So, Are You Gonna Celebrate?

So, are you gonna celebrate?

Yesterday, I turned thirty and the question on everybody's mind was, "So, are you gonna celebrate?" (When I say everybody, I really mean two people. Stay with me - I'm building toward something.)

Today members of the Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses (The official Corporate name of the religion) obstain from birthday celebrations. Being raised as a "Witness" it has been common in the past for me not to celebrate my birthday. Now that I am no longer under the yoke of the Watchtower organization I guess these ones were wondering if I would start celebrating. It's a good question.

First I should explain why "Jehovah's Witnesses" do not observe birthday celebrations.

As explained by their topical Bible guidebook Reasoning from the Scriptures the Bible only references two birthday celebrations and in both cases they are held in somewhat of a negative light. The accounts are that of Pharaoh's birthday where his chief of Bakers is hung (Gen 40:20-22)and Herod's birthday where in the aftermath John the baptizer is executed. (Matt 14:6-10) They reason then that this constitutes God's statement on birthday celebrations and officially shun them as a result. Origen, writing in 245AD reached a similar conclusion. (Note: The Witness injuction on birthday celebrations is not binding on Baby showers which are celebrated festively, but I digress.)

Now certainly I can understand that a person may not wish to celebrate their birthday or that of others based on these two accounts; however, because birthdays are not directly condemned in God's word it would be hard for me to support some sort of blanket ban on them. (Additionally it may be that the Bible does reference another birthday celebration in the book of Job where it speaks of his children feasting on each one's "appointed day". [Job 1:4-5] However whether this "appointed day" should be read as "birthday" cannot be said with any certainty.)

A second reason that "Jehovah's Witnesses" reject birthday celebrations is that certain reference works point out that the early Christians did not observe birthdays. For example Augustus Neander writes "The notion of a birthday festival was far from the ideas of the Christians of this period in general." (The History of the Christian Religion and Church, During the Three First Centuries)

It should be noted though that while birthday celebrations are common place in the general populace today, in the early-Church era birthdays were not universally observed, by Christians or otherwise. In the past only kings, nobles, and other creatures with God-complexes feasted and celebrated on their birthdays. Though in time the birthday celebration was introduced to the common Roman-world through soldiers influenced by the Persian cult of Mithras who held personal birthday celebrations. Birthday celebrations lost popularity as Christianity gained ground in Rome; however they would later experience a resurgence with the Protestant Reformation as a way of supplanting the celebration of the various "Saint's days". And thus concludes a brief history of the birthday celebration courtesy of the contributors at Wikipedia.

Well now you are getting somewhere with me because on a personal level I make an effort to follow the customs of the early Church to the best of my imperfect knowledge, understanding, and ability. The difficulty is that because our culture is very different from theirs we have to make certain judgment calls as to how exact we follow their example. For instance it would have been uncommon for a Christian in the first or second century to wear a wedding ring (particularly a gold one) however Jehovah's Witnesses today routinely keep that practice. So once again I would find it very difficult to have a blanket ban on birthday celebrations based on the practises of the early Church.

So did I celebrate?

Yes.

It is my custom these days to celebrate each and everyday. My current practise is that the first words out of my mouth upon waking up - generally my first waking thoughts - is a word of praise and thanks to my God for giving me another day. As Stuart Murdoch sings in If You Find Yourself Caught In Love, "Say a prayer to the man above - Thank him for every day you pass - Thank him for saving your sorry ass!"

Yeah, personally I cannot see making much of a fuss over my birthday; because, ultimately what am I? Nothing really. Nothing special. As Paul writes to the Church in Rome, "For through the undeserved kindness given to me I tell everyone there among you not to think more of himself than it is necessary to think; but to think so as to have a sound mind, each one as God has distributed to him a measure of faith." - Romans 12:3

Too I feel that it would be particularly fleshly of me to celebrate the day of my physical birth and pay little mind to the day of my spiritual rebirth. I can almost hear Paul now, "So what say we? Should I honor myself on my born again day? Never may that be so!"

What of my born again day?

Well in Paul's inspired terminology it is an "undeserved kindness" (grace) on God's part that he "saved [my] sorry ass", as Murdoch says in the French. Really I didn't do much of anything but just sit there and someway, somehow God saw fit to give me a Spirit baptism. Glory, glory, glory to Him and none to me! Give him the cake and the gifts!

So how did I spend my birthday?

My sister came over and we had a lovely meal of white chili. We then went into the living room and played some songs including the new love song I wrote to the Lord. After that we watched some videos on Church (humorous and serious). Then we shared from God's Word about inviting people to the marraige feast. (The real celebration I'm dying to be a part of!) We next shared a nice plate of chocolate chip cookies and spoke of about practical ways we could bless others. Finally we joined together in thanking God for all he is doing in our lives.

I'll take that over a cake, balloons, and an off-key, throaty rendition of "Happy Birthday©" any day!

Should you celebrate your birthday?

My buzz-word this entry has been personally, and personally I don't care if you celebrate your birthday.

But as for me on my birthday, well I'm ... I'm just happy to be here. Glory and Praise to Almighty God on Highest!