Hi BAC - thanks for this thought provoking post. And your honesty. I hope that, despite the difficulty of tone in a written forum, I come across as genuinely appreciative.
So now I bite my bottom lip and give an opposing view.
Also - side note that is not an apology: I tend not to be too good at quoting scripture in my posts, but I was challenged to do it by someone so I will provide the references, but I'd rather the stuff after "here goes" be read without them at first anyway. I read and pray (Scripture) throughout the day and their truth, (by grace), kind of comes out when I talk, but I'm not used to using it to prove anything - even though I fully believe in its infallibility - and believe can be used for correction, I am just a very reluctant corrector, even when I'm supposed to use it that way, (my bad). But when I am not avoiding doing what is right - my experience is that when the Spirit prompts me, its usually (but not always) in relationships where I know the person well so I am not too keen on using it in that way here. However, I also respect the people on this site and realize that not everyone shares the convictions and love for the word reading these posts and its always a good thing for anyone to read it - so I put it up below. But this way too long disclaimer is also for BAC - and in reference the sixth verse, I am NOT trying to wield Scripture at you like some kind of blunt object, I am only providing a back drop for those who seem to desire it.
Here goes.
I am happy to see people offended by the gospel take the Christian holidays because time is the first thing the Lord made holy. (1) So, even though it's not acknowledging Him, some of them might inadvertently be obedient and I am all for that, even though it is not ideal. Secondly, since we are commanded to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us, (2) it allows my prayer for those offended to be specific that on those days the seeds would get to richer soil.(3) It helps me to pray for them. It is disturbing to think of the holy time being profaned (4), but it spurs me to pray more because our just Father would only be more apt to give a harsher judgment - or so it would seem to me. However, there is comfort in the idea that it's better to be pitted against him than luke warm but, what scares me is that they might not even think about it, (which seems in that vanilla mediocrity He hates). (5) So the burden is on us, to spark the conversation and the holidays are always a way to start a conversation, since everyone has feelings about them and goes through them. (6)
Scriptures that come to mind when I wrote this:
1. Genesis 2:3 "Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done."
2. Matthew 5: 44-45 " But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven."
3. Matthew 3:23 "But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”"
4. Isaiah 56:2 Blessed is the one who does this—the person who holds it fast,
who keeps the Sabbath without desecrating it, and keeps their hands from doing any evil.” (theres tons of other references too on that one.)
5. Rev 3:16 "So, because you are lukewarm--neither hot nor cold--I am about to spit you out of my mouth."
6. 1 Peter 3:15 "but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,"
