Christmas is not a slam-dunk evangelistic opportunity round our parts. Whilst it is possible we might get the occasional visitor interested in getting their Christmas religious fix, generally speaking South Asian Muslims aren’t that bothered about carol services and events billed around mulled wine. I know, what a shocker! The big question for us is not about how valuable our christmas offering will be, it’s why do we bother doing anything Christmassy at all?

I think it’s a valid question. As you can imagine, the answer doesn’t lie in the overt evangelistic opporunities Christmas provides most other places. But we do have good reason to make sure we do something over Christmas. Here, in no particular order, is why.

Witness

Whilst it is true there isn’t much evangelistic value in carol services and Christmas Day offerings, there is a broader issue of our witness locally. Every year, for example, the local Muslims do a huge parade (which almost always coincides with our church service, and I am minded to believe it absolutely deliberate because it is always on a Sunday as we’re meeting) for Mohammad’s birthday. Our Muslim neighbours are absolutely adamant that they should be seen to be celebrating Mohammad’s birthday. It says something about what, and whom, they value.

Now, we can say all we like that there is nothing in the Bible that tells us we must celebrate Christmas. There is nothing in the Bible calling us to celebrate the birth of Christ. We can do, or not do, Christmas however we like. If I lived in a different community that didn’t think anything at all of our not having a Christmas Day service, for example, I would be entirely happy not to have one. There is no compulsion.

But as it is, I live in a community that thinks the 25th December is when Christians celebrate Jesus’ birthday and who view it as decidedly odd, if not downright undermining of our claim, for us not to celebrate the birth of our Lord and saviour whom we claim to love. Just as they celebrate Mohammad’s birthday and make sure we all know that’s what they’re doing, they expect us to do the same for Jesus. It’s not that any of them will come to any of the things we do – they’re not interested – it’s that they will make judgements about what we think and believe about Jesus if and when they notice that we don’t seem to be doing very much (as they perceive it) to celebrate his birth. So that we don’t give a false and unhelpful impression to our Muslim neighbours, I think it is important for us to be seen to celebrate the birth of Christ as a church.

Expectation

Let’s make no bones about it, there is also something of an expectation among white British people that we would mark Christmas too. That expectation isn’t just an uninformed outsiders view but very much holds within the church too. Many Christians simply expect their church to mark Christmas.

Of course, we don’t just do things because people expect it. Sometimes, their expectations are misplaced. Sometimes, their expectations are unreasonable. But when their expectations are entirely in line with the wider culture, not in any way sinful and perfectly attainable, it seems reasonable to seek to meet those expectations where we can. And so, given we can do some things for Christmas, we do.

Enjoyment

I know in some Christian circles enjoyment is a dirty word. Enjoyment, they suspect, is sub-Christian. Jesus didn’t come so that we would enjoy ourselves! Unless, of course, you believe the Westminster Shorter Catechism which seems pretty clear that Jesus did come so that we might enjoy him forever – a point apparently lost, if not in principle seemingly in practice, on the many Reformed people who most claim to believe this is true. Let’s be very clear: it is absolutely okay for us to just enjoy ourselves. See also here and here.

If that is true, then it doesn’t seem unreasonable to run some Christmas things – not because it will necessarily have great and evident evangelistic value – but just because we might enjoy it. Indeed, who is to say that the sheer enjoyment of stuff as the church won’t be the very thing that attracts outsiders to the church? Isn’t believing in a God who is quite happy – indeed, takes pleasure in it himself – for his people to just enjoy themselves quite attractive? If you are burdened by severe legalism and the joy-sapping misery of trying to please a deity who can never be sated, isn’t the church just enjoying themselves to the glory of God an apologetic argument all of its own? I think it is.

So, though we don’t necessarily expect many through the door to hear the little gospel talk (though we are glad to welcome and to share the gospel with any who might do so), we have good reason to do some Christmas stuff nevertheless.