Traditionally

 

 

Erasing the handwriting of the decrees against us, which was hostile to us, and has taken it away out of the midst, nailing it to the cross. 

Colossians 2: 14, Concordant New Testament 

The Christmas season is definitely one which is filled with tradition.  It seems that tradition dictates everything from who sends out which gifts to which gifts are opened and when.  Our family always held to the tradition of waiting until Christmas morning until the traditional gifts were opened.  As you might guess, little sleep was had that Christmas eve.  Another tradition which my family held to was to attend the annual traditional Christmas eve church service.  This is a tradition I continued to adhere to until recent years.  It was always enjoyable to hear the traditional Christmas worship songs as well as the telling of the REAL Christmas story, you know, the one without Jimmy Stewart on tv.  Of how Mary, not yet married or knowing her future husband Joseph, became aware that she would conceive the Savior of the world.  Of how the wise men from the East saw the star in the heavens and traveled great distance to worship Him.  Of how the Christ child, laying in a manger, received many visitors that night.  There are times when it is difficult to ascertain which is tradition and which is actual fact.  For those time I rely on the spoken word of the Lord.  But Christmas is definitely not the only time where we see tradition unfold in the mainstream church.  For by design, the church is full of tradition and rituals.  We have the tradition of holy communion, the tradition of the offering plate and the tradition of the opening prayer just to name a few.  Of course, over the course of time, these events have come to be accepted as necessary in any church service, but that was not always the case.  In the year 325, the first counsel of Nicaea enacted the statement of belief for mainstream Christianity.  We have, in essence, been given marching orders as to what we are to believe.  Sure, we are to believe in God and Jesus, but we need to toss in a few traditional requirements as well.  What I find interesting is how Jesus Himself viewed religious traditions of His day.  In His "Woes" to the Pharisees, Jesus condemns the religious leaders of His day for cherishing their religious rules above the Lords children {Luke 11:37-54}.  Let's ask ourselves, is it more important that we follow tradition...or Jesus?  

Yet the Lord said to him, "Now you Pharisees are cleansing the outside of the cup and the platter, yet your inside is brimming with rapacity and wickedness.  Imprudent ones!  Does not He who makes the outside also make the inside? 

Luke 11: 39, Concordant New Testament 

No, Jesus wasn't too big on religious traditions at all.  So, what do you think Jesus would say of a modern traditional Christmas eve service?  Imagine if He were to wander into one of the Christmas celebration services which we hold so dear (Well, He does just that anyway).  What would He say of those who value the tradition over His birth?  More than a few well meaning Christians might be offended at His reaction.  However, His reaction would be righteous and true.  The same as His reaction to the religious rules of the Pharisees.  Dare I say that the Christmas season should be less about performances and more about  thankfulness for the Lords giving of His Son in our place (Sorry, I'm jumping ahead to the Easter service now).  The erasing of the handwriting which was against us was the erasing of our sin debt {Col 2:14}.  Jesus took that debt upon Himself at the cross {2 Cor 5:21}.  I agree that we should indeed celebrate the birth of Christ Jesus, as our Lord and Savior.  For without Jesus we would indeed be lost.  I would also say that the Christmas season is not about gifts, Christmas choirs or fancy prayers.  What it IS about is knowing Jesus within us {Galatians 2:20}.  I suspect that more than a few well meaning believers will make their way into one Christmas eve service or another this season.  Then again, that's tradition. 

So no, I'm not too big on religion...and not very fond of politic or economics either...And why should I be?  They are the man-created trinity of terrors that ravages the earth and terrorizes those I care about.  What mental turmoil and anxiety does any human face that is not related to one of those three?  

William P Young ~ The Shack 

~Scott~