Some Churches Taking Heat for Closing Doors Christmas Sunday

Allie Martin & Jenni Parker | Agape Press | Published: Dec 15, 2005

Some Churches Taking Heat for Closing Doors Christmas Sunday

Some Christian leaders feels some U.S. churches are bowing to secular culture by not having worship services on Christmas Day this year. Recently, a number of mega-churches across the nation announced that they are canceling their services on Sunday, December 25, saying they expect low turnout or want to allow members to spend time with their families on the holiday.

 

Last week Associated Press reported that some of the country's largest houses of worship are canceling their usual Sunday services in an effort to be "family friendly." Among the churches closing on Christmas are Chicago-area Willow Creek Community Church; Lexington, Kentucky's Southland Christian Church; Mars Hill Bible Church in Grandville, Michigan; North Point Community Church in Alpharetta, Georgia; and Fellowship Church near Dallas, Texas.

 

However, some Christian leaders have criticized these churches' decisions, declaring it is unthinkable to close the doors of God's house on the Lord's Day, and perhaps particularly so when that day is also the Lord's birthday.

While some pastors argue that the decision to close is a matter of putting family relationships first, Fuller Theological Seminary's Professor Robert Johnson has voiced strong objections to the idea of redefining Christmas as a family celebration rather than a commemoration of the Savior's birth. And Rev. D. James Kennedy of Coral Ridge Ministries told the Miami Herald that Christians need to "think carefully" before abandoning worship services that day, "especially when many churches are rightly blaming retailers and business for ignoring Christmas."

 

California pastor and Bible teacher Dr. John MacArthur agrees. In fact, he believes a consumer mentality may be to blame for what he sees as a disrespectful or even sacrilegious move on the part of these churches that are opting to cancel services on Christmas.

 

"I think it's ridiculous," MacArthur says. He proceeds to demonstrate the irony, commenting, "You certainly wouldn't want to have a church service interrupt a celebration of Christ's birth, I guess. What kind of thinking is that?"

 

Many churches intending to close on Christmas Day have planned multiple services in the days leading up to the holiday this year. Still, MacArthur insists, "I can't think of anything more perfect than to have Christmas on a Sunday. That's, like, the best plan possible -- to come and celebrate the birth of Christ by worshipping Him. To me, that's so obvious."

 

The Christian broadcaster has lately protested the evident and growing hostility against traditional celebrations of Christmas in the nation's schools and the public square. He says that hostility has, with the help of political correctness, taken root in other areas, including retail outlets and commercial media advertising. And now, he feels churches too are bowing before the increasing irreverence that is eroding Americans' sense of the spiritual significance of Christmas.

 

For church leaders "to be able to say to [their] people, 'Hey, we're not going to meet on the day we celebrate the Lord's birthday because, you know, you've got all kinds of other stuff to do,' should cause an uprising," MacArthur asserts. "People should respond by saying, 'Are you kidding? We're not going to come and worship Christ on the day we celebrate His birthday, and we're only going to do it on other days?'"

 

Those churches that are choosing to forego gathering for worship on Christmas Sunday are exercising flawed judgment, MacArthur contends. "To me it is an indication of the superficiality, the shallowness, and the disinterest in really worshipping Christ -- disinterest in truly exalting Him," he says.

 

Despite widespread criticism, Pastor Jon Weese of Southland Christian Church in Kentucky has defended his church's decision to cancel its December 25 services. In an AP report, he was quoted as saying that the Lord Jesus Himself was also criticized by people who "emphasized religion over relationship."

 

(c) Agape Press, 2005. Used with permission.

 

 

Some Churches Taking Heat for Closing Doors Christmas Sunday