"PENTECOST AND OTHER FORGOTTEN HOLIDAYS," OR "ANOTHER BLOG ON THE FESTIVAL OBSERVING DEBATE"

"Pentecost" by Emil Nolde

 

My goal is to have blogs prepared in advance so they can be automatically be posted at 6am ET  on Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday. For about a month, any blog was few and far between. The last week, including today, I am writing the blog on the scheduled days and immediately posting it. (Tuesday, I'll have a blog prepared to post; let's see how long I can keep that going!)

Actually, I did plan on writing it yesterday, but I couldn't think what I wanted to write about! After all, I set aside Sundays usually for something more theological, and my mind went blank. But then I woke up this morning, and realized: IT'S PENTECOST SUNDAY! And I forgot all about it! 😭

Not making excuses, but I have a lot of help in not remembering. It's not on calendars. There's no Pentecost sales. Nobody mentioned it at church. Once, I commented that the church I attended never celebrates Pentecost, and I was answered, "We celebrate Pentecost every Sunday. Uh, sorry, but if you celebrate somehing every week, you're not really celebrating it any week. I can also make the same case for Reformation Day or All Saints Day. 

There is debate on whether Christians should celebrate any days, quoting Galatians 4:10-11 in light of turning back to the bondage of the law: "You observe days and months and seasons and years. I am afraid for you, lest I have labored for you in vain." (All Scriptures are NKJV) One big difference: Paul is warning against Gentiles feeling obligated to celebrate Jewish holidays. Is there anything condemning Christians choosing to celebrate a holiday to remember something like Pentecost or Reformation Day, or Easter or Lent or Advent or Christmas for that matter? Allow me to give you a pair of Scripture passages, and decide if us having freedom in that area is consistent with the teachings of the New Testament: 

1. "To the pure all things are pure, but to the defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure, but even their mind and conscience are defiled." Titus 1:15
2. "Who are you to judge another's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand. One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind. He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord; and he who does not observe the day, to the Lorde he does not observe it. He who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks; and he who does not eat, to the Lord he does not eat, and gives God thanks." Romans 14:4-6

In case you haven't figured it out, the best way to remember something is to do it. In his book "24/6: A Prescription for a Healthier, Happier Life," he mentions that the fourth commandment starts with the word "Remember." We're commanded to observe a weekly Sabbath, and Sleeth points out that we forgot. Now, he's not focused on whether we observe it on the first or seventh day, but rather that we set apart (i.e. sanctify) one day to rest. 

So if somebody wants to help me remember Pentecost or Reformation Day or All Saints Day (and for me, I'd interpret All Saints to include all Christians, not just the ones canonized by the Catholic Church), please do! I'd like company.

And happy Pentecost!

HOLY DAYS, HOLIDAYS, AND HOLLOW DAYS , AND HOW DO WE FOCUS ON THE FORMER?

 

Cedars of Lebanon State Park, Lebanon, TN

A couple of days ago, Becky expressed her sadness about not taking the time to go to a Veteran's Day service.  That got my attention. I had the day off from work, because this year it fell on a Saturday. Maybe part of it is that Becky's father was a veteran. Neither my father nor my paternal grandfather were (I have no idea about my maternal grandfather). 

This blog is being posted on Thanksgiving Day, 2023. You can say the same thing. It seems the day has morphed from Thanksgiving to Turkey Day. It used to be a day when all the stores were closed; now, several are open for pre-Black-Friday deals. :'( I think the day should be a little more, uh, sanctified (set apart), but is my heart focusing on giving thanks any more than any other day? Or am I too excited to turn on the TV for the big sports event of the day: America's Dog Show on NBC?

Allow me to use that introduction to suggest that our special days can fall into three categories: holy days, holidays, and hollow days. And I also want to make it plain that each have their place. Let me take them in reverse order:

1. Hollow Days. Someone I know used that term for what they considered pagan holidays (e.g. Christmas, Easter), to reflect the emptiness. Let me look on the concept more positively - there are days we need to be off from work, have a cook-out with friends, and watch a fireworks show after dark. (What I've just described can be how we celebrate Memorial Day, Independence Day, or Labor Day.) Anything wrong with that? Nope. We need time to rest. 
2. Holidays. These days are ones we celebrate via traditions. We wear green on St. Patrick's Day. We eat turkey and watch football (or in my case, the dog show) on Thanksgiving. We dress up for Halloween. We decorate a tree and deck the halls for Christmas. And we wait with apprehension to see if Punxsutawney Phil will see his shadow. Each are fun events that occur once a year that make the day stand out from a day off. In the past (not true now) I would have that mentality for the Oscar's, the baseball All-Star game, and the then-annual showing on CBS of "The Wizard of Oz." None of them change the world, but it gives the year a little variety. 
3. Holy Days. Holy means set apart, and a holy day is set apart. There is a solemnity to that day, like the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) in the Bible. We could have that sanctified approach to major holidays we have off (Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving, Memorial Day for families where a member made the ultimate sacrifice) or days that are special to us. In my case, this would include Reformation Day, All Saints Day, World CEF Prayer Day, International Day of Prayer For The Persecuted Church, and World Refugee Day. 

Confession time. These days I mentioned usually are just a normal day. I want that to change. Reformation Day and All Saints Day are ones that currently are something I quietly acknowledge, but I really want to celebrate it with others! True, it might be overdoing it to have a Reformation Day party one day and follow it up with an All Saints Day party 24 hours later. But you get the idea.

Can I summarize? We need days to rest. We need days to have fun and break up the routine. And we need days to reflect.

DOES CHRISTIAN LIBERTY EXTEND TO SIN ISSUES AND DOCTRINAL DISPUTES? - A STUDY ON ROMANS 14, PART 5 OF 11

 

Squirrel at our house; nice pose, huh?

 Are there limits to Christian liberty as in Romans 14? If there are, are they based on solid Biblical teaching, or are they excuses to silence those who disagree with us?

Romans 14 gives two examples of where Christian Liberty applies in verses two through six: eating meat or not, and observing certain days or not. I will look at those aspects, but let me first deal with possible limits.

I had a friend who believed we have freedom in those area, but only those two areas: that if an issue isn't given freedom, there isn't any. I find that contrary to Scripture as a whole. Most would agree that food and day-observance were merely examples that extends to other issues. However, I've heard two areas where this freedom does not apply. One is if we're talking about sin, and the other is doctrine.  

Do I believe that Romans 14 extends to behavior the Bible attends as sin? God forbid! If the Bible says an activity is wrong in the sight of God, then it's wrong. A change in opinion or polls doesn't change that. The same is true with doctrine: Christian Liberty doesn't allow for teaching works salvation or denying the Deity of Christ.

Yet, those Paul who was writing to DID consider eating meat to be a sin issue. Likewise, those WOULD identify day-observance as a doctrinal matter.

Needless to say, some who set up the limits are interested in excluding behaviors they consider wrong. Some would say it's a sin to listen to rock, so they justify condemning Christian rock music. There are Calvinists who have concluded they figured things out theologically, and anybody who falls short of their standard is an Arminian and thus teaching a false Gospel.  

It is true that many Christians want to unite from those they should be divided from. Yet, it's no less dangerous to divide from those we should be united with. Those who want to divide may believe they're seeking truth, but they have an appearance of wanting to shorten the list of those they're called to love and have been taken captive by pride.

A careful look at the two examples in Romans 14 show Christian Liberty is expanded beyond where we may think. For example, 1 Corinthians 8-10 deals with eating meat sacrificed to idols. After all, the pagan's "gods" don't have much of an appetite when they're offered food, so then it goes to the discount aisle of Main Street Grocery Store. Some avoid eating any meat because they don't want to take a chance of eating food offered to idols and thus taking part of idolatry; others don't care where the meat came from and like the good price.

I naturally assume that Romans 14 deals with the same issue, but in studying this chapter, I've realized this issue is not specified here. Yes, it is logical to consider that the above issue is covered in Romans 14, but it isn't limited to it.

Moving to verses 5-6 which talks about observing days: At first, I assumed it was important festival days from the Old Testament such as Passover. Then, looking at the wording, I came to believe that it's referring to the Sabbath. Reason? It refers to day in the singular; if it's referring to the holy days, it would be in the plural. Also, it is the more radical suggestion to the Jewish mind.

However, David Stern in the Jewish New Testament Commentary made a valid point: We automatically assume that "the day" that is esteemed is connected with Judaism. But it doesn't say which day, meaning it could be any day - Jewish feast day, Christian calendar event, or the Academy Awards. He's not saying that it doesn't apply to the Passover or the Sabbath, but that it's not limited to them.

The focus of this chapter is that we need to receive one another, and we too often look for a good alibi to exclude others.

Are there any areas where you are quick to exclude other Christians that probably shouldn't be excluded? How about ways you try to reach out to others and showing liberty and tolerance?

LABOR DAY - MAYBE THE MOST NEGLECTED HOLIDAY OF THE YEAR?

Herdsmen with Cows by Aelbert Cuyp

Let me start by sharing one story that always made my skin to boil. A stewardess in first class was asking a couple if they needed anything. The lady didn't respond. The stewardess asked again. The man turned to her and informed the stewardess, "She doesn't talk to the hired help."

It's obvious when you read through Scripture that God cares about the "hired help." You may remember my blog dealing with the Sabbath. When God gave the fourth commandment, He made it clear it applied to the male and female slaves (and the animals as well) as those who were "free." 

This surprisingly (or not) leads me to Labor Day. How many of you know the history of this day? I do... because I looked it up on-line two days ago. It became a federal holiday on the first Monday of September when President Grover Cleveland signed it into law June 28, 1894. At that time 30 of the 44 states already were celebrating it, starting with Oregon in 1887. Technically, the law was for federal workers - there were strikes in the 1930's for other laborers to enjoy the day off.

Many holidays have often lost their true meaning. Many Christians mourn the commercialism of Christmas. For most people Memorial Day and Independence Day are a day off. Even Thanksgiving has become "Turkey Day" and includes warm-ups for the true holiday of the weekend, Black Friday. My hunch - Labor Day has lost its meaning more than any of the others I've mentioned.

Politically/Historically the Democrats have been the champions of Labor. I'm guessing most of my blog readers know enough history to remember Cleveland was a Democrat (I'm not sure how many of our population know who the 22nd/24th President was, and if so, they only know that he was the only one to serve non-consecutive terms). So was Congress when the holiday was introduced in Congress and signed into law. However, my guess is the ignorance of this holiday is held by both parties.

There are holidays that Christians debate whether they should be celebrated in church, including Mother's Day, Father's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Veteran's Day, and even Christmas, Good Friday, and Easter (and other church calendar holidays). Labor Day belongs on that list. I have never heard Labor Day mentioned in a church service.

But, in the scope of eternity, where does celebration of Labor Day rate? Not very high. However, how we treat workers - either those who we personally employ or those we benfit - IS important to God.

Today, my wife and I went to a zoo. No, the zoo workers didn't get a day off. But there were two that were raking a couple of pens, and I spoke to both of them and asked how they were doing. One appreciated it, the other seemed surprised I'd ask. To me, that's showing honor to others.

I started with a non-fiction story that angered me; let me close with a fiction story that inspired me. I won't mention the name so as not to spoil, but I saw an adaptation of one of Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot stories. In it, a pair of murders took place at a nightclub. Both times, one member of the party encouraged the band to start playing. The people at the table were focusing on the music, not on the murderer who filled their glasses like a good waiter, added something to one person's glass, and sticking an incriminating bottle into another's pocket. 

Well, actually, I skipped something. Poirot joined in the table at the second occurrence. After one person was carried out, he talked to the other guests (the same people were at both murders), he revealed that nobody noticed the killer behind, and stated that worked because people don't pay attention to the waiters, and then asked the killer if he noticed the person who just refilled his coffee. The killer turned and saw the person he thought he just poisoned. 

Ever since, when somebody refills my coffee or iced tea (they rarely refill my Jamocha shakes), I make it a point to thank them. Not primarily to make sure they don't add anything to my beverage, but because they deserve me to thank them.

WHICH TABLET DOES THE FOURTH COMMANDMENT BELONG ON?

 

At Arlington Avenue Baptist Church, Indianapolis, IN

 It fits nice and neat. The first four of the Ten Commandments are on the left tablet, reflecting on the Great Commandment to "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength." The final six are on the right tablet, dealing with the second commandment like unto the first, "Love your neighbor as yourself."

Of course, this reflects the Protestant view of the Ten Commandments. To the Jew, the first commandment is "I am the Lord your God who brought you out of the house of bondage," and the second commandment is a combination of what Protestants consider the first two. The Catholic mindset also combines "Thou shalt have no other gods before me" as a single commandment with "Thou shalt not make any graven images," and divides the commandment not to covet into two separate commandments. But, as you'd expect, I'll stick with the Protestant numbering of the commandments.

Allow me to give an alternative reason for why the first four commandments are on the left and the remaining ones on the right. It's because the longest commandments are the second, the fourth, and the tenth, and thus the halfway point is after the fourth.

You might think it's practical, but not as catchy. If you're awake, you might wonder if there's another reason why I don't quickly affirm that one tablet represents loving God and the other loving one another. There is.

My question is about the fourth Commandment, to remember the Sabbath Day and keep it holy. If the command was about congregating for corporate worship, as both those who worship on Sunday and those who think the Biblical Sabbath has always been Saturday take it. However, I notice nothing about corporate worship or even personal worship in that commandment. It says to take it easy and rest.

Another related issue is why God focused in the law of observing one specific day of the week. Is it because there is something sacred about the Sabbath? Or is it more about making the Law enforceable? Breaking the other commandments (except possibly for coveting) are observable. How can we know for sure if a person is resting one day out of seven? Simple. Everybody else is resting on that day, so the one breaking the Sabbath stands out.

Related to that issue: I believe those who believe Saturday is the appointed Sabbath Day have a stronger case than those who believe Sunday is the new Sabbath. True, the tradition of Christians worshiping on Sunday goes back to the days of Acts (see Acts 20:7 and 1 Corinthians 16:2), but there is no commandment. But I do see a view I consider to have solid Biblical evidence as well, which is that in Romans 14:5, 6, which is esteeming every day alike. Every day is the Lord's day. The important thing is not the day on which you rest as long as you follow the principle of working six days and resting the seventh.

So is the fourth commandment about loving God? In the sense that resting one day is confidence in Him providing for you rather than trusting in your non-stop labor, I agree. But I think there are two other reasons to observe this commandment.

The first is that this is the one commandment that directly benefits us. The other commandments have an indirect benefit to us, that we are blessed not in the keeping of the commandment but as a result of obedience. This commandment is given for us to take care of ourselves.

The other would lead me to think that this commandment belongs with the following half dozen in being about loving one another. You see, the commandment doesn't stop with us resting. It extends to our servants, both the two legged and four legged varieties. We are to let them rest as well. We are to watch out for others.

Several years ago, my wife Becky wondered if we should eat out on Sundays. On one hand, I see that going to a restaurant allows her to rest instead of fixing lunch. But her concern was to the workers, and not thinking it was right for them to eat for us. It took a while for Mr. Thick Head to get that. 

Is remembering to rest one day a week something that is hard to do? What can you do to help others rest as well?