Posted on 12/16/2005 10:10:29 AM PST by Thorin
Reports in the national press that some modern megachurches are “closing” on Christmas in order to encourage families to “have a more personal experience on that day” have shocked many traditional Christians. The Chicago Tribune first reported this phenomenon on December 6, in an article about the godfather of megachurches, Willow Creek. Other articles followed, in USA Today and other papers, chronicling the trend throughout the United States.
This is nothing new for Willow Creek, and the WillowCreeking of America is evidenced by the spread of this trend. Many, many churches, including Rockford’s Heartland Community Church (which recently purchased Colonial Village Mall and is planning on worshiping in the former J.C. Penney’s) belong to the Willow Creek Association, which they pay to give them marching orders every week, in order to remain “relevant.” Heartland doesn’t even have a live sermon: They simply pipe in the video feed from Willow.
All of this begs the larger question, “Why DO we need to go to church on Christmas.” Traditionalists often wonder why we need to ask in the first place, as church has always been a part of their experience of the Feast of the Nativity. However, for those who come from denominations that de-emphasize sacraments (or eliminate them altogether) the question remains. After all, can’t I read my Bible, pray, and sing Christmas carols at home? In my piece “A Tender, Unitarian Christmas,” I wrote the following:
What distinguishes evangelicalism from Unitarianism is an intellectual commitment to what came to be known as the “fundamentals” in the early 20th century. Evangelicals retain a belief in the transcendent, supernatural characteristics of orthodox Christianity: the Virgin Birth of Christ, His substitutionary atonement for the sins of the world, His resurrection from the dead, and even His Incarnation in the womb of the Virgin Mary. These core commitments cause evangelicals to follow the Puritans in emphasizing a dramatic, supernaturally enabled and inspired conversion experience. But for those already converted, the pursuit of individual piety is much the same as the liberals’—devoid of Sacraments and the “working out of salvation” that accompanies them. Since salvation comes through the instant conversion of the mind and heart, the Incarnation plays little part in the process of creating or maintaining faith and its goal, the forgiveness of sins. What we can get at church that we can’t get at home is this: the true Body and Blood of Christ, given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. Christmas is about the Incarnation and Holy Birth of the Only Begotten Son of God. What is more incarnational than the gift of the Flesh and Blood of the Lamb of God? And what sanctifies my family’s experience around the table and the Christmas tree more than a trip to a faithful church to receive the very grace that the Babe of the Manger has come to give?
The new sacraments—conduits of grace—in the Age of Willow are the yuppie pastor, the Praise Team, and the Sacred Video Projector. But their superfluous nature is manifest in that even they can be set aside in place of “family time” around the tree. These things are important, but they cannot give what the enfleshed Savior can—which is the whole point of Christmas to begin with.
Interesting take on these megachurches. I've been to lots of traditional Christian churchs, but never to one of the megachurches. I think I'll drop in on one soon, but not on Christmas Day. Looks like they're closed for the day celebrated as the birthday of Jesus. Oh well...
FYI ping.
I'm always justa little perplexed that someone claims to know how all "evangelicals" experience Christ. The Lutheran Church, in all its synods, considers itself evangelical and, yet, we don't reject the True Presence.
Our congregation will have one Pastor at the Christmas Eve service and the other at the Christmas Day service. I expect to be at both.
"Just as the fishermen hide the hook with bait and covertly hook the fish, similarly, the crafty allies of the heresies cover their evil teachings and corrupt understanding with pietism and hook the more simple, bringing them to spiritual death." +Isidore of Pelusium
"Not sure if I follow that quote 100%"
This help?
"The new sacraments—conduits of grace—in the Age of Willow are the yuppie pastor, the Praise Team, and the Sacred Video Projector."
Thanks.
It is Friday and my brain is already switching to weekend mode (boss is back in Brazil for Christmas).
“Why DO we need to go to church on Christmas.”
Because it's on Sunday? It's up to individual churches to schedule the times and liturgies for special events, but I find it inexcusable for a church to be closed on the Lord's Day.
Catholic tells Protestants what they believe.
The author of the article is a deacon in the Lutheran Church, Missouri Synod.
I stand corrected; Lutheran, who should know better, tells other denominations what they believe.
The office of "deacon" has no particular significance in the Missouri Synod. In most congregations, the deacons serve as ushers; certainly an important administrative role, but not one which qualifies this gentleman to pontificate on what all evangelicals believe (more so in light of the fact that he is unaware that his own church is evangelical).
"'Just as the fishermen hide the hook with bait and covertly hook the fish, similarly, the crafty allies of the heresies cover their evil teachings and corrupt understanding with pietism and hook the more simple, bringing them to spiritual death.' +Isidore of Pelusium"
Isidore was basically right, however, he got the target audience backwards. It's not the simple, even illiterate peasant who often fell (or falls) for heresies. No. The simple peasant trudges to Mass/Liturgy Sunday after Sunday, Holy Day after Holy Day, week after week, year after year. He listens to what is read to him from the Scriptures. He says the memorized prayers. He kisses the icon or lights a votary candle and contemplates God saying the rosary. Most of all, he takes the Sacraments, and they, to him, are the words he doesn't need to read, the defining acts of religious piety and faith that transcend all arguments or words. Words get in the way.
"The Body of Christ" - "Amen!"
What can be added to that?
It is not the simple who are easily lead astray.
It is the sophisticated and the semi-sophisticated, the ones who can read and write and polemicize, for whom the endless cycles of ages of bowing and praying and taking sacraments with a few words to the accompaniment of incense and choirs is just Not Good Enough, because it engages their senses but leaves them silent and receptive, not expressive. They don't get to insert their opinions. Their thoughts about how intelligent modern people ought to be doing things don't get listened to.
And so the traditions are scorned, not by the simple, but by the smart, in favor of confections that flattered first their literacy (as compared to the stupid peasant), and later, their level of education.
I don't think fisherman need to hide the hook from the simple. The simple are small fry. The fisherman wants the big fish - that's who he baits the hook for.
Did Nestorianism depend on literacy?
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