X-mas Plans
I'm sure everybody by now knows that Christmas is on Sunday this year. Not a problem if you are Jewish. Nor, you may be quick to say, if you are Christian...just go to church. Some churches are not meeting on Christmas Sunday. Some are meeting for 'big church' but are not having their bible classes meet. I don't get that one.
I go back and forth on the matter. I'd rather spend the morning opening gifts and watching my kids do the same at home. Part of me doesn't want to go. Then there is a small part that wants to be with others praising God. I don't know.
What are you doing the Xmas?
Update:
Senior minister from Southland Christian Church explains why Kentucky church is canceling their gathering.
posted by Bart at 12:25 PM
5 Comments:
Well, as NT Wright points out, the NT bends over backwards to emphasize that is was / is on "the first day of the week" (ie, Sunday) that Jesus rose from the dead. This is why the church has always gathered on this day. Without this "theology of the Lord's Day" and the ecclesiology that goes with it, then, hey, Sunday is just another day.
In that case, why not cancel church? If it suits our "model" better, then so be it.
I think that many of us are struggling with the "institutional" church idea. If our spiritual relationships at church were as rich as the NT church was, we would joyfully plan and anticipate our gathering on Christmas Sunday with our friends and fellow church people.
If you want to be with others praising God on Christmas, don't let someone else's rules stop you. Location doesn't matter. If you want to spend some of Christmas Day with more Christians than just your immediate famiy, don't let "The Church" stop you from inviting others into your life as you would on any other day.
Our church is just holding one service, and has canceled the sunday schools etc. Having sat in Staff Meeting while that was planned I can assure you that thoughts of NT theology or a compleate theology of worship did not come into play. Many of our families will make the descision to just stay home. Knowing this putting on a sunday school was not possible. If you offer classes to adults you have to provide classes for the kids (our church has a policy requiring two adults in the room for each class.) We do not have the volunteers to do that.
We also don't have the number of people coming to justify two services. So we will only do one.
I think there is a real logic in not having a sunday service if you had services all Sat night. For the legalistic bible folks, I would just retort that the Jewdaic understanding of days suggests that Sunday starts on Sat Night, hence Sat evening services would be worshiping on a Sunday.
Since I am on staff I will be attending all three services. But if I was not I would not come Sunday Morning. Sunday afternoon I am going to a gathering of random people in our church without deep roots in the Houston area. The thanksgiving meal I ate with them was awesome. In some ways I think I will do a better job of being the church sunday afternoon then I ever will sunday morning.
I am spending it both ways! I am goin to church in the AM, and then spending the rest of the day with my loved ones! May GOD bless.. and Merry Christmas! Brandy
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