Hi First Presbyterian,
This Sunday is Pentecost (and, therefore, also Confirmation Sunday – yay!), so don’t forget to wear red! But did you know that, in the church calendar, yesterday was a day called “Visitation of Mary to Elizabeth.” Protestant churches hardly ever celebrate it (that I know of), even though it does show up on our calendars every year on May 31. It commemorates the visit of Mary to her relative Elizabeth, while Mary was pregnant with Jesus (Luke 1:39-57). It was during this visit that Elizabeth exclaimed when she saw Mary, “Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb!” It was also during this visit that Mary proclaimed the well-known Magnificat. We often think of this episode in the New Testament as part of the Christmas story. So, why do we celebrate it every year on May 31? Well, if we assume that this visit took place shortly after (maybe 1-2 months after) Mary conceived Jesus and that Jesus was born on December 25, then May 31 is the approximate time that this visit would have occurred. In a previous Mid-Week Meet-Up, I’ve written about the fact that Jesus was almost certainly not born in December and that one of the reasons his birth is celebrated on December 25 is because it was believed that his death and his conception by Mary happened on the same date (March 25). There is usually more than one reason for something, and since we are confronted again with the question of the date of Jesus’ birth because of “Visitation of Mary to Elizabeth” happening on May 31, let me tell you about another reason we celebrate Jesus’ birth on December 25.
You’ve probably all heard that Christmas was established on December 25 because it coincided with the Roman pagan festival of Saturnalia, which occurred around the time of the winter solstice. The fact of the matter is: that’s true! You may have also heard that bringing in evergreen branches (which has led to our Christmas tree tradition) has pagan origins; or that other Christian holidays have connections to other Roman pagan festivals, like Easter is connected to the pagan Anglo-Saxon goddess Eostre (hence the reason we call it “Easter.”) Well, the bottom line is: those explanations are also true! Now, I’ve met some Christians who find these historical explanations problematic, insisting that Christians mustn’t have Christmas trees or that we must call it “Resurrection Sunday” not “Easter.” They insist that we must distance ourselves from these pagan connections.
Not me, though.
Here’s the reality. Early Christians didn’t establish Christmas on December 25 because they believed in Saturnalia. They believed in Jesus but wanted to be able to tell the story of Jesus to Roman pagans in a relatable way. Early Christians didn’t make connections of Jesus’ resurrection to the celebration of Eostre because they believed in Eostre. They believed in Jesus but wanted to tell the story of Jesus to Anglo-Saxon pagans in a relatable way. The Church didn’t make any connections to paganism because their belief in Jesus was rooted in pagan ideas. The Church made these connections because they believed the story of Jesus was true and wanted to tell that story in a way that made sense to the cultures they lived among. It’s the same reason that Luther sometimes borrowed tunes from non-liturgical music (like popular love songs) to set with his hymn lyrics. The story of Jesus is meant to be told, and it is best told when people can understand it.
I don’t believe the Gospel was ever meant to be overly academic or highfalutin. It was always intended to be relatable and accessible. That doesn’t mean the way we tell it can’t be thoughtful and beautiful. It simply means – the goal must be accessibility.
Jesus used parables. The Church used pagan language and concepts. Luther used non-liturgical music. How are you accessibly and clearly telling the story of Jesus through your life? Do you need help? That’s one reason the Church exists. Let’s do it together.
Peace to you,
Pastor Aaron