Looking at the large tree and the many poinsettias in our sanctuary, it’s hard to believe that Presbyterians are relatively new to the celebration of Christmas. Some 400 years ago, our English Puritan forebears had grave misgivings about all things yule. Voicing the Puritan unease towards holiday frivolity and merriment, William Burton, a minister in Bristol, England, wrote in Certain Questions and Answers, concerning the knowledge of God…: “This time is appointed to the church to have the birth and nativity of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ kept in a holy, joyful and thankful remembrance; and not to be spent as though hell were broken loose in all manner of licentiousness.” I take that to mean Burton wouldn’t care much for the light display on Main Street. An observance of Jesus’ birth, Burton continued, “must be done in the fear of God, to the maintaining of holy love, to the relieving of the poor and needy, and to the glory and praise of the Son of God, Jesus Christ, in whom, by whom, and for whose sake, we enjoy all the blessings that we have.” I take that to mean we wouldn’t see Burton set down his eggnog to dash off to Target to purchase a few more stocking stuffers. Samuel Miller, one of the founding professors at Princeton Seminary, was dead-set against religious observances of Christmas. His reasoning was simple: since Scripture is the supreme authority for faith and life and since Scripture says nothing about celebrating Christmas, Christmas should not be celebrated. Indeed, Miller wrote in Presbyterianism, the truly Primitive and Apostolical Constitution of the Church of Christ, “We believe, and teach, in our public formularies, that there is no day … commanded to be kept holy, except the Lord’s day, which is the Christian Sabbath.” Just last century, our own General Assembly held that the observance of Christmas is “contrary to the principles of the Reformed faith, conducive to will-worship, and not in harmony with the simplicity of the gospel of Jesus Christ.” (Source: A Digest of the Acts and Proceedings of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the United States … G. F. Nicolassen. Richmond, VA: Presbyterian Committee of Publication, 1923.) Obviously, things have changed, and we have broadened our vision and expanded our views and embraced the larger ecumenical consensus regarding Christmas, as well as the ever-expanding American cultural commitment to Christmas. We’ll do later this month what our Presbyterian ancestors wouldn’t have imagined, gathering for worship on Christmas Eve to celebrate the birth of Jesus. That’s a good thing, I think. Fitting and appropriate and spiritually meaningful. ...
Thanks to this week's writer, John Wurster. Read the rest of the commentary at pres-outlook.org. | 
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