#97-Having a discussion of when it's the right time to start listening to Christmas Music

Okay, very briefly, I have heard more conversation of when is the right time to listen to Christmas music this year, than I heard of actual Christmas music all of last year. And it's annoying...

Here's the solution:

November 1st-Thanksgiving-It's a gray area. There is no absolute answer about this one. Postmodern young people like myself love gray areas, so the grayness of whether or not Christmas music is okay starting the day after Halloween until Thanksgiving is up for your own personal subjective opinion. And it's up to you to apply your personal opinion in truth. Just don't dare make your personal opinion absolute dogma that other people need to follow and try pulling some random verse meant for poetry in Psalms as a reason God doesn't like you  to listen to Christmas music this early. It's okay to say you have personal convictions that are not in the bible. Just don't get mad when someone who does not have the same personal conviction does the thing that you think God told you was wrong.

 Romans 14/ I Corinthians 8 says whatever conviction we have, follow that conviction unto the Lord, and whatever freedom you have found in Christ, be free in Christ. Stay true that what God has shown you. This means that if you have a personal conviction that Christmas music is wrong during the above time slot then don't compromise. Take the hard-line stance and get along with it. Please don't judge the other weaklings in the process who cannot hold out until the end of November and choose to start listening the moment someone flips over the calendar from October to November. At the same time, don't give in and compromise the truth which you have inherited from older generations after a week and a half into November simply because you saw someone who sings on the church platform drive into church blaring Christmas music. And no, it does not mean the person who listens to church music earlier than you think appropriate has any less of an anointing than you who holds harder convictions.

As for your November 1-Thanksgiving Christmas music listeners, Don't flaunt your newly Found freedom. If you know your brother thinks it is a conviction to listen to such music, don't go blaring the music while you are in that person's company. If you do, it will confuse them and cause them to gossip about you and the liberties you are taking. In short, your freedoms are becoming a stumbling block to others.

Thanksgiving-December 1-Everyone knows it's not a sin to start listening to Christmas music during this time. The minute thanksgiving dinner is over, you are free to listen without hesitation. However, we know that there are some in other churches who take the hardline stance and do think it's a sin to listen to Christmas music before December 1st. Your pastor does not listen to Christmas music during this time as to not offend the other pastors in the area, and he is completely okay with you listening to it though.

December 1 (The Old Guard)-Thank you for carrying on the tradition of the Christmas music of past generations. Without you our denomination would not be able to celebrate the Christmas season like Apostolics do. Without your convictions of trying to be safe rather than sorry when we pull out our Christmas music, our Christmas time would be as muddled looking and bland as those charismatic big building churches down the street who probably started listening to Christmas music at the Fall equinox at the end of September. Perhaps without you, we would be referring to Christmas as X-mas (*gasp*).

But folks, from one early-Christmas music listener to fellow Apostolics, I want to say that I am only listening to it in parts (no more than 15 minutes a day). I am showing some restraint, although I must say that restraint has slowly been slipping a little more every day. But it is nearing Christmas season when we call can celebrate without hesitation, so let's be glad!