Pastor defends decision to close church on Christmas

LEXINGTON, Ky. - The senior minister at central Kentucky's largest church defended a decision to not offer services there on Christmas Sunday and responded to mounting criticism.

The Rev. Jon Weese praised the decision of elders at Southland Christian Church during a service Saturday and said they "chose to value families. People over policy."

Weese has heard from hundreds of Christians across the nation protesting the closure, Southland officials said. Preaching before a crowd of about 1,150, Weece said the full story hasn't been heard.

"I was deeply saddened by the knee-jerk response of the Christian community as a whole to give the benefit of the doubt to the media and not a church or a Christian brother. I'm still troubled that more Christians did not stand up for us," said Weece. "Can you see or begin to see that the devil is stirring the pot on this?"

The backlash came after the Lexington Herald-Leader reported that Southland and other megachurches in Illinois, Michigan, Georgia and Texas would not hold worship services on Dec. 25.

Standing on a stage decorated with 15 artificial Christmas trees, Weece downplayed the significance of the day.

"Christmas began as a pagan holiday to the Roman gods, and if we were to really celebrate the historical birth of Jesus, it would either be in early January or mid-April," Weece said. "I'm only pointing out the historical technicalities not out of intellectual arrogance, but again because of the illogical, ill-informed and even hypocritical arguments that were aimed at me this past week."

Weece also said that the church technically would be worshipping every Sunday in December.

Referring to Christianity's Jewish roots, he said that Sunday begins at sundown on Saturday according to biblical tradition.

Weece noted that Jesus also was criticized for breaking tradition. "There were some whose zeal even in the days of Jesus was misguided," he said. "They emphasized religion over relationship."

Worshippers applauded Weece several times during the service and gave him a standing ovation at one point.

"It's absolutely appalling that he and this church have been treated this way," church receptionist Olivia Byrne said after the service.

Breaking bread is normal meals, not the once a year Passover.

1 Corinthians 11

1. Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ. (well... THIS is sure obeyed!)
2. I praise you for remembering me in everything and for holding to the teachings, just as I passed them on to you.
3. Now I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God.
4. Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head.
5. And every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head--it is just as though her head were shaved.
6. If a woman does not cover her head, she should have her hair cut off; and if it is a disgrace for a woman to have her hair cut or shaved off, she should cover her head.
7. A man ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of man.
8. For man did not come from woman, but woman from man;
9. neither was man created for woman, but woman for man.
10. For this reason, and because of the angels, the woman ought to have a sign of authority on her head.
11. In the Lord, however, woman is not independent of man, nor is man independent of woman.
12. For as woman came from man, so also man is born of woman. But everything comes from God.
13. Judge for yourselves: Is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered?
14. Does not the very nature of things teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a disgrace to him,
15. but that if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For long hair is given to her as a covering.
16. If anyone wants to be contentious about this, we have no other practice--nor do the churches of God.
17. In the following directives I have no praise for you, for your meetings do more harm than good.
18. In the first place, I hear that when you come together as a church, there are divisions among you, and to some extent I believe it.
19. No doubt there have to be differences among you to show which of you have God's approval.
20. When you come together, it is not the Lord's Supper you eat,
21. for as you eat, each of you goes ahead without waiting for anybody else. One remains hungry, another gets drunk.
22. Don't you have homes to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God and humiliate those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you for this? Certainly not!
23. For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread,
24. and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me."
25. In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me."
26. For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.
27. Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord.
28. A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup.
29. For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself.
30. That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep.
31. But if we judged ourselves, we would not come under judgment.
32. When we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned with the world.
33. So then, my brothers, when you come together to eat, wait for each other.
34. If anyone is hungry, he should eat at home, so that when you meet together it may not result in judgment. And when I come I will give further directions.

(Wouldn't it be good to actually HAVE these INSTRUCTIONS?? ;^)

there may not be anything magical or righteous about worhshipping on Christmas Day but can you think of any other symbolic way to show what the holyday/holiday is supposed to mean other than actually going to church?......

Christians and Christmas are under assualt and you would think we could stick to basic principles.....

this pastor is just covering his arse.....

furthermore, there is nothing magical about Sundays when you get right down to it......my brother told me that Sundays for Mass/worship was picked more out of a need to differentiate from the Jews rather than anything bibical....and I always believe my bro......

I agree.

I, and my family, will be going to Church on Christmas morning, as usual. When Christmas doesn't fall on a Sunday, we go to midnight Mass on Christmas Eve; because we see it like you do: what BETTER time to go to Church????

My point is that "worship" of the Almighty does NOT require your presence in a pew on any given day - and that the congregation of a Church body can decide for any reason not to hold a service. It is important that the people that support that particular Church decide; and all the Holier-than-thou type out there across the fruited plain can go suck wind if they don't like it. Too many "Christians" feel it is their duty to castigate others when their worship doesn't fall into line with their own preferences.

In the case mentioned in the article, the pastor WAS specious in his justification of his congregation's decision. However, I can see the underlying point: a large "megachurch" has a service akin to a theatrical production - with a cast of dozens. Lots of folks that serve on the Church staff will be out of town visiting Grandma. If it is OK with the congregation of THAT Church to cancel Sunday service, then it is OK with me... doesn't effect me in the slightest.

1. Threats to the life of the pastor and some church members make security staff (including plainclothes detectives) necessary for everybody's safety.
2. If there were no separate daycare for the small kids, there would not be enough room for everybody to sit, even in the overflow rooms. Yes, this is true even though we just built a huge new church building three years ago and now have nowhere to expand to.
3. There's no way to get all the cars of all the parishioners in the parking lot, big as it is, so buses bring people in from remote parking lots the church rents. There are just too many people who want to hear the Word.

See, it all sounds simple--just cancel all that stuff!--but then half the people who want to come to a service can't do so. And we're not talking particularly about Christmas services, either. This would all be a problem on the average Sunday. These nondenominational evangelical churches are becoming incredibly popular. This one is especially growing by leaps and bounds because of the pastor's clear, warm, point-by-point discussions of How to Draw Closer to Christ.

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