Right or wrong it at least counters the sol invictus connection. Christ Is Still Lord. It was an essential principle of the Reformation, which we hold to have been sound, and the only principle which could have been safe, to reject every thing which appeared manifestly to be of human contrivance, and thus to carry the church back, both in its doctrines and its practices, to the incorrupt simplicity of the apostolic times. . We deny against the papists (Philipsburg, NJ: Presbyterian & Reformed, 1994, vol 2 p. 100). There are a number of reasons, however, for confessional Reformed and Presbyterian churches to be ambivalent about the Christmas holiday. Good, The Origin of the Reformed Church in Germany (Reading, PA: Daniel Miller, 1887), 449. It does seem very odd (and disrespectful) to me how many speak of baby Jesus at times. If I lived in Greece I would happily celebrate the incarnation on Jan 7th 2016, as they do. The old heathens of the Empire were very loath to abandon their voluptuous and flesh-pleasing system for one which offered so little in return to gratify their appetite for display and self-indulgence. Women of the Church Pictures. Lalthlamuana. It is not the Covenanters that have changed. In Geneva, in the 16th century, Calvin observed Christmas reluctantly. It shows how all of Scripture is one big story of God calling his people back to him. You can set your address, phone number, email and site description in the settings tab.Link to read me page with more information. Currently we are holding Sunday … We do not acknowledge the authority of its appointment. M.E. ⛪️. 99. The term is applied to both a season and a day. As Allen C. Meyers adds, “In Alexandria and the Eastern churches the event was originally celebrated on January 6 in connection with the Feast of the Epiphany honoring Jesus’ baptism; some branches of the Eastern church still hold to this date.” David Jeffrey notes that in the second-century Irenaeus does not mention any Christian celebration of Christ’s nativity. Now this is eternal life: … The Christmas season is nearing its climax. In the Greek church it is celebrated on the 6th day of January, and we see no reason for supposing that this is no as near the mark as the 25th of December. The Anglicans embraced it too. In the build-up to the announcement of Christmas ‘bubbles’, more than one newspaper headline declared ‘Two weeks to save Christmas’! Some have called these the “evangelical feast days.” The Church Order of Dort (1619) ordered: 63. . To God be the Glory forever. The Reformed Presbyterian Church of Ireland is a Presbyterian church in Ireland.The church currently has forty-three congregations, of which thirty-five are located in Northern Ireland; the remaining eight are located in the Republic of Ireland. The Christmas Eve Candlelight Service for this afternoon has been cancelled. In the place of the few and simple rites of the apostolic times, august and imposing ceremonies were multiplied. “My Soul in Stillness Waits” was sung as the opening hymn of every service during the Advent series from Hope Christian Reformed Church, Thunder Bay, Ontario (see p. 3). I should have checked the Decades. Wishing you a a Blithe Yule and a Guid New Year, Robert M Walker I say this for the following reasons: 1. I should also have read the Second Helvetic more carefully. The Christmas Eve Candlelight Service for this afternoon has been cancelled. (Second Decade, Sermon IV; Vol.1, p. 260 in the Parker Society Edition.). Saturnalia was abhorrent to Christians until around 300 A.D. when the Roman Church endeavoured to change the pagan festival into a Christian one claiming that it was to mark the birth of Christ, albeit he was not born on 25th December. … [W]e should realize that we Covenanters, in opposing the observance of Easter and other “holy” days, are only holding to the original principle which was once held by all Presbyterians everywhere. So it was with Christmas. This doesn’t seem like something out of great conviction, at least initially. See reviews, photos, directions, phone numbers and more for the best Reformed Presbyterian Churches in Christmas, FL. Reformed Presbyterian Churches in Christmas on YP.com. He did not authorize them to add to—or to take from—what he had commanded. SERMONS. The old Romans, at the end of their Saturnalia, which began on the 19th of December, had been in the habit of celebrating on the 25th of that month, their feast in honor of the birth of Sol. That “Sun of Righteousness” was the Roman emperor. Separating themselves from the Roman Catholic Church practices, Protestant Reformation leaders were generally critical of the existing “feast and saint days” of the Catholic Church. Thanks for all your insightful, challenging and informative articles. Although, therefore, if the precise day was known, we might assent perhaps to the propriety of bestowing some special notice upon it, we cannot now see the propriety even of celebrating our Lordâs birth on one day more than on another. But the inspired historian, in introducing the account of our Lordâs birth, approaches no nearer to a designation of the time than thisâ"And it came to pass in those days," &c. Luke 2:1. On 101.5 WORD-FM Christmas Behind the Scenes A two-part interview with Dr Jonathan Watt discussing the historical, theological, geographical and linguistic aspects of Christmas. As nearly as can be now ascertained, the day was first set apart for this purpose by the authority of the bishop at Rome, toward the close of the fourth century, or early in the fifth. Here in Georgia, a local radio personality and political blogger, Erick Erickson, who is a PCAer and student at RTS Atlanta, says he researched the date and found it to be based on the rabbinic tradition that a prophet always dies on the day of his conception; so if Jesus died on March 25, that would put his birth on December 25. Nothing Has Changed. It was foisted in among the observances of religion, along with many other things, for which there can be imagined no reason but a willingness to make a compromise with heathenism. The origin of Christmas seems to lie in the pagan festival of Saturnalia which in turn goes back to the supposed birth date of Tammuz (Ezek. This is the name of the day on which is wont to be celebrated the idolatrous Romish sacrifice of the mass, in honor of the birth of Christ. The unpretending garb of the first preachers was laid aside for splendid priestly robes, and every imaginable occasion was seized upon for pomps, processions and festivals. Personally, the regulative principle is at war with my Midwestern upbringing (a midst the Germans, Czechs, and later, the Dutch). Reformed Presbyterian Church in North America; What is Presbyterian church government? That is a dangerous path to travel in, and the true wisdom is to keep out of it altogether. All but one of the songs in this issue were included as part of service plans outlined in this issue of Reformed Worship. This Christmas Eve service tells the story of God’s salvation plan from the Garden of Eden to Jesus’ resurrection. Holy days have to do with the first Table of the Law and belong to God alone. The context, however, of the church order was a decades long and largely unsuccessful attempt by the ministers to move the laity toward a more thorough Reformation. To make the transition yet easier for the people, many of the principal festivals were appointed for the very days on which they had been accustomed to celebrate the festivals of the old religion, and were directed to be kept with the same observances. Special Prayer: Rev. 67. Improve this answer. http://www.reformation21.org/blog/2014/12/a-tale-of-christmas-kirk-and-k.php. If we once begin to burden the church with observances not divinely appointed, we open a door to universal license, and no man can tell what the end will be. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! E.g., One searches Witsius’ or Turretin’s works in vain for references to Christmas or the celebration of Christ’s nativity. Sermon: Rev. Related to this, I read about a year ago how strongly Scottish Presbyterians became of Christmas ONCE THEY WERE TOLD THEY HAD TO CELEBRATE IT from an ENGLISH KING. Many Christians, especially those with roots in Northern Europe, have Christmas trees in the their homes and sometimes in church buildings. I guess the question comes down to how much liberty we have to imitate (or not) Christ and/or the puritans. Telling God's Story. 8/14) the sun-god. . Christmas, Idolatrous Holiday, An Article From the Reformed Presbyterian Magazine by Evangelist (Free Reformed MP3) Pastor Greg L. Price Reviews and … First... Read more. J. I. WELCOME. Many of the … Christmas Pictures. It never crosses Turretin’s mind to say it is wrong or even unprofitable to observe a festival. For some it is a joyous time to remember the incarnation and birth of Christ our Lord. But the truth is, that no one knows, and no honest man pretends to know on what day that event transpired. Isn’t a possible explanation for the lack of a defense for Christmas is that no one was mounting significant opposition to it? . . As of 2011, its total communicant membership is 1,952. In this we have moved away from the older Reformed practice in Scotland, but we do so not because of some biblical obligation to keep a fairly arbitrary date but because of this evangelistic opportunity presented by the date in question. August 14, 2015 James Dodson. If our judgment of propriety is to be the rule, rather than the Scriptures, there is no safety. We have seen a very labored and arrogantly learned effort to prove that Christmas is the veritable day of his birth. Receive notifications of new HB posts by email. I can understand how easy it is to just never question these holy days, but for the life of me I cannot grasp how people are unable to see the issues when they are pointed out. Advent “Advent” means “coming” or “arrival.” During the season of Advent, we celebrate Christ’s coming into the world and watch with expectant hope for his coming again. Those of the Reformed tradition, however, who embraced the regulative principle and who largely shed the medieval church calendar, were much less receptive to Christmas. But as Protestants, we long ago abjured the authority of the Pope of Rome, and we still utterly repudiate his right to legislate for us, either over our consciences or our conduct. And this, we suspect, leads to the true doctrine on this subjectâthat Christians ought to celebrate the unspeakable gift of God every day in the year. Archives. On 101.5 WORD-FM Christmas Behind the Scenes A two-part interview with Dr Jonathan Watt discussing the historical, theological, geographical and linguistic aspects of Christmas. Maybe a starting point is to ask people, when they pronounce the holiday as, “chriss-muss” to honor the word and pronounce it, “Christ Mass”. 1 Thess. Got that? Adrian Keister Adrian Keister. In the meantime, we confess that the remembrance of saints, at a suitable time and place, is to be profitably commended to the people in sermons, and the holy examples of the saints set forth to be imitated by all. Since in most cities and Provinces of the Netherlands, besides these the days. The latter occurs on the 25th of December, the anniversary of the day on which, according to the general belief, our Saviour was born. So I was listening to Michael Medved’s yearly history program on Christmas in the US, and I noticed he said the Dutch brought its celebration to a certain part of the country (I think he said New York). In a word, by compromising the matter, and carrying the gospel at least half-way in the work of conformation, to meet the reluctant idolaters. It marks the formal beginning of the Christmas shopping season. That most salutary principle of the Reformation, which has been named, is a sufficient objection. The following reasons may be assigned for its not being religiously observed by Protestants: 1. Christmas time brings opportunity to re-connect with family and to reflect on the wonder of the incarnation but the historical and ethical problems create unavoidable ambiguities. It is not easy to find European Reformed theologians or churches offering a defense of the celebration of Christmas. Yes, indeedâbut it will not do for us to multiply observances merely because they seem proper. He complained in a 1551 sermon, “But if you think that Jesus Christ was born today, you are as crazed as wild beasts. The great irony of children’s literature is that the simplest stories often convey the most complex ideas. Chairman: Rev. The Reformed tradition is at least mixed on the observance of Christmas and the other evangelical feasts. The congregations shall observe, in addition to Sunday, also Christmas, Easter and Pentecost, with the following days. Christian churches swelled into vast and magnificent temples. And I believe that they … Presbyterian And Reformed Ambivalence About Christmas The Christmas season is nearing its climax. Thanks for this post. The tradition of associating his birth with 25 December dates the 4th century. s.v., “Christmas,” in F. L. Cross and Elizabeth A. Livingstone, eds., The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church (Oxford; New York: Oxford University Press, 2005), 338. I am so thankful for the active obedience of Christ! on December 23, 2020. Businessmen do not call it “Black Friday” without reason. If it is acceptable to proclaim the incarnation on any Lord’s Day, then to do so on this Lord’s day cannot be wrong in itself. We preach the Gospel – it is supremely an evangelistic opportunity. This was the day fixed upon for the Christian feast in honor of the birth of Christ; and that the change might not appear material, the practice was retained of adorning the churches with boughs of evergreen, and of making Christmas, in connection with religious worship, a day of special hilarity; and so it has come down to the present timeâfun, folic, evergreens and all!âEvangelist. We are a church within the Associate Reformed Presbyterian denomination. It was his design that the day on which Jesus rose from the dead, should be observed as the Christian Sabbath, and we are therefore particularly informed that that event transpired on the first day of the week. Personally, I don’t find anything wrong with observing Christmas in a secular way and not tying special religious observances to it. Website Scripture Pictures. Welcome to the web page for Mint Hill Presbyterian Church located at 8528 Brief Road, Mint Hill, NC. I’ve experienced it on a personal level within my family. He was visibly upset by my mother’s rejection of the idea. The Reformed Churches of New Zealand are one of the few Reformed churches internationally to subscribe to both the Three Forms of Unity (common among Reformed churches with origins in the European continent, especially the Netherlands) and the Westminster Confession of Faith (common among Reformed or Presbyterian churches with origins in the British Isles). I’m currently a member of Covenant Presbyterian Church Fort Worth (OPC) opcfw.com . But it is still urged, with a show of more than ordinary piety, "It seems so very proper to celebrate the birth of our bless Saviour." The First Book of Discipline (1560) rejected Christmas as superstitious and “invented, and imposed on the consciences of men, by laws, councils, and constitutions, without the express command of God’s word” The Directory of Publick Worship (1644), adopted by the Westminster Assembly even before the confession and catechisms were completed, declared, “Festival days, vulgarly called holy-days, having no warrant in the Word of God, are not to be continued.” Remember, the Assembly was composed of Anglicans, Presbyterians, and congregationalists (independents). I will acknowledge that there is a huge emotional attachment to the celebration of Christmas. Of course, we all struggle with the commercialization and sentimentalizing of the holiday. When Jesus sent his apostles forth, he commanded them to teach converts to observe all things that he had commanded (Matt. 3:13 In the 15 December 1994 StandardBearer,the denominationalmagazine of the Protestant but we do not approve of feasts instituted for men and for saints. Isaiah 7:14Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. ️⛪ Other reformers, … It is also edifying, wherever the circumstances of the churches allow, that the same be done on Easter, Pentecost and Christmas. I’ve revised the post accordingly. It makes me feel like I’m not completely alone on the island. This date was prob. 2. The people liked the popular festivals and they liked organs in worship. The facts were simply these. . I’m also distinctly a Reformed Presbyterian. [from the THE REFORMED PRESBYTERIAN MAGAZINE, January, 1851.] Under such auspices the work of emendation advanced rapidly. First, there is no evidence that our Lord was born this time of year. An electronic search in English and Latin of a wide range of Reformed writers from the 16th and 17th centuries turns up no obvious defenses. [W]e should realize that we Covenanters, in opposing the observance of Easter and other “holy” days, are only holding to the original principle which was once held by all Presbyterians everywhere. But it is sometimes asked, What possible objection can there be to the religious observance of Christmas? The unbiblical emphasis on Jesus as an infant is what struck me; back then it did not seem like a Christian thing to observe, but it definitely seemed like a Roman Catholic thing. As the shopping ebbs and the work schedule slows a bit (for some anyway—remember in your prayers your local police and firefighters as this can be a difficult time for them) it gives us opportunity to think a bit about what we are doing and why. The observance of Christmas is really a medieval development and, as we know it, it is largely a Victorian creature driven by economics more than theology or history. Sure, someone may have brought it up, but not with the same vehemence and influence as you would find in England or Scotland.
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