Christian 'megapastor' blasts believers on Dec. 25 dispute (defends decision to close)

World Net Daily ^ | December 19, 2005

[NYer]

With many large churches across the U.S. announcing they won't be open on Christmas Day, some pastors are defending their decision to stay closed, even going so far as to blast those who question their motives.

Among them is Jon Weece, pastor of Southland Christian Church in Lexington, Ky., who received complaint e-mails from Christians in all 50 states.

"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 brother in Christ," Weece said in his Dec. 10 sermon. "I'm still troubled that more Christians in this community specifically did not stand up for us knowing what this church represents."

(Audio of the entire sermon is available here.)

Weece blamed Satan the devil for using the Christmas issue as a distraction, prompting Christians to bicker among themselves.

"People are not the enemy," he said. "The devil is, and it is obvious that he has been at work in this situation."

Weece said the services being offered on Christmas Eve were still technically the "first day of the week" if one went by the custom of starting days at sunset, which some believe was the case in Jesus' day.

He went on to note: "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 January or mid-April. 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 personally this last week."

Weece also said Jesus himself walked all over opinion and tradition: "Do not lose sight of the controversy that Jesus incited by turning traditions on their head. And always remember in the economy of Jesus, the one whose birthday so many are claiming to be so passionate about, Jesus placed value and emphasis on people over policy and procedure and protocol every single time."

Meanwhile, the largest Christian church in South Florida has reversed itself on its closure Christmas Day, and now says it will be open for a single service next Sunday morning, Dec. 25.

Calvary Chapel of Fort Lauderdale now promoting its Christmas Day service online after initially announcing a Dec. 25 closure

Calvary Chapel of Fort Lauderdale originally decided to give its members and workforce a day off to spend with their families on Christmas, even though it falls on Sunday, its traditional day of worship. Instead, it had scheduled a slate of extra services for Saturday night, Christmas Eve.

Pastor Bob Coy

"I've been called a bad person and a shame to Christianity," pastor Bob Coy told the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. "It made me realize that many people misunderstood our motives."

But after an onslaught of negative public reaction from both inside and outside his congregation, Coy had a change of heart.

"Say it isn't so," read one e-mail, according to Coy. "You're shutting your doors on Jesus' birthday. I'm appalled at the message you're sending to the community."

Coy also was advised by some church members who said they wouldn't be able to attend services on Christmas Eve, and preferred to come on the actual holiday.

"Christmas is filled with unrealistic expectations," he said. "I don't want to fuel that. If people need Jesus on Christmas, I want to make Him available."

The entire issue has exacerbated the national Christmas controversy at a time which many believe is supposed to harken back to the Gospel of Luke's "peace on Earth."

"There is no biblical mandate that we meet on Sunday, only that we meet," writes Larry Baden in an online messageboard. "This is clearly a nonessential issue. Nobody's orthodoxy stands or falls on having a Sunday service. Nobody's salvation depends on having a Sunday service."

Minister Jeff Chitwood contends: "I think the issue centers on canceling worship on a day that is supposed to be centered on Christ. Too many times the church accuses the world of taking Christ out of Christmas but now the church is the one changing things because a day centered on Christ conflicts with schedules. What kind of message does it send to those who we have condemned in the past? At our church we are rescheduling service times but not eliminating the opportunity to worship on a day centered on Christ."

One poster said true worship is about much more than just singing or attending a church service.

"The way I greet my family when I go home from work is an act of worship. The way I talk to my co-workers. The dedication I give to my employer. The passion and inspiration I find in teaching or writing or editing or reading or mowing the lawn or ironing my shirts. ...

"Let's all just focus on God this Sunday. He's a big Guy. I'm sure those who look for him will find him – even if they don't set foot in a church building."

[JamesP81]

Alright, I'm not a Catholic, I don't believe in many of the doctrines, and I don't think the Catholic church is the only true church. But can we ease up on the catholic bashing here? They are still Christians after all.

[A2J]

The "Lord's Day" is what Christians have called Sunday, the first day of week, for nearly 2,000 years. Our Lord Jesus Christ rose victorious over sin and death on the first day of the week, and he met with his disciples on that day, too. And so the church has been gathering on that day ever since.

But Jesus nor any writer of the New Testament commanded it.

[P-Marlowe]

The Lord gathers his church together around Word and Sacrament, the marks of the church.

Wherever two or more are gathered...

Originally this was done in homes. Somewhere along the line someone got the idea to build elaborate edifices.

[A2J]

On the contrary, He leaves His apostles with the power to bind and loose (that is, establish religious discipline).

And I suppose those "apostles" just happen to be all Catholics, right?

[JeffAtlanta]

Pointing out that the role of scripture is greatly marginalized in the Catholic church is not Catholic bashing.

[A2J]

That's what you get when a google search is the only source of scripture.

"Please click in your laptops to the Book of Google..."

[SoothingDave]

And I suppose those "apostles" just happen to be all Catholics, right?

You think they might have been Presbyterians or Methodists?

The original Church eventually schismed into today's Catholic and Orthodox Churches. The Protetants then further splintered off of the Catholic branch. Thus ends your history lesson.

SD

[NYer]

We'll be in a congregation of believers that still believes, along with its "bishop" (1 Timothy 3:1) that the Bible is the Word of God without error

That Bible came from the Catholic Church. It forms our liturgy and readings. You will hear more Scripture at a Catholic Mass than at any other christian service.

[JamesP81]

Originally this was done in homes. Somewhere along the line someone got the idea to build elaborate edifices.

You know, the majority of those 'edifice' building churches (southern baptist for example) frequently plant house churches while in the mission field. So yes, we haven't forgot what the Bible says, contrary to claims made in this thread.

Would you prefer that we just close all the churches?

[JeffAtlanta]

The Protetants then further splintered off of the Catholic branch. Thus ends your history lesson.

Not all early Christians were part of the Catholic church. There have always been groups that believed the church had gone in the wrong direction.

[A2J]

Would you prefer that we just close all the churches?

No, only those who have organized via 501(c)3 and have professional clergy on staff who placate an apathetic group of spectators each week.

[SoothingDave]

Not all early Christians were part of the Catholic church. There have always been groups that believed the church had gone in the wrong direction.

There is no credible evidece for the existence of these alleged churches. Unless you want to claim various heretical churches were the forefathers of your present belief system.

SD

[Polycarp1]

All Eastern Orthodox Christian Churches will have liturgies on Christmas Eve or Christmas morning.

[A2J]

The original Church eventually schismed into today's Catholic and Orthodox Churches.

Wrong. It wasn't until after the deaths of the original apostles that heresy became rampant, birthing the Catholic church and its twin the Orthodox Church.

The Reformation tried to correct some of the error but ended up institutionalizing just like the Catholics.

[JamesP81]

No, only those who have organized via 501(c)3 and have professional clergy on staff who placate an apathetic group of spectators each week

Most of the really good evangelical churches are listed as such. I guess we should close down all the churches, the good ones and the bad ones, just because there are a few bad ones. Makes pefect sense.

As I stated before, that means shutting down most Christian charities and most of the church hospitals. Your idea is asinine.

[A2J]

There is no credible evidece for the existence of these alleged churches. Unless you want to claim various heretical churches were the forefathers of your present belief system.

Especially since the Catholic church controlled all of governments where Christians were persecuted for meeting outside the edicts of Catholicism.

The Crusades (another Catholic venture) were nothing in comparison to the Inquisition, where Christians were thrown to something far worse than wild beasts...i. e., the Catholic church.

[Matchett-PI]

You may find this of interest:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1543275/posts?page=206#206

[JeffAtlanta]

Unless you want to claim various heretical churches were the forefathers of your present belief system.

It's convenient that anything outside of the Catholic church was considered heretical so by definition, all non-catholic churches were heretical.

In reality, it was the catholic church and the popes that were corrupt.

[ELS]

In the picture you posted, what's the outfit being worn? What is it with the particular way of folding of the hands, etc.?

It is a part of a picture of Pope Benedict XVI that had been on the home page (the link is to a cached version of the page) of the Vatican's Web site.

Here is a picture of Benedict XVI wearing the same liturgical vestments as in the partial picture that NYer has been using. He wears these vestments when participating in certain liturgical events or when meeting with Catholic dignitaries (government representatives or royalty as opposed to high-level people within the Church).

The way he is holding his hands is not significant. It was probably just what he was doing when the photographer snapped the photo.

[ItsOurTimeNow]

>>Chapter and verse, please. From the bible. You sound just like the Pharisees.<<

- Exodus 20:8 (on the sanctity of the Sabbath)
- Neh 13:15-22 (on the sanctity of the Sabbath)
- Is 58:13 (on keeping the Sabbath holy)
- 1 Cor 16:1-2 (On meeting in fellowship the first day of the week - the new Sabbath day as recognized by Christ's resurrection)
- Acts 20:7 (Gathering in prayer and communion on the first day of the week)
- Rev 1:10 (the Lord's Day being the first day of the week)
- Acts 2:42 (on the importance of meeting together)
- Heb 10:25 (In not forsaking the fellowship)

>>Christians worship every day because worship is not something you do but something that you live...just like eating or drinking which is not bound by certain days or times.<<

I understand that. You must have missed the part of my post wherein I said that a Christian is to worship the Lord privately, and/or as a family every day. However, the Lord's Day, Sunday, is set apart and sanctified for the gathering of the fellowship to worship God corporately.

>>Biblical/historical worship has little to nothing to do with song or being with others but how we live our lives as to whether we please Him or not.<<

Again, then Paul's letters to Timothy on church structure, offices, and order must be hereby null and void, since their not important, right?

To the contrary, public worship, teaching, and exhortation is commanded.

1 Tim 4:13; 2 tim 4:2; Col 3:16; Eph 5:19

If you were to have your way, there would have been no need for any of the epistles on the subject of corporate worship or church government.