"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!

Pentecost and Other Holidays (or Holy Days or Hollow Days)

 

Pentecost by Emil Nolde

 

I got excited today. The pastor at our church mentioned today was Pentecost Sunday. If I remember correctly, the last time I heard Pentecost Sunday mentioned (other than my mentioning it) was 1959. Which, considering that was the year I was born, and Pentecost is in the spring while my birthday's not until fall...

In the Old Testament, God gave Israel seven holidays - or more accurately holy days - to observe (Lev. 23). An eighth one, Purim, is mentioned in Esther, though it is not commanded by God.

You can divide Christians in two groups. One group sees Christmas and Good Friday/Easter as the high points of the calendar, with some observing a time of preparation for those two days (Advent in the first case, Lent and Holy Week for the later). The other group points out neither holiday is commanded and delight in pointing out pagan connections to justify their non-observance. My mother-in-law referred to Christmas and Easter as hollow days.

Then, we can look at the issue through the extremes. Some can be ritualistic - I've heard of Christians judging those who are non-observant. Others take the cliche of celebrating the Resurrection and/or Pentecost every Sunday, though one can wonder if they are really celebrating either event any Sunday. 

Other questions arise in dealing with celebrating holidays is which ones should Christians observe. Should the Church recognize Passover and Day of Atonement and maybe even Pentecost as God commanded via Moses to Israel from Mount Sinai? As Christians, is it permissible to observe either church holidays like Lent, Advent, and All Saints Day or cultural holidays like Mothers' and Fathers' Day, Halloween, and Thanksgiving and patriotic celebrations like 4th of July and Veteran's Day? 

The answer needs to be Biblical, but allow me first to give a focus on two issues which I consider biblical: the autonomy of the local church and the Priesthood of the believer. What a local congregation does should be based on the decision of that congregation. Likewise, whether an individual chooses to observe (or not) a particular day is between him and God. 

I believe that conclusion is supported by Romans 14:5-6: "One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day the same. Let each be firmly convinced in their mind. He who observes the day observes it to the Lord, and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not esteem 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." In other words, both observance and non-observance are permissible when done to the Lord.

My favorite holiday is Thanksgiving, and I consider it a holy day. I would love to celebrate Reformation Day, All Saints Day - though I would define "saint" a little differently than a Catholic or Orthodox - and Pentecost regularly, when I think of them. Other holidays that often get overlooked (including by me) that can be observed to the glory of God include President's Day, Juneteenth, and Labor Day. And last but not least (or is it least but not last), there's Groundhog's Day.

Happy Pentecost, and let me close by asking: How do you observe your favorite holidays/Holy Days to the Lord?