The Weekly Perspective
by Burke Shade, Associate Pastor
About this time every year some of your Christian friends will question your keeping of the “holidays,” maybe even referring to them as “Roman holy days,” hoping to make you feel queasy about enjoying the festivities. Or, they may say something negative about the “church calendar” or “church year” as something “man-made” or unbiblical.
So how do you respond, and cheerfully so?
Well, think biblically. Think Genesis! Start with chapter 1, where the Lord established the sun, moon, and stars to regulate seasons and times and to rule the day and night. Also, think Sabbath day, on which God rested, blessing the day and calling it holy. And then think about all the festivals God gave the Israelites, festivals of rejoicing and feasting and singing and making merry. Also think about how all those festivals started on new moons, or certain days of the month, and lasted several days or a week plus one day, all governed by the sun and moon from Genesis chapter 1.
But even better, think about and go to Leviticus 23, where the Lord summarizes all the appointed festivals he’s given Israel, establishing a “church year” or “church calendar” for his people’s worship and enjoyment. After mentioning the weekly Sabbath, we have the whole list: Passover (Easter), Feast of First Fruits, Feast of Weeks (Pentecost), Feast of Trumpets, Day of Atonement, and finally, Feast of Booths. All were feasts except the one day of fasting for the Day of Atonement!
But your friend may quip, “those were all for Israel; we’re not Jews!”
At that point, just smile and say, “Meditate a little on 1 Peter 2:9-10, and how the Apostle Peter applies those words to the early Christian church. And then take me to Starbucks and we’ll talk some more!”