Is it OK for our churches to have Christmas trees, bingo games, or Easter egg hunts?ts,

[Blik]

Do you think Christ established our churches to teach us about the Kingdom of God and does not want to teach anything about the kingdom of the world?

When Nebuchadnezzarii (ruler of ancient Babylonia) conquerored Judah to send Jews to Babylon to live as prisoners, they lived in a land very like our land today. The people looked to the stars and idols to quide them, as people do today. Instead of metal and stone idols, they use man made rules in self help books and psyciatry. Every newspaper today gives an article about what the stars say about people's star sign.

Gradually, the Jews accepted the ways of the pagans they lived among, as the Christians of today are accepting the pagan ways of the pagans we live among.

 

[Beckie]

Do you think Christ established our churches to teach us about the Kingdom of God and does not want to teach anything about the kingdom of the world?

When Nebuchadnezzarii (ruler of ancient Babylonia) conquerored Judah to send Jews to Babylon to live as prisoners, they lived in a land very like our land today. The people looked to the stars and idols to quide them, as people do today. Instead of metal and stone idols, they use man made rules in self help books and psyciatry. Every newspaper today gives an article about what the stars say about people's star sign.

Gradually, the Jews accepted the ways of the pagans they lived among, as the Christians of today are accepting the pagan ways of the pagans we live among.

The Jews of old found out when sin gets his nose in the tent it is often too late.
What Christians teach their kids at home my differ slightly from what is taught in the Churches. IMO Churches should teach Bible. I am not saying the things listed in the title are evil but they are of the world.

Jesus said Mat_6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
Rom 14:17 For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.

1Co 6:12 All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.

 

[Omegatime]

Do you think Christ established our churches to teach us about the Kingdom of God and does not want to teach anything about the kingdom of the world?

When Nebuchadnezzarii (ruler of ancient Babylonia) conquerored Judah to send Jews to Babylon to live as prisoners, they lived in a land very like our land today. The people looked to the stars and idols to quide them, as people do today. Instead of metal and stone idols, they use man made rules in self help books and psyciatry. Every newspaper today gives an article about what the stars say about people's star sign.

Gradually, the Jews accepted the ways of the pagans they lived among, as the Christians of today are accepting the pagan ways of the pagans we live among.

Is it OK for our churches to have Christmas trees, bingo games, or Easter egg hunts


IMO all the above you listed are sins and why Christians suffer sickness over time as the unrigteous do,, but does not effecct salvation

 

[Beckie]

Is it OK for our churches to have Christmas trees, bingo games, or Easter egg hunts


IMO all the above you listed are sins and why Christians suffer sickness over time as the unrigteous do,, but does not effecct salvation

how does sin not effect salvation?

 

[MsMediator]

Yes, it is fine. If you remove the social aspect from church, people are going to get the social part from elsewhere. These activities are not sinful.

 

[Blik]

Yes, it is fine. If you remove the social aspect from church, people are going to get the social part from elsewhere. These activities are not sinful.

Christmas trees, Easter eggs, and being guided by the stars instead of by the Lord has no place in our worship of God. At Christmas, we are to worship Christ, and putting up a pagan Christmas tree has no place in that worship.

At Easter, it is about Christ overcoming death for us, we go to church to praise Christ for what He has done, and not to use eggs to praise fertility.

The heavens are God's creation, they are beautiful but not created to serve as our guide, we are given the bible and the holy spirit for that.

As Christians, we are spiritually circumcised, we are marked as a separate people who follow Christ, not the social world. Our "social" direction is to love God first of all, and to love others.

 

[FollowingtheWay]

Those are really a minor theme to me I think overall. Does Your Church have a dress code or does the worlds clothing find its way in? The Church I attend does not have dress code, it’s come as you are. We have Christmas trees and I’ve even helped set them up among many other festive decorations that are nothing but helpful decorations to help lost souls find some familiarity to the church. We have a bunch of those lost or seeking come in once for a Easter or Christmas service annually and it may be the only time they hear about Jesus for the entire year. We serve coffee in the foyer and ever so often do cookies or cinnamon roll snacks 🤫 which the coffee is processed locally by a womens abuse outreach group ministry not officially a part of our Church organization. but the Church still preaches the resurrection on Easter Sunday service, no eggs 🫢.
A bigger question is how many Churches actually teach about entirety of the Kingdom of God and our position as saints as friends of Jesus as He taught it? There is a great omission of the great commission
“teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.””
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭28‬:‭20‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Interesting that Jesus rarely taught about sin management itself but rather holiness sanctification and learning to abide in Him. He definitely didn’t do programs, 5 points of Calvin or a gospel of tip and technique that so many get wrapped up into. 12 steps to a better marriage,4tips of being a better parent kind of thing which are the worlds ways of teaching His primary focus wasn’t on dutiful service but rather service as a way of true worship to the Father. Oddly his followers or the followers of His followers didn’t necessarily focus on the cross as a central theme of “the Way” but their focus was on the resurrection. Renewed life with our living God. Sadly our teaching in the churches seem to focus on merely 1or 2 aspects of Jesus and the individual Churches make major doctrinal things out of these aspects. There are major and minor themes in Jesus teachings. Are Churches individually holding up a minor theme at the expense of a major theme such as a complete teaching about the Kingdom?

 

[FollowingtheWay]

Those are really a minor theme to me I think overall. Does Your Church have a dress code or does the worlds clothing find its way in? The Church I attend does not have dress code, it’s come as you are. We have Christmas trees and I’ve even helped set them up among many other festive decorations that are nothing but helpful decorations to help lost souls find some familiarity to the church. We have a bunch of those lost or seeking come in once for a Easter or Christmas service annually and it may be the only time they hear about Jesus for the entire year. We serve coffee in the foyer and ever so often do cookies or cinnamon roll snacks 🤫 which the coffee is processed locally by a womens abuse outreach group ministry not officially a part of our Church organization. but the Church still preaches the resurrection on Easter Sunday service, no eggs 🫢.
A bigger question is how many Churches actually teach about entirety of the Kingdom of God and our position as saints as friends of Jesus as He taught it? There is a great omission of the great commission
“teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.””
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭28‬:‭20‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Interesting that Jesus rarely taught about sin management itself but rather holiness sanctification and learning to abide in Him. He definitely didn’t do programs, 5 points of Calvin or a gospel of tip and technique that so many get wrapped up into. 12 steps to a better marriage,4tips of being a better parent kind of thing which are the worlds ways of teaching His primary focus wasn’t on dutiful service but rather service as a way of true worship to the Father. Oddly his followers or the followers of His followers didn’t necessarily focus on the cross as a central theme of “the Way” but their focus was on the resurrection. Renewed life with our living God. Sadly our teaching in the churches seem to focus on merely 1or 2 aspects of Jesus and the individual Churches make major doctrinal things out of these aspects. There are major and minor themes in Jesus teachings. Are Churches individually holding up a minor theme at the expense of a major theme such as a complete teaching about the Kingdom?

Another thought I had just now. Jesus used cultural references in his ministry. Foot washing was thought to be culturally the lowest thing one could be tasked with. Yet Jesus utilized this cultural practice to teach servant leadership to his followers. Washing feet had no religious merit on its own prior. Jesus was more focused on what the heart was doing while serving ( washing the inside of the cup) rather than being outward focused (cleaning the outside of the cup) visuals . He often used cultural items around Him to leverage as teaching tools in His parables (new winskins) (old wineskins). (A field) (a farmer) (seed) all things in the physical world at this point all a part of the fallen sinful world.

Paul himself utilized a pagan alter “to an unknown god “ to preach to the Greeks

I think we find in this discussion two different schools of thought for Church . Are we as church to be all inclusive member only ,self preserved isolated community independent of the fallen world around the Amish community comes to mind. At that point are we even open to the Great commission we are tasked with?

Or are We Christs ambassadors, change agents to the world. Tasked with Engaging the culture as an outpost of Gods kingdom.which may mean being open to some of the worlds culture seeping in. But how do we prevent the Church body from being absorbed into the fallen world we are trying to minister to?
I think there is a Healthy balance that Jesus would have intended so long as we don’t sway too far one way or the other.

 

[ResidentAlien]

No, they have no place at all; but people are so entrenched in their worldly customs and idols there's no turning back for most of them at this point.

 

[p_rehbein]

and being guided by the stars instead of by the Lord has no place in our worship of God

I'm glade the Wise Men didn't have you to teach them..........

 

[Aaron56]

 

[Beckie]

Some times we know what most posters mean when we say church . Context matters .IMO In the case of the OP he was talking about what message should be coming from the different groups holding meeting to worship God. How does elevating a giant fake bunny or hiding easter bunny eggs glorify God ? Santa and the worlds celebration of Christmas never cut to my heart the way the worlds celebration of Easter does. A million years ago mid 50s it was the day to have a new dress for church cause we were celebrating the Risen Saviour.

 

[Nehemiah6]

Do you think Christ established our churches to teach us about the Kingdom of God and does not want to teach anything about the kingdom of the world?

Christ established "the Church" which is His Body, not the individual churches.

The churches of Christendom today generally do not reflect the New Testament pattern of churches. As we note in the book of Revelation there was already a trend towards the corruption of the churches at that time. From the time of Constantine, the Catholic church brought in many pagan practices. So Christmas trees and Easter bunnies were a part of that. Bingo games came much later. But all this does not belong within evangelical churches. Sadly, the evangelical and fundamental churches have now started going into decline and compromise. Which does not mean that each and every one has compromised their biblical position.

 

[Magenta]

... bingo games,
IMO all the above you listed are sins...

Bingo games came much later. But all this does not belong within evangelical churches.

... These activities are not sinful.

Yeah, I wonder what is sinful about Bingo... .

 

[JohnDB]

For ground hogs day we used to have BBQ ground hog....quite the treat!

Things change over the centuries....

The evergreen tree was once a symbol of everlasting life to those celebrating Christ's Mass and then have a huge feast to celebrate afterwards....boxing day (when gifts were given out) was another day celebrated with a feast to honor the first Martyr....Stephen from the book of Acts. Holly wreath was about God's eternal Holiness and blessings.

So now they are all combined together and some ignorant schmuck says that everything is wickedness. Really?

Christ has conquered Easter too....there is nobody that doesn't know what it is about.

The only somewhat loser Holy day is "All Saints Day" because of the long and boring church service. It was so onerous that the priests and scribes began scaring people into going to church for this service through stories and pranks. And where the priests really suck at living real life people actually enjoyed the treats and pranks on the day before giving it the name "All Hallowed Eve" (day)
Which has been changed to Halloween....

Again people are lied to about our rich, deep, Christian history and culture and told how we are all practicing witchcraft and idol worship negating the real truth of what are idols today...

 

[Omegatime]

Yeah, I wonder what is sinful about Bingo... .

I put it on the same level as making the temple a house of trade if done in the church building. I know many see these things as harmless but IMO I do not

 

[JohnDB]

Yeah, I wonder what is sinful about Bingo... .

It's only a half step away from tiddly winks.....and then when that happens all hope is lost.

 

[Beckie]

i remember the days when pinochle was a sin and Rook was OK .

 

[Mem]

The only somewhat loser Holy day is "All Saints Day" because of the long and boring church service. It was so onerous that the priests and scribes began scaring people into going to church for this service through stories and pranks. And where the priests really suck at living real life people actually enjoyed the treats and pranks on the day before giving it the name "All Hallowed Eve" (day)
Which has been changed to Halloween....

I brought my puppy home Nov 1st and after considering different names for him while getting acquainted with his personality, he would defend me with every ounce of his 3lbs, I named him Filbert, after the nut. Subsequently, I looked up the exact meaning of it and traced it back to St. Philibert and his connection to the hazelnut tree.

 

[Cameron143]

i remember the days when pinochle was a sin and Rook was OK .

The way alot of people play pinochle may well be a sin.