Lifestyle Evangelism is . . . C & E and More.

Most of us have heard of “C & E” Christians. “C & E” Christians are those people who attend worship twice a year - on Christmas and Easter (thus the name C & E). Of course, Paul reminds us that it does not matter the motive for going to worship does not matter, simply that it is important to be in worship so that one might hear the Word (the means of grace) so that the Holy Spirit might work through that means in order to give faith.

For us Christians, our Lifestyle Evangelism will most certainly include celebration at Christmas and Easter as well as at the many other festivals and celebrations during the church year and especially during the festival portion of our church year. Our church year begins with Advent and the time we take to prepare ourselves for our celebration of the birth of Jesus. We will want to hold off on our Christmas celebration until Christmas Eve/Day. Then, for twelve days we celebrate Christmas, culminating in our Epiphany celebration on Jan. 6. Epiphany leads into Transfiguration Sunday, which is immediately followed by Ash Wednesday and the season of Lent. Lent concludes during Holy Week which begins on Palm Sunday and includes Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday and concludes on Easter morning. The Easter Season continues until we celebrate Christ’s Ascension and then the sending of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost. The following Sunday we celebrate Holy Trinity Sunday and the we move into the non-festival portion of our Church Year.

How important these celebrations are and what a great witness we make of our Christians faith and our worship life as we bring these celebrations into our own homes. Our worship life is not just a secondary part of our lives. Our worship life is the main focus of our lives as all our life has as its center and focus our relationship with our Savior, Jesus Christ. As we are seen celebrating these great events in the life of our Savior, so we will be asked and we will have the opportunity to give an answer for the hope and joy that we celebrate because we have our Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior.

23 of 52 © Rev. Ronald A. Bogs