I'm not very familiar with Baptist religion at all, having spent next to no time in the South. (Maryland is technically south of the Mason-Dixon line, but it's not the South... and neither is Northern Virginia anymore.)
To my mind, Galatians 4:10 has to be read in context, and that context is part of an injunction not to worship elemental spirits-- and it's part of Paul's overarching vision of a mankind enslaved by lesser spirits and demonic entities, who have now been freed. It seems, to me at least, to make all the difference in the world whether one celebrates in December in honor of elemental spirits (which Paul rightly condemns), or in honor of the birth of Christ.
Another way to think about it, though... You're probably going to participate in the "Christmas shopping season." Later on you're going to attend a New Year's Party. A month later, you're definitely going to expect flowers on Valentine's Day and be annoyed if you don't receive them (I'm assuming you're female. If not, you'd be prepared to buy a flower arrangement, Galatians or no!) A month after that, you're going to raise a mug of Guinness if you have the least drop of Irish heritage. In May, you'll be back at the flower shop, buying for your mom, and if you have kids of your own you can expect flowers of your own. Later that month you'll attend a barbecue or host one. A week or two later the kids will be out of school, and it will be a great time for a vacation; make sure to put in your notice at work now if you want the time off! September will come, with county fairs and apple picking (if you live in a northern state), followed by October with hayrides, pumpkin patches and Halloween-- and let's not forget the return of football season in these months! If you're not eating turkey in November, you're not a real American. (Apologies if you're not American, but may I suggest trying the turkey come November? Done correctly it's very good.)
EVERYONE honors the seasons of the year; there are no exceptions. And this is part of a larger point. ALL of life is liturgical; we're always performing our culture and manifesting it as a reality in our life. The question, to my mind, is what liturgy we perform. Is December just a shopping season, or can it also be Advent? "Neither one" isn't a choice either, because even if you do try to do nothing different at all, the weather is going to change, and you'll be forced to change your behavior in response--
And there you are, enslaved to the elemental powers again!
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To my mind, Galatians 4:10 has to be read in context, and that context is part of an injunction not to worship elemental spirits-- and it's part of Paul's overarching vision of a mankind enslaved by lesser spirits and demonic entities, who have now been freed. It seems, to me at least, to make all the difference in the world whether one celebrates in December in honor of elemental spirits (which Paul rightly condemns), or in honor of the birth of Christ.
Another way to think about it, though... You're probably going to participate in the "Christmas shopping season." Later on you're going to attend a New Year's Party. A month later, you're definitely going to expect flowers on Valentine's Day and be annoyed if you don't receive them (I'm assuming you're female. If not, you'd be prepared to buy a flower arrangement, Galatians or no!) A month after that, you're going to raise a mug of Guinness if you have the least drop of Irish heritage. In May, you'll be back at the flower shop, buying for your mom, and if you have kids of your own you can expect flowers of your own. Later that month you'll attend a barbecue or host one. A week or two later the kids will be out of school, and it will be a great time for a vacation; make sure to put in your notice at work now if you want the time off! September will come, with county fairs and apple picking (if you live in a northern state), followed by October with hayrides, pumpkin patches and Halloween-- and let's not forget the return of football season in these months! If you're not eating turkey in November, you're not a real American. (Apologies if you're not American, but may I suggest trying the turkey come November? Done correctly it's very good.)
EVERYONE honors the seasons of the year; there are no exceptions. And this is part of a larger point. ALL of life is liturgical; we're always performing our culture and manifesting it as a reality in our life. The question, to my mind, is what liturgy we perform. Is December just a shopping season, or can it also be Advent? "Neither one" isn't a choice either, because even if you do try to do nothing different at all, the weather is going to change, and you'll be forced to change your behavior in response--
And there you are, enslaved to the elemental powers again!