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."
That is an excellent article. I absolutely agree with the points made, especially with the "consumer mentality at work".
There are plenty of people who warm a pew in church but have never had a change of heart brought about by repentance. Those people will claim to be Christians but present no evidence of it in their life.
bump
We have several services (our building only holds about 2,000, and we need 3 services to deal with the crowds.)
Anyhoo,one of our regular services is Saturday evening, so we're turning our Saturday evening (Christmas Eve) service into a coprorate worship service...bringing in enough chairs and setting up outside to provide seats for 5000 people.
No way, could we reorganize everything between Christmas Eve and early Sunday AM, so no services on Christmas. I see absolutely nothing wrong with the scenario...we are not "forsaking the assembling of ourselves" as the Scripture says, we're just trying to find a time for a corporate service where we can accommodate the most people.
Funny line from one of the pastors was...come to Christmas Eve service, if you don't get the message and show up for Christmas morning, they'll be a sign on the door that says "See you at Easter."
The Bible says, Do not forsake the gathering together with fellow beleivers. These churhces have decided to "focus on the family" rather than "focus on Christ."
Priorities used to be God, family... Now it's Family, maybe God.
I think he's right on target. Thanks for the link.
We're having normal schedule on Sun a.m. but no church in the evening.
Jesus is "the reason for the season". It's not about presents, Christmas trees, lights, santa claus, or any other peripheral "fluff". It's about Jesus Christ, our Lord. If people who profess to be Christian cannot get themselves to Church on Christmas, then they really are lost.
I'm proud to be a Cathlolic, btw.
I find it ironic that the RC's are weighing in disapprovingly. I know many members of their church who, because of the " it counts " mentality of the Saturday evening mass, have not been up and out on a Sunday morning in years. I think that the Christian churches should be open on Christams, but I think the RC's ought to hold their fire.
Apples and oranges. Individual Catholics may avail themselves strictly of the Saturday evening services. The Church itself does not only hold such services. If a Catholic Church held only a Christmas Eve Mass and none during the day on Christmas, that would be analogous. That isn't the case.
SD
well put..
I am sorry, I do not understand. If a member of your church goes on the 24th, Chrismas Eve, must he then go on the 25th, Chrismas Day ?
These folks are simply setting their own schedules. They are not forsaking anything.
I know churches who meet once a month...that's how they're organized. Their leadership makes that call.
In this instance, these folks have made a local decision based on their analysis of the situation. I think they send an awful message, but it is not a sinful decision, imo.
>>we're just trying to find a time for a corporate service where we can accommodate the most people.<<
Church worship is about giving God the glory and honor He is due, not about accommodating people.
The Sabbath was created for man; not man for the Sabbath...
No. Vigil Masses (night before) satisfy the requirement to attend on a Sunday or Holy Day.
Catholics can criticise these "megachurches" for being closed on Christmas Sunday, because Catholic Churches are never closed on Christmas or Sunday. It matters not if some of the Catholics will attend vigil Masses. They still have the choice of attending a vigil Mass or a regular Sunday Mass.
SD
Personally, I think it is up to the individual churches, or their respective organizations, to decide if they have a Christmas service on Sunday or not. What troubles me are the Christians who are not members of these churches condemning their decisions. It's in the same class of arguements that one denomination has against another. Disgusting. People need to keept their own church and not dictate the business of another.
That's true.
FYI, the reason is because that by taking Communion, the person would be saying through his actions that he believes what Catholics believe when taking Communion: that he is receiving the body, blood, soul and divinity of Christ. In effect, he would be lying through his actions. (But non-Catholics are welcome to attend Mass otherwise.)
OTOH, Christians in Orthodox Churches are permitted to take Communion in Catholic churches.
Permitted by us Catholics, not necessarily by their own Church's rules.
SD
The reason why vigil Masses "count" is because evening is considered part of the following day. My understanding is that this way of reckoning days is carried over from Jewish practice.
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