I am really surprised that people are in such an upheaval over the fact that some churches are preferring to hold services on Christmas Eve rather than Christmas. I, for one, am glad our church has chosen to do this. In fact, we are scheduling six, rather than our normal four, on Saturday throughout the day and reserving Christmas for family time. I don't see why this is such a big deal!
I think I was most surprised that they quoted, in the Fox news article, someone from Gordon-Conwell who feels that churches who are doing this are bowing down to secular pressures. I don't see that happening at all, but I could be wrong!! I guess I've come to view the Sabbath as any day of the week that we take to rest and reflect on God and our relationship with Him. Going to church may be a part of that, it is important, but it's not essential to observing the Sabbath. If we are going to be so rigid about the particular day, Mr. Gordon-Conwell, then why are students at Christian schools being required to go to services throughout the week? Shouldn't they ONLY go on Sunday?? I went to Gordon College. We had chapel three times a week, Monday and Wednesday and a huge convocation with the entire campus every Friday. What's so special about Sunday that you can't worship, fellowship and learn from God's word any other day of the week???
For years, my Catholic friends have been offered mass on Sundays, but also Saturday evenings. Many religious Catholics attend Saturday night mass and don't do anything religious on Sundays. Is this wrong??? Are we screaming at the Catholic churches who do this? No, because that's not the issue, correct? The issue that opponents of the evangelical megachurches have has little to do with Sunday and everything to do with "theology". These opponents are starting to sound much like the Pharisees of Jesus' day, a bit legalistic in their thinking, imposing law on all and passing judgment as if they in some kind of authoritative position.
I've read a few articles this past week about just this subject and I was surprised, yet not very moved, until I watched a segment on this topic on Fox and Friends. I don't regularly watch this program but I love the goofy threesome who emcee it, so when I am up early I turn it on. They were going on and on about this particular subject, invited callers to comment and I actually had the phone in my hand! But then I thought, I'm not going to bother to answer to these powers that may be. It's just a silly way to try to derail something big that God is doing. It's just so funny that these same opponents are the ones who are trying desperately to discard Christmas everywhere, yet they are calling so much attention to the very thing they despise!
I will agree with them on one point, and one point only: I would hate to know that an unchurched family actually decided to head to church on Christmas morning only to find that they had missed it. I don't know how they are planning to address this scenario at each of these megachurches, but maybe this controversy will prompt them to consider their options and choose one wisely.
The truth of this matter is, even if I went to a small church, I would not want to give up my traditional Christmas morning for church. I remember as a child having to do just this and it really took some of that secular magic out of Christmas, and maybe that's just what these people are trying to do. I don't know. But I'll be home, enjoying that day with my family that I love dearly in our traditional way, singing Christmas carols and telling of the first Christmas, remembering our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
UPDATE: Good post here from my one and only hubby.
I think I was most surprised that they quoted, in the Fox news article, someone from Gordon-Conwell who feels that churches who are doing this are bowing down to secular pressures. I don't see that happening at all, but I could be wrong!! I guess I've come to view the Sabbath as any day of the week that we take to rest and reflect on God and our relationship with Him. Going to church may be a part of that, it is important, but it's not essential to observing the Sabbath. If we are going to be so rigid about the particular day, Mr. Gordon-Conwell, then why are students at Christian schools being required to go to services throughout the week? Shouldn't they ONLY go on Sunday?? I went to Gordon College. We had chapel three times a week, Monday and Wednesday and a huge convocation with the entire campus every Friday. What's so special about Sunday that you can't worship, fellowship and learn from God's word any other day of the week???
For years, my Catholic friends have been offered mass on Sundays, but also Saturday evenings. Many religious Catholics attend Saturday night mass and don't do anything religious on Sundays. Is this wrong??? Are we screaming at the Catholic churches who do this? No, because that's not the issue, correct? The issue that opponents of the evangelical megachurches have has little to do with Sunday and everything to do with "theology". These opponents are starting to sound much like the Pharisees of Jesus' day, a bit legalistic in their thinking, imposing law on all and passing judgment as if they in some kind of authoritative position.
I've read a few articles this past week about just this subject and I was surprised, yet not very moved, until I watched a segment on this topic on Fox and Friends. I don't regularly watch this program but I love the goofy threesome who emcee it, so when I am up early I turn it on. They were going on and on about this particular subject, invited callers to comment and I actually had the phone in my hand! But then I thought, I'm not going to bother to answer to these powers that may be. It's just a silly way to try to derail something big that God is doing. It's just so funny that these same opponents are the ones who are trying desperately to discard Christmas everywhere, yet they are calling so much attention to the very thing they despise!
I will agree with them on one point, and one point only: I would hate to know that an unchurched family actually decided to head to church on Christmas morning only to find that they had missed it. I don't know how they are planning to address this scenario at each of these megachurches, but maybe this controversy will prompt them to consider their options and choose one wisely.
The truth of this matter is, even if I went to a small church, I would not want to give up my traditional Christmas morning for church. I remember as a child having to do just this and it really took some of that secular magic out of Christmas, and maybe that's just what these people are trying to do. I don't know. But I'll be home, enjoying that day with my family that I love dearly in our traditional way, singing Christmas carols and telling of the first Christmas, remembering our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
UPDATE: Good post here from my one and only hubby.
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