Christmas and The Church Calendar

If you knew me a decade ago, I was still coming out of a somewhat separatist, hyper-Calvi-Baptist mindset. For years, our family did not celebrate Christmas, although we recognized the incarnation all year. I would urge Christian friends to consider the roots of the traditions they practiced. I said so many things and held so many strange beliefs but if I'm honest the bottom of it was ignorance of church history and practice and some kind of legal spirit that would not let go of my conscience. ...So many things I wish I could take back and do over, especially for the sake of our girls who are now grown and developing their own customs.

Now there are many reasons I now participate in this holiday. The church has celebrated Advent and the Incarnation at this time of the year for generations, and

the church calendar is not new and it is not based on a pagan calendar year. If you follow our Prayer Book, the Anglican Book of Common Prayer the church calendar starts with Advent, builds all the way to Pentecost, then "Ordinary Time". The purpose is to take the Church through redemptive history, from the Promise of Christ's coming through His entire earthly ministry, to the coming of the Holy Spirit, to the outworking of the Gospel in the lives of God's people.

Nothing could be less "Pagan" than the liturgical calendar. It focuses us on our Savior, His work on our behalf, and all His saving benefits throughout the year.

So, as we celebrate Christmas this year, I again fix my gaze on Jesus: the promised seed of the woman in Genesis, the promised seed of Abraham, and the promised Son of David, who took on human flesh, to live a life of personal, perpetual, perfect obedience to the Father ***in. my. place.

Jesus didn't come into this world a full-grown man, climb up on the cross and die for our sins, only. First, He lived! He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, was born in a stable, and then lived a  righteous life so that His righteousness could become ours. Glory to God in the highest and thanks be to God for sending His one and only Son in love,  for us. 

May His peace rest upon you and your households today and always.

For more on the liturgical calendar listen to the White Horse Inn, here: https://whitehorseinn.org/resource-library/shows/the-church-calendar/

And for a Gospel Blessing, listen to John Fonville preach on the Advent Hymns of Scripture, here:

The Song of Elizabeth: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-song-of-elizabeth/id1217076353?i=1000589771866

The Song of Mary: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-song-of-mary/id1217076353?i=1000590552707

The Song of Zechariah: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-song-of-zechariah-the-benedictus/id1217076353?i=1000590553573

The Song of the Angels: https://www.paramountchurch.com/sermons/sermon/2017-12-24/the-song-of-the-angels

The Song of Simeon: https://podtail.com/da/podcast/proclaim-radio/s2-e5-the-song-of-simeon/