| Author | Message | ||
| Becky Registered user Username: Becky Post Number: 1 Registered: 2-2005 |
My parents converted to SDA two years ago. I have since learned a lot about the religion but am still a long way from knowing all that they believe. I invited my folks our church's Easter celebration, and they seem very hesitant/reluctant to come. Can anyone shed any light on way this might be the case?? Becky | ||
| Melissa Registered user Username: Melissa Post Number: 790 Registered: 7-2003  |
Welcome, Becky. I know others on here can address your Easter question more indepth, but the SDA in my life seems to think it is a pagan holiday and not really about Christ at all. He says it's not on the "right" day and they could figure it out and do it on the "right" day if they wanted to, but they don't want to. To me personally, it's one of the most blatant references to the joy of the "first" day of the week and that is a conflict with saying the "first" day of the week gets you the mark of the beast. I think the full explanation may be very complicated, but I don't know what is the official stance, and the local propoganda. One year, B (my son's SDA father) heard a sermon saying how Easter gave people reasons to eat unclean meat (ham) and celebrate pagan rituals (easter egg hunts, chocolate bunnies, etc.). Two years later, he claimed his church was doing an easter egg hunt that Sunday morning for the kids in their church. Why it was evil two years earlier, and okay two years later, I don't know...but if the SDA pastor said it was okay, that's all that was needed.... I also was never an SDA, and know how complex the theological structure is to understand. There are some great resources here. Ask many questions! I have found there are many similarities regardless of region, but there seem to be some regional differences as well. | ||
| Colleentinker Registered user Username: Colleentinker Post Number: 1558 Registered: 12-2003  |
Becky, it's so good to see you here! I'm sure many people will have insights into your question. At first glance I have two reactions to your questions: 1) Your parents know you question ADventism and don't agree with their conclusions. They feel ill-equipped to counter your concerns with solid Bible answers, and they're nervous about participating in what they've come to believe is a service of "apostate Protestantism". 2) They have probably adopted the belief that worshiping on Sunday equals the mark of the beast, and they are fearful of subjecting themselves to participating in a Sunday service--espcially Easter, which is such a "high holy day" for Christians. If there is such a thing as one Sunday being more "dangerous" for an Adventist than another, it is Easter. Your parents probably don't even know exactly why they don't want to come; they just know that, according to their new beliefs, they have found the "true church" and have left "Babylon". By worshiping on Easter on Sunday, they are walking back into Babylon and celebrating the pagan "Day of the Sun". (At least that is the traditional way Adventists have referred to Easter Sunday--it's a celebration of the "venerable day of the sun".) We look forward to hearing more from you. You've come to a great place, Becky; I'm delighted you are here! Love, Colleen | ||
| Seekr777 Registered user Username: Seekr777 Post Number: 80 Registered: 1-2003  |
Welcome Becky, it is great to have you here. You will find very loving and kind people here that love Jesus. I come from an SDA background and I wss taught that it was based on a pagan holiday. It was never celebrated or observed in my years of growing up. I find Easter now to be a wonderful time with all the joyful celebration of our risen Lord. The Sunday church I attend has a simple yet moving worship service. I personally have difficulty with the easter egg part of it all on Easter. Maybe it is just because I don't like eggs.  Richard rtruitt@mac.com | ||
| Denisegilmore Registered user Username: Denisegilmore Post Number: 173 Registered: 10-2000 |
Welcome Becky, You're on the right forum with these folks. I've been posting since around 2000 on and off and still learn many things. Your topic of the Easter Day is a good one! Personally I'm very blessed that you have asked that very question because it is still a question on my mind also. See how the Lord works? For me, I grew up without any of the conventional holidays like Easter, Christmas, Birthdays, Thanksgiving, Halloween and the like. Instead we had Feast of Tabernacles, Feast of Trumphets, Hannakuh, Passover and the Days of Unleavened bread type celebrations. Like you, it was taught to me that Easter and infact all the holidays were pagan. Through the years my conscience still doesn't feel right if I attend one of these conventional festivities. On what is known as Easter to most folks, it is my custom or was my custom until two years ago this year, to have a Passover Meal and rather than calling the day Easter I still call it Resurrection Day when around Christians or on this forum. So I'll be looking forward as much as yourself to read the responses to your question. Thank you and God Bless you for asking this question since the day is coming again this month I hear. Peace to you in Christ. denise | ||
| Denisegilmore Registered user Username: Denisegilmore Post Number: 174 Registered: 10-2000 |
Oh and Becky, I could tell you the indepth version of why we believed that way but let's see what the others say. I'm sure there's more for me to learn as to the reasons also. Denise | ||
| Madelia Registered user Username: Madelia Post Number: 135 Registered: 2-2003 |
Welcome Becky! I grew up Lutheran and Easter was always a highlight. And getting a new Easter outfit was a lot of fun for me. So joining the Adventist church when I got married, it was a big shock to not observe Easter. The SDA church I'm still a member of has an Easter muscial service on Saturday; how weird. And they have an agape feast on Good Friday, in the evening. But that's really based more on Passover as I understand it. I've never gone to the meal, but it's "simple foods" like nuts, fruits and breads. So interesting that they want to observe Passover, but not Good Friday or Easter. | ||
| Esther Registered user Username: Esther Post Number: 166 Registered: 5-2004  |
Our former SDA church here has actually planned a church work bee for Easter Sunday. So, they not only don't observe it, they go to great lengths to make it a common day. | ||
| Susan_2 Registered user Username: Susan_2 Post Number: 1656 Registered: 11-2002 |
Becky, I was raised mostly SDA. I was taught that the very word Easter has its roots in paganism. I was taught to attend a sunrise service is to be praying to the sun. I was also taught that to even have a Christmas tree is to be praying to and worshipping the tree. However, back to Easter, I can only assume it has something with Easter always falling on a Sunday and unless it is an Adventist worship service on a Sunday Adventists teach it is a sin to worship on Sundays. Yeah, it's totally warped but that's the reason to my best ability of figuring it out. As a child I was allowed to have all the secular junk of the holidays, the bunny, the eggs and the egg hunt, the candy and watching the cartoons and with Christmas Santa Clause, the reindeer, Rouldolph, the elves and all the pretend junk but nothing in connection with Jesus or Christianity. My parents told me to celebrate those holidays in a religious way was to honor satan so we would just do the pretend fun part of the holidays. Didn't make sense to me as a child and it doesn't make sense to me as a middle aged person too. I think Richard has it figured out. It has soimething to do with being on Sunday. Medelia, I hold my membership at the local Lutheran church. Do you ever attend the Lutheran currently? | ||
| Madelia Registered user Username: Madelia Post Number: 136 Registered: 2-2003 |
Susan, Last summer I applied for a pianist job at an ELCA church in a small town close to my home. It has been a real blessing for me. The choir and I are working on a cantata called "You are the Christ". It is so beautiful and even though it's a lot of work, it's fun. It's funny, but my husband hasn't objected to my pianist job; I suppose he just sees it as a job. In contrast, he's out 5 nights a week with the "Prophecy Code" | ||
| Pw Registered user Username: Pw Post Number: 338 Registered: 6-2004 |
It's also possible that SDA's don't like the concept of Easter Eggs because Jesus did say his "yolk" was easy and his burden is light. (Just kidding). On a serious note, I'm amazed at how they do not want to celebrate the day Jesus rose. I mean, this is a much greater event than a sabbath day. Even if you have a problem with the Easter title tracing back to paganism, many churches are now calling it Resurrection Day. | ||
| Seekr777 Registered user Username: Seekr777 Post Number: 82 Registered: 1-2003 |
To everyone: I'm amazed at the different experiences we all have had in regards to Easter and worship on Sunday. The closest I came to simular experiences was being taught that Sunday was not Sabbath. I don't remember ever being told that we shouldn't attend a Sunday church with friends etc. Even if it is not said, in practice I doubt if very many SDAs actually ever do attend a nonSDA church service. Members of the Jewish community call special days the "High Holidays" ie: The Day of Atonement. Easter and Good Friday should be considered the "High Holidays" of Christiandom. Richard rtruitt@mac.com | ||
| Susan_2 Registered user Username: Susan_2 Post Number: 1658 Registered: 11-2002 |
Richard, I actually was told as a child that to go to cgurch on Sunday is a sin. It is totally skewed. Somehow it was figured that to worship on Sunday took away from keeping the senventh-day holy. I never could figure out how going to church on Sunday violated keeping Sabbath holy. Those are two completely different time periods. When I was little and went out on Sunday mornings with my parents and we'd drive past a church and see all the cars in the parking lots my dad would comment about all those heathen worshipping Sunday. Not that they were worshipping ON Sunday but that they were worshipping Sunday.I was also taught the two greatest commandments are in this order, #:1-remember the seventh-day to keep it holy, #2:-honor your father and mother. Boy, those two sure kept me in line as a child! The second one is still lorded over me whenever my elderly mother realizes I do things she doesn't approve of. It's gotten to the point that if I was observing anyone else I'd tell them they are voluntary letting themselves be a victum of verbal and emotional abuse all in the name of "true Christianity" but since it is me and I am aware of it I just deal with it the best I can. Am I making sense? And, Madelia, my membership is with the ELCA. On the island I will be living on soon there is no ELCA so I'll go to whatever denomination of Lutheran is in the town where I'll be. I love it. The entire church, from the little kids groups to the senior citizens groups is so Christ focused. About that Prophecy Code thing-I have been reading in my moms magazines about that. The pictures of the monsters arev scary enough so I don't want to go to any of those meetings. Oh, please all of you please pray that my mom does not get that SDA sattelite dish. She's been talking about getting that. I'd much rather have her watch Little House On The Prarrie and The Price Is Right than that stuff on the SDA dish network. | ||
| Seekr777 Registered user Username: Seekr777 Post Number: 83 Registered: 1-2003 |
Susan_2, I think you were the one who asked me about my feelings regarding different styles of worship. I can't find the orginal post. I'd love to talk to you about it if you will email the orginal questions. richard rtruitt@mac.com | ||
| Flyinglady Registered user Username: Flyinglady Post Number: 1176 Registered: 3-2004  |
Welcome Becky, So glad you are with us. As an SDA my parents celebrated Christmas with a tree. I do not remember what happened if Christmas was on a 7th day. Easter we got all the junk-candy and colored eggs in baskets. The church we attended, as I remember it, never mentioned the resurrection and at Christmas, we had a tree and people were encouraged to hang dollars off of it for the poor. The tree was at the front of the church. I did the same for my son, but I told him about the resurrection at least once and on every Christmas eve I read him the story of Jesus birth. I did some things a little different than my parents did. Diana | ||
| Belvalew Registered user Username: Belvalew Post Number: 204 Registered: 7-2004 |
Dear FAF Friends, A friend just sent this to me and I have to share it with you. http://wandascountryhomeinspirational.com/pinetrees/ I hope you find it as amazing as I did. Belva | ||
| Loneviking Registered user Username: Loneviking Post Number: 321 Registered: 7-2000 |
Well, it depends on the elevation. I'm at 6500 feet and the pine trees are (mostly) still standing in snow. Two weeks to Easter and they aren't growing anything new yet............. | ||
| Flyinglady Registered user Username: Flyinglady Post Number: 1180 Registered: 3-2004 |
Belva, A friend sent me that same url. It is beautiful and amazing. Diana | ||
| Colleentinker Registered user Username: Colleentinker Post Number: 1580 Registered: 12-2003 |
Thank you for sharing that, Belva. There is something awesome and bigger than we are about Easter. I'm sure my awareness of the reality of Jesus influences my sense of the cosmic influence of Easter, but when I think that Easter marked the proof of Jesus' defeating the powers and authorities of darkness, I'm sure that Christians' celebration of it has far-reaching spiritual effects that we don't even know. I praise God for Jesus! Colleen | ||
| Packer_eric Registered user Username: Packer_eric Post Number: 24 Registered: 3-2004 |
Loneviking, At 6500, where are you? I'm at 6300 myself (NW Co.) | ||
| Dennis Registered user Username: Dennis Post Number: 335 Registered: 4-2000  |
Belva, An inspiring tribute from nature that cries out to God. Thank you for sharing this Easter story. "Without Him, how lost I would be!" Dennis Fischer | ||
| Loneviking Registered user Username: Loneviking Post Number: 322 Registered: 7-2000 |
Tahoe............. |
