Historical and commercial reflections aside, the one argument for retaining Christmas and Easter that makes the most sense is the difficulty in answering simply the question, “what’s wrong with once a year calling attention to the birth and resurrection of Christ?” That question invites other questions: what’s wrong with observing once a year the announcement to the virgin Mary of her conception? And by what criteria do we decide which once-a-year observances are wrong?
To these questions the good Heidelberg Catechism has the answer. Divided into 52 Lord’s Days, most print versions break down the 129 questions and answers into units that Reformed pastors were expected to preach in the second Sunday service. Those were the same expectations that brought Christmas, Epiphany, Good Friday, Easter, and Pentecost into the Reformed church. For a second service with a catechetical sermon every Sunday in every Reformed church that observed Christmas and Easter, I might be prepared to swallow the Roman Catholic origins of the Christian “holidays.”
But I’m still holding out hope that catechetical preaching will make Christmas and Easter unnecessary.
First of all, Christmas and Easter are no more “Roman Catholic” than the formulation of the Trinity or the doctrine of penal satisfaction.
Secondly…
No why bother. There just isn’t enough ibuprofen in the world to try to follow Presbytribalist arguments.
“That question invites other questions: what’s wrong with observing once a year the announcement to the virgin Mary of her conception?”
Okay — I’ll bite — what IS wrong with it? Is it just that people we don’t like were doing it first?
An interesting example of a slippery slope argument where going down the slope doesn’t obviously hurt.
“But I’m still holding out hope that catechetical preaching will make Christmas and Easter unnecessary.”
I assume by “unnecessary” Dr. Hart refers to the celebrations.
OK, so they’re unnecessary. You go have a bah humbug December 25th and I’ll have my unnecessary celebration with goofy Christmas lights, presents for all the kids, and mimosas with my turkey over here on Christmas Day.