Christmas Music - An Unacceptable Timeframe?

I love the Christmas season. I love being with my family, giving gifts, cooking wonderful food, and watching movies like A Christmas Story with it's classic "triple dog dare" scene:

 Christmas is a wonderful time where people's attention is rightly turned to the blessing of Christ and more praise is given to God through this time of observance. I have no problem with an annual observance of the gift of God to the world; just as there was a celebration of the "Passing Over" in ancient times, I think it is right for there to be a celebration of the "Coming Down" of Jesus to the world.

There is one thing, however, that I simply can't understand. I listen to "Christmas Music" all year round, partaking in my Nat King Cole and Bing Crosby and other artists who cover Christmas songs as a part of my typical listening music. Certainly, I listen to my Holiday music a little more when the Christmas season comes around, but throughout the year, I enjoy listening to it.

So my beef, then, is with the people who consider listening to Christmas music "out of season" a completely distasteful action. To them, apparently, it has to be "at least past Thanksgiving and not past New Year's Day"  in order to legally listen to Christmas music. When I tell them I listen to Christmas music all year round, I am met with disgusted faces and even condescending looks. Now, I couldn't care less about what they think of my music-listening habits, but my question to them is this: "Why am I, a believer in Christ, being met with disapproval by fellow Christians on the subject of my taste in music?" Is Christmas music heretical when not played in the Christmas setting? Was it originally agreed upon that this music should only be played at Christmas time? Really - what are you basing your claim off of? The claim that Christmas music should be limited to the Christmas season falls apart when it is removed from the context of social life. We think Christmas music should be limited to the Christmas season solely because society believes it. 

Why is it "distasteful" for people like me to celebrate the birth of Christ into the world every day instead of every December? I refuse to schedule my worship of Christ to an annual level - why is that unacceptable to some people? Contemporary music that celebrates Christ's resurrection is alright at all times, but music that sounds Christmas-y and celebrates His birth must be played in the Winter season. What? Show me biblical proof for that claim, and I will obey it.  

I realize that Christmas music isn't the only way to celebrate Jesus, and I'm not saying that every Christian does not every day appreciate Christ's birth into our lives (I myself often do not celebrate this gift, and even act contrary, betraying God's grace). I'm not even saying that listening to Christmas music only at Christmas is a bad thing. All I am saying is that the efforts to appreciate Christ by people who are of a like mind to me, and who listen to Christmas music year-round, should not be being met by opposition by fellow Christians; so then, my issue is not with the music, but with the heart of the people who disapprove of my listening habits.

Honestly, it's just music; why are we making such a big deal out of it? My listening schedule doesn't really affect my theology or the solidity of my faith; neither does yours, so why have we made it such an issue? I should not be having to get these thoughts of my chest - so what if I listen to Christmas music all year round? So what if you don't? I'm a Christian, and hopefully you are as well, so what is the big deal with this? 

What's the Gameplan Now?

All right, enough! I spent my maximum of 5 minutes reading political statuses on Facebook.


1. Complaining won't help
2. God is still here


So Obama may win this election. What are we going to do now?

Are we going to give up?
Are we going to sit down and pout?

I hope not...

Could we try praying, instead of complaining? I know a ton of you hate Obama(care), but could we try praying for wisdom for him instead of praying for hindrance? How much will this country benefit if all we do is pray that Obama will be stopped in what he is trying to do? Why don't we pray that God will begin to work in his life, and through that adjust his philosophy? Why don't we stop praying negative and start praying positive?

So our candidate didn't win. This too shall pass - this is a country, it is not eternal. Focus on what matters infinitely. People matter infinitely.

We do what we can with what we are given. If we are given a conservative president, we pray for him; if we are given a liberal president, we pray for him. It is that simple. I care for this country, and I care even more for its people, but this country will fall eventually. Whether when Christ returns or when the economy collapses and we are invaded, it will fall.

BUT, God remains in control. All we can do is trust Him and communicate with Him. Bigger powers than us are on the move here, but we have a direct connection to the biggest Power. Why don't we try inviting Him in to our troubles? Not to get what we want, but to get what He wants.

I understand people's concern about politics, and I myself got out and voted today because I care about our country, but as a Christian, I align myself not under a democracy, but under a theocracy, where God is placed in control of my life, and assumed and trusted to be in control of everything else as well.

Above all, my prayer is that His will be done.