CHURCHES WITHOUT CHRISTMAS

Should we close our churches on Christmas? Shouldn't the church show respect to families by not making them come on Christmas morning? Those questions are being asked -- and answered -- by churches all around this country. This is one of those rare years when Christmas falls on a Sunday. And, hence, the dilemma.

The question was asked and answered in our congregations earlier this year. The church would remain open, but it would be understood if you felt family priorities were more pressing and chose not to come. Basically, we left it up to the individual. But we felt that it was a day when Christians should be in church and that it might be a day where travelers felt like joining a congregation for worship, so we're keeping our normal schedule for Christmas day.

Several megachurches have made news recently by opting to close their doors on Christmas morning. This has sparked a great controversy in the body of Christ.

Dr. Ben Witherington had the following to say on his blog:

"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, jobs to come and 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 o.k. 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. "

Well said. May we not forget what Christmas is really about and may we not let secularization and Christmas tradition keep us away from worship this season.