Christians and Christmas

Was Christ born on December 25th? 

Probably not. The most common explanation was that He was probably born around the end of September (for more info, here's one source).

So.... if He wasn't born at that time, should we celebrate that date for His birth?

In fact, Christ wasn't even "born" when He came to live on this earth. He existed from the beginning. He is God and has existed in eternity past. When He came to earth, we say that He was incarnate or became a human in the flesh. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.... The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:1-2,14)

Should we celebrate Christmas as a religious holiday? If it's not a religious holiday, why would Christians get so upset that people want to say "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas?"

Some people believe that we shouldn't celebrate any religious holidays because 1) we don't know the exact date and 2) we celebrate His life, death, and resurrection every day.

 Don Fortner wrote:
We must not observe any religious holiday. We should attach no spiritual, religious significance to any day. Yet, we do not need to act like super-pious religious idiots over a day that has absolutely no religious significance....Did you know that every DAY of the week, every PLANET in the universe, and many of the CARS we drive are named after pagan gods? Yet, we still call Sunday Sunday, Mars Mars, and a Saturn a Saturn. No one would ever dream of calling us pagans for doing so. We worship our God on Sunday, and would laugh at anyone who suggested that we observe the pagan Roman holiday called “Sun’s Day” in doing so. If your car is a Saturn, use it for the glory of God; and laugh at anyone who thinks that you are worshipping the Roman god of agriculture by driving it. We must not, and I trust do not, worship Christmas trees and lights, or even attach spiritual significance to Christmas day.

However, I do suggest that we seize this opportunity afforded us by Divine providence to tell people who Christ is, why he came into this world, what he did, and how they may obtain his salvation. It is no accident that once every year every human being in the world is confronted with the fact that the Son of God assumed human flesh and came into the world to save men. Certainly, no one can think that it is wrong for believers, during this season of the year, to express thanks and praise to God for his unspeakable gift, the Lord Jesus Christ. It is never wrong, but always right to think of Him, speak of Him, and sing His praise. Rather than not singing Watts’ grand old hymn, "Joy To The World," we ought to sing it year round.

For me, yes, we will celebrate Christmas. Christmas is important to our family as one expression of our faith, our traditions, and the memories that go with them.

The Christmas celebration will not be more worshipful than other days. The tradition will not be the foundation of my faith.

However, the hearts of so many people are very tender at this time of the year. It gives us great opportunities to share why we believe, to share our hope and our future.

The Christmas message is that
there is hope for a ruined humanity –
hope of pardon, hope of peace with God, hope of glory –
because at the Father’s will
Jesus became poor, and
was born in a stable so that thirty years later He might hang on a cross.
J.I. Packer

LIVING WELL Monthly Letter, April, 2010

Spring-like weather lured us into thinking about warm and pleasant days. But when Spring officially arrived, winter howled back to remind us of an unbelievable year. Hopefully, we have ended our relationship with the 2010 winter season.

Spring signals time to plan for our summer mission to Africa. We are returning to Tanzania. We will teach in a new location, Morogoro. We will also meet with pastors and wives whom we taught last year in Dar es Salaam. Joining us on the Living Well team this year are Megan and Rhett O’Briant who taught with us in Zambia two years ago. June 9-21 are the dates of our 6th trip to east Africa.

We felt compelled to return to the same country as last year. After teaching and training there for a month, we built a closer bond with the people than ever before. Our desire is to teach a new group of pastors/wives in Morogoro and to bring additional training and encouragement to those we taught last year. Tanzania stays heavy on our hearts for many reasons but at the forefront is their spiritual battle with the dominate Muslim faith. They risk their security and faith to plant churches in predominately Muslim neighborhoods. 

Our mission is to teach pastors/wives in the area of Biblical marriage/family and train them in building marriage ministries in their churches. 

Why do we teach/train instead of evangelizing, digging wells, or doing a medical mission? All of these kind of missions and others are noble and have merit. But we have found that:

• Africa has been highly evangelized now and the Christian church is established in all east African countries. “World wide Christianity has become increasingly African....There are now more practicing Christians in Africa than on any other continent, and by the second decade of the new millennium, Africa will overtake Europe as the continent with the greatest number of people who identify themselves as Christians, whether or not they practice their faith.” (Neil Lettinga, PhD) We believe that it is up to the Africans to reach their own people; our role now is to train them.
• Clean, accessible drinking water is one of the foremost physical needs of Africans. Clean water will satisfy one of their physical needs, but will not meet their spiritual and eternal needs. We know that people with abundant supplies of water can still live decadent, empty lives. As Jesus said “but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."
  
• Physical diseases and disabilities abound in Africa; they have great needs for treatment. However, their treatment is temporary. They will still have the same difficulties next year.

We are not trying to say these missions are not good or needed but we believe that God has called us to a different work, one which will equip the African church to thrive and reach their culture. The African pastors that we train do not have the opportunity for a formal education. We partner with an African ministry, Africa Leadership and Reconciliation Ministry (ALARM) who is permanently located in the area and have an ongoing relationship with the pastors and training in different aspects of ministry.

Why do we train on marriage and family? Why not discipleship, the spiritual disciplines, etc.? Our experience and expertise is in marriage ministry, having worked in that area over 20 years. We have found a great disconnect between an African pastor’s role in ministry and his role in the family. His family is usually treated as unimportant compared to his ministry in the church. We believe that a truly transformed life will be most evident to the culture in their family life. That factor is why God said that marriage is a picture of Christ and the church.

Thank you for your love, support, and prayers.
Our love in Christ,
Donna and Ed Edwards

LIVING WELL - Monthly Quote and Prayer Requests

The Bible opens up with a wedding, and it ends with

a wedding. It opens with
a marriage, and it ends with
a marriage. . . . Your Bible is essentially a love story.  
Frank Viola, From Eternity to Here

For the time has come for the wedding feast of the Lamb, and His bride has prepared herself. . . . Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb.” . . . And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.
Revelation 19:7b & 9b, 21:2

Prayer Requests for January 2010:

1. Donations to fill the gap of our budget shortfall, so Ed and Donna will be able to continue Living Well ministry activities
2. Donna’s continued healing after emergency surgery on Nov.16
3. Preparing for Marriage class, Mondays, starting Jan.18, 7-8:30
4. Marriage Retreat in Chickasha, January 22-23
5. Wisdom in training and follow-up with Oklahoma churches
6. Wisdom in marriage and financial guidance appointments
7. Good health and protection for our family.

LIVING WELL in 2010 - Strengthening Marriages

How far into marriage was I when I realized that I didn't know what was I doing?

I guess it was somewhere in my first year. I knew that I didn't really know any couples whose marriages I wanted to emulate. I knew that I didn't have any specific training on marriage; I had not even read a book. I knew that the person to whom I had committed the rest of my life could hurt me more than anyone, without even trying. And I didn't know anyone to seek for advice or anywhere to go. I thought I was smart enough to figure it out .... wrong!!!!

Finally, the Lord did a great work in my heart and I started looking towards Him for answers. Then I discovered Dr. Dobson. His radio program along with many books, friends, mentors, seminars, and classes began to show me His way. It worked ... still together after 36 years!

But those agonizing first years of marriage showed me how hard it is for a good marriage to just happen! Great marriages, yes, even good marriages take outside help! God drew my heart and Ed's heart to be catalysts in other couples' lives to strengthen their marriages.

We are more committed to strengthen marriages in 2010 than ever before. We will be teaching a retreat January 22-23 in Chickasha, a men's breakfast in south Oklahoma City on February 13, an 8-week class at a church in Oklahoma City starting February 14, and another seminar in Ponca City February 20-21. That is just the next two months!

And every week, we minister to couples in our office, giving them guidance to heal and strengthen their marriages.

We see God work in a way that we have not seen in any other area of ministry. I have done women's ministry, written Bible study literature for adults and kids, trained teachers and lay counselors. Ed has led men's ministry, developed a benevolence ministry, and been a deacon and church staff member. However, we both agree, marriage ministry is God's call on our life as a couple.

LIVING WELL in 2010 - Preparing for Marriage

We often wish God would show us what is ahead for us. If He had shown me what was ahead for 2009, I might have told Him "never mind, can I skip 2009?" But His answer to me would have been the same as to Paul "my grace is sufficient." And it was.

So, we pray and ask God what He wants and listening closely to follow Him.

God showed us years ago that Christ-like marriages were very close to His heart. His passion became our passion. How does a person have a Christ-like marriage? First, having Christ in his/her life is a non-negotiable.

Second, preparing for the marriage early can make a huge difference. We started teaching a Preparing for Marriage class 15 years ago. We now see young, strong Christian families, some have several children, who came through that class.

What we see new for us in 2010 is holding the class in a "neutral site," instead of in our church. We see a growing interest on the part of young people to prepare, but they can't always find it in their own church or they are often unconnected to a local church.

The beautiful setting of the Old Paseo Chapel is the setting for our class beginning January 18. We believe that God wants us to reach some new couples in a new way. How many of us wish we had some/any teaching to get us ready for a lifetime together? The most exciting and rewarding part of marriage ministry is seeing these couples set the course of the journey together in the right direction.

More about what is ahead in our next post.

Life Changed!

Life suddenly changed! Two weeks ago, I started feeling like I had the flu, within hours I was doubled over with pain; the most intense pain I have ever experienced. After a few hours of emergency abdominal surgery, I emerged with a foot of my colon removed but in much better shape. I spent a week in the hospital and have been home for a week recovering. The recovery is slow but steady. I hope to be back to normal by the first of the year.

I am very thankful for my doctor and other medical personnel, friends and family who prayed for me, sent flowers and cards, and visited me while I was in the hospital. Most of all I am thankful for a husband who would not leave my side while in was in the hospital. Since I have been home, he has attended to my every need, including breakfast in bed. I could get spoiled!

Every aspect of the ministry came to a halt for the last two weeks. Ed is now back at his administrative work and I am doing some work preparing for future classes and projects. We hope to have a limited counseling schedule soon and be back to a normal routine by January 4th.

I am reminded of the physical example of a deeper emotional and spiritual analogy that relates to my surgery. After I got to the emergency room, they gave me some painkiller and did a CAT scan, then told me about my diagnosis. After I was out of pain, I could have chosen to continue to medicate the pain, rather than go through more pain to take out the toxins and repair my colon. I would have died if I had not had the surgery. I was willing to endure the pain of surgery and the long recovery to stay alive.

Many times the same problem occurs spiritually and/or emotionally. We have a weak spot and it begins to fill with harmful ideas or thinking until our whole system is not healthy. To get well, we have someone, who can see inside of us, to help us clean out the damaging beliefs and thoughts. The process of healing may take weeks or months, but we will have a new quality of life when it is finished.

Without this process, most of us will spend years medicating the pain. Some of us will use drugs or alcohol, but many of us will use less obvious means . . . . acquiring money or stuff, striving for praise through our performance, seeking admiration of our looks or personality. The less obvious and more palatable means still cover the pain instead of addressing it. These painful issues become the basis of personal conflicts, especially in marriage. Much of what we do at Living Well is to help people find the toxins and connect with the Holy Spirit to clean, repair, and heal from the inside out.

Why We Do What We Do at Living Well

LIVING WELL VBS in Bagamoyo, Tanzania 2009

Video of the VBS for local children in Bagamoyo, Tanzania.

How Great Thou Art in Swahili

Bagamoyo Church Follow-up

Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania Mission

We made it back safely to Dar es Salaam. We will miss the cool weather and hot water in Kenya. The place we are staying is very clean though, it's a Catholic center. We take our meals here as well. They have a canteen that is outdoors with a cover where we can sit and have a cold soft drink. We went down after we arrived and heard a Catholic mass playing on a TV nearby.

We will be here without our hosts tonight and tomorrow. But there are enough English speakers that it is not a problem. And they have the internet. Costs us less than a dollar for an hour. Of course, the keyboard is so bad that it takes twice as long to type.

We need the time tomorrow to work on our materials for our workshop that we will do on Tuesday. We knew that we would need to make adjustments based on what we learned from the people after we arrived. We have a laptop that we brought, thanks to the Gillogly's. So, we will have all that we need to prepare.

We will go to a different church on Sunday. Then leave for Bagamoyo on Monday morning. The workshop will be Tuesday morning, starting at 10 am (2 am OK time). We appreciate your prayers.

We are looking forward to getting back to Bagamoyo, we really enjoyed being in that community and the people there. It is small enough that we can get out and walk some. It is right on the beach of the Indian Ocean, the water is beautiful and blue. And we praying for hot and cold water at the place where we will stay. I think they are going to put us in a different place. We will have either our host couple with us or our interpreter while we are there.

So far, we are feeling pretty good. We have each had times that we weren't quite up to par but that is normal here. I had to take one afternoon this week and just stay in and rest.

The Bates are leaving Nairobi tonight for home. We already miss them. They were great travelling companions and fellow laborers in ministry. Pray for their travel and recovery.

Thanks for all your prayers.

--
Ed Edwards
Donna Edwards
"Giving Life to Marriages"

Nairobi, Kenya

We are now in Nairobi. We are staying a nice place here with hot water and a cool breeze! I think I took my longest shower ever! And they have a great internet connection.

Our conference finished well. It is by far the best conference we have ever had in Africa. The people were very responsive and very thankful for our teaching. We wish we could have had longer with them. We had many good discussions. It is amazing our similar the problems are, no matter where in the world you go.

When they gave testimonies, several pastors confessed that they had thought of their wives the same as household goods. And that they ignored their children. Women are treatly very badly here. The women were especially excited about the teaching. We were amazed how much the pastors would share about their failings.

They continued to comment about how biblical our teaching is and how deep. When we talked about Adam and Eve in Genesis 3. They admitted that one of the reasons that they treated women poorly was because of the failure of Eve. They were amazed at the silence of Adam and his accountability to God. It changed their perspective greatly.

They also commented about how we bring biblical teaching not American teaching. And how we would sit and eat with them, not having separate food or separate places to sit. On the first day, we invited them to sit with us if they could speak English or could bring someone with them that spoke English. We had an opportunity to speak personally with several people.

Several of the pastors go out into the smaller villages to plant churches and to preach. You can see such a passionate heart to reach people with the gospel and teach them.

We will take a few days in Kenya to rest and talk to the ALARM staff and then we will return to Dar es Salaam on Thursday. We will go to Bagamoyo on Sunday afternoon or Monday morning. We will do a workshop on Tuesday (23rd) about building a marriage ministry. Then follow up all week with individual churches. We will return to Dar the next weekend, then meet with pastors in that area and do a workshop there on that Tuesday (30th).

I think we will be staying in a different place when we return to Bagamoyo. I think they are putting us somewhere with a more consistent water supply, including hot water, I hope. The place we are staying in Dar is very basic but very clean and the food is good. We will have a/c there but no hot water. They are not even plumbed for hot water, doesn't seem to be an issue for them.

We are having a dining experience tonight, not just dinner!

More later.
--
Ed Edwards
Donna Edwards
"Giving Life to Marriages"

All is Well in Bagamoyo

Tomorrow is our final day of the conference. We have had a great group this week! We have had somewhere between 80 & 100 people each day. We have had mostly couples,with a few pastors coming alone, and a few women leaders coming alone. We have had some very good discussion times between our teaching times.

The children's VBS has been very busy!! We were told to expect about 50, but we have had between 90-100 everyday. The Bates were very well prepared and have had a great time with the kids. I am sure we could have had many more but I think our African hosts cut it off. We didn't have enough translator/helpers for more. Lucy and Millie have taught the kids some new songs, fun jingles with motions, and the kids picked up right away and love it. Alvin taught them "Alvin says" and they picked it up right away and love it too. Most have never seen crayons, glue, or glitter and have had so much fun making things that relate to their lessons. The Bates will share the gospel tomorrow on their last day.

We will be teaching on physical oneness tomorrow morning, a very hot topic here. They have already brought it up. Ed is teaching on guarding your heart after that. We also be doing a renewing the vows ceremony in the morning. After lunch we wil have our final ceremonies, those times are very important to them. Then we will head back to Dar es Salaam in the late afternoon.

We have been very well received and have lots of interest in the follow-up workshop. We will spend part of the time in Dar es Salaam and part in Bagamoyo, because the participants are from both places.

We are all staying well. The food has been good. We did get air-conditioning when we got here to Bagamoyo. But we have had a lot of trouble with water here. The pump for their water went out - twice. I have had one warm shower since we left. And that time it didn't last long enough to wash my hair. So, we are learning to shower and wash our hair in cold water. We have had some times when there was no water at all, so they woud bring us water in 5 gallon buckets.

I think they are putting us in a different place when we return.

Thanks for your continued prayers!

Ed Edwards
Donna Edwards
"Giving Life to Marriages"

In Dar es Salaam

We made it to Dar es Salaam, and have all of our luggage!
It's Sunday morning now. We are waiting for everyone in our group to assemble, then we will go to church. Ed is preaching and we will each give our testimony this morning. We are going to a church that our host, Justin, started in a Muslim community. It is still a small church but in a very important area.

It is warm and humid here. We just rested yesterday morning. After lunch, we went to the market. It was the only chance that Bates would have to shop here for local crafts. Dar is a big city and the traffic matches it. In the evening we went to a nice restaurant right on the Indian Ocean. Dar has the busiest port in east Africa, we could see the big ships out in the bay. We had some great, grilled red snapper for dinner. African food is always fresh. We also saw a big wedding reception they were having outdoors where we were eating. It was fun to see their customs and decorations, etc.

We are all doing well. Ed and I both woke up at 1:00 am this morning and couldn't go back to sleep. We will sleep better tonight. After church we will go to Bagamoyo where we will spend the rest of the week. We are excited about seeing that historic community and meeting the people at the conference. Appreciate all your prayers! Keep praying!