Has The Church Abandoned Christmas?
Time magazine published an article online last week entitled “Going to Church on Christmas: A Vanishing Tradition.” In my opinion the article tried to say that churches have “sold out” because we offer fewer Christmas Day services and tend to favor Christmas Eve services. They wrote…
While demand for Christmas Eve celebrations is so high that some churches hold as many as five or six different services on the 24th of December, most Protestant churches are closed on the actual religious holiday. For most Christians, Christmas is a day for family, not faith. If that sounds like the triumph of culture over religion, it is. By the middle of the 20th century, Americans had embraced a civil religion that among other things elevated the ideal of family to a sacrosanct level.
My biggest problem with this article was the statement “For most Christians, Christmas is a day for family, not faith.” Along with this statement comes a huge assumption. The assumption the writer is making is that we can’t celebrate our “faith” with family at home. The assumption is that our “faith” must be celebrated through an organized service inside the four walls of the church.
If you’re in the area we would love for you to join us at Cross Point for one of our seven Christmas eve services at one of our three campuses. It’s one of my favorite services of the entire year! Please don’t allow this service to be the end of your Christmas celebration, but rather the beginning. Just because the building is closed on Christmas doesn’t mean our faith won’t be celebrated and remembered.
What do you think? Is the church “selling out” by not doing Christmas day services?
Our church doesn’t even do a Christmas eve service. Our church is 95% volunteer ran, and they don’t hold services the week of Christmas to give all the volunteers time to spend with their families. (Our christmas service was yesterday and it was AMAZING.)
I definitely don’t think the church is “selling out”, like you said, you’re supposed to live your faith outside of the four walls of a building. I’m going to have a wonderful God filled Christmas eve with my friends and Christmas with my Grandparents. I don’t need a church service to worship my God.
Pete,
I totally agree with your thoughts on the article. I think the main issue that many people outside and inside the church believe is that another service is what will fix the world. The same article could be written if we didn’t have any church services around Christmas Eve/Christmas and instead encouraged families to go DO ministry on these days…and I would say that this may be an even more effective way to reach the world. I think we start with a faulty assumption and then work from there… Just my thoughts
Eh. The author had a goal in mind and wrote their piece to advance that goal. It’s typical media slanting that I learned from many of my superiors in 20+ years of broadcasting.
The “traditional Christian family” has been under media assault for years and this is just another stab at it. Either someone’s trying to rip it apart because they despise Christianity or it’s someone who thinks we’re not “Christian enough” and need to be shamed into acting a certain way.
Sure, there are plenty of “Christians” who look at Christmas day as just another holiday. Most of us know what it means and take time with our families to celebrate the real reason.
.-= Jason´s last blog ..All I Want For Christmas Is To Stop Being Raped =-.
I agree with your thoughts on the article. My church has multiple services on Christmas Eve on 4 campuses and none on Christmas day…but, I will say this- when Christmas falls on Saturday or Sunday, we do not cancel our normally scheduled service- we still meet. I think that Christmas at it’s heart is about family and realizing all the many blessings God has given each of us through the birth and death of his son. My family attends Christmas Eve services as a start to our celebration of the birth of Christ- as you stated, it does not end at the door.
It’s a great chance to bring a foreign student home and experience the Church in action celebrating Gods greatest gift to mankind. Let your light shine and share the joy. Have a blessed time with your family pastor.
I seriously blogged this four years ago to the date when the papers were freaking out that churches weren’t having Xmas services because it was on a Sunday or something.
http://flowerdust.net/2005/12/21/pardon-my-lack-of-sentiment/
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Earlier this week, I was interviewed for another newspaper about the decision to close the church building on Christmas Sunday. After getting misquoted in the KC Star, I decided to write the statement out and then ask that the reporter send me the article for fact checking before it went to the presses. I got the article from him Tuesday and read over it. Except for putting the wrong attendance number (he put too many), everything seemed to be right. I’ll save you the time of reading the lengthy article, and instead just provide you with part of my quote that has really got me thinking…
“…We believe that worshiping God for what Christ has done for us is constant and continuous and should be celebrated every day.”
Constant.
Continuous.
Every day.
I remember back when we had our Easter services here at Westside. We spent a LOT of time planning, rehearsing and putting together visual elements for this service. Like weeks – compared to days which we typically spend. Same with Christmas. Why do we do that? Why do we put the emphasis on two weekends a year?
I know the answer – how we have more people who are spiritually curious that will come on those two days. And that is true…
But are we, as Christ followers, just as guilty as the secular world in commercializing Christmas? But instead of using Santa and snow men, we use mangers, and candlelight, and angels that we have heard on high. It’s like we treat Mary, Joseph and the Wise Men like distant relatives…we occasionally mention them in passing but really only see them once a year around the holidays. Why do we only sing hymns of our Saviour’s birth one weekend a year? Why isn’t the birth of Christ celebrated more throughout the year? I know we are each personally responsible for our own lives of continuous worship, but as church leaders, aren’t we also responsible for setting that same example to those who worship with us? Based on the way we do things now, what example are we setting?
You are right on with these statements.
Christianity is about constant and consistent then Christmas and Commercialization.
Its funny that we want to go against the world and talk about keeping Christ in Christmas, but in all reality we do the same thing by marketing that and using it to raise awareness for Christ. I really do not think that people care that Christians are so passionate that they fight to make sure that people say Merry Christmas instead of Happy Holidays. I talk about this in my comment below, but I am pretty turned off to Christmas services because of the commercialization that goes on in the service and the celebration of us instead of the Christ child.
I like what you had to say here Anne.
.-= Kyle Reed´s last blog ..The Decade of Reality TV =-.
“constant and continuous”. I like that. Well said Anne.
i had to make it sound pretty for the newspaper
haha
.-= Anne Jackson´s last blog ..Fear plays the Role of Antagonist in the Story of Your Life =-.
I agree with your thoughts and have to add, the church is NOT a building. We can celebrate our faith anywhere!
.-= B Stone´s last blog ..Let the Parties Begin =-.
Yep, that’s where it’s at. The misconception about the church is that we have to go to a specific service to be involved. Some of the most spiritual times, though, happen in the comfort of my own home. Not that gathering in a specific building isn’t important – it is. But it’s not the building that makes the church.
This is such a Christian cliche now because we’ve repeated it so much without backing it up with our daily lives.
All this being said, I haven’t attended a Christmas Day service in… I can’t remember when. It does sound like a refreshing change.
-Marshall Jones Jr.
.-= bondChristian´s last blog ..The Option Detox: A guide for when you have 12 godzillion choices =-.
I have never even heard of a Christmas day service unless it falls on Sunday.
In Germany Christmas eve is the day for everything. The tree is put up, the presents are opened and the church service is held usually close to midnight.
This writer has put an egotistical American slant to his article and has shunned Christians who live in other parts of the world.
.-= David Knapp´s last blog ..Your Number One Priority, What Is It? =-.
No. This is a secondary issue, in my opinion. We’re not sure the date of Christ’s birth. But what we are sure of as Christians, is that we celebrate the birth of our Saviour. So whether we celebrate on the 25th in a church or with our families, is by choice and not be edict. Definitely not a selling out of our faith
Magazines like TIME purport to offer some kind of objective view on things like this – but if you consider the source, a magazine run by secular humanists – I’m not sure I would put much stock in what they have to say.
Christmas is indeed in the heart and in the home!
When Christmas originated on the night of Christ’s birth, God came to this place as a baby in the arms of a teenage mother and carpenter father. This is the familiar picture of the nativity. Is there a greater picture of what Christmas is about? But also… is there a greater picture of what family is about?
To criticize the church for not having services on Christmas and saying that we give up faith for family on that day is to not truly understand the miracle of the holiday. The Church is not selling out, we are slowing down to celebrate Christmas the way Christ celebrated the first Christmas: in the arms of our family and in the celebration of our King.
I cannot remember a christmas eve that I was not in church. Every year it is the same routine, go to christmas eve service with family then go and get take out Chinese food (trust me, the two go together).
This year is different though, i am really struggling to go. It is not that it is about me or wanting to make me happy, it is more of what we are celebrating. This is my perception and might not be true for everyone else, but the church that my parents go to turns christmas more into a time of specials and look what we can do then talking about a savior that came into a depraved world and brought everlasting life. I think I can see what the writer was trying to say. It is like we do christmas eve the night before and get the faith in, then on Christmas day we go for the family and friends and center around presents. I do think there are some pretty big assumptions being made, but I guess I can see what they are saying. I guess it just goes back to how we have always done things. Christmas eve with the church and then Christmas day with the family.
I still remember as a kid having Christmas on Sunday, it was terrible. All I could think about was the presents at home and how this whole God thing was getting in my way. I think that is exactly what the writer was talking about and really something that I have been trying to pull away from.
.-= Kyle Reed´s last blog ..The Decade of Reality TV =-.
Kyle, I’m glad I wasn’t the only heathen kid thinking about the presents.
For those who believe that God can only be found or appreciated/worshiped when you step inside a church, I guess this would make sense… I can’t help but wonder if the author of this article feels insecure from feeling this way about God, and in that insecurity, he lashes out against Christians who carry their faith with them everywhere they go, at all times… The Christians who leave their nativity sets up year round as a reminder of the precious gift of Christ?
Sounds like you will need the time with family after 7 services!
Why is it that the actual faith institutions need Time magazine to define what faith is? They don’t.
On another note… Happy Holidays (err.. “holy” days which is where that comes from, eh).
.-= Rich Kirkpatrick´s last blog ..Christmas Eve at Sunridge 3:30 & 5:00 pm =-.
I think the article writer is viewing “Christmas” through the lens of “religion” and not understanding that we have access to our Savior outside the building. I kind of expect it from someone outside the faith, sadly there are too many churches and people within the faith who still place their emphasis on having to worship God in or through a building, or on a specific day.
.-= Nick´s last blog ..Jack Bauer Versus Santa Clause =-.
To have a Christmas day service is to ask the Church staff to “work” on Christmas day when everyone else has the day off. I use “work” loosely since the staff is also worshiping during a service. That is just an observation.
I do not go to Christmas Eve or Christmas day services because Christmas for my family involves traveling between three houses about 130 miles apart and a couple of other family visits. Very difficult to make a service, especially to my home church. But, contrary to giving up on Christmas as a Christian, my family does have Christ very much in mind during our 5 days of celebration. It involves reading the Christmas story twice, once at my parent’s house and once at my wife’s parent’s house. And when we finally get back home, our children have three presents each waiting for them under our tree that they will get two days after Christmas. Three presents, just like Jesus.
No, we don’t go to a service, but yes, we do praise and thank God with our family during Christmas.
Thanks be to God!
.-= Daniel´s last blog ..Who are We to Judge what God Loves? =-.
When Christmas day falls on Sunday-churches are backed, as they were on saturday night Christmas Eve. Present opening and family dinners are adjusted to keep the Christ child & heart of the day the focus
Wow, if that excerpt of the article wasn’t a dig, I don’t know what was!
We just moved to a new church, but our old church always has a Christmas morning service. But, as long as I have lived, I have never gone to a Christmas Day service. Christmas Eve, yes. But I guess I reserve Christmas morning for lying in bed, reading the Christmas story to my kids and singing Happy Birthday to Jesus- so I guess those Time magazine folks are right. Because surely the only way you can act out your faith is by sitting in your uncomfortable clothes around total strangers.
.-= Melody´s last blog ..Camels and airheads =-.
Hey mr Wilson…
I am from Brazil and here our church will do the service normally in Christmas eve.
In my opinion, don´t matter where are you, we need to praise our Lord and show to the world our faith in him, with our parents for everyone see!
Totally agree!
This is very interesting. I’m a chronic church-goer that (gasp!) never attends my church’s Christmas Eve service! I actually would love to go but our tradition is to spend Christmas Even with family out of town and the time my church offers it’s Christmas Eve service just doesn’t work for us.
I feel like a heathen!
Actually, last night I had an interesting conversation with a friend who is so discouraged that the world doesn’t understand what Christmas means and that the Nicene period is to blame and we should just be like Jehovah’s Witnesses and not celebrate holidays because it’s become so secularized. I completely disagree. I love this time. I love the curiosity that others are forced to have at this time of year.
For me, so much doesn’t matter. I’m not upset that others don’t celebrate Christmas the “proper” way *I* think they should. *I* have a deeper understanding this year of the meaning of Christmas and I love it! I can’t help but share it, so invited him to set aside his bitterness and just worship. Adore. Embrace and Enjoy.
That aside, I have to ask: Would Christmas Day services be well attended by church goers and visitors? Do churches choose Christmas Eve services because it’s more convenient and is when they’ll reach the most people? is there even a demand for Church services on Sunday mornings?
.-= Torybee´s last blog ..Discovering Christmas =-.
Christmas, as we understand it, is a tradition. Maybe that is why the secular world makes bad assumptions. Maybe our portrayal of our faith appears more of tradition than everyday reality.
We do not magnify Christ because He was a baby in a manger… we magnify Him because He IS.
I love the fact that they are focusing on this ‘issue’ because it sets the stage for church bodies everywhere to answer in truth.
“It’s not about what happens inside those 4 walls – it’s about what happens in a person’s heart. And we carry that everywhere and anytime and for everyone.”
.-= Tony York´s last blog ..Movie Scenes That Stick With You =-.
I don’t think Christmas Eve service instead of Christmas Day is selling out at all, although I am assuming that if a large number of people in your congregation preferred to go on Christmas Day, you as their pastor would find a way to accomodate them with one service that day as well.
I will be going to Mass on Christmas Eve and not Christmas Day. That is because some of my “Sunday School” students will be in the Christmas Pageant, and though I am not involved with directing it or helping with it in any shape or form, I want to see my little angels dressed as little angels. If not for them, I may choose Christmas Day or Christmas Eve. I don’t think lessening the choices is selling out.
.-= Helen´s last blog ..No Longer Tired and Confused… =-.
I wouldn’t label it “selling out.” What does that really mean, anyway? I do find it kind of strange that there are no services offered on Christmas Day. Catholic churches usually do one or two services on Christmas Eve, and several on Christmas Day. My family has always preferred the Christmas Eve service, but I suppose I’m curious to know why you do all of yours on C. Eve and don’t offer any on the day.
.-= Jan C.´s last blog ..Holiday Album–December 16 =-.
I love coming together to celebrate Christ, whether at our regular weekly service, or holiday services, or Bible study group. It’s great to serve and be served and love on folks there.
I cannot agree with the writer of the article (I didn’t read it). Celebrating Christmas isn’t about where my body (and family) is on Christmas day–it’s about where my heart is, Who it’s with and Who it’s focused on.
Merry Christmas everyone! And thank You, Lord, for Your Gift!
Lutherans don’t go to to church on Christmas. It was the one thing my cousin never understood about being Lutheran. I don’t understand it either to be honest, but whatever works for people I’m in no position to judge. Most people I know go on Christmas eve (midnight mass) or Christmas. One year I went to church for mass at midnight. It was pretty cool coming home and realizing going in it was Christmas eve & leaving it was Christmas day. But very few churches have a midnight mass at midnight these days, it’s “too late” for people.
.-= Sarah´s last blog ..On The Fourth Sunday Of Advent =-.
I always enjoyed the midnight services too.
.-= Tracy´s last blog ..What do you think about Jenning’s reading list? =-.
Interesting fact: I’ve never been to a midnight service. Would love to try it sometime.
You should try it. Try a Catholic church, since I don’t know if any other Christian churches have any. (Maybe CP can have one next year?
)It’s really fun, when it’s actually at midnight anyway. The time I went I didn’t actually believe it was in fact at midnight, churches in my area have “midnight” at 10pm or earlier, so it was like a bad spin on “Who’s on first?”
.-= Sarah´s last blog ..On The Fourth Sunday Of Advent =-.
Church is not selling out. Kind of a dumb argument if you ask me but what do I know?
.-= Lindsey Nobles´s last blog ..Drafting Blueprints, Part 3 =-.
I didn’t read the article either, and I thank God that your church will serve so many on Christmas Eve. For me personally, I would love very much to begin Christmas Day with my larger church family, but have rarely had the opportunity to do so and I wish my church would. Did they sell out. I don’t think so. Do we still celebrate/praise the day at home? Absolutely. Is that church? Absolutely! (But I’d still love to do it in the larger community as well!)
.-= Rus´s last blog ..A two minute challenge I can’t get out of my head =-.
Your points here are well taken. I agree that faith and family are not opposing and that living out faith within the family is part of what it’s about.
For our family, we go to church on Christmas eve and get to sing praises together to God, see our church family and give/get a lot of hugs and well wishes, and enjoy some time of reflection on the Word. On Christmas day we do our last advent wreath family devotion time and enjoy the afternoon with extended family.
It’s not so much about how you “slice it”, as much as it’s about Christ being the focus.
.-= Tracy´s last blog ..What do you think about Jenning’s reading list? =-.
We have five services Christmas Eve, with one starting at 11p and candle lighting at midnight. We encourage families that come to the 11p service to come in their pj’s. My kids are too young for that, and I can’t wait for a viable excuse to wear my redneck onesies.
Could it be that the article is directed more towards mainline churches that are declining anyways…probably because they are losing the mission of Jesus and therefore the person of Jesus?
Also….there are many anglican churches who have midnight Xmas eve services (technically xmas day)…advent is about waiting…anticipating…and then celebrating the arrival.
.-= Anne Jackson´s last blog ..Fear plays the Role of Antagonist in the Story of Your Life =-.
I love that!!! “Advent is about waiting…anticipating…and then celebrating the arrival”. It is not about where. Or even when. And if I don’t have faith because I’m not inside 4 walls of a (C)hurch, then I’m not doing something right! Thanks, Anne.
didn’t read all the comments. but i think it’s a bit odd that you guys don’t have an actual Christmas day service. we do, oh, how we do!
we have a *Christmas Eve service [18-20 o'clock], *Christmas day service [10-12 o'clock] and [17-19 o'clock]. Then, usually there is a 2nd Christmas day service [18-20 or 10-12 o'clock], but this year, since the 2nd day is a Saturday, they canceled it. (am I mean for being glad about that??).
it does sometimes look like there are way too many services, and you sit on that chair and become so used to the idea of Christmas that you are sick of it.
why we do so many services? don’t know for sure. I think because there is the idea (true, I guess) that if people are not in the church, the building, then they spend the Christmas days doing something else that is nor God-related or Christmas-related. So we go at church.
and on New Year’s Eve we have another service, on 31st.
and the next day, on 1st January. for some reason, there are not so many who attend that service:D:D:D:D
I think is so great to give the Christmas to family and I totally believe the faith can be celebrated in the family.
This is ridiculous – especially since (my understanding) the modern church adopted the Christmas Eve service to encourage family gathering on Christmas Day.
Pete – did you do a “letter to editor” on that publication? You absolutely SHOULD! Your questions directed towards the assumptions are right on and for the agnostic/atheist – such clarification may just help even one person.
I don’t think the church is “selling out” at all, but I also know that it actually really upset me to discover that my church is doing NOTHING for Christmas Eve/Christmas Day. I wasn’t here last year, so I don’t know why (if it’s because of the construction or just not what they do…)
We had our big Christmas celebration this Sunday, which was fun and fabulous and all of that. But the emphasis on saving the 24th/25th for the family does kind of leave out those that don’t have a family to celebrate with. I’m on my own, and I always look forward to the candlelight service on Christmas Eve or a brief service on Christmas Day…because Christmas isn’t about family time or presents for me, at least not this stage of my life.
My desire to be there has nothing to do with some feeling that if I’m not in the building I’m not celebrating Christmas. It’s part of my tradition and I think it’s really special and I’m sad to be missing it this year.
I realize, though, that I am in the minority and for most people they’d rather be at home, which is fine.
.-= Amanda´s last blog ..Buddy the Elf, what’s your favorite color? =-.
There are a lot of assumptions about the practice of a faith of a people. Many are faithful and worshipful in places outside their church building. Yes, traditional church services on Christmas are beautiful and nice when held. However, remember the first Christmas was in a stable with a small family and it was the most sacred place on earth.
I hope we enjoy the love of the season that the very first Christmas gave us no matter where we are…
JP
.-= JP´s last blog ..Christmas: Buying Women Presents – What Not to Do =-.
Personally, I celebrate Christmas everyday! I celebrate Jesus coming for me, dying for me, and being raised up for me. Dec 25 is just a formality:)
.-= MichaelHolmes´s last blog ..What is the Main Cause of Death in a Church =-.
TIME magazine.
Enough said.
The world (sometimes Christians) don’t get it. If this writer assumes that we are only into our faith on Christmas Eve and not Christmas because we don’t go to a building called church then they must assume that Monday-Saturday most Christians aren’t into their faith because it isn’t Sunday when we meet in a building called church.
To me my faith isn’t a religion to be celebrated on certain days but a relationship with God and other believers to be celebrated everyday.
The article is silly at best.
.-= David Knapp´s last blog ..Worst ReGift Present Ever =-.
Here in Australia we always have a Christmas day service, no matter what day it falls on, regardless of whether Sunday was the next day or not. It’s been that way all my life, at many different churches, (we moved a lot) so I know it’s not just ‘ours’. For me, Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without going to church in the morning!
To not strikes me as having the birthday party the day before… you know? While I agree that our faith is all day everyday etc etc… in the same vein would you consider NOT having a Good Friday Service because it’s not Sunday? What about the people who show up at church for the Christmas service, the only day of the year they’ve ever gone to church, to find it closed, because it was all done the day before and they didn’t know?
I realise I’m the only one here who feels this way… perhaps it’s my ‘culture’?
.-= Jen´s last blog ..Troy 1-100 =-.
The quicker we realize that our faith should be the center of our church experience rather than the church being the center of our faith experience, the better off we will be.
The Hollywood perspective of Catholic Christianity has really complicated this for a lot of people – sin all week and go to Mass to get forgiven. Following Christ doesn’t require a church building. Celebrating Christ doesn’t require a church building.
I know this will be an unpopular opinion, but I am disappointed that there are so few evangelical churches holding a service on Christmas day.
Our church has a Christmas eve service and we will be there, but on Christmas day we have to attend mass since our church is noto meeting.
It’s difficult enough in this culture for us to keep the focus on Christ during this holiday season. To not be able to worship with our church family on Christmas just makes it that much harder.
.-= Becky´s last blog ..My Brother Was Right … =-.
Right on, Pete!
Pastor P, I’m struggling with this one. We have services on Christmas morning, and I have always stayed at home preparing for the family time while Marc (the dutiful minister)departs for services (usually at 6 AM). But now that we are at WABC we combine with several other churches for a service at 10 AM on Christmas morning. Marc will be speaking and I am torn between going with my husband or preparing for my family who will have dinner at my home. I have the feeling this year I will probably go because he is speaking, and I want to remember the real reason for the season. Plus the children are adults so they don’t hop up at the crack of dawn like they use to for Christmas. Now the church we sometimes call our “adopted” church will have service on Christmas Eve, and because we don’t have Christmas Eve services this will allow my family to go and sit together as a family (something we don’t get to do at WABC). So see my dilemma? If I can go to Christmas Eve Service with Marc and sit as a family, then when he is actually speaking on Christmas Day I can surely sacrifice a few hours and go to support my husband. After all Jesus sacrificed soo much more. Ahh, the Tale of Two Christmas! Ok, was that a hold bunch of rambling or did any of that make sense? And the bigger question…did it have anything to do with the question you asked? Can you tell I need a vacation? Maybe your next post should be on the importance of a actual day of rest for those of us in ministry!
.-= DisneyCyndi´s last blog ..Sunday Mind Dump (through the eyes of the wife). =-.
Praying for you Cyndi. I know this is a difficult time for people in ministry who are trying to find balance between church and family.
Merry Christmas!!
I almost didn’t post this, but decided it might be better to get the frustration out of my system. I feel better already.
.-= DisneyCyndi´s last blog ..Sunday Mind Dump (through the eyes of the wife). =-.
I’ve attended church in my whole life and we’ve always had a service Christmas morning, regardless of the day. It’s shorter, and more evangelistic.
Maybe it’s an Australian thing?
The small church I grew up in always had the morning service, and now I’m part of one of the larger churches in Australia, and we still have the morning service.
Tonight (christmas eve) we have a short 1-hour service, and then tomorrow morning we’ll hold another 1-hour service that will be over by 10am.
I couldn’t imagine a Christmas day without church.
By the way, as a member of the creative team in both churches, I have helped to run every christmas day service for as long as I can remember. This year is my first year where I’m not singing, but I’m production manager instead!
I’m with you
I’m thinking it’s an Aussie thing. 
Have a great one!
.-= Jen´s last blog ..Troy 1-100 =-.
Next year christmas will fall on saturday
and there is even a suggestion that the christmas service be held late on christmas day and carried over to sunday so there need not be a sunday service. Are we getting too lazy to worship God or worship Him only when it is convenient to do so? Or is this way of
thinking the norm elsewhere?
Some foolish person criticized President Obama and his family for not going to Church on Christmas. Exactly pray tell is there a Church open on Christmas???
Christian leadership is seriously lacking in this country. It is tantamount to having a holiday and celebration for someone that did not even get an invited!!!! Jesus must be ashamed of you all. Selfish Self-centered Pastoral, lukewarm, pretenders!!!!
Like the lie that Gentiles must tithe and keep the Malachi 3 Jewish Covenant law or be cursed they teach that to collect their salaries but ignore Galatians 3:13 that Christ came to rescue (redeem us from the curse of the law) They feel no shame in mis-using and misapplying the Malachi curse that God never gave to the Gentiles who were not even included in a Covenant with God until after Jesus went to the Cross then Gentiles were grafted in by Grace through faith in the works Jesus paid in full.
Gentiles were not who God was speaking to in Malachi. You cannot be redeemed from the curse of (not keeping) the law as proclaimed in Galatians 3:13 and curse then thrown back under the curse of the law at the same time. Now these same self-centered Pastors are closing services on Christmas when they also lie about reaching the lost at any cost! Pastoral leadership is in a sad state these days! I guess there is only one like the Apostle Paul who declared the majority of people seek there own interest before the things of God.
I thought Christmas and Easter was the day the Churches are packed out with first time visitors and those invited by their Christian friends and family? I wish Jesus would fire them and hire some better workers. Most bosses would fire you for not doing a good job and not showing up to work on the most important day of the year is ground for it!