It's Not Wrong to Miss Good Friday Service & Watch #MarchMadness Basketball Instead

Years ago, holidays (holy-days) stressed me out spiritually. I felt a burden, a duty to make the day "really spiritual." Extra devotions. Extra prayer. Extra Bible reading. Extra spiritual activities. Extra church attendance.

I had to make Easter (Resurrection Sunday) be especially about the resurrection, and especially not about candy and chocolate. I had to make Christmas Eve and Christmas Day be especially about Christ's birth, and especially not about presents, stockings, lounging in pajamas, and an obese elf.

I felt heavy guilt if it wasn't extra-spiritual, more spiritual than any other day.

Then one year it hit me: God did not give the church holy-days. There isn't anything more holy about Good Friday, Easter Sunday or Christmas Eve/Day. They are just days. 

That truth gave me great peace. My righteousness was not found in extra-righteous performance and activity on holi-days. Rather, full and complete righteousness is given to me by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. He was born for me, died for me, rose for me. And his righteousness is mine by faith, from first to last. I'm not called to love that more one day than another, but to savor that every day. (In fact, that's what this song is about!)

In God's book, Christmas Day does not exist. (So, don't argue about it!)

In "In Defense of 'Happy Holidays,'" Mike McKinley, author of Am I Really a Christian and Church-Planting is for Wimps, offers five reasons that Christians should not be offended when the store-clerk says, "Happy Holidays," instead of "Merry Christmas."

I agree with Mike. I used to have the "culture wars" mindset that wanted to "take-back" Christmas. Two realizations helped me:

(1) The Bible says nothing about Christians having "holy days" (holi-days?). Rather, we live in the new Sabbath every day by faith.

Hebrews 4:9-10 So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, for whoever has entered God's rest has also rested from his works as God did from his.

In Romans 14, Paul says the weak acknowledge that one day is more holy than another. Here's an excerpt:

As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions. One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him. Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand. One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind.

Christians should neither condemn nor quarrel with those believers who do celebrate a "Christmas Day" or those who don't. Let each recognize or not recognize days by faith.

God has not given the church "holy days." Yes, in God's book, Christmas Day does not exist. (Oops...did I just blog that out-loud?) 

Since this is true, I'm free to do whatever I want with December 24/25. I can celebrate the incarnation in a special way with my local church (which I do every year-and happily!), or I can use the "season" to teach my kids about how God fulfills his promises (which I do every year), or I can watch football by myself (no comment), or I can go about my normal work routine. So long as I'm living by faith in the completed work of Christ, faith working itself out in love, I'm free to do as I please.

(2) God does not call us to call our culture and country to recognize such "holy days." If God's people (believers in Jesus) are not required to recognize such days--why would we require it of civil governments, secular cultures, and unbelievers? Furthermore, if Christians are not to quarrel with each other over such days, why quarrel with the world over them?

We are to call people to believe in the Messiah, Jesus, who died for sins and rose from the dead to deliver all who believe in him from the reign of sin, death and the devil. 

That Gospel, in itself, is offensive enough. There is no need to furrow your brow, get snotty and growl out an angry "Merry Christmas," to show the poor Target check-out girl that you know about "peace on earth, goodwill toward men."