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cherylpf
crazy cat lady
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 Posted: 12/20/05 - 21:58 Post subject: Christians: church on Christmas
Have you seen the articles all over the web, news and papers about several of the mega churches closing on Christmas, which falls on a Sunday this year, because...its Christmas? Google News "Church closed Christmas" or maybe throw a "mega" in front of church and you come up with several results. I think I first saw the story 2 weeks ago and never got around to posting it here. I think this phenomenon caught media attention when some of the larger so-called mega churches closed. Of course the press is running with this claiming the secularization of church and the megachurches are doing the media tours claiming Christmas is a family holiday and its not right to deny church staff and elders, etc from their families. I have some thoughts here...just curious if anyone else does and, more personally, what your church's and your family's Christmas church traditions are?
I labelled this thread "Christians" as I am interested what those in the faith think, but I by no means want to exclude others from reading or even posting thoughts. Just as an unnecessary disclaimer.
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Ms. Jenn
Fresh, Hot & Wild
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Posted: 12/20/05 - 22:10 Post subject:
Our church is open on Christmas, because after all, it's open everyday. We will have combined services at 10:45 (no nursery, no children's church, no sunday school). The evening service will be a come and go private family communion with the pastor and his wife.
A church that is authentic in its belief that Jesus Christ was born on Christmas day and died for our sins on the cross at calvary will be open on Christmas for service, no matter what day of the week it is. A church that is not authentic in their beliefs will not be open for Christmas.
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purple hayes
Frightened Inmate #2
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Posted: 12/21/05 - 05:54 Post subject:
Our church is open, but we're only having one service at 10AM. We normally have 2 services (heck, we have 3 on Easter). No extras that day, including Sunday school. It's listed as casual, too. 
Not sure what we're going to do about church on Christmas Eve. Our church only has service at 6PM and Mrs. PH doesn't get off of work until 6:30. We may scout a different local church just for the evening.
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prohemp
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Posted: 12/21/05 - 05:56 Post subject:
Are these chrurches afraid to challenge its people to attend a one hour mass celebrating the birth of Christ over spending an entire day in their jammies....... I know with our church there are plenty of choices for mass that will leave plenty of time for family. Our parish has two on Christmas Eve (one with the children's choir and the later mass with the adult choir) and then three masses on Sunday Christmas day.
To not have mass Christmas day is just another examle of dumbing things down (IMO).
PS - Our one daughter is in the choir and another daughter is serving that mass so there are two less seats I have to worry about finding cuz it's normally SRO.
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rolling rock
The Pinball
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Posted: 12/21/05 - 07:36 Post subject:
i'm not bothered by this, i mean how hypocrtical can i be, after all i have no plans on attending church that sunday. 
our little church will have 4 standing room only services on Christmas eve, i hope i can crowbar myself into one of them; i had to watch from a classroom satellite last year  if reaching the unchurched is a goal, it is truly being met on Christmas Eve and Easter in my church.
who knows? maybe it takes more than we know to logistically get that mega church up and running for a sunday; and, HEAVEN forbid, maybe it's just too expensive a proposition for the incoming tithes that will result. they will, no doubt, be packed to capacity for their Christmas Eve services which will require a full staff going full speed all day; it's not as easy as it may seem on the surface to pull that off 4 times in one day on such a large scale.
so no, i don't plan on sunday service this year. my church is having one sunday service and i'm sure attendance will be very low. maybe i'm a Christian by convenience, but i am more bothered by the media's attention to this and all the pointing and laughing that's going on "look at the Christians bagging sunday service  "
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sonnylax
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Posted: 12/21/05 - 07:40 Post subject:
I haven't seen any Catholic churches locally changing their plans for Sunday masses. Maybe this is just a Protestant thing?
| Rolling Rock wrote: | | but i am more bothered by the media's attention to this and all the pointing and laughing that's going on "look at the Christians bagging sunday service |
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TriBob
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Posted: 12/21/05 - 07:41 Post subject:
Besides being on of the most important days of the church year, they are giving up their biggest collection day of the year. Doesn't make sense to me.
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rolling rock
The Pinball
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Posted: 12/21/05 - 07:47 Post subject:
| TriBob wrote: | | Besides being on of the most important days of the church year, they are giving up their biggest collection day of the year. Doesn't make sense to me. |
i'm betting that sunday will be one of the smallest collection days of the year. 
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prohemp
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Posted: 12/21/05 - 07:55 Post subject:
| TriBob wrote: | | Besides being on of the most important days of the church year, they are giving up their biggest collection day of the year. Doesn't make sense to me. |
besides the $$ and I think more importantly - they are giving up on souls
- traditionally Christmas and Easter are the ONLY two days some people attend mass - they're giving up the opportunity to "reach" these people and perhaps get them back in the fold.
I don't get it and agree with the rock - it's a publicity faux pas
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Cappy
Excelent
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Posted: 12/21/05 - 08:15 Post subject:
The only changes that our Parish is making for Christmas is there are two masses on Sunday instead of the normal three, and the masses are at different than the normal Sunday times. We have two masses Christmas Eve (1700 and 1900). We normally go to the 1700 Christmas Eve mass, and its normally packed.
From a financial standpoint, Christmas is the time when our Parish gets the largest collection
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rolling rock
The Pinball
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Posted: 12/21/05 - 08:27 Post subject:
| prohemp wrote: | | TriBob wrote: | | Besides being on of the most important days of the church year, they are giving up their biggest collection day of the year. Doesn't make sense to me. |
besides the $$ and I think more importantly - they are giving up on souls
- traditionally Christmas and Easter are the ONLY two days some people attend mass - they're giving up the opportunity to "reach" these people and perhaps get them back in the fold.
I don't get it and agree with the rock - it's a publicity faux pas |
but, i really think Christmas Eve has always been the more popular of the two days for attendance, don't you?? these mega churches will be bursting with unchurched on Christmas Eve, that's my point. the unchurched are flooding in on Christmas Eve, at least that's my experience. i'll be lucky to physically find a place in my church on that night. i think churches began the Christmas Eve services years ago, mainly with a midnight service which opened the door to more Christmas Eve services and now, it's the day of choice for Christmas worship.
overall, it is a publicity nightmare for the church when you consider the "Christians worship on Sunday" view, but as far as one-timers go, they are going enmasse with candles lit, on Christmas Eve.
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wanttorun100
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Posted: 12/21/05 - 09:07 Post subject:
| rolling rock wrote: | | TriBob wrote: | | Besides being on of the most important days of the church year, they are giving up their biggest collection day of the year. Doesn't make sense to me. |
i'm betting that sunday will be one of the smallest collection days of the year. |
being one of the guys who counts the coin it's our biggest collection of the year. Now we have several families who do all of next years offering in a single check at Christmas time.
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purple hayes
Frightened Inmate #2
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Posted: 12/21/05 - 09:11 Post subject:
| rolling rock wrote: | | TriBob wrote: | | Besides being on of the most important days of the church year, they are giving up their biggest collection day of the year. Doesn't make sense to me. |
i'm betting that sunday will be one of the smallest collection days of the year. |
I'm betting Labor Day weekend is the smallest donation day.
PS - I'm afraid that when our church say the Christmas day service is "casual" that at least 50% of the congregation will show up in jammies. 
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thegman
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Posted: 12/21/05 - 09:23 Post subject:
| purple hayes wrote: |
I'm betting Labor Day weekend is the smallest donation day.
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It definitely is for ours. Christmas is the largest.
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airehead
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Posted: 12/21/05 - 10:05 Post subject:
It has been postulated that Jesus was actually born in the Springtime and that the 25th was used as a celebration to combat pagan celebrations of the time.
| Quote: | | The celebration of this day as Jesus's birth date was probably influenced by pagan (unchristian) festivals held at that time. The ancient Romans held year-end celebrations to honor Saturn, their harvest god; and Mithras, the god of light. Various peoples in northern Europe held festivals in mid-December to celebrate the end of the harvest season. As part of all these celebrations, the people prepared special foods, decorated their homes with greenery, and joined in singing and gift giving. These customs gradually became part of the Christmas celebration. |
Interestingly:
| Quote: | | The popularity of Christmas grew until the Reformation, a religious movement of the 1500's. This movement gave birth to Protestantism. During the Reformation, many Christians began to consider Christmas a pagan celebration because it included nonreligious customs. During the 1600's, because of these feelings, Christmas was outlawed in England and in parts of the English colonies in America. |
And one last interesting tidbit:
| Quote: | The word Xmas is sometimes used instead of Christmas. This tradition began in the early Christian church. In Greek, X is the first letter of Christ's name. It was frequently used as a holy symbol.
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All that being said, the church, no matter what it does, cannot win in the eyes of the world. (Fortunately that's not who we're trying to please)
I would prefer the church to be open for many reasons. If only for the lost and lonely to find solace, not to mention for the bonding time for families to spend time with the One who has so richly blessed them.
Even if Jesus was not born on that day--what a great day to give thanks for the blessings of the year.
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