Closed on Christmas Day???

Can you imagine what people would have thought if I'd announced that this year, All Souls wasn't going to have a Christmas Day service (inspite of it even being a Sunday), but would let people instead have a longer lie-in and day with their families..?

It's been happening a lot in the States - some of the "megachurches" have announced it and the blog-iverse is alive with twitchings!

Fairly typical of the contributions in attitude, but head-and-shoulders above most of the rest in level of analysis is this piece from Chris Erdman's blog (that I've cited before on more than one occasion). Be sure to read the comments that follow his post...

I have to say that I (as usual!) agree wholeheartedly with Chris' sentiments.

I/we certainly have a responsibility to make the Christmas Day service a real celebration that fits the mood of the day and at which children and adults can feel glad they've come (I have been to one church on Christmas Day at which I was moved - not by the Spirit, I'm sure - to whisper to C part-way through one of the early carols: "Who died?"!!) and that doesn't aim to take up the entire morning... but if the Christian family can't meet together on that day, when are we going to meet?

How would you have felt if I'd decided not to open on Christmas Day..? Answers on a postcard, or (easier) via the comment box!

Comments

[Macman]

As I won't be there on Christmas day, I'd probably not be too bothered - however, it begs the question, as you ask, 'if we can't meet together on that day, when can we meet?'

Personally, even though I won't be there, I would feel slightly aggrieved for those who are still around and also for those who like to do their bit on Christmas day! (I will be going to my parents' church on Christmas Day and I'm sure there will be people coming to visit family here who would want to celebrate the birth of Christ!)

Now if the question was "should we cancel church on New Year's Day.........

[Jamie]

I've been mulling this over, hence the late response. Reading through the various blog comments (and I'm not referring here to your own, Richard) the sense I have is one of caution.

Yes, there is a time for commenting on negative aspects of chuch culture. But we must do so humbly, and only after we are fully sure that we are doing this in a pure spirit.

I find the term 'megachurch' somewhat perjorative. There is a risk that some of those using the term are doing so judgementally. All those who have publically stated their desire to follow Jesus are my brothers and sisters - we are family. How we do church, and the nuances of our theology, do not change this. And if we can't love our brothers and sisters who we can see...

Then we come to the issue of church on Christmas day. Let's shift perspective a little and see how some people could justify closing church on christmas day, bearing in mind that to do this doesn't mean we think it is necessarily a good idea.

It could be argued that 'holy days' and the church calendar itself is in fact a human creation. A tradition. It is a tradition that many find extremely helpful, but we need to remember that such holy days and traditions are there to serve us, not for us to serve them. Didn't Jesus say something similar about the sabbath? (an issue which I have only seen given serious treatment by one commentator, and which otherwise is brushed into the corner rather conveniently by the church). The huge danger here is that when we start commenting on issues like megachurches closing on christmas day, we take the seat of the pharisees.

Such discussions are perilous and need to be seasoned with grace, grace and more grace, plus a dollop of humility, if we are not to leave the path of life.

[Duncan]

Personally I really enjoy the Christmas morning service
- kinda of reminds why we are having a Christmas day
- a chance to say "Happy Christmas to friends"
- gives a nice break between opening stockings and the Christmas lunch

One thing though, an 11:00 start would be nice - should still be finished by 11:45