Just honesty and sincerely and love. Be firm and explain the truth. If somebody wants to be offended, they will be no matter what . But I find that most people respect strong views and clear honest position and will not keep pushing once they get the message.
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Say you are watching the full Star Wars trilogy, and will be unavailable? Been there, done that..
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If E = mc2 then we can divide and conclude that...
Mass (m) = Energy (E/c2)
And there are three varieties...
Natural E/c2 - All mass is basically cooled plasma
Mental E/c2 - Mentally, A mathematical formula, but this has chemical and spiritual properties as well.
Spiritual E/c2 - E (motivation, warmth, love) / c2 (faith, hope, charity, joy)
My advice is find a place where you can have your heart warmed by the love of God. Then you will have the power, energy, light, and joy to enjoy such holidays.
Mass (m) = Energy (E/c2)
And there are three varieties...
Natural E/c2 - All mass is basically cooled plasma
Mental E/c2 - Mentally, A mathematical formula, but this has chemical and spiritual properties as well.
Spiritual E/c2 - E (motivation, warmth, love) / c2 (faith, hope, charity, joy)
My advice is find a place where you can have your heart warmed by the love of God. Then you will have the power, energy, light, and joy to enjoy such holidays.
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I knew an apostolic who had just about the coldest personality I have ever encountered. The guys church ended up dismantling, his marriage dissolved, and he ends up backsliding into adulterous relationships. The strange thing is that his personality retained it's same coldness throughout the whole ordeal! So, holidays would not have never worked with this guy!
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Maybe we can create a holiday for cold hearted people and make it a ritual where we spend the whole day chilling folks down to the marrow of their bones!
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I believe this is the Laodicean church age where it is common for people to go from hot to lukewarm to cold. I don't like it and will spend my days speaking out against it!
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Fourth of Forth
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They aren't rebranded pagan holidays. That was made up by horrible preachers. Sadly, people repeat that lie so often that people just accept it. When asked to prove it, people come up with absurd, irrational, ahistorical arguments.
Easter was created by Christians. There was never a pagan holiday on the first Sunday following the first full moon of Spring (to coincide with Passover). It is true, that in 800s, Germans had a bunny fertility thing they added to THEIR Easter, which had already existed for 800 years, and wasn't pagan. Germans settled England and England settled Americans. Yet, people think all of Easter is now pagan because of the Easter bunny. The overwhelming majority of Christians have nothing to do with the German Easter bunny and to claim Easter has pagan origins for this reason, and this reason alone, is absurd.
Christmas, same thing. There was no pagan holiday within areas of Christianity on December 25, unless you count two winter games in the 3rd Century. In fact, Christmas was moved to Decemeber 25th. Christmas is about the birth of Christ (Christ Mass, Mass being what the English Church called their worship services).
These claims were made up by mean spirited people who hate being Christians and attempt to take all the joy and fun out of life for others because someone did that to them.
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Neatz
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Did someone say Decline because you dont celebrate 'those days'???!!!
First of all, how about celebrating the gift of family, friends, and fellowship, no matter the 'days'. You might even use it as an excuse to give the reason for the hope you have within you, with gentleness and respect.
Maybe there are folks who've done this 'celebrating' for a long time, and only continue it because of tradition, but feel kind of empty about it, like somethings missing, but they feel uncomfortable expressing that.
You just may be the one to bring the salt and light to the occasion, either to a few in a casual group, or perhaps one on one with someone on a deeper, heartfelt level.
This is a time when many people are thinking more about Jesus than usual.....many go to church for the first time in years, or maybe not since Easter.
Try to remember that Jesus loves them, too, and He is with you, and can give you a good word to speak in due season.
And .... try not to look for results. Relax, enjoy yourself and those you're with, and trust the Lord. Something you say, or just being there, might be just the thing the Lord uses to move a persons heart, or get them thinking about God or life in a new way, you never know. One thing's for sure....you can't be a blessing to anyone if youre NOT there.
Just try not to be too heavy about it all.
The Lord's not standing there with arms folded across His chest, waiting to say tsk-tsk if you go to a gathering like this.
Take advantage of the opportunity and the nice invitation. Unless you're going to be with people that flat out mock or abuse you for believing in Jesus, you just might enjoy mutual blessings from it.
(And so you know, I don't mean to be 'preachy about it. Also... If it was me, and there was a muslum party or something like that, I would probably bow out, because I don't worship a false god, and I would be obligated to speak about that, which would cause strife amongst the other guests, not a fair thing to do.
But at a Christmas party, you already have a foot in the open door of opportunity to talk about Jesus.
And remember, there is no more condemnation for those that are in Christ Jesus. Peace.
First of all, how about celebrating the gift of family, friends, and fellowship, no matter the 'days'. You might even use it as an excuse to give the reason for the hope you have within you, with gentleness and respect.
Maybe there are folks who've done this 'celebrating' for a long time, and only continue it because of tradition, but feel kind of empty about it, like somethings missing, but they feel uncomfortable expressing that.
You just may be the one to bring the salt and light to the occasion, either to a few in a casual group, or perhaps one on one with someone on a deeper, heartfelt level.
This is a time when many people are thinking more about Jesus than usual.....many go to church for the first time in years, or maybe not since Easter.
Try to remember that Jesus loves them, too, and He is with you, and can give you a good word to speak in due season.
And .... try not to look for results. Relax, enjoy yourself and those you're with, and trust the Lord. Something you say, or just being there, might be just the thing the Lord uses to move a persons heart, or get them thinking about God or life in a new way, you never know. One thing's for sure....you can't be a blessing to anyone if youre NOT there.
Just try not to be too heavy about it all.
The Lord's not standing there with arms folded across His chest, waiting to say tsk-tsk if you go to a gathering like this.
Take advantage of the opportunity and the nice invitation. Unless you're going to be with people that flat out mock or abuse you for believing in Jesus, you just might enjoy mutual blessings from it.
(And so you know, I don't mean to be 'preachy about it. Also... If it was me, and there was a muslum party or something like that, I would probably bow out, because I don't worship a false god, and I would be obligated to speak about that, which would cause strife amongst the other guests, not a fair thing to do.
But at a Christmas party, you already have a foot in the open door of opportunity to talk about Jesus.
And remember, there is no more condemnation for those that are in Christ Jesus. Peace.
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Fourth of Forth
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For those that understand the history of Christianity, during the 16th Century, a radical group of reformers removed all holy days (holidays) from Christianity. They wanted to purify Christianity and remove almost everything from it.
Before books were printed, instead of written by hand, almost no one could afford a bible. Bibles were treasures read from at church. If you go to a synagogue, you will see the same thing. They read a part from the Torah at each service, and then repeat. Christians read based on yearly cycles. The readings worked into holidays. Once a year, they would hear about the death and resurrection of Christ. Once a year, they would hear about the birth of Christ. That was a big deal. It's not like now where you can read the bible at any moment.
This was a wonderful tradition, but the Puritans wanted to remove it. They would instead have sermons, where you make up an argument and quote bits of scripture to defend it.
They moved to America and created their own communities. Eventually, Anglicans/Episcopalians lived among them, with their wonderful Christmas celebrations. So, the Puritian preachers made up blatant and provable lies about how their celebrations were pagan, rather than from Christian tradition, to keep people Puritan. They tradition of calling Christian holidays pagan continues to this day, sadly.
Before books were printed, instead of written by hand, almost no one could afford a bible. Bibles were treasures read from at church. If you go to a synagogue, you will see the same thing. They read a part from the Torah at each service, and then repeat. Christians read based on yearly cycles. The readings worked into holidays. Once a year, they would hear about the death and resurrection of Christ. Once a year, they would hear about the birth of Christ. That was a big deal. It's not like now where you can read the bible at any moment.
This was a wonderful tradition, but the Puritans wanted to remove it. They would instead have sermons, where you make up an argument and quote bits of scripture to defend it.
They moved to America and created their own communities. Eventually, Anglicans/Episcopalians lived among them, with their wonderful Christmas celebrations. So, the Puritian preachers made up blatant and provable lies about how their celebrations were pagan, rather than from Christian tradition, to keep people Puritan. They tradition of calling Christian holidays pagan continues to this day, sadly.
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Mean spirited, the bad preachers you mention, control freaks, the "See me, I'm so holy I would never celebrate Christmas like you do", the "See the higher knowledge I posses?" types, and right on up to the innocent Christians who buy what those people are selling.
There are all kinds of reasons people do this. Personally, I just go by what's written in my heart, and trying to kill a Holiday for myself or others that celebrates the birth of Christ for many, just doesn't feel right...that simple.
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Fourth of Forth
Active Member
Saturnalia wasn't a feast, it was a festival. It was celebrated on December 17th. And, by the way, Christmas was not originally celebrated on Decemeber 25th.
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Fourth of Forth
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Yes, some people do feel a need to make themselves different than others and even make things more difficult.
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It's not you... It's that there is a terrible and satanic coldness that seems to be infecting many these days. And as virtue is not knowledge they will never figure out what is the matter!
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Neatz
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If you mean the Opening Post to start this thread, you have no need to apologize at all!
You had a legitimate concern and pised a thoughful question. If anyone is claiming to be offended by that, they're in the wrong place and would do well to remove the log in their own eye, or they're free to leave, too.I can only try to encourage you to remember the real reason for the season, let the joy of the Lord be your strength, and dont let the enemy rob you of that joy and wonder. Be like those first shepherds who heard the announcement that Christ was born.....God is with us.....directly from the Host of heaven's angels, and go forward with God's grace and peace.
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AACJ
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Why speak out against "Satanic coldness" it if you are teaching that it is inevitable (Inevitable decline)? Some biblically mandated period in our history? I respectfully submit to you that your apparent eschatology is actually contributing to such "coldness" by hampering the saints' prayers for revival in the land and churches. You are helping to cripple the Church's ability to believe in prayer for positive change in people. How can you on one hand truly believe for positive change in peoples lives and in churches (diminishing of "satanic coldness") and then on the other hand claim that such manifestation of "coldness" is the inevitable product of an inevitable "Laodicean church age."? Unless of course you do not believe in we should attempt to aleviate or negate the increase of such "Satanic coldness in the land?
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