Kissing and Worship

A recent comment:

Yes, Darren, it's true Jeremiah 10 is referring to forming idols...so a fragrant evergreen decoration is no sin. But how do you justify all those idols that Catholics put everywhere? In their gardens, on their walls, their jewelry, statues of Mary and saints and crucifices galore? If they aren't objects of worship, why do they KISS them? Stop worshipping objects of wood and stone. Turn your worship upward to your Holy Father. (And I don't mean the Pope!)

Just like trees, paintings, cars, or people, statues are not "idols" unless they are worshiped.

I've been to many Masses, and "kissing" is not a common occurrence, except when the priest kisses the Holy Bible and the altar.

Even so, a kiss is not worship. A priest does not worship the Bible when he kisses it. Judas was not worshiping Jesus when he kissed Him. Members of the early Church did not worship Christians when they greeted each other with a "holy kiss."

I don't worship my wife when I kiss her. In-love teenage girls did not worship stationery when their handwritten letters were SWAK (Sealed With A Kiss). An old-fashioned gentleman doesn't worship a woman when he kisses her hand.

A kiss is a sign of reverence, respect, love -- but certainly not an unmistakable gesture of worship that is reserved for God alone!

Ask any Catholic if he or she worships an object of wood or stone, and the answer will be "Of course not!" Do you think the Catholic is mistaken?

What does it mean to "worship," anyway? Can a person accidentally worship something against his will? If he can "worship" something mistakenly or unknowingly by a mere external action (kissing a crucifix, decorating a Christmas tree, etc.), does that kind of "worship" have any meaning? It would be empty, which is hardly a trait of worship.

Real worship is adoration that arises from the heart and expressed in actions. It is paying homage to our Creator, recognizing God's supremacy in the universe and beyond. It is recognizing who and what He is, and submitting our will to His in love.

Viewing artwork as a reminder of God and of heroes of the Faith -- like an overseas military man looking at a photo of his wife or children -- does not constitute "worship." They are visual representations, reminders, of something else. The man who kisses the photo of his wife is not worshiping Kodak paper. Neither is he necessarily worshiping his wife.

Worship, by definition, cannot be mere lip service.

A reasonable person will therefore understand that Catholics do not worship objects of wood and stone.

"Church Is Cancelled -- It's Christmas!"

I'm wondering if the Catholic Church is the only place in these parts of Texas to go for Christian worship on Christmas Day.

I've heard from several non-Catholic friends who say they never have church on Christmas because their churches want you to spend time with family.

Why can't the family spend time at church? Don't we claim Christmas as a Christian holiday? I know that churches have services on Easter morning -- so what's the deal with Christmas? Or why not have a Christmas Eve service instead (if not in addition to)? And what of those people who don't have any family to share with?

Why not cancel services on Super Bowl Sunday so that football-loving families can spend some quality "down" time with each other?

I do understand that sometimes we don't "feel" like going to church. But we do it anyway on Sundays because we know it is part of the Christian life. Is Christmas not more special than an odinary Sunday? Why have a "religious" festival that is recognized, shared, and celebrated by the whole Church, but then not assemble as a church in commemoration of the birth of the God-Man?

We should welcome the Christmas celebration -- not sleep when He comes.

I know that sounded preachy. Sorry. But it's still something to consider.

Unrelated: Jeremiah 10 and the Christmas Tree

Having grown up believing that Christmas is pagan and not to be observed by Christians, one classic scriptural misinterpretation I had was believing Jeremiah 10 condemned Christmas trees.

Read the passage for yourself here.

When I became of age and seriously began to "prove" my childhood faith to myself, I "proved" that God despised the practice of cutting down a tree from the forest, putting it on a stand, and decking it with gold and silver. Jeremiah described this so clearly, so explicitly -- how better could he have spelled out the plain truth about Christmas trees?

I later realized that my understanding of this passage was chiseled and fashioned by what my church had already taught me. I was already "suspicious" of Christmas, so I was quick to cling to conclusions when I saw such words (especially in the King James Version) as "tree," "axe," "deck," "gold," "silver," and "workman" (which I mistakenly understood to be synonymous with "lumberjack"). What else could this be except the modern Christmas tree? I thought. How could everyone be so blind?

Well, it took me a few more years myself to begin to see.

The chapter is properly understood when seen in its context of idolatry.

In this chapter, the Lord references "gods," "idols," and "images" (verses 11,14); in the KJV they are "gods," "graven image," and "molten image." Since when is there a commandment against using a tree as decoration? There is none. Why should God be angry with that? But He is sorely opposed to idolatry.

We see, therefore, that God opposes the practice of fashioning an image or statue (of any material) that is to be used as an idol -- an object of worship. Anything that takes the place of the true God -- whether a wooden idol, another person, or your own pride -- falls under the category of "idolatry," but in this context, God is specifically addressing the use of literal idols.

I have never known anyone to worship a Christmas tree. Now that I observe Christmas and have a decorative tree, I know with certainty that I do not worship it. It is not worshiped by those who view Christmas in the spiritual sense in which it's intended, and neither is it worshiped by those who see Christmas as a mere secular holiday as an excuse to party and accumulate material goods.

If a thing is not worshiped, and if it's not made by pagans to be an object of worship, it's not an idol. Is this not sensible?

Moreover, in verse 5 of Jeremiah 10, God mocks these idols by saying they are "upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they must needs be borne [i.e., carried], because they cannot go." In whose imagination might a Christmas tree appear to walk and talk? My artificial Christmas tree does not resemble anything that walks and talks; it resembles a blue spruce. It doesn't have a face, head, torso, arms, or legs. It's a bushy tree!

Was the tree of life in the Garden of Eden an idol? It had fruit that, if eaten, would provide eternal life. Who would label that tree an idol, or even a symbol of idolatry? No one. And no one assigns Christmas trees with the divine attributes of the tree of life of Genesis, so how can one conclude they are idols?

No matter how much someone wants to make it a sinister object of false worship, the Christmas tree is merely a decoration. If indoor decorative trees are an abomination, then let's ban the popular plastic ficus trees from Wal-Mart.

I don't question the sincerity of those Christians that are anti-tree and anti-Christmas, for I was one of them, and I know I was sincere. But I do know that my rejection of all things Christmas gave me a deficient understanding of the Incarnation, which is crucial and at the heart of Christianity. This all-important emphasis, I fear, is what anti-Christmas Christians are missing out on.

Instead, they're too busy cramming modern-day Christmas trees into the pages of the Old Testament.

The Rosary: Beads on a String, Not Genie in a Bottle

Does praying the Rosary guarantee instant "yes" answers to our supplications? Not at all.

God is not our Genie whose job is to grant all our wishes. If that's what He did, He would not be the God of love. As all parents know, to love a child is not to grant the child's every request; it is to provide for the child and do what is ultimately best for the child, who is often short-sighted and self-centered. Doing what's best may even mean allowing the child experience a kind of "suffering" now in order to achieve a positive result later. . . .

(See full post here.)

The Rosary Reader (Blog)

I just began a new blog. Add a comment to let me know what you think. Thanks.

The Rosary Reader

Christmas Really Does Honor Christ!

As Advent season arrives again, so does the annual explosion of anti-Christmas rhetoric. As if we don't get enough of it from atheists, some of it is published by various Christian sects who sincerely intend to restore the true Faith -- the Faith that was "once delivered to the saints," without extra, man-made garbage to pollute the clear water of the Word. Unfortunately, their pure intentions can lead to absurd conclusions, such as: Christmas is pagan.

One article that caught my attention this year is entitled "Does Christmas Really Honor Christ?" I truly mean no disrespect to the author (for I once held his views), but the more I read such articles, the more juvenile I perceive "Christian" arguments against Christmas to be.

Among them are:

• We don't know Jesus' actual date of birth, so we're not honoring Him by observing December 25, which is a date pagans used to honor their own "gods."
• We're not worshiping Jesus in "truth" because certain aspects of some traditional nativity scenes are factually incorrect (e.g., the wise men appearing at the manger instead of at the house in which the holy family later lived).
• Santa Claus is a lie.
• Many people suffer depression during the holidays.
• Illicit use of alcohol and sex occur during the holidays.
• Unlike the wise men, we give gifts to each other rather than to Jesus.
• Birthday celebrations are pagan, even the Lord's.
• The Puritans opposed Christmas.
• Neither Jesus nor His apostles taught others to celebrate his birthday.
  

I'm not opposed to addressing these and similar issues, since I had to deal with them before, but a more troubling accusation deserves attention here.

Did Jesus ever grow up?
From the aforementioned article:

Even more serious, however, is the false impression given by Christmas that Christ is simply a helpless baby. A little girl viewing a nativity scene was heard to ask her mother: "Did Jesus ever grow up?" Why did she ask? "Well," she responded, "he hasn't grown at all since I saw him last year!" And the impression left at Christmas is just that, that Christ was a helpless babe, not the ruling King that He is, one who will soon rid the earth of all unrighteousness (Psalm 2:9,12; 110:1,2; Revelation 12:5; 19:15,16).

In his zeal to promote the pure gospel, the author not only insults the intelligence of his adult readers, but minimizes the essential truth of Jesus' birth!

First, Christmas does not limit our view of Jesus as a sweet little baby at the exclusion of all else, just as Good Friday does not leave the impression that Jesus is a helplessly limp, dead "savior on a stick." All aspects of Jesus' earthly life and ministry are essential and should be seen as a whole.

Second, the author comes from a tradition (my tradition, in fact) that almost seems to mock the idea of us celebrating the arrival of a baby Jesus, whose image represents the Incarnation -- God becoming flesh -- which is the one, central truth of Christianity that distinguishes itself from all other religions!

The idea that God, who, as Creator, precedes time and space, would enter time and space to be born just like one of us -- to be one of us in order to intercede for us and eventually save us -- is a mystery so awesome, so mind-blowing, so incomprehensible, that it deserves profound contemplation, not dismissal. Apart from it being logistically baffling, the Incarnation is a great act of love. It is the cause of angelic celebration.

In the introductory chapter of his Gospel, John describes it as true light that comes into a world of darkness. The chapter is intentionally reminiscent of Genesis 1, for Jesus' arrival was the beginning of a "new creation." His birth by a humble virgin in Bethlehem was the turning of the greatest page of hope in history.

I don't mean to be preachy, but I want to emphasize that the birth of Jesus was no small thing; it was monumental.

Not just a "birthday party"
Further, it should be understood that Christmas is not merely a "birthday party" for Jesus. He doesn't need cakes, party hats, or noisemakers -- or poorly sung songs that end with "and many moooore!" No, the emphasis is not on His "birthday," but rather that God entered this world in the flesh. That's the all-important mystery of Christianity.

The wise men of the East did not see the baby Jesus on the exact date of His birth, but they rejoiced nevertheless to see His day. "[A]nd going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him" (Matthew 2:11). This scene -- of "the child with Mary his mother" -- is not a representation of Nimrod and Semiramis or any other "pagan" scene, but one that should invoke praise and thanksgiving -- and worship.

Likewise, when Jesus was brought to the Temple for the purification according to the law of Moses, after His circumcision at the end of eight days, Simeon rejoiced at seeing the child Jesus (Luke 2:27-35). He rejoiced, even though He missed the "birthday party," which, by the way, was attended by the shepherds, and by a multitude of the heavenly host with song: "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom he is pleased!" (2:14).

When we celebrate Christmas, we join Mary, Joseph, the shepherds, the angels, the wise men, Simeon, and everyone else who celebrated and worshiped the Lord as a baby.

Just as they all awaited the coming of the Christ, so do we await His coming. This season of Advent stirs us to watchfulness, to be ready, for His Second Coming, as well. Our minds are focused on both the baby Jesus humbly born in a manger and the great and powerful King of Kings who will come again in glory at the end of this age. Both demand our preparedness.

If you hope to have a full and complete and saving Christology, you have to guard against false gospels. And sometimes you do have to wash away the extra, man-made garbage that pollutes the clear water of the Word. Just be sure you don't throw out the Baby with the bathwater.