MondayMorningInsight - Leadership & Encouragement for Church Leaders

Ho Ho Hold on a Second: “Merry Christmas” or “Happy Holidays”?

Posted by: Todd
Posted on: Thu, December 08, 2005
Viewed 40
(88) comments so far

Mark Waltz does a masterful job of tackling the whole "Merry Christmas" vs. "Happy Holidays" debate that is raging this year. I always enjoy Mark's blog; and encourage you to add it to your 'must-read' list... Mark is one of the pastors at Granger Community Church in Granger, IN. Mark writes:

The whole “holiday vs. Christmas” debate gets under my skin. I’m tired of the rhetoric.

If Christ-followers are going to enter the conversation, let's at least do so in an informed manner. The last thing people in our culture need are Christ-followers who discredit themselves, their argument and their God by being uninformed about history and the celebration we embrace called, Christmas.

I wish we Christ-followers wouldn’t get so worked up about whether our kids have Christmas break or a winter holiday break. Labels aren’t the point. Jesus is. Nobody is taking away our ability to honor Christ in our lives.

For instance, Easter was celebrated in the early days of the Early Church, not Christmas. Late December holidays were celebrated by Europeans and others before there was ever a “Christmas”. Seems that Pope Julius I decided to mark the Christmas holiday on December 25 (since the Bible is silent about the time of year) as an alternative to the cultural debauchery associated with society's year-end party. Throughout the 5th – 8th centuries the custom spread from Poland to England.This time of year was chosen by the Pope in an effort to absorb the debauchery that marked the pagan celebrations in December. Christmas is a Christian holiday – established in contrast to other celebrations that honored pagan gods that Christ-followers didn’t trust.

In America the Puritans wanted nothing to do with the pagan holiday, so it was actually outlawed in Boston from 1659 – 1681. In fact the first Christmas after the declaration of America’s freedom, Congress was in session on December 25th. It wasn’t until 1870 that Christmas was declared a recognized holiday in America.

So, too often many Christ-followers in unintended error and ignorance, get worked up about the pagans in our “God-fearing” country taking away our religious, Christ-centered Christmas and replacing it with “holiday”.

My point? Our job is and always has been to live as the light of the world within our culture. Our job has never been to “Christianize” America or the world through political, legal or otherwise forced strategies. The church of Christ and his followers will always have Christmas. We do recognize the Christ - the one true God.

So, light the tree! Sing a carol! Read the Christmas narrative! Send cards that celebrate the Christ-child and God's kingdom on earth. Immanuel - He's here... whether our neighbors say "Merry Christmas" or "Happy Holidays".

I'm grateful for Rob Bell's (he's not the first and only one to point this out, but he says it well) take on Immanuel in chapter 3 of his book, Velvet Elvis. It's the same point that our weekend series "Pop Spirituality" celebrated a year and a half ago. Signs of Jesus are all around us. Joy, laughter, giving, and love all mark the presence of our Christ – whether those experiencing life and relationships acknowledge him or not. Our call, our privilege is to point to the Light - wherever He is... whether it's a holiday or Christmas.

He’s here. In every "here". "God with us ... Immanuel."

Enter the dialog. But, do so informed. Do so with respect for people. Because people still matter to the God we celebrate on December 25th.

Handshake

Comments

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Denna on Tue, December 20, 2005

This is about the all mighty dollar and what is in it for me. I have never been so appauled by the behavior of grown adults saying that we can’t speak Merry Christmas. Our nation is becoming a crying shame and a total disgrace. For those that wish to forbid the precious and most wonderful meaning behind Christmas should form a society called “National Association for those who always Complain.” There is so much individual insecurity going on in America. That alone makes the United States pretty weak. However, those who always complain and whine over Merry Christmas should just leave America. It would not be a surprise to hear that most of the people that complain are not even true Americans. People who go to court over many issues only do it to feed their insecurities. They are weak and their self-esteem is so low that they have to find a way to make themselves famous in order to achieve a secure sense of self. How much more repulsive can these individuals behave? Don’t answer, because I am sure it will relate back to an extremely rigid and insecure sense of self and a extremely low self-esteem. It is time Americans take a stand and stop letting these insecure, low self-esteem, money hungry scavengers take advantage of what Americans have always worked so hard to do; which is love thy neighbor.
Wendi on Tue, December 20, 2005

When Jesus looked down on Jerusalem at the insecure, complaining, weak, replusively behaving people - He didn’t wish them all to leave . . . He wept. And then He died for them. They were His (and our) mission field.
Kent on Tue, December 20, 2005

Wendi said; “When Jesus looked down on Jerusalem at the insecure, complaining, weak, replusively behaving people - He didn’t wish them all to leave.”

No, he didn’t did he? He asked them to be saved and conformed to Christ’s likeness.
Evangelist Jeff on Tue, December 20, 2005

wendi,

very well put. I for one have used this same illustration as well as the one when Lazarus died. It seems that everyone wants the Lord to do it all, or complain’s about these people that they need to change. They critize them for wanting to take God out of everything but after aren’t they only acting natrually. What christians need to do is pray,set a good example,then help them in removing their grave clothes.
Wendi on Tue, December 20, 2005

But as they came closer to Jerusalem and Jesus saw the city ahead, he began to cry. “I wish that even today you would find the way of peace. But now it is too late, and peace is hidden from you.” (Lk. 19:41)

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones God’s messengers! How often I have wanted to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, but you wouldn’t let me.” (Matt. 23:37)

In neither of these passages did Jesus seem to be saying (in my opinion) “get saved and conformed to my image.” I hear His words dripping with compassion for, in this case, the Jews who had been given all the resources to have known better. For my money, His message was filled with even more compassion for the pagans and sinners (and those who oppose Christmas), as He came to “seek and save that which was lost.”

He was never surprised or upset or angry when lost people acted lost.

Wendi
Kent on Tue, December 20, 2005

To reconcile the wretched sinner to himself and mold those to His image for those who would hear him and follow him is the whole reason for Christman.

It is not my opinion, but it is God’s Word that tells me that he the reason he came was to call sinners to repentence and confomity to His likeness.
Wendi on Tue, December 20, 2005

Nor is it my opinion, but God’s word, that tells me Jesus came to seek and save the lost, and that He wept over the brokenness of humanity, even as he hung on the cross and said “Father forgive them, they know not what they do.” He knew how to love the lost and call to repentence at the same time. We’re the ones who don’t do it very well.
RevJay on Tue, December 20, 2005

Read a book once, He Said, She Said. Sounds like what I just read through on this blog. Good points made and I was wincing at some of the borderline SHoutinG into the monitor just to get our point across. Praise God that we as civilized Christian believers can enjoy a venue that Bro Todd has given us. Let’s keep the cat scratching to a minimum. RevJay
Wendi on Tue, December 20, 2005

RevJay,

Aren’t we silly? We know perfectly well that we really have completely different lenses through which we view how to live out our faith, but somehow feel compelled to add response on top of response (speaking for myself only).

I’m signing off now to watch Barbara Walters tell us about heaven. I am THRILLED about this 2-hour special, even though I know there will be pastors misrepresented through sound bites and much untruth from other world religions. Yet, I am looking forward to asking “did you watch . . . ?” and getting into discussions. I say, “thank you ABC.”

Others on this blog will be appalled at the heresy on ABC (legitimate heresy). And in the days ahead, we’ll probably log in and try unsuccessfully to persuade one another. Go figure.

Wendi
Kent on Wed, December 21, 2005

“He knew how to love the lost and call to repentence at the same time. We’re the ones who don’t do it very well”.

Precisely. And he loved them so much, he was willing to say and hold to the fact that He is the “Only Way” and that no man come to the Father but by Jesus.
Kent on Wed, December 21, 2005

I caught this press release about a 22,000 member church who’s preacher “Paula White” has now erected a huge banner the size of a semi-truck and has started a campaign with the slogan, and I quote, “To Hell With ‘Happy Holidays’—Put Christ Back In Christmas”.

Using something like this to drive the message home is totally wrong. Another example of using worldly methods to try to obtain something they think is holiness, but isn’t holy at all.

This is what worldliness does to the church.
Evangelist Jeff on Wed, December 21, 2005

Kent, I absolutely agree with you on this one buddy. But to be honest with you, have you ever heard her try to preach. Believe you me I don’t hang my hat on everything man/women say and do anyway. Because it will fail.

But I will with God.

But keep it in mind to Kent. That the ACLU is behind all of this.
Joseph on Thu, December 22, 2005

Franklin,

Sorry I didn’t back to your comment about me sooner. 1st of all, who said anything about believing in Christmas lights or in trees? You are reading into it, what I didn’t say. I hope you don’t interpret God’s word that way. You said you don’t even believe in the phrase, “Merry Christmas.” Yet in a letter to Jade you said, you wish everyone a Merry Christmas. If you don’t believe in this phrase, why do you wish them a Merry Christmas? You are contradicting yourself. My whole point is to look at the broader picture, it’s an attack on Jesus Christ name & removing Him from our society. We need to stand & defend the name & you said you were doing that. Good for you.

You also asked me if I shared the gospel with a lost person this last year? It is out of self righteouaness that someone would even ask this. It is your self righteous way of attacking someone. But to answer, yes I did. I have have watched over 40 come to Christ this year through the ministry that Jesus has given me. Yet, this is the power of His name & His word. To Him be the glory & honor, not you or me. You quoted to me, Charles Spurgeon, the prince of the preachers they say. But I quote to you from the Prince of Peace, Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like white washed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead mens bones and all uncleaness. Mt.23:27