|
|
December 9, 2005No church worship on Christmas?I dunno, I am not one to criticize the way others worship, but this seems strange to me - I don’t understand this whole idea of not having Christmas Day services simply because the day falls on a Sunday. Some of the nation’s most prominent megachurches have decided not to hold worship services on the Sunday that coincides with Christmas Day, a move that is generating controversy among evangelical Christians at a time when many conservative groups are battling to “put the Christ back in Christmas.” Megachurch leaders say that the decision is in keeping with their innovative and “family friendly” approach and that they are compensating in other ways. Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington, Ill., always a pacesetter among megachurches, is handing out a DVD it produced for the occasion that features a heartwarming contemporary Christmas tale. “What we’re encouraging people to do is take that DVD and in the comfort of their living room, with friends and family, pop it into the player and hopefully hear a different and more personal and maybe more intimate Christmas message, that God is with us wherever we are,” said Cally Parkinson, communications director at Willow Creek, which draws 20,000 people on a typical Sunday. I’m sorry, but this would not do it for me. I know, I know, “God is everywhere and we don’t need to be in a church to worship Him…” gotcha. But we’re supposed to be not simply “believers” but a “community” of believers, a “church.” To suggest that shoving a DVD into a machine and gathering ’round the television is a proper substitute for getting out there for worship and fellowship among the brethren…well, I don’t get it. And what difference does it make whether Christmas falls on a Sunday or not? If community worship and fellowship is important enough to get you attending church all those other Sunday’s why isn’t it moreso, rather than less so, on Christmas Day? How about making a Christmas Eve worship that takes place after sundown, as a vigil, so to speak - candles and lessons and carols to replace lights and well-rehearsed performances - just folks gathering and watching as the Shepherds and kings watched the skies in expectation. Maybe it’s being a Catholic that’s making it so hard for me to “get” this. Fully lapsed Catholics aside, even the laziest of us manage to get to mass for Christmas and Easter. Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without the gathering, the singing of joyful and comforting hymns, the readings and - most emphatically - the Eucharist, the opportunity to welcome Christ all over again, up close and personal, so to speak. Easter also falls on a Sunday, but these megachurches manage to open for that. Why not Christmas…it’s the celebration of the Incarnation, without which there would be no Resurrection. As Bertie Wooster would say, “well alright if you like it…” but this decision by the megachurches seems very strange to me, and you will note it gives those who dislike Evangelicals, or any Christians a Hammer of “Hypocrisy” to swing around, which is ot helpful to any of us. I hope the “megachurches” change their minds, and the folks who attend them make an all-out effort to NOT worship-by-DVD, but to rouse themselves to gather together and sing “Joy to the World, the Lord is Come, let earth receive her king!” It’s a prayer and a praise, not simply a little ditty. Or to worship on Christmas Eve, holy, awestruck, reverent and hushed… O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free O come, Thou Day-Spring, come and cheer O come, Thou Key of David, come, O come, O come, Thou Lord of might, O come, thou Root of Jesse’s tree, O come, Desire of nations, bind O come, O come, Emmanuel, There is an antiphon we pray on certain Monday’s in the Liturgy of the Hours, during Vespers: Yours is more than mortal beauty; every word you speak is full of grace. The readings and hymns of Christmas so embody that, as we reach out to each other, as Christ deigns to reach out to us. Gather. Reach out. Good heavens, even a recluse like ME understands how important it is! UPDATE: Aside from the eye-rolling swipe at the president in this article (now the White House is responsible for “Winter Holiday” programs, because of this year’s card? Puh-leease! Only in the land of eternally adolescent reporters with axes to grind, but I digress…) - this sort of politically correct nonsense over Christmas is what angers so many…and, yes…when the people who are fervently working against it can’t even be bothered with public worship on Christmas Day…it DOES send all sorts of bad messages! C’mon my big-churched Evangelical friends! Deck those halls and ring them bells, and gather on Christmas Day! Amy Welborn has been discussing this issue for a little while and has a thoughtful post here. http://theanchoressonline.com/2005/12/09/no-church-worship-on-christmas/trackback/ 23 Responses to “No church worship on Christmas?” |
December 9th, 2005 at 8:26 am
I love the Christmas Eve service. which I always attend. To be honest, though, I don’t know if I will manage to get the family organized to get to church Christmas morning. A DVD is baffling, but I kind of understand a “combined service” Christmas Eve approach.
December 9th, 2005 at 8:35 am
If you will check out
http://www.boarsheadtavern.com/
you will see that many Protestants aren’t exactly thrilled with this development either.
Rationale: Church is more than an entertainment on Sundays. It is the gathering together of fellow believers. Yes, family is good, but there are some things … very rarely … that are more important than family.
Of course, it DOES make sense that megachurch staff — who work really hard — should be able to spend Christmas day with their families. That the church which consumes their every waking hour the other 364 days a year and most of their weekends should not take away their Christmas day.
Hmm … a possible solution would be to still have the service, but to have it be a volunteer service. Any staff that wants the day off gets it. If we have to get ol’ Granpa George up to preach the message, so be it. There’s gotta be someone out there qualified to give a message who’s retired and would love, just for one day, to get back in the saddle.
Respectfully,
Brian P.
December 9th, 2005 at 11:07 am
I don’t know if it’s even just the Catholic in you, Anchoress. I don’t even attend services, and I find the idea of a church blowing off (that’s what it is, after all) Christmas services in favor of a DVD (!) not only mystifying, but utterly ridiculous. I like Brian P.’s thought that maybe a retired minister or someone else could “get back in the saddle.”
Something tells me these megachurches that do this are more of a social meeting place than a house of worship, though. Family does come before superficial socializing for most of us, so I can only assume church to them is only superficial.
A DVD. Unreal.
December 9th, 2005 at 11:18 am
We usually have a vespers service on Christmas Eve at our little Baptist church in South TX. I don’t know if they’re going to do it this year because Christmas falls on a Sunday. I definitely know that there will be a Sunzay service.
‘
Cancelling a Christmas Sunday service for the sake of convenience is nothing less than caving to the pressures of the world. It seems, to me, as if these megachurches were acting like the inn-keeper who denied vacancy to Joseph and Mary with her soon-to-be-born Child.
‘
The inn-keeper lost a great opportunity to minister to Someone Greater than he was. And so will these megachurches who tell Jesus “No Vacancy” on the Lord’s Day.
December 9th, 2005 at 11:21 am
Oh! Did I tell you, Anchoress, that in Puerto Rico, the Christmas season is extended?
‘
Yep. At our home, we celebrate Christmas, New Year’s, and Epiphany. Therefore, the decorations are up, all the way until January 6. Of course, in Puerto Rico (where I’m originally from), there is also an extended period of eight days after Epiphany, which we call the “octavitas”, when we still do “parrandas” - our own version of caroling - and eat and drink to our hearts’ delight.
‘
Interesting, no?
December 9th, 2005 at 12:41 pm
The few megachurches may be letting the perfect get in the way of the good. Megachurches are now fantastic destinations: veritable church resorts, combined with community centers, combined with schools, combined with health clubs, combined with arts communities combined with youth sports leagues - and throw in some tae kwon do for good measure. People move to particular exurbs to be close to particular megachurchs.
`
Megachurches are especially fabulous for parents, as the megachurch provides a modern-day neighborhood of good kids and caring adults for their children to grow up in. Young adults who have grown up in this atmosphere tend to ask “What is your church community?” They wait expectantly and happily for an answer. For such megachurch veterans, one who has only attended church to worship has led a terribly deprived life. They look upon that person with sympathy, like I might look upon a financially disadvantaged person.
`
But the megachurches have created a monster that must be fed. To open the church doors is not just to open for worship, but for child care, health club, snack bar, entertainment lounges, et al. There are parking, security, maintenance, and cleaning issues to consider. And the staff - the PAID staff - if they want to visit their parents or their nieces and nephews for Christmas, has to arrange for volunteers to staff their abandoned posts. This, I suspect, is the rub. The paid staff doesn’t want to solictit good hearted volunteers for Christmas duty - and who amongst us would?
`
So, rather than announce that only the chapel will be open, for an “acapella” Christmas worship which is staffed by volunteers, and is sans sound and video effects; a choice was made to close the entire church, so as to allow the paid staff to enjoy Christmas with their families, and to not receive criticism over abandoning their posts. That, at the end of a waaay too long comment, is what I suspect happened.
`
Note, also, that several of the closed megachurches are nondenominational, and consider that the mission of those churches may not be the same as denominational churches.
December 9th, 2005 at 12:43 pm
What good comments from all - I like your point, Newt, that their is an “inkeeperish” mentality here that the churches I am sure do not intend to convey. (We keep Christmas until Ephiphany,also in our house, and the church keeps it until Michealmas). Thanks to Pendell for the link to Boars’ Head.
‘
I understand the idea that the folks who work the big churches want time for their families…but our priests and lay volunteers are also at it, “everyday” and it simply goes with the territory, I think.
December 9th, 2005 at 12:49 pm
I don’t attend a “mega-church” exactly, but for our town, it is a large church. We are having a communion service and carols on Christmas Eve and then on Sunday we are having a combined worship service and no Sunday School classes. The usual continental breakfast items will not be available on Christmas Sunday. (That breakfast is, by the way, a life-saver for getting my family of 5 to church on time, because it’s served in the Sunday School classes and the kids eat while they are listening to the lesson.) Not counting Sunday School teachers and musicians, it takes about 100 volunteers to man our two services each Sunday. For Christmas Sunday will have our praise band, organ and piano and that’s it. It will be a simple, short service, but we’ll be there, as I think is only right.
No church on Christmas? BAH HUMBUG!
December 9th, 2005 at 1:03 pm
I think there is only one explanation for this difference between Catholics and Protestant-megachurches. The Eucharist.
“God is everywhere and we don’t need to be in a church to worship Him” Yes and no. Although He is transcendant, and therefore “everywhere,” Catholics understand that He is also specifically physically present in the Eucharist. And as we are not only spiritual creatures, but physical creatures, beings with bodies, we must also experience Christ physically and bodily, not merely spiritually in the comfort of our home theater.
Sadly, our Protestant brothers and sisters, including those at the megachurches, do not believe in the Eucharist, and therefore do not see the absolute necessity to be physically present where He is physically present, at Mass, at church, where we may not only worship and gaze upon His Body at Christmas, as did the shepherds and wise men, but may unite His Body with our bodies, to be closer and more united with Him.
December 9th, 2005 at 1:38 pm
Here’s a thought, and I hope it is not taken as condescension because it is not meant to be…but perhaps if Evangelicals had the season of “Advent” - had those days of spiritual preparation and small, at-home, family ritual (lighting the candle, reading a bit of relevent scripture before supper, discussing the Incarnation…) it would in effect, “keep the star before the eyes” as we journey to Dec. 25th…and after four weeks of that the need to get together for worship is almost palpable!
December 9th, 2005 at 1:57 pm
One of my friends in college mentioned having to come home from a ski trip early so he could attend Christmas services on Sunday. But Christmas wasn’t ON Sunday that year–his church had their Christmas service on the closest Sunday and had no special services on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. I felt sorry for him. How could a Christian church NOT have a celebration on Christ’s special day? Seemed to me they kind of missed the whole point of Christmas…
.
BTW, the “Christmas Season” here at the Warren starts on St. Nicholas’s Day (Dec. 6) and lasts at least through Epiphany (Jan. 6). Although I will admit we often don’t take the tree down until Superbowl Sunday…
December 9th, 2005 at 2:00 pm
Many evangelicals DO celebrate advent personally. My own parents do. Doesn’t seem to have changed anything.
Respectfully,
Brian P.
December 9th, 2005 at 2:00 pm
Our minister, some years ago, decided that he was not going to do Christmas or New Year’s services- they’d be done the Sunday before or after, or some such. You should have heard the dismay in our community. Needless to say, he was replaced as minister.
December 9th, 2005 at 2:13 pm
Hi Anchoress,
Haven’t commented for awhile and I hope you are feeling better. I belong to a Protestant church and we are having a Christmas Eve service and a Christmas Sunday service, without Sunday School.
As far as I am concerned, a church that can’t be bothered to celebrate Jesus on CHRIST–mas, because it interferes with worldly pursuits,reveals its true allegiance.
I am not against being ’seeker friendly’, but I am against selling out the truth and the reality of God under that banner.
Lu 16:13
No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.”
Renee P
December 9th, 2005 at 2:49 pm
My family (me, my wife and kids) celebrates advent. We have an advent calendar that the kids put ornaments on each night. It’s the basic nativity scene, with one ornament for each day of December through Christmas eve. Each time they get out an ornament out, we tell them about it. “The shepherds saw angels who told them about Jesus being born,” This is the star that the wise men followed,” “This is Mary, Jesus’ mother. God blessed her…” You get the idea. It’s a wonderful opportunity for us to combat the ubiquitous Christmas sale advertisements, and the general sort of “Let’s get a lot of stuff!” that we hear so much of at this time of year.
Our presbyterian church also celebrated advent each week during the service with readings and the lighting of candles. We’ll have services on Christmas Eve and Christmas day.
Like you, I’m baffled at what I’m reading about the megachurches.
December 9th, 2005 at 2:55 pm
Imagine that- religious services that require the expenditure of effort- and as such, a display of our comittment.
Imagine that- the notion that the family that prays together might be spending some of the best family time of all.
Imagine that.
December 9th, 2005 at 4:53 pm
I notice Myssi attends a “large” church which is holding simple Christmas day services, sans Sunday School, Sunday School breakfast, and complicated music/media presentation. Myssi notes it will require only 100 volunteers to stage this service.
Myssi’s church obviously has a standard of “customer service” which they want to uphold. The monster must be fed!
I want to be clear that I am pointing out how a “cancel Christmas services” decision might be arrived at. I think Christmas services should go on. Volunteers have free will to choose when and when not to volunteer. If they do volunteer on Christmas, their voluteer service might be especially rewarding.
December 9th, 2005 at 5:34 pm
“Imagine that- religious services that require the expenditure of effort- and as such, a display of our comittment.”
Y’know folks, although I agree with you I think we’re being a little hard on the MC staff.
Let me put it in perspective for ya: I used to be a volunteer in the music ministry of one such church. We played two services on Sunday morning, went out for something to eat, came back around 4 and did the evening service as well. And that was a normal Sunday. Holiday times were even worse.
I distinctly recall getting up around 6 and driving 30 miles to make the 7:15 AM service, then playing through 3 services, getting out around 1, getting something to eat. It’s now 2:00 and it’s a half-hour drive home and a half-hour drive back and I have to be back for rehearsal at 4 PM, and since there’s nowhere else to go I just sleep in my car. Then back in for rehearsal, then 2 evening services, then home at around 9 PM.
I should emphasize that I was not paid for this … I was, in fact, going to college full-time and falling behind in my studies, because I needed the weekend for that.
That was how my life went: Study and homework M-F, Study Saturday, Practice Wednesday, then a full day of music and work Sunday. Then do it all again. Every week.
That’s why I think the comment about “a church service requiring effort” above is most unfair. Anybody involved in putting on a megachurch service is putting in a LOT of effort doing something while most people are relaxing from their jobs, week after week after week. If they aren’t paid, they are doing all this work in addition to their normal, paid jobs.
As a rule, these people are giving their all to such an extent that their church activities are consuming them.
So let’s not say things about “lack of effort” until we’ve walked a klick or so in their shoes. Yes, the churches need a service on Christmas day but maybe — just maybe — there’s a way to do that without killing people who really need time with their families, given that they’ve had “quality family time” in church the other 51 days of the year and it doesn’t cut it, precious, not at all.
These folks have a problem. They have chosen an inadequate solution. But I think alternatives will be better received than condemnation. They really are working very hard.
Respectfully,
Brian P.
December 10th, 2005 at 7:54 am
This confounds me. After all, when Christmas doesn’t fall on a Sunday, there is a special Christmas service! I suppose if they are doing the Christmas Eve service that might substitute (after all, that goes on into Christmas Day).
On Christmas Day I usually take Chief No Nag to the Catholic service. I really like it. It’s minimalist and focused on the worship.
IMO there is something wrong with a church that has gotten so complicated that it needs a mighty staff to hold a simple worship service. First things first.
December 10th, 2005 at 9:34 am
Christmas Day on Sunday
Several articles were published today confirming that some Evangelical Mega-Churches will not be having services on Sunday, December 25, 2005 due to Christmas Day falling on a Sunday. Where’s the outrage over this spiritual fauz paus? Well, we can fin…
December 11th, 2005 at 12:05 am
Anchoress,
As a Protestant I am infuriated at these churches for not holding Christmas Day services because their volunteers will be tired and with all the gift-opening and any other excuse they have made. So far the churches I have seen listed have been what I would call non-denominational Protestant churches. I belong to a large church, a megachurch in our community and we are cutting down to one service instead of the usual two but we are having Christmas Day and Christmas Eve services. And because not enough people volunteered to watch the kids the kids will be at the services also. I look forward to the candlelight service on Christmas Eve and the Christmas Day services on Sunday. I’ll tell you something else. If these mega-churches have true believers in them they will find a church that’s open and maybe decide to transfer their membership to that church. Would serve the other “churches” right.
December 11th, 2005 at 6:36 pm
[...] MEGA-CHURCHES Closed for Christmas?! Easter also falls on a Sunday, but these megachurches manage to open for that …. (Various) [...]
December 12th, 2005 at 4:17 pm
Empty Churches
The latest controversy to roil evangelicalism is the decision of several megachurches to not hold services on Christmas Day this year because it falls on a Sunday. We actually discussed this yesterday during my Adult Bible Fellowship Class (otherwise k…