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Post by Beulahnsi on Dec 15, 2005 18:19:42 GMT -5
and thank God that it is only your opinion and not His!!
Amen ASWSOY
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Post by jasmine nsi on Dec 16, 2005 11:59:45 GMT -5
back at cha!
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guest just visiting
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Post by guest just visiting on Dec 23, 2005 3:47:55 GMT -5
Wow...
This is deep........ I am surprised that many churches are now at the point of not having service on Christmas day. I think it is a sign that too many churches have become "businesses" and are acting as such.
Sure the banks are closed, the schools are closed most resturants are closed... But it was so the people could go to church and have dinner with family.
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Post by krazeeboi on Dec 24, 2005 4:29:57 GMT -5
I'm not sure if it has been mentioned yet, but many of these churches have simply decided to worship on the evening of Christmas Eve instead of on Christmas Day, so it's not that these churches are "taking a break from Christmas." The Bible never told us on which day to meet, as long as we meet regularly (weekly). These churches are still doing just that. Personally, I think we're making a big stink about something that's quite minor (just like some Christians are getting in an uproar over the "Merry Christmas vs. Happy Holidays" controversy....it's just plain stupid).
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Post by And Such Were Some Of You on Dec 24, 2005 8:02:38 GMT -5
I'm not sure if it has been mentioned yet, but many of these churches have simply decided to worship on the evening of Christmas Eve instead of on Christmas Day, so it's not that these churches are "taking a break from Christmas." The Bible never told us on which day to meet, as long as we meet regularly (weekly). These churches are still doing just that. Personally, I think we're making a big stink about something that's quite minor (just like some Christians are getting in an uproar over the "Merry Christmas vs. Happy Holidays" controversy....it's just plain stupid). Amen! |
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Post by Nikkol on Dec 24, 2005 13:22:49 GMT -5
I'm not sure if it has been mentioned yet, but many of these churches have simply decided to worship on the evening of Christmas Eve instead of on Christmas Day, so it's not that these churches are "taking a break from Christmas." The Bible never told us on which day to meet, as long as we meet regularly (weekly). These churches are still doing just that. Personally, I think we're making a big stink about something that's quite minor (just like some Christians are getting in an uproar over the "Merry Christmas vs. Happy Holidays" controversy....it's just plain stupid). Regarding services before Christmas, I believe that many of these churches already had services on the days before. Remember that the only churches that I've heard discussed regarding no service on Christmas were "megachurches". I think if nothing else it is shocking that the decision to have or not have service is based on cost efficiency. Additionally, there are some people who actually work 6 days a week and have set aside Sunday as the day that they can come to Worship with other believers........ I think it all boils down to this: "Should church attendace be the deciding factor on having service or not"? In this case, although I (and many others on the board) would say no, these particular churches are saying "yes". The next question that could be asked than is "why" and what message does this send to those that are without? Regarding Happy Holidays vs Merry Christmas, at least on the "big picture" it could be seen as a minor point, if we look at it within the US specifically, it actually means a lot more. Many people like to discuss how prayer has been taken out of the school, which was a bad thing. THen you have civil unions, abortion..... the list goes on and on of things that are wrong that are being called right. Now there has been a ruling that you can teach kids that they evolved from monkeys (which is only a theory) but to let them know that another 'theory' (although we know it is fact) is that there was a 'higher power' is seen as a going against separation of church and state. Many youth believe that they can't take bibles to school, companies can celebrate culture and bring in buddha dolls and korans, etc. but you can't bring a Bible, for then you are seen as intolerant. ( I remember in a video I watched about intolerant things at work that were wrong, they showed an email that was sent out that had a scripture and how angry some people were about it. That was the example they used) ......Now we see that in "holiday displays" many don't allow for the "nativity scene" but will have all different types of materials for other holidays. Anything is fine as long as it doesn't point to Jesus or offend people. It is getting to the place where everyone wants Christians to compromise, but no matter what the compromise is, the Christian will "lose". Keeping that in mind, the problem goes beyond people saying Merry Christmas to Happy Holidays but the principle by which many are seeing right before their eyes how much of an impact that secular society is having in the US. This is the kind of things that those "old holiness preachers" would talk about and many would say "Yeah, right"... but as time progresses we're begining to see more and more the truth that these preachers warned us about. |
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Post by And Such Were Some Of You on Dec 24, 2005 15:35:39 GMT -5
I do know that not ALL mega churches are not having service on Sunday (Christmas) because of attendance. That was not the reason my pastor decided not to have service on this day. We have to be careful what we read about in the news, papers etc. because they are not interviewing EVERY mega church. And before we begin to say that they are worried about attendance because of money (tithes and offering) will be low, I also know this is not the case in my church because in church service today - we didn't even collect tithes & offering. The focus was on the Lord, the purpose of this holy day.
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Post by krazeeboi on Dec 25, 2005 2:31:32 GMT -5
As ASWSOY has stated, we cannot paint all megachurches with a broad brush here. As a matter of fact, one megachurch member in Greenville, SC gave a different perspective on the issue by mentioning that many positions/offices that different people occupy in megachurches are full-time positions which require a great deal of these people's time, especially on Sunday. Aren't these people entitled to a day off just like everyone else? And again, the great majority of these churches are having Christmas Eve services, so they are not in violation of the biblical command to "forsake not the assembling together of ourselves." Maybe we all should just do like many Catholic churches and have a midnight Christmas service and get it out of the way.  About the "Happy Holidays vs. Merry Christmas" argument, I'm still trying to figure out why church folks feel so "violated" when the world is acting like what it is. To me, it doesn't matter if a certain store I shop in chooses to say "Happy Holidays" over "Merry Christmas," since Christmas really has nothing to do with the commercialism that these stores are propagating and promulgating. Christmas never belonged to the world anyway, so on their part, all of this nonsense about them "taking the Christ out of Christmas" is null and void to begin with because THEY ARE WITHOUT CHRIST; thus, they know nothing about what Christmas is REALLY all about. If anything, I'm happy that they have decided to start replacing "Merry Christmas" with "Happy Holidays"; the name of Christ ought not to be blasphemed. The world is going to act like the world, so why are we getting so indignant when they are acting like what they are? Because I know the TRUE meaning of Christmas, it doesn't phase me one way or the other. On the flip side of this, many of these people who preach "tolerance" are some of the most hypocritical people, since it really means tolerance for all views except a Christian one. Go figure... |
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guest just visiting
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Post by guest just visiting on Dec 25, 2005 8:20:02 GMT -5
The devil doesn't come in and say, " Hello it's the devil... Open up and let me in!"
He rolls up the the big ole' lie in a bit of truth. It's just like that old saying... "The road to hell is paved with good intentions."
There is evidently something wrong when a church decides to close it's door on a Sunday... because it's Christmas!!! The day we are supposed to be celebrating the birth of Christ! I don't care if there are only 5 people that show up to a service. Those 5 should have a place to go and worship. When people in the church decide that that it "doesn't benefit" them to have to bother to open up the doors of the church... Because there aren't enough people to "turn the heat on" and warm the building... Because all of a sudden Christmas has become a family day instead of a day to worship Jesus. Then REALLY TRULY these are the LAST days!
Decades ago this simply would have been unheard of... Now sure, I'm not declaring that anyone that does go to church will be going to hell... But it is a clear indication that our churches are no longing in the business of saving souls, of having a focus on Jesus and PUTTING HIM FIRST. But in the business of making money and creating mini idols who people think "can't be touched" when they steal, lie and rape...
Oh well... I guess it's like the good book say... one path is WIDE and the other is narrow.
Merry Christmas!
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Post by Nikkol on Dec 25, 2005 10:28:09 GMT -5
Haven't read all the posts but did want to stress that I know that not all megachurches aren't having service... (we have some big churches in Philly and I haven't heard that they are NOT having services) but rather that the churches that were discussed were megachurches.... I don't think that I wrote anything that stated that "ALL" megachurches weren't having service.
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Post by And Such Were Some Of You on Dec 25, 2005 12:07:01 GMT -5
Hey Nikkol, Merry Christmas!
Don't worry, I don't think I said that anyone, including you, said ALL mega churches but was just giving a statement that some mega churches had reason other than attendance for not having service (and also that money is not a reason). So no personalizing here - I was just adding to the post.
Krazee:
That was my church spoken of in Greenville, SC. It takes about 400 people to run one service , yes some are full time staff but most are not. Therefore you cannot force anyone to be there if they already had plans for travel, family etc. And it means more than just "turning on the heat" (if only it were that simple!)But before I attended one, I also did not really know and understand what went on in a mega church. Being a part of one now I realize that MOST of what I was hearing was gossip, rumor and just plain WRONG. Yes, we did have Christmas Eve services - 2 actually, to accomodate all of the people - and many many many many salvations!
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Post by Beulah on Dec 25, 2005 17:28:25 GMT -5
Y'all take a hike  There are weightier issues in life. |
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Post by And Such Were Some Of You on Dec 25, 2005 17:37:16 GMT -5
Y'all take a hike There are weightier issues in life. ROTFL |
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Post by stillfocused1 on Dec 26, 2005 1:11:01 GMT -5
Not, all churches who did not have services were megachurches. I attend church with a congregation of approx. 200 people and our Pastor chose not to have service today or last night. As we meet on Saturday nights and he believes in spending the holidays with family.. and that's just what many did. I wonder what believers did to celebrate the birth of Christ before church buildings were erected and a day was appointed to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. By the way I did attend another church and it was pretty empty.
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Post by krazeeboi on Dec 26, 2005 1:24:26 GMT -5
That's it, Beulah!  ASWSOY, you go to Redemption...cool. I've heard good things about the place. And family is a ministry as well.....an institution that pre-dated the church, as a matter of fact. |
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There are weightier issues in life.