Religion: A Pastor Ponders

Jesus’ Birthday Party

by Pastor William Jenkins

December 16, 2005

Christmas is a Christian holiday. Really, it is.

It is Christ’s Mass, the biggest birthday party in the world for Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ of the New Testament.

I realize other symbols, traditions, and stories have attached to this event, but it is still Jesus’ birthday party. I read a statement recently that got me to thinking about Jesus’ birthday. The writer said that an un-Christian Christmas is the ultimate oxymoron.

This is particularly acute this year with the ...

Walking around a mall or two recently I have noticed the big fuss that is made about this particular birthday party.

Merchants spare no expense to entice spenders to go crazy with the plastic…and the more obsolete cash. It seems that half of our economy depends on a big celebration of Jesus’ birthday, complete with lots of spending for Christmas, or the more politically correct “holiday”, “stuff”.

(At Christmas, parents revert from practicing “tough love” to practicing “stuff love”.) My observation from the mall is that many people celebrate Jesus’ birthday without giving it much thought, except for the stress and the debt it causes them.

Then there are those who never give Jesus a second thought any time of the year. What are they doing celebrating His birthday? Isn’t there a bit of hypocrisy in celebrating something one does not believe in or care about?

And what about those people who say they never go to church because of all the hypocrites who are there? Do these same people stay away from the malls at Christmas time for the same reason, or do they refuse to go to work because of the hypocrites who are there?

Consider as well the governmental agencies that will not allow any religious representation of Christmas on the property but will close shop on Christmas day for the big party. At least our Muslim and Jewish neighbors are honest enough to let Christmas pass unobserved.

It is Jesus’ birthday party and for a large segment of our society everyone seems to be invited but Him. Is the ultimate oxymoron slowly creeping upon us?

Just some things I’ve been pondering.

League City United Methodist Church is located at 1411 Main Street (FM 518), one block east of Interstate 45. For information, call the church offices at 281-332-1557 or visit the website at

HYPERLINK - http://www.lcumc.org