Closed for the Holidays

In an article entitled 'The Battle Over Christmas' I posted on 12/12, I shared with you the brewing controversy over many churches in America choosing to cancel their services on Sunday December 25th. As the week has gone on this issue has exploded across the blogosphere with many of the church leaders who have chosen to cancel services sounding off, and others opposed to that thinking becoming even more critical in their comments. I've a few more thoughts to include.

I read Andy Stanley's comments on one site (Andy is the Senior Pastor at Northpointe Community Church in Amaretto, GA). He explained that for 10 years Northpointe has cancelled Sunday services the weekend after Christmas. He says that he made this decision as an employer, not as a pastor - for when Northpointe holds services, more than 100 employees have to 'come to work'. He wondered why no one has ever criticized that decision before, but now this year when that Sunday happens to be December 25th, it receives so much attention. He said that his decision is not about canceling church services but about allowing his employees to enjoy the holiday without having to work.

This week I also had occasion to speak to a couple of my peers who have decided to cancel services on Christmas Day. By my peers I mean pastors of congregations of 250 or less, or those of us that don't rely on 100 employees coming to work on Sunday but rather a handfull of volunteers who diligently and selflessly serve. I have to be honest and tell you that in each of those conversations the numbers of it all did come up: "You're holding services on Christmas? See how well you do."

I'm under no illusion. I'm sure many will opt not to come to church Christmas morning. There are other days when people opt not to come, whether it's a great day in the summer to be on the lake, or a three-day weekend when it's convenient to go away, or whatever. But I ask, is coming together on Sunday mornings as the Body of Christ about our numbers?

One of the supreme privileges we have is when the church comes together, in the Lord's presence, to worship Him on the Lord's Day. Large crowd or small, the most important presence is His. I think it is important enough that I prioritize gathering with my brothers and sisters in His presence to unite our hearts in worship. And, as I said in the previous posting, because the Sunday we are talking about happens to be Christmas Day, we have a special privilege to show the world that, for us, Christmas is about Christ's birth (no matter the origins of the holiday, or in what month Jesus may or may not have been born).

If I were in Andy Stanley's shoes, I'd try to find another way to bless my employees, or perhaps scale back the services, but still have them. With the couple of my peers I mentioned, I can only disagree. But in the end, we're all the Body of Christ, and we all have different opinions on these things. So, I'll disagree respectfully and in love, and continue to be encouraged and enthused at what the Lord is doing in and through all of our congregations.

For those of you who agree that Sunday December 25th is a great day to worship the Lord together, I'll see you Christmas morning at 11AM. And if it is just me, my family and the world famous Christ's Church Worship Band, that's quite enough, because God Himself never fails to show up when we gather - and that's what it's all about.