Day # 16 of advent....Christmas defined! Noah Webster says in his 1928 that Christmas is "The festival of the Christian church observed annually on the 25th day of December, in memory of the birth of Christ, and celebrated by a particular church service."
I found it interesting that Noah Webster's definition associated Christmas Day with a church service! It made me think that possibly durin...g his period of time each and every Christmas day they had a church service.
Today we find people moaning and groaning if Christmas should happen to hit on a Wednesday or a Sunday because it will interrupt their celebration of Christ's birthday to go to church! I wonder how that makes Him feel since it's His birthday we're celebrating and the local church is a great love He has?
Although I will admit that Christmas on Sunday or Wednesday has always altered our family traditions and we knew that it was going to be a service with just a few attending it has always been something I looked forward to.
I also must admit that I always hope for that little something extra special when the Lord's birthday celebration day hits on a church day. I'm never quite sure what I'm hoping for, but I'm always hoping for it!
As for my personal definition of Christmas? Well, I've been thinking about that as I write this. I think of Christmas more as a season than a day and more of a spirit or mood than an event. It seems to me if I were going to write a definition of Christmas for a dictionary it would be--Christmas- n., a period of time set apart to celebrate the birth of the Saviour of the world manifested by people showing evidence of the Spirit of Christ being present in this world by their wilingness to give, forgive, open their hearts, share and lift the burdens of others.
As His birthday approaches I pray that I will bring honor to His name in how I choose to celebrate it!
I found it interesting that Noah Webster's definition associated Christmas Day with a church service! It made me think that possibly durin...g his period of time each and every Christmas day they had a church service.
Today we find people moaning and groaning if Christmas should happen to hit on a Wednesday or a Sunday because it will interrupt their celebration of Christ's birthday to go to church! I wonder how that makes Him feel since it's His birthday we're celebrating and the local church is a great love He has?
Although I will admit that Christmas on Sunday or Wednesday has always altered our family traditions and we knew that it was going to be a service with just a few attending it has always been something I looked forward to.
I also must admit that I always hope for that little something extra special when the Lord's birthday celebration day hits on a church day. I'm never quite sure what I'm hoping for, but I'm always hoping for it!
As for my personal definition of Christmas? Well, I've been thinking about that as I write this. I think of Christmas more as a season than a day and more of a spirit or mood than an event. It seems to me if I were going to write a definition of Christmas for a dictionary it would be--Christmas- n., a period of time set apart to celebrate the birth of the Saviour of the world manifested by people showing evidence of the Spirit of Christ being present in this world by their wilingness to give, forgive, open their hearts, share and lift the burdens of others.
As His birthday approaches I pray that I will bring honor to His name in how I choose to celebrate it!
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