We are not alone
Posted on December 7th, 2005 by Reformed Pope into the Seasonal categoryIt’s good to see that we are not alone and it’s a shame to see that they are not alone.
Apparently, there are many mega churches out there that are not holding services on
Xmas. Check out this article from USA Today: http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2005-12-06-christmas-churches_x.htm
Here is a quote from the article:
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."
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December 7th, 2005 at 10:54 am
Great article, sad comentary on the consumerism mantality of alot of mega churches. I like the ladies quote about when in 94 (the last time christmas fell on a Sunday) how only a few people showed up to pray, God forbid that churches by open for that, what a waiste of money spent on staffing the faciclity, better start charging people to pray at church.
I like the idea of sizing down the services better, same lady said that unbeliers wouldn’t come on Christmas, why would they come any other Sunday, not everyone has great family events on Christmas, churches should sacrifice and serve that is Christ’s example for a body , not a business.
non-ahole dude
December 7th, 2005 at 12:46 pm
I’d seen this earlier today and had mixed feelings at first. But after some consideration, I think I would agree that most churches are better off having alternative services rather than trying to have regular Sunday services. If you read the article carefully, you’ll notice that most are having Christmas Eve services (or others) to make up for the missed Sunday morning. So it’s not like they are just cancelling church.
I think the biggest reason why I agree with this move is that it communicates to the congregation that spending time with family and loved ones to celebrate Christ’s birth is more important than attending church. A church obsessed with legalism and/or potentially lost tithe income will have services for the wrong reasons.
Sad commentary? Consumerism? Nope, just good sense.
December 7th, 2005 at 3:52 pm
Doesn’t it really send the message “Spending time with your family is more important then worshiping Jesus”???
If the reason we go to church is to worship Jesus and if the reason for Christmas is to celebrate Jesus’ birth then there shouldn’t be any question.
Of course as we have seen from the past, Christmas isn’t really about Jesus and neither is church.
December 7th, 2005 at 4:38 pm
Can’t you worship Jesus in your home with your familiy as you celebrate his coming into the world…or in your car or anywhere? Wow, I didn’t realize you were such a legalist RP. Apparently you think you are only worhipping him if you are in church. I’m sure that’s not what the place of grace teaches.
December 7th, 2005 at 5:43 pm
This decision not to have church is just another symptom of the CBC image. The image is: white people with lots of money — that’s why the sermon Sunday was about pausing during all the activities and shopping to remember the true meaning of Christmas. It was so nicely culturally relevant with the film clip of the Grinch and all. All of us rich white people felt truly admonished.
The image is: white people with happy families opening Christmas presents around the tree, carols in the background, turkey in the oven, eggnog in the fridge.
Since that is the image, it would be a shame to spoil it by having to go to church. Never mind that there are lonely people with no family. Never mind that there are many older people and ethnic cultures who celebrate Christmas Day by worshipping in church, no matter what day it falls on.
The image continues: Church must be a production — lights, cameras, flash and plasma screens! It wouldn’t be the proper image to have a small quiet service with a piano and a guitar, a short sermon and a prayer. No children’s ministry necessary, just keep the kids with you since it’s a short remembrance of Jesus. That kind of thing would just not be church, now would it?
I know they would protest that the big production is the week before Christmas. But aren’t they just contradicting their own message of laying aside the “Christmas frenzy” to remember the simplicity of the Gospel?
December 8th, 2005 at 8:18 am
I guess they did a cost/benefit analysis and came up short.
December 8th, 2005 at 9:32 am
Anna,
I think you bring up a good point.
Imagine yourself as a lonely single man or woman who has no family and no real friends… What a great Christmas this is going to be. (Who really cares about them anyway???)
Now about the Grinch…I haven’t heard the sermon, but when I saw the title “Has the Grinch Stolen Your Christmas” all I could think was “If by “Grinch” you mean Pastor Frank; and if by “Stolen” you mean canceled Christmas Service then Yes, the Grinch has stolen Christmas, however I can’t imagine Marc talking about his boss that way; especially since he told me that he would “take a bullet for Frank”. “
Good times, good times.
December 8th, 2005 at 10:11 am
Some people only go to church on Christmas and Easter, only two times a year they step inside a church. So to do away with one of those is a dam shame.
My family spends good time together on Sunday mornings at church it doesn’t take away from our time with one another it adds to it.
I heard secular talk show hosts yesterday on the radio talking about how they couldn’t believe that some churches would really do this, just shows how screwed up it really is.
non-ahole dude