Calvary Chapel of Fort Lauderdale now promoting its Christmas Day service online after initially announcing a Dec. 25 closure
Posted on 12/19/2005 6:23:54 AM PST by 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."
Then you are failing to fight for the kingdom of God.
Doesn't sound very service oriented.
You really think that getting pissed off because a church that you don't even attend isn't going to have a Christmas sermon is "fighting for the kingdom of God"?
From your posts, you already feel that protestants are heretics so why do you even care? Don't you think that your energy could be better spent reforming the Catholic priesthood?
LOL - like the word of men has any authority.
BTW, I do have a lot of respect for Calvin but still, he was just a mortal man.
Hey Matchett, welcome to the Heretic Club for Men.
Hey Buggman, you're slipping. There's two named heretics on this thread and you are not numbered among them. How'd that happen?
I didn't think you talked to heretics.
I am a Protestant.
I have issues with a Protestant ignoring what Scripture and the orthodox position of the church has been since day one, that Sunday is the new day of worship.
I am not really talking, but typing. :)
As compared to what?
Day one? That would be Pentecost, would it not?
If that were true, then what were Peter and Paul doing in the synagogues on the Sabbath (seventh) Day?
And I suppose you have proof that he's dead? Can you produce the body?
Nice try.
Do you also believe in Santa Claus?
Chapter & verse.....Please??
Well, since you're so sure, why even bother to comment?
Just leave us little folks to putter away in the pages of our bibles dreaming up new reroutings of things you have figured out.
Fortunately, the holiest day of Christianity doesn't have all the vacation trappings that seem to accompany Christmas.
Wouldn't that be a hoot.....churches too occupied to observe Easter Sunday? LOL!
In the history of Christendom, only Seventh Day Adventists (a group of wackos) have dared to challenge the Christian, orthodox position that Sunday is the Christian Sabbath.
Why are you in their company?
We are dead to the law by the body of Christ.
We are not to be judged on the basis of holy days, sabbaths, etc.
Matchett wrote an excellent essay above, and it makes twice in as many weeks that I've fully agreed with what was written.
My only caveat is that my freedom should be weighed against expediency. "All things are lawful to me, yet all things are not expedient."
To keep my message and focus consistent, I am holding service this Sunday morning. I can't very well complain about "Keeping Christ in Christmas" and then turn around and close the doors this Sunday.
Yet, I don't think my fellow pastors who close shop are sinning. I think they're making a bad decision, but not an unbiblical one.
Silliness abounds.
I don't think I could be a member of a church that didn't have a service on Christmas Day. I just can't follow the logic...
Savior of the world... His birthday... special celebration just for Him... everyone is invited...
no thanks... too busy... maybe another day.
Matchett makes some good points with regards to how our Sabbath rest is in Christ, not in a day. My pastor has preached on that pretty strongly.
But, it also is a literal day that we still are to observe.
That is why Matchett is wrong. He believes Lord's Day means nothing.
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