from Christianity.COM

In a few days, it will be is Christmas day (Christ’s mass). But for the first 300 years of Christianity, it wasn’t so. When was Christmas first celebrated? In an old list of Roman bishops, compiled in A. D. 354 these words appear for A.D. 336: “25 Dec.: natus Christus in Betleem Judeae.” December 25th, Christ born in Bethlehem, Judea. This day, December 25, 336, is the first recorded celebration of Christmas.

For the first three hundred years of the church’s existence, birthdays were not given much emphasis–not even the birth of Christ. The day on which a saint died was considered more significant than his or her birth, as it ushered him or her into the kingdom of heaven. Christ’s baptism received more attention than his birthday in the January 6th feast of Epiphany.

No one knows for sure on what day Christ was born. Dionysus Exiguus, a sixth century monk, who was the first to date all of history from December 25th, the year of our Lord 1. Other traditions gave dates as early as mid-November or as late as March. How did Christmas come to be celebrated on December 25th? Cultures around the Mediterranean and across Europe observed feasts on or around December 25th, marking the winter solstice. The Jews had a festival of lights. Germans had a yule festival. Celtic legends connected the solstice with Balder, the Scandinavian sun god who was struck down by a mistletoe arrow. At the pagan festival of Saturnalia, Romans feasted and gave gifts to the poor. Drinking was closely connected with these pagan feasts. At some point, a Christian bishop may have adopted the day to keep his people from indulging in the old pagan festival.

Historian William J. Tighe offers a different view, however. When a consensus arose in the church to celebrate Christ’s conception on March 25th, it was reasonable to celebrate his birth nine months later.

Many of the pagan customs became associated with Christmas. Christian stories replaced the heathen tales, but the practices hung on. Candles continued to be lit. Kissing under the mistletoe remained common in Scandinavian countries. But over the years, gift exchanges became connected with the name of St. Nicholas, a real but legendary figure of 4th century Lycia (a province of Asia). A charitable man, he threw gifts into homes.

Around the thirteenth century, Christians added one of the most pleasant touches of all to Christmas celebration when they began to sing Christmas carols.

No one is sure just when the Christmas tree came into the picture. It originated in Germany. The 8th century English missionary, St. Boniface, Apostle to Germany, is supposed to have held up the evergreen as a symbol of the everlasting Christ. By the end of the sixteenth century, Christmas trees were common in Germany. Some say Luther cut the first, took it home, and decked it with candles to represent the stars. When the German court came to England, the Christmas tree came with them.

Puritans forbade Christmas, considering it too pagan. Governor Bradford actually threatened New Englanders with work, jail or fines if they were caught observing Christmas.

In 1843, in Victorian England, Charles Dickens published his novelette “A Christmas Carol.” It became one of the most popular short works of fiction ever penned. Although the book is more a work of sentiment than of Christianity, it captures something of the Christmas spirit. The tightfisted grump, Ebenezer Scrooge, who exclaimed “humbug!” at the mention of Christmas, is contrasted with generous merry-makers such as his nephew, Fred and with the struggling poor, symbolized by Bob Cratchit and Tiny Tim. The book’s appeal to good works and charitable contributions virtually defines Christmas in English-speaking lands.

Whatever the ins and outs of Christmas, we are still unwrapping the gift of God’s Son–and what an incentive to generosity and joy that gift is!

Bibliography:

1. “Christmas.” Encyclopedia Americana. Chicago: Americana Corp., 1956.
2. “Christmas.” Encyclopedia Britannica. 1967.
3. “Christmas,” “Dionysius Exiguus,” and “Philocalian Calendar.” Cross, F. L. and Livingstone, E. A. The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. Oxford, 1997.
4. Hutchinson, Ruth and Adams, Ruth. Every Day’s a Holiday. New York: Harper, 1951.
5. People’s Almanac. Edited by David Wallechinsky and Irving Wallace. Garden City, N. Y.: Doubleday, 1975.
6. Veith, Gene Edward. “Why December 25?” World (December 10, 2005) p.32.
7. Tighe, William J. “Calculating Christmas.” Touchstone, December, 2003. http://www.touchstonemag.com/docs/issues/16.10docs/16-10pg12.html

Source:  Christianity.COM

Do you ever marvel at how "time flies?" So do I. Can't believe how "REV. DARRELL A. STUEHRENBERG APPRECIATION DAY" passed by without me making mention of it earlier. Anyway, here's the text of the official proclamation making July 13, 2011 a holiday in Davie, Florida:

PROCLAMATION

WHEREAS, Reverend Darrell A. Stuehrenberg was born in Breckenridge, Minnesota on April 8, 1951, the oldest of four children; and
WHEREAS, Reverend Stuehrenberg married Linda Olson in 1972 and that marriage was blessed with three children: sons, Christopher (Kit) and Bryce, and daughter, Tina; and
WHEREAS, shortly after his graduation from the seminary, he received his call to Gloria Dei Lutheran Church in Davie, Florida; and
WHEREAS, during his time at Gloria Dei, a number of church and school building programs were accomplished including establishing a mission congregation at St. Paul Lutheran Church in 1988, and creating a pre-school in 1979 that was later expanded into an elementary and middle school; and
WHEREAS, Reverend Stuehrenberg helped begin a Crisis Pregnancy Center in Southwest Broward County, whose first location was in downtown Davie, and has continued to be active with the Crisis Pregnancy ministry; and
WHEREAS, Reverend Stuehrenberg helped form Davie’s Emergency Assistance Service Effort “EASE”, a charitable organization serving the local Davie community and beyond; and
WHEREAS, he has been an active member of both the Davie-Cooper City Rotary Club and the local Chamber of Commerce; and
WHEREAS, Reverend Stuehrenberg concluded his thirty three years of pastoral ministry at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church on July 31, 2010; and
WHEREAS, on August 1, 2010, he began serving Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Fort Myers, Florida in a part time capacity and commutes several days a week from his home in Davie to serve this Fort Myers congregation.
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT PROCLAIMED that the Mayor and Town Council of the Town of Davie do hereby proclaim July 13, 2011 as:

REV. DARRELL A. STUEHRENBERG APPRECIATION DAY

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 13th day of July, 2011.
______________________
Judy Paul, Mayor

Here’s a picture of Rev. Stuehrenberg at the Sunrise Easter Service on March 28, 2005.

Note: Click on the screen after the video loads if you need to go to the YouTube website for a bigger picture.

The following is a guest commentary by Ralph Lauretano. Please feel free to post your comments / opinions.

Post by Ralph Lauretano

I don’t know why I’m doing this. You’ll probably think I’m nuts. It is not usually like me to get up on a soapbox and preach to the masses, but something forceful is moving in my soul & spirit this weekend, and I can’t seem to resist it’s urgings. It is a little scary for me to write this and pass it on to you, considering the nature of the subject, and the usual cautions to not speak about politics or religion. But I cannot seem to help myself. Please bear with me and read this to it’s hopeful end. I guess it’s just that I care for you so much that I am taking a chance of offending someone…………………

End Times are upon us…………………with wars and rumors of wars and civil unrest in places like Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Libya, Egypt, Jordan, Bahrain, Afghanistan, Pakistan, (not to mention Greece, North Korea, Venezuela, Russia & China), the entire middle-east, all of the arab-muslim nations surrounding the one holdout for true democracy in that part of the world, little Israel.

click below to keep reading…

This year’s theme is, “A Mighty Fortress is Our God”, based on the verse from Psalm 91:2 which states: “I will say to the Lord, my refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I trust.”

Place: Signature Grand, 6900 State Road 84, Davie, FL
Date: Thursday, May 5, 2011
Time: 7:00am – 9:00am
Cost: $17 per Person, $170 per Table for 10
Payment: Make check payable and send to EASE Foundation, 6901 Orange Drive, Davie, FL 33314.
Alternate Online Payment/Registration: http://www.jsmitter.com/ndpregistration.htm

Contact Persons:
Jacob Smitter – 954.214.0640
Linda Owen – 954.797.1077
Eric Welch – 954.554.5857

1. Bible Students. If you’ve taken the ONE YEAR BIBLE CHALLENGE, and are reading through the Bible this year. This is our chance to get together with some of the other people who are reading through the Bible on the same schedule as you. …Or if you’d like find out more about how you can read through the whole Bible in one year.
2. Fans of Pastor Andy Fernandez, Executive Director of Firewall Ministries. If you’re in this category, you’re not alone. I’m a Pastor Andy fan too.
3. Members of the men’s Saturday morning breakfast group. We are meeting here this week in lieu of our regular Bible study meeting. Bring your wife and children too.

DETAILS:

• When: Saturday, March 19, 2011
• Time: 7:30 AM
• Topic: “The Christian Family”
• Where: Call or contact Tom Truex for location and information.
• Contact: Call Tom Truex or use the  CONTACT form on the top of every page at ReadTheWholeBible.COM.

Regards,
Tom Truex

In a landmark judgment, which will have a serious impact on the future of fostering and adoption in the UK, the High Court has suggested that Christians with traditional views on sexual ethics are unsuitable as foster carers, and that homosexual ‘rights’ trump freedom of conscience in the UK. The Judges stated that Christian beliefs on sexual ethics may be ‘inimical’ to children, and they implicitly upheld an Equalities and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) submission that children risk being ‘infected’ by Christian moral beliefs. (Source: Christian Legal Centre website)

I’m not familiar with the “Christian Legal Centre”, but a quick Google© search indicates several news sources essentially confirming this story. For example, see the stories in Contact Law(TM), A service of FindLaw a Thomson Reuters business; This is Derbyshire; and Ekklesia. The Ekklesia article clarified a bit. This Christian couple wasn’t actually banned from being foster parents. But essentially the court would not overturn a decision by the Derby City Council social service department that their Christian views made them unsuitable parents:

A Derby City Council spokesperson said: “It would be inappropriate for the Council to approve foster carers who cannot meet minimum standards. It would be difficult and impractical to match children with Mr and Mrs Johns if they feel that strongly [about homosexuality being a sin].

According to Lord Justice Munby and Justice Beatson:¹

We sit as secular judges serving a multi-cultural community of many faiths. We are sworn (we quote the judicial oath) to ‘do right to all manner of people after the laws and usages of this realm, without fear or favour, affection or ill will…’ [R]eliance upon religious belief, however conscientious the belief and however ancient and respectable the religion, can never of itself immunise the believer from the reach of the secular law. And invocation of religious belief does not necessarily provide a defence to what is otherwise a valid claim.

In other words, it’s OK to be a Christian, so long as you don’t let your Christian beliefs conflict with secular views on “morality.” Think this court case has nothing to do with you, because it’s in faraway UK? Wrong.

FOOTNOTES:

Senator Mike Haridopolos

Here is my advice to everyone in the PRO LIFE movement: Always ask your elected officials where they stand on the RIGHT TO LIFE, every chance you get. This serves several purposes:

1. If the person is PRO ABORTION, their response helps you determine who to NOT VOTE for;
2. If the person is PRO LIFE, your question confirms to him/her that PRO LIFE VOTERS are active and concerned;
3. If the person avoids taking a position, you can safely assume they will not take a position when it counts–that is, when it is time to stand up for life!

FOOTNOTES:

Written by Dave Bohon
Thursday, 03 February 2011 11:12

As FOX Network puts the finishing touches on its advertisement lineup for the February 6th Super Bowl — arguably as popular a part of the evening as the game itself — one thing is certain: just about any thing will be permissible in the way of sex, sleaze, and crude humor. Apparently, however, one type of ad will not be permitted: those promoting positive values and faith in God.

Following last year’s media furor over a Focus on the Family-sponsored pro-life spot during the Super Bowl featuring Christian football phenomenon Tim Tebow and his mother, FOX has put the kibosh on wholesome advocacy ads with the potential of offending any viewer with an opposing viewpoint. [see full article]

Samuel L. Jackson in Pulp Fiction

You may have noticed that last week’s list of the top 20 Movies of all time contained three movies starring the same popular actor. In fact, he is also the top grossing actor of all time–Samuel L. Jackson. The movies, with top twenty ranking¹ are:

[9] PULP FICTION, 1994* (43%)
[15] SNAKES ON A PLANE. 2006* (21%)
[16] [ANOTHER MOVIE, not listed here] (21%)