Posted on 12/16/2005 5:33:00 AM PST by FerdieMurphy
I keep reading about churches that are going to be closed on Christmas day, which falls on a Sunday this year.
What’s up with that? The word ‘Christmas’ comes from ‘Christ mass,’ which is the Roman Catholic service, or mass, for celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ. Christmas falling on a Sunday should be viewed as a special occasion, with people excitedly looking forward to going to church that particular day, not using it as an excuse to close the church doors.
Churches that are deciding to not hold services on Sunday, December 25th, are making a huge mistake. Now, I know the churches planning on not being open on Christmas Sunday are giving lots of justifications for their decision, including the following:
The church is supposed to be reaching out to the unbeliever, and if they won’t come on a regular Sunday, they are less likely to come on Christmas.
The church should promote family, and Christmas as a time for family, not being in church.
Last time Christmas fell on a Sunday, people didn’t come.
Getting help on that day will be hard, and won’t be worth the effort, as we expect a low turn out.
These are all excuses. Cop-outs. They are not credible justifications for being closed on Sunday. Concerning the first excuse, I have to ask, “What about ‘CEO Christians’ (Christmas and Easter Only)?” One of the few times of the year these ‘nominal’ Christians may come to church, and the church doors are shut! This could be the year these people get serious about their faith and their salvation, and the church is skipping this opportunity to reach these folks.
The second excuse is simply ridiculous. What better place for a family to be together, especially on Christmas Sunday, than in their house of worship? Do these ‘pastoral leaders’ think it’s more beneficial to the family to stay at home in their pajamas with bed head? The last two excuses are nothing less than a damning indictment of our churches today and the lack of faith of those who attend.
For crying out loud! It’s going to be Christmas on Sunday! People should be flocking to their churches, not skipping out. The doors should not be closed, but thrown open so that not only can people get in, but so that those passing by can hear the joyous singing coming from inside from those celebrating what this special holiday is truly about.
What’s next? Are these churches going to start closing their doors when the 4th of July hits a Sunday? What about other holidays when they fall on a Sunday? Why not close on Super Bowl Sunday? We are headed down the road where churches will be open only nine months out of the year like schools (Hey, let’s take the summer off from worshiping our Lord and Savior.). Closing the churches on Christmas Sunday this year is definitely a step in the wrong direction.
Parents, think of the precedent you are setting if you stay at home this Christmas Sunday. What are you teaching your kids? You say, “It’s just one Sunday,” but your kids will get the message that playing hooky from church is okay, and it can grow to missing a lot, to not going at all. Is our commitment to our faith so weak that we’ll bail from church attendance at the least inconvenience?
This shouldn’t be viewed as an inconvenience, but a wonderful stroke of good fortune. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else but church when Christmas falls on a Sunday. To the church ‘leaders’ who will be skipping church this December 25th, I say, “Do as you wish, but you are jeopardizing your credibility as leaders in a House of God. How can you criticize a member for skipping out on Sunday services to go hunting during deer season, or fishing in the summer, if you pick such a significant day to skip out?” As for my family and me, we’ll still open presents and have a wonderful Christmas dinner, but we’ll work our schedule around the true reason for the season and be at church on Sunday December 25th.
Oh please.
My family is a big enough group of believers for me, and more than enough for Jesus.
And those who don't have families?
Why is it that Christmas has a fixed date, Dec. 25th, and Easter does not? If the first Christmas has a date that doesn't change, wouldn't it make sense to have a similar date for Easter?
I guess that since Easter (i) has to fall on a Sunday and (ii) has to fall around Passover, the early Church had to make it a movable feast. Since the Annunciation and Christmas do not need to fall on a particular day of the week and have nothing to do with the Jewish calendar, the early Church was able to designate March 25 and December 25 as set holidays.
There is always someone somewhere who will pray with you on Christmas day.
But I feel really sorry for any Christian who is so helpless that he or she can't just pick up a Bible, read, sing some Christmas Carols.
Very, very sad.
If you think your church should be open, then voice your opinion to your minister.
I suppose the reasons vary. I know that some are not having services on Sunday because they are having a late service on Christmas Eve. It's their own decision. If you happen to go to a church that chose not to have services on Christmas Day, there are plenty out there that are holding services. Go visiting!
We do not celebrate 3 months earlier. Our church will have a Christmas Eve service and a Christmas Day service. I have only been able to attend the Christmas Eve service once since we go out of town for the holidays but it was very special with the parents and children in attendance.
1 Corinthians 6:12 says "All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not beneficial: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any."
Christians have liberty in all things. (Note that liberty is not the same as license, but thats a discussion that could easily take up a whole thread of its own.)
The questions Christians have to ask ourselves are: Is what we want to do beneficial? Is this thing we want to do drawing us away from serving the Lord?
Celebrating Christmas is wonderful for my family and me. It is beneficial in that it brings us a great deal of joy, and gives us an opportunity to set aside time specifically to ponder what He sacrificed merely by choosing to be born a tiny babe rather than coming as a warrior on a white horse. Certainly, rather than pulling us away from the Lord, this celebration draws us nearer.
Actually, they met on Sundays to commemorate our Lord's resurrection.
my church in Springfield is having service Sunday morning.
The wife and I will be out of town with her parents though so we won't be there.
My condolences for the loss of your Pastor...he was a great man.
I'm sure going to miss him.
Like a lot of families who will be together on Christmas morning... I think it's probably supply and demand... many many folk go to Christmas eve or midnight services, leaving the church pretty empty on Christmas morning. I think the pastors and other church volunteers who put in a lot of time Christmas eve for big congregations, might also rather be home with family than presiding over an empty church.
Thank you. Yes, it was a huge loss for all of us. I attended his funeral. It was sad, but uplifting at the same time. He will have a wonderful Christmas with the Lord.
I remember Pastor Rogers giving a sermon about the importance of believers going to church and being with other believers.
Fits right in with this topic.
I believe the sermon was titled :
Dealing with Doubt
Can't expect preachers to work on Christmas. When are they
going to demand their Sundays off?
Oh, my church will have a Christmas Day service, as well as a Christmas Eve Communion Service (a Methodist church). I also have a family to spend the day with. So, I wasn't thinking about myself.
If the church is closed on Christmas Day, leave them and join another one. Permanently.
I know around where I am, of the 46 churches in my area, 11 are having a full slate of services, 29 are scaling back and 6 (mostly liberal Unitarian churches) are cancelling all services on Christmas Day.
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