Condemning Lent with an Elephant in the room
- Thread starter NaphtaliPress
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Is this not attaching something or someone to idolatry?aaah but Lent is more about giving stuff up. Christmas and Easter is well….Christmas and Easter brother
C. M. Sheffield
Puritan Board Graduate
Just so we avoid imagining this to be a recent issue among Reformed churches...
There is at least some historical precedent for observing Christmas and Easter in the Reformed tradition, while there is no precedent for observing something like Lent. Not arguing for the observance of Christmas and Easter, just pointing it out.
“If in Christian liberty the churches religiously celebrate the memory of the Lord’s nativity, circumcision, passion, resurrection, and of his ascension into heaven, and the sending of the Holy Spirit upon his disciples, we approve of it highly.”—Second Helvetic Confession, 1562
“The congregations shall observe, in addition to Sunday, also Christmas, Easter and Pentecost, with the following days. Since in most cities and Provinces of the Netherlands, besides these the days of the Circumcision and Ascension of Christ are also observed, all ministers, wherever this is still the custom, shall put forth effort with the authorities that they may conform with the others.”—Church Order of Dordt, 1619
There is at least some historical precedent for observing Christmas and Easter in the Reformed tradition, while there is no precedent for observing something like Lent. Not arguing for the observance of Christmas and Easter, just pointing it out.
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Polanus1561
Puritan Board Junior
To be fair the meme says Presbyterians and not Reformed which would cast the net over the Dutch Reformed
I believe it was Spurgeon who once said (to paraphrase) let us preach on the birth of Christ in season while the minds of men are on it.. that makes logical sense to me.
As far as Christian liberty, we celebrate Christmas Eve and Day in our home but not corporately. Lent and Easter we do not at all. I particularly dislike Easter as it presupposes that every other Sabbath is not the Lord’s Day, as if every Lord’s Day does not proclaim the resurrection. It does have a function though in that it makes heathens think about Christ once a year though, and that can be of evangelical use.
As far as Christian liberty, we celebrate Christmas Eve and Day in our home but not corporately. Lent and Easter we do not at all. I particularly dislike Easter as it presupposes that every other Sabbath is not the Lord’s Day, as if every Lord’s Day does not proclaim the resurrection. It does have a function though in that it makes heathens think about Christ once a year though, and that can be of evangelical use.
earl40
Puritan Board Professor
The second "order" should have been enough for all to see the hypocrisy back then. I goes to show how we all have certain bias to some beliefs.
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