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Winter Solstice In Church...again.... - 12/1/2008 4:16:20 PM
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momma-mo
Posts: 645
Joined: 3/27/2006
From: Galifrey
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Well, 3 winters ago our pastor introduced the "Longest Night Service". He booked it as a family night, told everyone to bring the kids. When my friend took her kids she began to feel weird as the night rolled on....they lit candles, and celebrated the longest night of the year. The pastor stressed that it was important to celebrate that before Christmas came. There were complaints.
The following year again there was a "Longest Night" service. It was booked as a night for people who were in mourning or going through rough times. Don't know what happened at that one....
Last year.....no service. I thought I'd seen the last of it... THIS year...it's baaaaaaack! I don't know how he's going to describe it.
Please tell me why Christians should light candles at the winter solstice? This is a pagan/witch/satanist practice! When I complained about it a couple of years ago here someone said that a minister had "Christainized" it and was trying to sell it to other ministers as a true Christian celebration. It would seem this pastor has fallen for it hook, line and sinker.
I'd love to hear what everyone thinks. Do you celebrate it? Or do you think it's the occult sneaking into the church?
This distresses me. I have learned much about the occult over the years and this smacks of it.
_____________________________
Jesus died and lived to tell about it!
Rapture: Separation of Church and state...
"With great chocolate comes great responsibility." Larry Boy
http://frontdoorministries.blogspot.com
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RE: Winter Solstice In Church...again.... - 12/1/2008 4:22:42 PM
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MrFribbles
Posts: 1884
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Personally, I don't see anything wrong with it. God made the designs, He designed the year to operate like it does, etc. As long as there aren't prayer to or worship of other gods/goddesses, I don't see how it could be an occult practice.
_____________________________
You're a door without a key,
A field without a fence.
You've made a holy fool of me,
And I've thanked you ever since.
- Aaron Weiss
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RE: Winter Solstice In Church...again.... - 12/1/2008 4:47:49 PM
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TorchHeart
Posts: 1951
Joined: 6/4/2008
From: One of the coldest places on Earth
Status: online
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quote:
ORIGINAL: MrFribbles
Personally, I don't see anything wrong with it. God made the designs, He designed the year to operate like it does, etc. As long as there aren't prayer to or worship of other gods/goddesses, I don't see how it could be an occult practice.
I agree. If the pastor is keeping it focused on God and His Word, and not branching off into things that go against Scripture (praying to other dieties, performing acts that are forbidden in the Gospels, etc.), then I see nothing wrong with it. Besides, it wouldn't be the first time a Christian has taken a pagan holiday (or aspects of it), and Christianized it so that it now honors God.
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RE: Winter Solstice In Church...again.... - 12/1/2008 4:53:17 PM
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android125
Posts: 25
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Theres nothing wrong with lighting candles anytime of year and lets face it the longest night of the year doesnt belong to the pagans now does it. God made it, He owns it, and we can celebrate it if we want. I dont think the devil's gonna be happy if theres a bunch of Christians singing Gospel songs and praying but I think Jesus will be.
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Gonna walk in heaven one day...............
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RE: Winter Solstice In Church...again.... - 12/1/2008 6:10:52 PM
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PastorPatricia
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No problem with it here, day and night long or short belong to our Lord. It's never wrong to gather together and praise the Lord. Unless he's doing something counter to Christian believe I don't see a problem.
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But be sure to fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things he has done for you. Is. 12:24
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RE: Winter Solstice In Church...again.... - 12/1/2008 6:18:07 PM
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manda59
Posts: 6162
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From: Hampshire, UK
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I would not attend such a service if one was held at our church. And if one was held at our church, we'd be looking for a new church to join.
(All of that is academic, since there is no way under the sun that our church would hold something like that, thankfully.)
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"Manda is right"
mvic, January 2009
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RE: Winter Solstice In Church...again.... - 12/1/2008 6:20:25 PM
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SinnerSaved
Posts: 318
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From: Belfast, N. Ireland
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quote:
ORIGINAL: PastorPatricia
No problem with it here, day and night long or short belong to our Lord. It's never wrong to gather together and praise the Lord. Unless he's doing something counter to Christian believe I don't see a problem.
I agree entirely.
_____________________________
"Dance like nobody's watching; love like you've never been hurt. Sing like nobody's listening; live like it's heaven on earth."
Mark Twain
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RE: Winter Solstice In Church...again.... - 12/1/2008 6:26:37 PM
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SonInMe1
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My only comment is...what are you afraid of?
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You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.
James 4:4
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RE: Winter Solstice In Church...again.... - 12/1/2008 6:42:24 PM
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manda59
Posts: 6162
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quote:
ORIGINAL: SonInMe1
My only comment is...what are you afraid of?
How about "compromise"?
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"Manda is right"
mvic, January 2009
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RE: Winter Solstice In Church...again.... - 12/1/2008 6:52:18 PM
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ManimalX
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What compromise? Celebrating our Creator who set the times and seasons in motion? I refuse to let pagans lay claim to something that isn't theirs.
Is the church service intended to worship the creation rather than the creator? Then that is a problem. If not, then why not do your best to help your pastor and church elevate Christ?
_____________________________
"But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed." - 2nd Peter 3:10
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RE: Winter Solstice In Church...again.... - 12/1/2008 7:17:42 PM
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rcjames
Posts: 5771
Joined: 7/15/2005
From: Oklahoma
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quote:
ORIGINAL: momma-mo
Please tell me why Christians should light candles at the winter solstice? This is a pagan/witch/satanist practice! When I complained about it a couple of years ago here someone said that a minister had "Christainized" it and was trying to sell it to other ministers as a true Christian celebration. It would seem this pastor has fallen for it hook, line and sinker.
I have no idea about what you are saying concerning the winter soltice, pagan, witch, or satanist practices.
Christians celebrate the gift of Jesus Christ from God, and most do so on December 25 (this is because someone lost the calendar with the actualy day and month marked on it).
This day is called Christmas (which means pertaining to Christ), and is a joyous day of remembering the gift of Christ and giving to others.
If you do not like it; stay home and say, "Bah Humbug".
Thanks
RC
_____________________________
Just a country Preacher's humble opinion
Read the first chapter of my latest book here;
http://www.deliveranceofsara.com
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RE: Winter Solstice In Church...again.... - 12/1/2008 7:43:24 PM
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Dancre
Posts: 1307
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I feel the same as you, Momma. Solstice is a pagan holiday as well as lighting the candles. You light the candles for the inner goddess to release what you need. i for one wouldn't participate. Anyway, here's a Link that tells more about lighting candles on solstice. Now if the pastor wanted to pray over folks that evening or something, that would be different. I'd pray about finding a new church. ;)
quote:
ORIGINAL: momma-mo
Well, 3 winters ago our pastor introduced the "Longest Night Service". He booked it as a family night, told everyone to bring the kids. When my friend took her kids she began to feel weird as the night rolled on....they lit candles, and celebrated the longest night of the year. The pastor stressed that it was important to celebrate that before Christmas came. There were complaints.
The following year again there was a "Longest Night" service. It was booked as a night for people who were in mourning or going through rough times. Don't know what happened at that one....
Last year.....no service. I thought I'd seen the last of it... THIS year...it's baaaaaaack! I don't know how he's going to describe it.
Please tell me why Christians should light candles at the winter solstice? This is a pagan/witch/satanist practice! When I complained about it a couple of years ago here someone said that a minister had "Christainized" it and was trying to sell it to other ministers as a true Christian celebration. It would seem this pastor has fallen for it hook, line and sinker.
I'd love to hear what everyone thinks. Do you celebrate it? Or do you think it's the occult sneaking into the church?
This distresses me. I have learned much about the occult over the years and this smacks of it.
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RE: Winter Solstice In Church...again.... - 12/1/2008 7:45:52 PM
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deermousie
Posts: 1946
Joined: 9/26/2007
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God made the earth and the sun, and tilted the earth so there would be seasons.
God also gave the Jews feast days, and the sky was the calendar. The sun and the moon were given so we could measure the seasons, and the stars were for signs and wonders - until at the last Jesus came. We turned from the shadow to the Reality - God in the flesh, made Man.
The Apostle Paul chides the Galatians (who messed up in a lot of areas):
But now after you have known God, or rather are known by God, how is it that you turn again to the weak and beggarly elements, to which you desire again to be in bondage? You observe days and months and seasons and years. Gal. 4:9, 10
As far as I know, Solstice wasn't even a feast day "bookmark" for any Jewish holy day. Maybe someone can illumine me on this. It doesn't look like it was ever important to God.
However, God did tell pastors to shepherd His flock and protect them from heresy (1 Pet. 5:1 ff) and to oversee and be an example to the flock (Acts 20).
So if pastors are supposed to protect from heresy (I assume by teaching the truth and exhorting people sliding away) and oversee the flock and be an example (teaching, godly lifestyle, looking to see people are growing in faith and not being eaten by wolves of untruth), and we all are to be going to the world, teaching them about Jesus...
... what does this have to do with Solstice? Seems to me pastors have a full-time job with the biblical standards without adding lighting candles ( 0_o ) for some unknown or unconfessed reason. God commands us to leave the days and seasons thing because now we have God, and we move from shadow to reality. Something smells fishy to me, and it smacks of heresy.
_____________________________
Want to know where a certain word or phrase in the Bible is found? www.biblegateway.com Yay!
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RE: Winter Solstice In Church...again.... - 12/1/2008 7:57:03 PM
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MrFribbles
Posts: 1884
Joined: 1/29/2007
From: Hawaii, but I've moved around since then
Status: offline
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quote:
Solstice is a pagan holiday as well as lighting the candles. You light the candles for the inner goddess to release what you need.
What's pagan about giving God glory for designing the year to work in a certain way?
Where in Scripture is lighting candles forbidden?
_____________________________
You're a door without a key,
A field without a fence.
You've made a holy fool of me,
And I've thanked you ever since.
- Aaron Weiss
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RE: Winter Solstice In Church...again.... - 12/1/2008 8:08:14 PM
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Roberta_
Posts: 7416
Joined: 9/28/2007
From: East Bay Area
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quote:
ORIGINAL: momma-mo
I'd love to hear what everyone thinks. Do you celebrate it? Or do you think it's the occult sneaking into the church?
I don't nor would I attend a church that did.
quote:
This distresses me. I have learned much about the occult over the years and this smacks of it.
Go with your gut.
_____________________________
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RE: Winter Solstice In Church...again.... - 12/1/2008 10:17:57 PM
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1love1God1way
Posts: 2478
Joined: 5/16/2005
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quote:
ORIGINAL: Dancre
Solstice is a pagan holiday
Solstice just refers to a time when the sun is furthest from the earth.
quote:
as well as lighting the candles.
Since when were candles pagan?
quote:
You light the candles for the inner goddess to release what you need.
I doubt that is what anyone in that church is doing.
_____________________________
love.ben
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RE: Winter Solstice In Church...again.... - 12/1/2008 11:06:58 PM
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momma-mo
Posts: 645
Joined: 3/27/2006
From: Galifrey
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quote:
ORIGINAL: ManimalX
What compromise? Celebrating our Creator who set the times and seasons in motion? I refuse to let pagans lay claim to something that isn't theirs.
Is the church service intended to worship the creation rather than the creator? Then that is a problem. If not, then why not do your best to help your pastor and church elevate Christ?
I'm not referring to Christmas. I'm referring to the longest day of the year.
To those who say this is harmless:
If you read my post carefully you will see that the first year it was sold to the congregation as a family celebration. When some of the people attended alarms went off in their spirits. My friend did not understand, but felt extreme guilt during and after. Now...here it is, the next year it is sold to the congregation as a time of healing broken and hurting lives. (What happened to it being a time of celebration? For your little kids yet!) The third year...nothing. Now, here it comes again. I will tell you what this year's explanation for it is when I hear it.
Don't worry about me. I also attend a second church that would do no such thing. The people in this other church are wonderful and I'm not there because of the pastor, but, because God has plans for it that He has shown me. I do know one thing...those plans may be including a new pastor.
Celebrating the winter solstice in a church is not harmless. As another poster said....it's compromise. And why keep changing the reason to celebrate it? I would rather celebrate the creator than the creation. What is the purpose of celebrating a seasonal change just four days before we celebrate the birth of the One who created that season? And why not celebrate the changing of all of the seasons? Why would a church suddenly start celebrating on a day that is not traditional to the church, but a day that is super important to those that worship nature and the devil himself? There is nothing harmless about it. IMO
_____________________________
Jesus died and lived to tell about it!
Rapture: Separation of Church and state...
"With great chocolate comes great responsibility." Larry Boy
http://frontdoorministries.blogspot.com
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RE: Winter Solstice In Church...again.... - 12/1/2008 11:09:57 PM
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1love1God1way
Posts: 2478
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David also seemed found of the moon and stars . . .
I dunno . . .
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love.ben
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RE: Winter Solstice In Church...again.... - 12/1/2008 11:14:21 PM
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colliefan
Posts: 2996
Joined: 4/12/2005
From: Raleigh, NC
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Provided the focus is not on the nght, but on the Light of the World, I have no problems with such a service. Focus that even the deepest darkest night, Hope still exists.
Are we to change the name of Thursday b/c it was named after Thor, the Norse god of thunder?
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RE: Winter Solstice In Church...again.... - 12/1/2008 11:36:38 PM
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Dancre
Posts: 1307
Joined: 4/12/2005
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Lighting candles is ok. Lighting candles for some stupid godess isn't. The entire ritual of lighting candles for the solstice is based in pagen rituals. The pastor wanted to light the candles for the solstice. Why do something that the new agers are doing to give glory to their god? Sorry, but you're not giving glory to God by following pagen rituals.
quote:
ORIGINAL: MrFribbles
quote:
Solstice is a pagan holiday as well as lighting the candles. You light the candles for the inner goddess to release what you need.
What's pagan about giving God glory for designing the year to work in a certain way?
Where in Scripture is lighting candles forbidden?
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RE: Winter Solstice In Church...again.... - 12/1/2008 11:38:27 PM
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Dancre
Posts: 1307
Joined: 4/12/2005
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I gave you a link that showed it was a pagan holiday. If you google it, you'll see. Folks have turned it into a pagan holiday and I refuse to follow it. but hey, you follow and do whatever you want. you can light up as many candles for solstice that you want. knock yourself out. As Momma said, I'd rather celebrate the Creator, not His creation. But you do what you want. Light those little candles!!! Celebrate the day!!
quote:
ORIGINAL: 1love1God1way
quote:
ORIGINAL: Dancre
Solstice is a pagan holiday
Solstice just refers to a time when the sun is furthest from the earth.
quote:
as well as lighting the candles.
Since when were candles pagan?
quote:
You light the candles for the inner goddess to release what you need.
I doubt that is what anyone in that church is doing.
< Message edited by Dancre -- 12/1/2008 11:58:11 PM >
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RE: Winter Solstice In Church...again.... - 12/1/2008 11:44:45 PM
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Dancre
Posts: 1307
Joined: 4/12/2005
Status: offline
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I agree, Momma. Once I read your post, the HS said, stay away from that stuff. I'm glad you're out of that church. Keep following the HS, He'll lead you. :) But you have to remember, it's rather easy getting sucked into this stuff. It seeemmmmsss so harmless until you find out the New Agers are doing the same exact thing, lighting candles to celebrate solstice while releasing their inner goddess, whatever that means.  I for one, want nothing to do with it. You made the right choice. :)
quote:
ORIGINAL: momma-mo
quote:
ORIGINAL: ManimalX
What compromise? Celebrating our Creator who set the times and seasons in motion? I refuse to let pagans lay claim to something that isn't theirs.
Is the church service intended to worship the creation rather than the creator? Then that is a problem. If not, then why not do your best to help your pastor and church elevate Christ?
I'm not referring to Christmas. I'm referring to the longest day of the year.
To those who say this is harmless:
If you read my post carefully you will see that the first year it was sold to the congregation as a family celebration. When some of the people attended alarms went off in their spirits. My friend did not understand, but felt extreme guilt during and after. Now...here it is, the next year it is sold to the congregation as a time of healing broken and hurting lives. (What happened to it being a time of celebration? For your little kids yet!) The third year...nothing. Now, here it comes again. I will tell you what this year's explanation for it is when I hear it.
Don't worry about me. I also attend a second church that would do no such thing. The people in this other church are wonderful and I'm not there because of the pastor, but, because God has plans for it that He has shown me. I do know one thing...those plans may be including a new pastor.
Celebrating the winter solstice in a church is not harmless. As another poster said....it's compromise. And why keep changing the reason to celebrate it? I would rather celebrate the creator than the creation. What is the purpose of celebrating a seasonal change just four days before we celebrate the birth of the One who created that season? And why not celebrate the changing of all of the seasons? Why would a church suddenly start celebrating on a day that is not traditional to the church, but a day that is super important to those that worship nature and the devil himself? There is nothing harmless about it. IMO
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RE: Winter Solstice In Church...again.... - 12/2/2008 2:47:22 AM
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deermousie
Posts: 1946
Joined: 9/26/2007
Status: online
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quote:
ORIGINAL: MrFribbles
What's pagan about giving God glory for designing the year to work in a certain way?
Where in Scripture is lighting candles forbidden?
That's not was that pastor was doing:
quote:
they lit candles, and celebrated the longest night of the year.
The pastor stressed that it was important to celebrate that before Christmas came.
This wasn't about God but about the day length. We Christians celebrate the birth of God Become Man. Not day length. Not "four days before Christmas." And lighting candles is not the issue here, but potential New Age worship is. There's no precedent for this in God's Word except in Gal. 4:9,10 (and God said "Stop it!") and Romans 1:
18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19 because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. 20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, 21 because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23 and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things.
24 Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, 25 who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.
The first step of falling away from God is supressing God's truth. The second step is worshipping nature instead of God.
When people go apostate, they usually dress it up in fancy-sounding words so it looks like they're doing something good. It doesn't fool God, and it ends in death. And that may be where this pastor is going.
_____________________________
Want to know where a certain word or phrase in the Bible is found? www.biblegateway.com Yay!
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RE: Winter Solstice In Church...again.... - 12/2/2008 3:08:10 AM
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Little_1
Posts: 1588
Status: offline
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Re: the original post:
I tend to agree with the Momma and Dancre regarding celebrating any form of Winter Solstice after looking at the link provided by Dancre. Also, Deemousie has given a good and very clear explanation of the dangers of this practice.
_____________________________
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RE: Winter Solstice In Church...again.... - 12/2/2008 5:58:05 AM
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manda59
Posts: 6162
Joined: 9/22/2005
From: Hampshire, UK
Status: offline
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ManimalX,
You asked what compromise?
Here is your answer, courtesy of Dancre:
quote:
ORIGINAL: Dancre
Why do something that the new agers are doing to give glory to their god?
< Message edited by manda59 -- 12/2/2008 6:10:54 AM >
_____________________________
"Manda is right"
mvic, January 2009
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