Christmas and Protestant Carols (Teachings of the Orthodox Church)

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Don't be anxious for your life, what you will eat, nor yet for your body, what you will wear. Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing. Consider the ravens: they don't sow, they don't reap, they have no warehouse or barn, and God feeds them. How much more valuable are you than birds! Which of you by being anxious can add a cubit to his height? If then you aren't able to do even the least things, why are you anxious about the rest? Consider the lilies, how they grow. They don't toil, neither do they spin; yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if this is how God clothes the grass in the field, which today exists, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith? Don't seek what you will eat or what you will drink; neither be anxious. For the nations of the world seek after all of these things, but your Father knows that you need these things. But seek God's Kingdom, and all these things will be added to you.

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	Christmas and Protestant Carols (Teachings of the Orthodox Church)

QUESTION:

I converted to Orthodoxy two years ago and, while I do not regret my decision, I have to admit that during the Christmas season, I find myself missing the Protestant church I grew up in and raised my sons in. I feel guilty about this, but truly, there were very good times and many precious memories of those years.

We have a small Parish which is predominantly older. I ask myself if this is why I grieve for the past. I miss the Christmas carols, the children's Christmas plays and pageants, but mostly the music.

Do you ever hear of this? Surely I am not the only person that experiences this?

ANSWER:

While I have never encountered anything related to what you have written, it does indeed seem possible that one may have a nostalgic attachment to one's past experiences, and it is quite common in most parishes to have Nativity pageants and other celebrations in conjunction with the celebration of the Feast of Christ' birth. Perhaps your parish has no such things, but most do, especially those in which there are many children.

It is important to realize, however, that our participation in the Nativity of Our Lord is fulfilled in the reception of the Eucharist on the Feast and in our participation in the liturgical services. While pageants and tree-trimming ceremonies and carol sing-alongs help to capture the spirit of the season, they are quite secondary to the liturgical services, which offer our worship to God and express our thanks to Him for the Supreme Gift of His Son, rather than merely providing an entertaining way to observe the season.

Our Nativity celebration focuses on worshipping the God Who took on our human nature to bring us into His eternal Kingdom; other celebrations are more focused on us and our enjoyment of the holiday season. While there is nothing wrong with such things, as evidenced in many parishes, they are indeed quite secondary to our liturgical celebration, especially the celebration of and participation in the Nativity Liturgy.

I might add that in the Christian West, Christmas has in some respects taken precedence over Holy Pascha, the Feast of Feasts. While Western Christmas celebrations may be a bit more "glitzy" than ours, it is our celebration of Holy Pascha that is second to none, and that stands at the very heart of all we have and all we do as Orthodox Christians.

Published in January 2011.

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