I’ve been rethinking Christmas lately. To me, Christmas is about two different things: a season and historical event.

To me, the season is about the lights, the warm fires, the family, the friends, and the decorations. This is what I get excited about starting on the evening of Thanksgiving. It’s what I get depressed about the day after New Year’s Day. This is what is in part being attacked by secular America.

The event is about the one-time event of a God becoming a human. This can’t really be attacked. Well, I guess some people can attack it, but it can’t taken away by secular America. I mean, when we read about Christmas being removed from the culture, it’s really not about denying that a savior was sent to Earth and born of a virgin. It’s about “Christianity” in the culture. Shoppers at a mall don’t get offended by Jesus being born so much as they get offended by seeing a nativity scene or Christmas tree.

I look forward to the season of Christmas annually. I hate to see it go when the new year rolls around. However, I accept my separation from that season through the rest of the year.

The arrival of God into his “earth suit” is a historical event. It happened one time – just like the resurrection – just like the arrival of the Holy Spirit. This shouldn’t be celebrated. It should be known, accepted, and honored continuously. I try to do this throughout the year.

I fully expect that the secular world will kill a larger part of the season of Christmas in the years ahead. That part will be the iconography that associates the season with Christianity (I believe culture despises Christians and Christianity more than Jesus Christ). “Merry Christmas” is becoming “Happy Holidays”. Christmas trees and decorations are being removed from public places. I accept that it will one day be gone. But culture can’t remove a historical event from taking place.

The major “rethinking” that I’ve been doing has been inspired by the “incarnation of Jesus” messages I’ve been hearing from David and at the Blossomwood Journey Group. Last week at the most recent Blossomwood Journey Group, I almost joined Jeff in the floor after David mentioned that Jesus was in one form up until his birth (actually, wouldn’t it be up until the conception?) but now is in a new form now (a human body) – and will be for eternity.

Timeline:

<– Jesus as spirit – eternity backwards – Jesus in earth suit – eternity forwards –>

That’s mind blowing. I never really looked at it that way. I guess moreso than “rethinking Christmas”, I’m rethinking the present state of Jesus.

Is it correct to say that Jesus is right now not in a spiritual state, but inhabiting a carbon-based glorified human body? That’s what I’m rethinking.

Aside: Jesus is in a glorified human form. This is by God’s design. What does this say about the human body, human life and it’s preservation. How can we accept abortion or the death penalty?

Thought: Why don’t we celebrate the arrival of the Holy Spirit like we celebrate the arrival of Jesus?

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Eric Atkins (ericatkins.com)
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“Why don’t we celebrate the arrival of the Holy Spirit like we celebrate the arrival of Jesus?”

Great question, Eric.

Answer: for the most part, the church has historically celebrated it on Pentecost Sunday.

It’s the contemporary, non-charismatic churches that are embarrassingly silent. Strange that many churches celebrate July 4th or even Veterans Day (huh?!?) and ignore Pentecost Sunday.

Bob Pratico
Fides Quaerens Intellectum

Bob Pratico
Fides Quaerens Intellectum
(my Sojourn blog)