Sunday Morning Service on Christmas Day

[Guest]

It's understandable to be baffled about people not wanting to to attend Church the Sunday of Christmas. Christmas Sunday should not be any different than any other Sunday that we take time to come and corporately worship God. It's our Lord's birth. However, from a biblical standpoint, observance of days is important but more important is worship in spirit and truth at all times. Therefore, various opinions concerning who will and will not be in service on Christmas shouldn't separate or cause discord among the saints. This too shall pass but love will forever be. We better find ourselves loving as many people as we can on Christmas day for this is the greatest commemoration of why Christ was set into the world. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whomsoever believe in him shall have eternal life. Let the Christmas season be full of the love of God shed abroad in our hearts instead going back and forth on whether one went to a building to corporately do what we should be found doing everyday of the week. But again, I understand the shock of cancelling services on Christmas. A holiday really shouldn't dictate what we normally do anyway. But I personally don't think it will change God esp. since the day we commemorate may not be the day of Christ's actual birth, nor was Christmas instituted by God himself. Traditions. But the reason in celebrating the season, no matter when his birth was is still good. You guys better be in church Christmas Sunday. But in case you don't make it, have a blessed holiday season full of sharing the love of God. which is the reason for why the Son was sent into the world.

[Jasmine nsi]

Hi guest,

I dont believe people are judging based off the fact that "Its wrong to not go to church on Christmas day"..Its just the idea of not having a Service on Christmas Day..sounds ludicrous. This is the day that many of us hold as our Saviours birthday. If your church has chosen to not have a service, that really is your church's business...however we attend service on any sunday regardless of the holiday's to collectively come together and Worship our Lord.

It doesn't matter to me what Holiday falls on a Sunday... I will be at my church bright and early giving him the praise honor and glory He so richly deserves. This is another Holiday that we are able to see because of HIM.

[Guest]

Jasmine said:

Hi guest,

I dont believe people are judging based off the fact that "Its wrong to not go to church on Christmas day"..Its just the idea of not having a Service on Christmas Day..sounds ludicrous.

I understood the feeling one may have and I don't think it's being judgemental. I myself feel church shouldn't have to be canceled just because it's Christmas. In no way to I think anyone is being judgemental. Just simply stating what they feel, which everyone is entitled to in this matter

[Giants DO Die]

Lanl said:

GiantsDODie said:

What I dont get is how u gonna not show up to worship God on Christmans when Christmas is ALL about HIM !!!!!!

I dunnno

It is all about HIM and yet we want to lay aside the day of worship because the day we are suppose to Celebrate his birthday is Sunday.....

Honestly yall I was baffled; after our worship service had ended the Pastor asked how many would like to have Early service (9:30AM) or regular (11:00AM) people just start yelling out " There shouldn't be ANY Service because it is Christmas day". So we took a vote and most folks really didn't want to come at all.

I almost fell out of my seat.....

Unreal. Now imagine if God told us.. Oh I cant come today because I have something more important to do.

Oh I am sorry I cant provide the resources u need to pay your rent right now.

Oh I am sorry I am a little to busy running the Universe to heal your body right now.

This is part of the problem I am seeing with the saints of God today. We want a God of our own convenience. Do we realize that Christmas is one of the FEW days some folks ever go to church ( the others being Resurrection Sunday aka Easter and Mothers Day ). This may very well be the BEST opportunity for them to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Is THIS the day we should be closing our doors

I think not.

[jasmine nsi]

Giants let me give you this Holyghosttee that shows how much I'm feeling your post right now.

It says:

"Beang-oh"

[Beulah5]

I cannot believe how ridiculous this post is in most places because it is assuming that all christians should celebrate christmas whereas that is not the case since christmas itself is a pagan holiday.

Now if you wanna honour a day in remembrance of Christ's birth that is your own prerogative but it should not be a must.

I do not celebrate any holidays per se -i am not against them but to me everyday is the same since Christ died.

If i go to church on christmas day which i will not be doing by the way that is because the bible admonishes us not to forsake the assembling of ourselves not because it is christmas.

If the argument was to focus on the fact that we should not forsake the assembling of the brethren in general then that would make sense however this christmas day malarkey is simply pure drivel. How about those who attend church on a saturday?

My last church were opposed to christmas, the current one i am in is indifferent to it but we are having a service on the 23rd instead of christmas day.

I have lots of friends who do not care about christmas where i come from christmas does not mean much to us the new year is of greater importance as it is passing into another time that God has given us.

My point: If you wanna spend christmas day in spectacular style in your church fair enough but we worship in Spirit and truth my worship has nothing to do with days and memorials -everyday has been christmas to me since Christ came into my life and i have never seen Him have a tantrum or get offended because someone did not go to church on christmas day.

Y'all go sit down somewhere-i am looking forward to when all this season nonsense stops so i can go back to taking public transport without any delays.

One man's meat is another man's poison however in Christ we still remain one body.

And how is your week going?

[Guest]

Beulah, thanks for saying it better than I could! For some reason, many Christians in America think all Christians do things the same, but we must realize that every culture does things differently but the important thing is worship in spirit and truth and knowing that Jesus is the only way. Some of you guys will be shocked going into some countries where Christians drink and it's not considered "shame on you!"

Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:

Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ. -Colossians 2:15-17


But foolish and unlearned questions avoid, knowing that they do gender strifes. 2 Tim. 2:23

But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain. Titus 3:9

[Beulah5]

Lol Amen Guest!!! ;D Looking forward to mulled wine-there are some advantages to christmas i suppose! ;D ;D

[lanl ns]

B5 and others, I understand perfectly where you all are coming from:

However, the non sense of it all is that people (Christians) expect for a church to close it's doors on an established worship day whether it is Christmas or not.

The most shocking revelation of this entire post is that church doors are being closed period.....................

[Nikkol]

I don't think that those who have posted don't believe that Christians do things differently. The point was that those that do have service on Sundays are not having service. It's different if you normally have service on Saturday so having service on Sunday would be an addition to your normal service day; but not necessary.

Also, I think that most people know that he wasn't born in December; however that is the day that was picked to celebrate his birth. So, I don't think that having "Christmas plays or Christmas programs" is a "must". However, if you have service on Sunday, whether it is Christmas or not, you should have service.

New Year's isn't perse that important in the grand scheme because there are some Christians that celebrate the Jewish New Year rather than the American New Year.

But this goes beyond the fact that it is Christmas but rather that on a regularly scheduled day that you (general) have service, you are closing the church and calling it a family day. This also goes beyond churches that are all coming together to have service and greater fellowship......


Here are a few articles:

ARTICLE 1
Some megachurches closing on Christmas
Pastors anticipate low attendance because day falls on Sunday

Wednesday, December 7, 2005; Posted: 7:33 a.m. EST (12:33 GMT)

Manage Alerts | What Is This? (AP) -- This Christmas, no prayers will be said in several megachurches around the country.

Even though the holiday falls this year on a Sunday, when churches normally host thousands for worship, pastors are canceling services, anticipating low attendance on what they call a family day.

Critics within the evangelical community, more accustomed to doing battle with department stores and public schools over keeping religion in Christmas, are stunned by the shutdown.

It is almost unheard of for a Christian church to cancel services on a Sunday, and opponents of the closures are accusing these congregations of bowing to secular culture.

"This is a consumer mentality at work: 'Let's not impose the church on people. Let's not make church in any way inconvenient,' " said David Wells, professor of history and systematic theology at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, a leading evangelical school in Hamilton, Massachusetts.

"I think what this does is feed into the individualism that is found throughout American culture, where everyone does their own thing."

Resource considerations
The churches closing on Christmas plan multiple services in the days leading up to the holiday, including on Christmas Eve.

Most normally do not hold Christmas Day services, preferring instead to mark the holiday in the days and night before.

But Sunday worship has been a Christian practice since ancient times.

Cally Parkinson, a spokeswoman for Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington, Illinois, said church leaders decided that organizing services on a Christmas Sunday would not be the most effective use of staff and volunteer resources.

The last time Christmas fell on a Sunday was 1994, and only a small number of people showed up to pray, she said.

"If our target and our mission is to reach the unchurched, basically the people who don't go to church, how likely is it that they'll be going to church on Christmas morning?" she said.

Among the other megachurches closing on Christmas Day are Southland Christian Church in Nicholasville, Kentucky, near Lexington, and Fellowship Church in Grapevine, Texas, outside Dallas.

North Point Community Church in Alpharetta, Georgia, outside Atlanta, said on its Web site that no services will be held on Christmas Day or New Year's Day, which also falls on a Sunday. A spokesman for North Point did not respond to requests for comment.

Mainline churches staying open
The closures stand in stark contrast to Roman Catholic parishes, which will see some of their largest crowds of the year on Christmas, and mainline Protestant congregations such as the Episcopal, Methodist and Lutheran churches, where Sunday services are rarely if ever canceled.

Cindy Willison, a spokeswoman for the evangelical Southland Christian Church, said at least 500 volunteers are needed, along with staff, to run Sunday services for the estimated 8,000 people who usually attend.

She said many of the volunteers appreciate the chance to spend Christmas with their families instead of working, although she said a few church members complained.

"If we weren't having services at all, I would probably tend to feel that we were too accommodating to the secular viewpoint, but we're having multiple services on Saturday and an additional service Friday night," Willison said.

"We believe that you worship every day of the week, not just on a weekend, and you don't have to be in a church building to worship."

Troy Page, a spokesman for Fellowship Church, said the congregation was hardly shirking its religious obligations.

Fellowship will hold 21 services in four locations in the days leading up to the holiday. Last year, more than 30,000 worshippers participated.

"Doing them early allows you to reach people who may be leaving town Friday," Page said.

These megachurches are not alone in adjusting Sunday worship to accommodate families on Christmas. But most other congregations are scaling back services instead of closing their doors.

First Baptist Church in Daytona Beach, Florida, led by the Rev. Bobby Welch, president of the Southern Baptist Convention, will hold one service instead of the usual two.

New Life Church in Colorado Springs, Colorado, led by the Rev. Ted Haggard, president of the National Association of Evangelicals, will hold one Sunday service instead of the typical three.

[Nikkol]

#2
The Word's Worth
Ben Witherington III


No Church on Christmas?
Christmas should be a day when we come together to worship Jesus. Why are some megachurches taking the day off?




I suppose it had to happen. The megachurch in Lexington (Southland Christian) consulted with other megachurches like Willow Creek and decided that they would close on Dec. 25th, even though it's a Sunday and even though it's Christmas Day! The rationale given in our local newspaper, The Lexington-Herald Leader, was: people are so busy and Christmas is supposed to be a family day, so this decision was made as a family-friendly gesture. But wait a minute--whose birthday is it anyway? And which family is supposed to be serving which--the family of faith or the physical family? Talking about putting the EM-Phasis on the wrong syl-LABLE.
Our culture does not need any encouragement to be more self-centered and narcissistic or to stay at home on Sunday. It is already that way. Christmas above all else should be a day when we come together as the body of Christ to worship and adore the Lord Jesus. Christmas should be the day above all days where we don't stay home and open all those things we bought for ourselves instead of going to church. Christmas should be the day when we forget about ourselves for a few hours and go and honor the birthday of the great King, our Savior.

What we are dealing with here are churches whose priorities are so askew that they somehow think it is more important for the church to serve the wants of the physical family than the other way around. This is a far cry from the pattern of the original disciples of Jesus who were seen leaving homes, relatives, and jobs to follow Jesus. What kind of message does it send to our culture when churches close on one of its highest holy days? That it is OK to stay home and do one's own thing even on Jesus' birthday?

It is past time that these sorts of churches be called to account. It is time for them to realize that they have simply capitulated to the larger culture's agenda on issue after issue, in this case in supporting the worship of the idol called family in place of the worship of Jesus. The church does not exist to serve the world, but rather to save the world. The church does not exist to serve the physical family, but rather to redeem it and make clear that if it is a Christian family, it has a larger and more primary obligation to the family of faith and to its Lord. Christmas is one of two days in the year when we should especially make that clear to our culture and our country.

Shame on you megachurches. Repent and believe the Gospel, starting with the birth stories of Jesus.


#3
Some megachurches to be closed on Christmas
Anticipating low attendance on a Sunday holiday, pastors canceling services


Updated: 7:35 p.m. ET Dec. 6, 2005
This Christmas, no prayers will be said in several megachurches around the country.

Even though the holiday falls this year on a Sunday, when churches normally host thousands for worship, pastors are canceling services, anticipating low attendance on what they call a family day.

Critics within the evangelical community, more accustomed to doing battle with department stores and public schools over keeping religion in Christmas, are stunned by the shutdown.

It is almost unheard of for a Christian church to cancel services on a Sunday, and opponents of the closures are accusing these congregations of bowing to secular culture.

“This is a consumer mentality at work: ‘Let’s not impose the church on people. Let’s not make church in any way inconvenient,”’ said David Wells, professor of history and systematic theology at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, a leading evangelical school in Hamilton, Mass. “I think what this does is feed into the individualism that is found throughout American culture, where everyone does their own thing.”

Services still held Christmas Eve
The churches closing on Christmas plan multiple services in the days leading up to the holiday, including on Christmas Eve. Most normally do not hold Christmas Day services, preferring instead to mark the holiday in the days and night before. However, Sunday worship has been a Christian practice since ancient times.

Cally Parkinson, a spokeswoman for Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington, Ill., said church leaders decided that organizing services on a Christmas Sunday would not be the most effective use of staff and volunteer resources. The last time Christmas fell on a Sunday was 1994, and only a small number of people showed up to pray, she said.

“If our target and our mission is to reach the unchurched, basically the people who don’t go to church, how likely is it that they’ll be going to church on Christmas morning?” she said.

Among the other megachurches closing on Christmas Day are Southland Christian Church in Nicholasville, Ky., near Lexington, and Fellowship Church in Grapevine, Texas, outside of Dallas. North Point Community Church in Alpharetta, Ga., outside of Atlanta, said on its Web site that no services will be held on Christmas Day or New Year’s Day, which also falls on a Sunday. A spokesman for North Point did not respond to requests for comment.

The closures stand in stark contrast to Roman Catholic parishes, which will see some of their largest crowds of the year on Christmas, and mainline Protestant congregations such as the Episcopal, Methodist and Lutheran churches, where Sunday services are rarely if ever canceled.

Cindy Willison, a spokeswoman for the evangelical Southland Christian Church, said at least 500 volunteers are needed, along with staff, to run Sunday services for the estimated 8,000 people who usually attend. She said many of the volunteers appreciate the chance to spend Christmas with their families instead of working, although she said a few church members complained.

‘You worship every day of the week’
“If we weren’t having services at all, I would probably tend to feel that we were too accommodating to the secular viewpoint, but we’re having multiple services on Saturday and an additional service Friday night,” Willison said. “We believe that you worship every day of the week, not just on a weekend, and you don’t have to be in a church building to worship.”

Troy Page, a spokesman for Fellowship Church, said the congregation was hardly shirking its religious obligations. Fellowship will hold 21 services in four locations in the days leading up to the holiday. Last year, more than 30,000 worshippers participated. “Doing them early allows you to reach people who may be leaving town Friday,” Page said.

These megachurches are not alone in adjusting Sunday worship to accommodate families on Christmas. But most other congregations are scaling back services instead of closing their doors.

First Baptist Church in Daytona Beach, Fla., led by the Rev. Bobby Welch, president of the Southern Baptist Convention, will hold one service instead of the usual two. New Life Church in Colorado Springs, Colo., led by the Rev. Ted Haggard, president of the National Association of Evangelicals, will hold one Sunday service instead of the typical three.

[Beulah5]

Thanks for your response Nikkol-you are very understanding. I think that understanding of doing things differently should be extended to the mega-churches as well. Like you said nothing is a must in christianity.

[And Such Were Some Of You]

beulah5 said:

Thanks for your response Nikkol-you are very understanding. I think that understanding of doing things differently should be extended to the mega-churches as well. Like you said nothing is a must in christianity.

and let the church say, "Amen".

[keita]

PRAISE THE LORD!!!

I know one thing. I'm mighty glad that when I was unsaved, hard-hearted, and cynical, yet on a rare occasion (usually "Christmas/Easter Sunday"), still actually managed to bring myself to a church building, God didn't ever let me roll up on a Christian one that was closed on a Sunday morning.

I would've been too done for words.

Now personally, I don't really "do Christmas" anymore and I really do tryyyyy to stay off my soapulpit about it with those who do. But ;D, I do think that understanding the pagan roots of celebrating Christmas should go a long way in sorting out any "scheduling conflicts" a Christian congregation may be having about Sunday December 25.

[jasmine nsi]

LOL are ya'll serious. wow

No one has suggested that because a church takes a sunday off that they are no longer apart of the body of christ.

To take a sunday off to celebrate "Christmas" in my humble opinion its quite RIDICULOUS. and if you don't agree with thats COOL. I definitely won't start a riot over that one.

However please not let us not get on here and act as if, someone just posted that any christian who does not attend church on christmas day is going to hell, because not one of the post that have been written imply such a thing.

but again, in my opinion..its still ridiculous! ;D