The unspoken Issue with Christmas on Sundays

So, here's my two cents (and plug for my personal ecclesiology/church philosophy!) on the big bru-ha-ha over churches cancelling their gatherings on Sundays.

(Full disclosure- we meet in a rented facility that is pretty much unavailable for us on days like Christmas. So, we're meeting Christmas Eve, 10:30pm-12:01 am... if it was available to us, we'd settle the matter as a community, though I'd probably be pushing for us to meet)

I'm just going to say it... It seems as though the real problem here, that no one will say out loud, is that churches have gotten too dang big and too dang complicated.

Once upon a time, having church on Christmas meant someone unlocking the door, turning on the heat and picking a couple of carols for the accompianist to play as the people sang. We could have a morning together as a family, worship together as a community, and go home for a beautiful Christmas dinner.

Nowadays, it's a little more involved.

There are a lot of unintended consequences to big church. One which the current debate serves to highlight is the fact that big church unwittingly pits church VS family. This is true in a lot of areas, but let's focus on Christmas...

Why aewn't many having a church gathering on Christmas? Because the hours and the work and the volunteers it takes to carry off the average mega church service, not once but twice or even three or four times for many congregations is untenable in the face of times like Christmas. Our productions have gotten so involved, so detailed and labor intensive (not to mention the fact that the average church Christmas play/production just about kills everyone involved) that most churches would rather take the "hit" of cancelling for a Sunday rather than trying to round up the volunteers to make it all happen.

C'mon and admit it- there are a lot of good defenses and apologetics for the mega church- it's not all bad, but the real reason you can't have church on Christmas is because the production just got too big, and the volunteers would rebel at having to "work" Christmas.

Am I wrong?

Another good reason to grow continually but stay relatively small and simple through church planting!

Okay... stepping off soapbox, sorry for the confrontational tone!!

Comments

[Darryl]

I think you hit the big one there, Bob. I made a comment along similar lines over at churchmarketingsucks.com:

"Some people have suggested in the comments above that Christmas Day is a family day, and a day to relax without all the stress of setting up the sound gear, getting the ushers and carpark attenders together, etc. But isn't that what "the Sabbath day of rest" is all about? Shouldn't we be relaxing with our family every Sunday, and setting that day aside as a special day in the week? And if that's the thinking behind closing churches on Christmas Day, then why do we work so hard without anytime to spend with family on a normal Sunday?"

When churches do get too big, families miss out, and that's not good.

On the other hand, Jesus did say that we must loves Him more than our parents/children, so that must mean we should spend hours and hours setting up the massive sound gear at church ... even if it means we don't see our families at all on Sunday. Yeah, that works ... ;)

I believe that the size of a church does not matter the fact is that everyone has truly forgotten the reason for the celebration. This hoilday is reserved for the Birth of who we all claim to worship and give thanks to every Sunday, JESUS! Yet, it is a "holiday" and no one wants to forsake their traditional present opening, holiday travel, dinner at 11am, etc. in obeservance for the person who lived and died for us all. The one person who, despite all of your imperfections, loves you unconditonally and gives you new MERCY AND GRACE EVERYDAY. I just think that the church should be the one place that does not cater to peoples schedules and stand for what it was created for. It doesn't matter if one person shows up for service or if every pew is completely full the leader of the church should be there to preach because the BIBLE says that where TWO OR MORE ARE GATHERED IN MY NAME THERE SHALL I BE ALSO. If for no other reason than to be in GOD's presence we should be in church on Christmas. You would want people to show up to your B-Day party but you won't show up to your creators party. C'mon. Besides think of all the days, hours, minutes, and seconds that He has given you and you can't give HIM a couple of hours.

[BobF]

Thanks for speaking what doesn't get said very often (except quietly by overworked volunteers). Christmas at our small church is exhausting enough, and we don't have valets or a food court. :)

The problem underneath what you are saying is not just that a service isn't simple, it's the mindset that a simple service won't do, that it's better not to have one at all. That is really assuming people will be consumers before they even have a chance to voice an opinion. Last time Christmas was a Sunday, we had a very quiet, simple and holy time; not many were there, but we were family and it was good.

The issue of complexity and stress is a really important one outside of megachurches, too. In my denomination where most clergy are full-time, self-care is on the radar screen, but we don't talk about it much for part-time musicians or volunteers who are prepping for the big days on top of jobs and households. Still, making room for sabbath at the expense of worship seems a bit misguided to me.

We'll be there worshipping God Christmas morning, but after 2 Christmas Eve services, the musicians will be off -- I'll be DJing so there will be songs for people to sing along to or just reflect on.

[Steve Carr]

My favorite quote from one megachurch pastor on Saturday morning's Today Show about the no church controversy:

"The Bible never commands us to celebrate Jesus' birth."

That doesn't work for me. I find these weak explanations patronizing. We worship on Sunday's to celebrate the Resurrection. Canceling on Christmas has nothing to do with that.

Now to be hypocritical: because we can't use our facility [we meet on Sunday nights], we're forced to cancel on Christmas.But if we had the means we'd certainly go for it. I just wish these churches that our cancelling would just be totally forthright in admitting the reason for their decisions.

[rick]

if you're having services on christmas sunday, praise the Lord - do it to the glory of God. if you're not having services on christmas sunday, praise the Lord - do it to the glory of God.

for 2006 - if your church is having services on christmas monday, praise the Lord - do it to the glory of God. if not, same.

somewhere in here, having a problem with the decision might be just as bad as the perception of the decision - where's the grace to do as you've seen fit? we could do all the setup and such - and chose to do it the night before instead, as we'll do again next year on christmas eve. i know you're not intending the confrontational tone, but where's the liberty to do what you feel?

one more - you're not having a service, but you're also not planning an alternative gathering (from info in this post - i might be wrong). for whatever reason, you've chosen the same thing. how's that diff? "we'd rather be meeting" can be turned into "let's meet over here instead" in a flash.

/soapbox :)

[Scott Cheatham]

Excellent post and dead on. When the production has to override the service itself, then we've gotten over our heads.

Even at that, pull off something light if you have to and allow your church family to worship.

I wrote about this the other day myself after reading several other blogs on both sides of the fence.

[david]

so is it okay if small churches decide not to meet on christmas but not okay for big churches?

i understand your argument for smaller/more manageable churches, and i like it. but i'm not sure its completely defensable biblically, is it?

and probably christmas isn't the issue on which to have the discussion...

for the record, our church (1300-1400) is having a service, but we're doing some unique things as well and scaling back our typical sunday activities.

[bob hyatt]

Okay, Okay! Hold on!

I'm not saying it;s right or wrong to have or not have services on Christmas! Or Christmas Eve... or St Swiven's Day (He was the patron saint of quality footwear...)

What I am saying is that there is a dynamic at work here that has to do with the size and complexity of modern church.

That's all.

Just trying to give the elephant in the corner a little poke.

"i understand your argument for smaller/more manageable churches, and i like it. but i'm not sure its completely defensable biblically, is it?"

I think you are right, and it's probably time for me to lay out my reasoning behind and motivation for a lot of this stuff...

[Pam Hogeweide]

Hey Bob, you are a good elephant poker.

Organizing a church service at most churches requires a significant effort. It's like a job. And who wants to work on Christmas?

Unfortunately for many American Christians time spent in a church community resembles work relationships rather than family relationships.

[david]

pam, that is a powerful analysis...

"for most American Christians time spent in a church community resembles work relationships rather than family relationships."

can we add that for most American Christians, church decision making resembles our country's government than the Spirit led church?

i think these are the issues bob reacts against when he pushes "organic" church.

maybe part of the problem is that we've really lost a picture of what the family is supposed to look like?

[Greg Surratt]

Just for the record...we have NEVER had Christmas day services...even when we were small. We may be wrong...but at least we're consistantly wrong.

From a big bad megachurch pastor.

PS I posted our rationale on my blog

[callie]

Bob,
Here is my suggestion. Since you Christians have mostly given up on church on Christmas why not try it our (jewish peoples) way.

Just bag it, go to a cool movie get some great Chinese take out and call it a day.

Come to services on Yom Kippor and Passover. Believe me, its gonna be there no matter what.

One thing about us Jews, we never close on our holidays.

You gonna tell me that ONLY 2000 years later you are gonna give up on Christmas???
:} PULease!

[david]

i think greg hits it on the head.
very few churches have services on christmas day when it isn't on a sunday.

most emergentesque types would argue strongly that there is no inherent value in meeting on Sunday, that church can meet any time.

so why react when churches:
1) do what they've always done (not have church on Christmas)
2) make a statement that sometimes its okay to not have church on Sunday?

is it because they are mega-churches?

[Darryl]

I think the issue is not so much whether churches are closed on Christmas Day, but why they are closed:

- if it's because that's what they've always done, then that's fine.

- it it's because "doing church" just takes so much work, so many people, and so much time that the church leaders would prefer to close down and give their volunteers a day off rather than make them put in their usual hours, then I think we have a problem. When people sigh with relief that they don't have to go to church this Sunday to work their butts off, then something's not quite right.

[eli]

This week, I think about 20 people showed up to our church. 7 of them were on the worship team. I had to be at church by 8 to put a songlist together, rehearse the band, etc.

My kids (4 of them) expect that they are going to get presents on Christmas morning. If I have to prepare for a lousy, non-biblically-mandated church service on Christmas morning, just becasue it happens to fall on a Sunday (the pagan's choice for Sabbath), something is wrong.