Christmas and Easter permitted but not part of authorized worship pattern
Churches of Christ do not include Christmas, Easter, or other special Christian holidays as authorized elements of the Sunday worship assembly — the worship pattern is understood to be prescribed by the New Testament, which does not authorize a liturgical calendar. Some conservative congregations avoid special holiday services as additions to the authorized pattern. However, no prohibition exists on individual or family observance of Christmas and Easter as cultural or personal commemorations.
The practical result varies widely: some congregations hold no special holiday services and treat Christmas Sunday as any other Sunday; others hold special observances or community events around the holidays. The question turns on the Restoration hermeneutic — whether the silence of Scripture on the liturgical calendar authorizes or prohibits its inclusion.
Key Distinctions
- Christmas easter observed:
- observed — Christmas and Easter are core celebrations of the Christian calendar
- Biblical feasts observed:
- not formally observed; OT feasts are fulfilled in Christ
- Rationale:
- historical events of the Incarnation and Resurrection are celebrated liturgically
Scripture References
Sources
- Alexander Campbell, The Christian System (1839)
- Alexander Campbell, The Christian System (1839)