Unbelieveable! More than a few mega-churches (and non-mega-churches) have decided that the worship of Jesus is unnecessary on Christmas Day because it happens to fall on a Sunday. What a message to send to a culture that already celebrates Christmas in more or less secular (i.e. pagan) fashion. In the midst of debates over whether or not children take Christmas break or winter break from school, in the middle of the arguments over whether we decorate Christmas trees or holiday trees, some churches have decided to join the debate and abdicate the Christ-centeredness of the holiday because December 25 just happens to fall on a Sunday this year. On a day when we celebrate God's self-emptying on our behalf, Christians cancel worship because getting to church on that day will simply be inconvenient.
As wonderful as it is to spend Christmas with family, Christmas is not first and foremost about family, it is about God--the God who has come to us in Jesus Christ for our sake. It is about Christians putting Christ at the center of their celebration; and what better way to do that than to be in church gathered with the people of God on Christmas morning to worship and give thanks.
I can think of no better way to begin December 25th.
No comments:
Post a Comment