It’s Okay to Celebrate Christmas

“He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord…”

Romans 14:6

Dear Friends,

Because of the commercialism that often accompanies Christmas gift giving, some Christians are wondering if this practice has any Scriptural basis. Others have concerns because certain of our Christmas traditions such as the decorated tree, and mistletoe have roots in pagan festivals.

Are believers free to enjoy Christmas trees and all the brightly colored packages waiting to be opened early Christmas morning? While it’s true many of our traditions have been corrupted through commercialism, I don’t believe this alone is a good reason to eliminate the opportunity Christmas offers for generosity and focus on the humanity of the God-Man…Jesus Christ!

We also need to understand the fact that any pagan associations were lost long ago. For example – the names of the days of our week also had their origin in pagan beliefs. Saturday is from Saturnus, or the worship of Saturn. But when Saturday rolls around we don't think about it as Saturn's day, but as our day off! The same applies to the traditions of Christmas. Now, if someone observed the Christmas season with his or her ancient associations in mind, certainly it would be wrong. But many of these things, as with our use of the word “Sunday,” have been given Christian connotations.

Paul reminded us that if we “regard the day unto the Lord;” it can be a wonderful time of drawing closer to God. There’s no other time of year that allows us to so openly demonstrate our appreciation and love for God and others in tangible ways.

May God’s gift of His Son enrich your spirit during this joyous season and throughout the coming year.

In Christian Love,

Dr. Tim Pollock, Senior Pastor