Comments on: A Different Kind of Party

By: Mike Riccardi

Mike Riccardi — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 03:17:53 +0000

I too have loved this series, Frank. Whatever way I’m a sinner, this helps me treasure Christ in His birth all the more. The joy, the celebration, the love — all are only strengthened in me by the contemplation of my position before God outside of Christ. Indeed, without that, the joy and celebration and love are cheapened.

I’m preaching a Christmas sermon for the first time tomorrow morning, and these posts have helped me in my preparation. Not so much by adding thoughts to my sermons, but by keeping me devoted to worshiping God for the fullness of what Christmas is.

Thanks for your “like ministry,” brother.

By: Frank Turk

Frank Turk — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 20:19:56 +0000

I respect that other people don’t see Christmas this way.

I suspect they are not sinners the way I am a sinner, for which they should either be extremely grateful or extremely worried.

By: Pastor Michael

Pastor Michael — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 03:47:53 +0000

For what it’s worth, I deeply appreciated this series. In fact, you helped inspire me to preach last week from Zephaniah, and attempt to point out the incredible contrast between the dreadful judgments promised in Chapter 1 and the tender mercies described in Chapter 3. How is it that instead of receiving punishment, plundering, and wrath, we learn rather that God “…will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.” (Zeph 3:17)? As you help us see, Jesus’ birth in the stable muck is the opening round of the punishment due us being placed on him, which ultimately leads not only to our peace, but fullness of joy in the presence of God, our former enemy. Shouldn’t that be shouting ground? I take your point to be that the better we understand the full extent of the predicament from which we are rescued, the sweeter and deeper will our Christmas rejoicing be. It’s enough to make angels marvel, and they weren’t even the ones pulled out of the fire.

Thanks for the early Christmas present.

By: Paul D.

Paul D. — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 21:12:22 +0000

I think most people don’t care about this series of thoughts

maybe – I thought it was great. And I’ve got a terrific outline for my next SS lesson. I won’t give you any credit though – unless they hate it. thanks.

By: Johnny Dialectic

Johnny Dialectic — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 17:34:50 +0000

I’ve really tried, with each post, to get on board with the idea. I know where you’re coming from, Frank, and the motive is pure. The theology is correct, too. But I don’t think it’s a good or necessary mix. I can’t see gathering the kids around the Christmas Eve fire, with chestnuts roasting, and saying, “What’s happening to those chestnuts will happen to every sinner for eternity, unless they receive Jesus. And that’s what Christmas is all about!”

Let’s give the kids some time off wrath. Adults, too. I’d rather they catch the idea that Christmas is about joy, a new King, light, angles we have heard on high, peace on earth good will toward men. In January, we can talk about wrath again, and the basis for all the above. Let the understanding be retroactive.

It is the moment when all the details of the Gospel are so vivid and demanding that if we only glance at them and then clean up all the wrapping paper, we have done harm to our own faith and to our love of God

Stated with your signature subtlety, but I don’t buy it for a moment. Faith and love of God are strengthened just as much when we are thinking about, and doing, the good we ought to do, and sharing the joy of family and fellowship.

Merry Christmas to you and yours, Frank. Sincerely.

By: Paul Walton

Paul Walton — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 14:54:59 +0000

Frank,

I wish Christmas was about us celebrating Christ’s birth with all it’s implications. But how would corporations market escaping God’s divine judgment?

It’s a dirty job, reminding folks exactly why Christ had to take on human flesh, but someone has to do it.

By: Roberto G

Roberto G — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 14:49:44 +0000

I sooooo can’t wait until Easter!

By: Alison

Alison — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 14:25:16 +0000

I have enjoyed these posts. And my extremely committed Evangelical friends who actually played a huge role in bringing me to Christ accuse me of being a zealot all the time! (And my close friends at my own church call me a zealot.) I freely acknowledge that is what I am! How I ever could have lived more than three decades without Christ, I do not know.