Christmas Sunday Service Cancelled?

[abcgrad94]

Yes, our culture celebrates Christmas by going to the mall of their choice instead of the church. Secular religion is horrible. What is even worse, the greatest part of the week where Christians get together to worship a highly exalted God is cancelled because it happens to fall on a day that people say should be spent remembering the God in a Manger. I find it not only ironic, but inconsistent.

Did you ever stop to think that maybe the pastors and their families would actually like to spend some time with their extended family for Christmas?

 

[Jerome]

Be thankful you didn't live in Geneva then. There Christmas was always on Sunday. If it didn't happen to fall on a Sunday, it was moved to one anyway.

 

[annsni]

Yes, our culture celebrates Christmas by going to the mall of their choice instead of the church. Secular religion is horrible. What is even worse, the greatest part of the week where Christians get together to worship a highly exalted God is cancelled because it happens to fall on a day that people say should be spent remembering the God in a Manger. I find it not only ironic, but inconsistent.

I wholly agree with you.

Our small church campus will have church at 10 am just like normal. Our home church will just have the 11 am service and not the 9 am. All of the campuses are having a family service with everyone in the service.

Christmas Eve will be a 4 pm service and that's it.

We most likely will be under 25 people total at our campus with kids but that's OK. We're not going to cancel church for a cultural holiday.

 

[Berean]

Can't think of a better way to honor Christ then to spend it at home with your family. After all God created the family before he did the church.

 

[new]

Did you ever stop to think that maybe the pastors and their families would actually like to spend some time with their extended family for Christmas?

This is one of the reasons we'll not be having services on Sunday. We'll have 4 Christmas Eve services instead.

Being in a church building is not required for worship. My family and extended family gathering together and reading the Bible, praying and remembering why we celebrate Christmas is worship as well.

 

[govteach51]

Just spoke to a friend of mine who is Assembly of God. They will be having neither a Christmas Eve nor Christmas Day Service. He and a number of other from the church were pretty torn-up over the situation. He didn't remember not having a Sunday service ever, even during the aftermath of hurricanes with the building a wreck, the church met in the parking lot to give praise to God. ( New pastor at the church.)

 

[jbh28]

We will be having the am service at normal time without SS. Many people will be out of town visiting their families on Christmas day. The few of us left here will be there.

 

[annsni]

Can't think of a better way to honor Christ then to spend it at home with your family. After all God created the family before he did the church.

Yet going to church isn't forsaking the family.

Christmas came after the church. I say church wins over Christmas.

 

[govteach51]

Yet going to church isn't forsaking the family.

Christmas came after the church. I say church wins over Christmas.

That's how I feel. I am a little taken back by the " Family First." Family is important, but 40 minutes at church, which is what our Christmas service is planned for, isn't hard to do....

 

[Salty]

That's how I feel. I am a little taken back by the " Family First." Family is important, but 40 minutes at church, which is what our Christmas service is planned for, isn't hard to do....

and how many millions were concerned about family at Thanksgiving - many, while standing in line for hours for some stupid sale

 

[Robert Snow]

For someone to make a big deal out of missing church on Christmas Day is akin to legalism. I wonder how many of these same people would quit their job because their boss required them to work on Sunday once in a while.

 

[annsni]

That's how I feel. I am a little taken back by the " Family First." Family is important, but 40 minutes at church, which is what our Christmas service is planned for, isn't hard to do....

I agree - and for my family, we ENJOY church together! It's part of our family time.

and how many millions were concerned about family at Thanksgiving - many, while standing in line for hours for some stupid sale

Oh amen Salty!! Amen!!

 

[mcdirector]

I love to go to church on Christmas day!

We are having the one combined service at 10:30 like so many others. We also do Christmas Eve services.

 

[jaigner]

Did you ever stop to think that maybe the pastors and their families would actually like to spend some time with their extended family for Christmas?

We're talking about a service in the morning. That's what you sign up for in ministry. It's not like you're giving up dawn til dusk.

Yet going to church isn't forsaking the family.

Christmas came after the church. I say church wins over Christmas.

I take your point, but I don't think the two are at odds. In fact, Christmas is a historical celebration in the Church.

and how many millions were concerned about family at Thanksgiving - many, while standing in line for hours for some stupid sale

Thanksgiving is not a religious, sacred, or liturgical holiday. Christmas, at least as it should be celebrated, is.

For someone to make a big deal out of missing church on Christmas Day is akin to legalism. I wonder how many of these same people would quit their job because their boss required them to work on Sunday once in a while.

I don't think anyone is making a big deal out of missing it. I think they're making a big deal of a congregation not even offering it.

 

[Salty]

For someone to make a big deal out of missing church on Christmas Day .

To me it shows where your priorities are

I love to go to church on Christmas day!

:thumbsup: :jesus:

... but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD. Joshua 24:15

 

[Ruiz]

For someone to make a big deal out of missing church on Christmas Day is akin to legalism. I wonder how many of these same people would quit their job because their boss required them to work on Sunday once in a while.

No, I am saying that anyone who would want to voluntarily miss church has a low view of the majesty of God in corporate worship. I understand people who must work through acts of necessity or mercy. However, someone who thinks that they can celebrate Christmas, the child in the manger, better apart from the church is fooling themself.

 

[Robert Snow]

To me it shows where your priorities are


:thumbsup: :jesus:

... but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD. Joshua 24:15

Did this apply when you military service or job required you to miss services?

 

[Earth Wind and Fire]

No, I am saying that anyone who would want to voluntarily miss church has a low view of the majesty of God in corporate worship. I understand people who must work through acts of necessity or mercy. However, someone who thinks that they can celebrate Christmas, the child in the manger, better apart from the church is fooling themself.

Thats OK, all the Catholics will be going to Church & wondering why we dont go....then they will decide.....:laugh: Plus, perhaps some of our own may get curious about ......

 

[abcgrad94]

We're talking about a service in the morning. That's what you sign up for in ministry. It's not like you're giving up dawn til dusk.

I don't think anyone is making a big deal out of missing it. I think they're making a big deal of a congregation not even offering it.

Thanks for the clarification. I thought the uproar was about not having the usual ss, morning worship, and evening worship.

Canceling or combining services doesn't bother me so much. Many churches have extra services anyway for plays, cantatas, or for extra outreach. For example, we're just having morning worship on Christmas. BUT we're having a special "extra" service on another night before that.

Cancelling "church services" for Christmas in my book is not a big hairy deal. My family reads the nativity story and prays as a special family worship in our home. Sometimes I think my kids get MORE out of that approach than just sitting in a pew. Now, cancelling or combining services to accomodate the Super Bowl or bringing in a big screen tv at church to have a devotional during halftime bothers me to no end.

 

[Mexdeaf]

We're having one Christmas Eve service and regular worship services Christmas Day, but no SS. All three services will be the same and approx. 1 hour long, with the exception of candlelight in the evening service. We don't have a Sunday p.m. service to cancel.