There is a "debate" as to whether churches should close their doors on Sunday, December 25th and allow families to spend quality time at home.
Several megachurches are doing so.
There are pro's and con's to the decision. Most of the megachurches are having corporate times of worship Thursday, Friday or Saturday before Christmas Day and giving their congregations DVD's to watch that Sunday.
We are having a 10:30 A.M. worship time on Sunday morning, December 25th.
I don't know if we are doing so because of some heartfelt desire to "win a debate" but because Jesus is my best friend and it's his "birthday" and I want to celebrate it with him in a way that will draw my attention and focus entirely to him.
Can I do that at home? I suppose. It's just that there is something about coming together as a church family to worship and converse with Him.
Really, the onus is not on churches to provide a service or not, the onus is on individual believers and their families to make a corporate worship experience a priority that Sunday.
I choosing to go - how about you?
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2 comments:
Good points...the megachurches are responding to the wishes of the congregation, expressed over time through non-attendance or comment. I'll be in church that morning (unfortunately, it won't be ours as we are traveling but it will be the church I grew up in so there's a blessing in returning home) and personally believe that we should be there anytime the doors are open for corporate worship (sickness and travel aside). Why would we not take the time to celebrate with our brothers and sisters in Christ, telling of the wonderful things He has done or supporting those going through difficult times. That's what the Church is all about...I'm not using church as a denominational or religious thing or title, I'm using it in the Scriptural sense of what Jesus expects of His bride--the Church!
We are called, encouraged, commanded, and convicted to be in relationship with Jesus but also to be in relationship with each other...with everyone! What better place to start that, on a minimum level, than your local church meeting. I say on a minimum level because you cannot (well, in my humble opinion) have a relationship based on sitting in a pew facing forward for an hour or so and only communicating with your "family" for 10-15 minutes once or twice a week. Relationship takes time and time is invested throughout the week, in our small groups, in discipleship, in fellowship, in meeting with one another, in praying with one another, in being a companion to one another. How much time did you invest in your earthly family...for most of us, the answer is all of our lives, almost continually until we were of age and then sporadically thereafter. Well, that's kind of how you have to dedicate yourself to your church family as well...it takes time and energy and commitment!
Reach out and encourage each other to build the "family" today! Reach out and bring someone into the "family" whether churched or unchurched. Reach out and gather people around you to love and live and teach and keep! Reach out, reach out, reach out!
God loves you! And so do we...stop by and see us. Become part of our "Family."
Jon
I am on vacation before Christmas until after the New Year. I can't say I am very diligent in attending church when I'm on vacation and out of town. If you do, my kudos’ to you!
If my in-laws and my family go on Sunday, we will be with them. If we choose to stay in their home and enjoy being together, which is rare as all of us live away from one another, then to me that is also what Christmas is about - celebrating the birth of Christ with those we love. I do not need to be in a building to celebrate Jesus. I celebrate Him 365 days a year. Christmas is one of those days you see those you love and that might be the only time of year we see them. We never know what a year holds and who may not be with us next Christmas. Being together is priority for us.
Am I thankful the doors are open at the church? Absolutely. There are many who do not travel and many without loved ones to celebrate. The family of God may be their only festive celebration on Christmas day. For those that can go, great, for those who can’t, accept how they celebrate with their loved ones as being just as meaningful. Christ means no less to me because I’m not in the building itself on Christmas day! "Christ" is never taken out of my Christmas celebration. Merry Christmas to all…I’ll see you in the New Year!
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