Media Missionary Focus

Tis the Season part 2

I just looked over a comment that was posted on this blog asking about what I thought about the controversy over whether churches should or should not have service on Christmas day. The person who posted the comment is a close friend, and I sent him this reply:

“I think it’s a lot of hype about a non-issue. The only reason it is getting press is because people have started making a big deal about the War on Christmas. If it was all about following rules and meeting on the right days we should all just become Seventh Day Adventists or Catholics. Or am I being too outspoken? “

I think that this fits right in with what I said about the “War on Christmas” in the original posting; are we focusing on restoring the tradition, or honoring the Savior in whose name we celebrate? If a church chooses to gather together as a congregation on Saturday, Christmas eve, for a time of worship, and so frees families to spend time together on Christmas morning by not having Sunday service, what is the problem? Is it about crossing all our “T’s” and dotting all our “I’s” by saying we met EVERY Sunday, even on Christmas, or is it about preserving the family, spending time as a family? Is there a commandment that I missed somewhere about meeting on Sundays or having service every Christmas morning? Aren’t those things just tradition? And isn’t putting tradition and the letter of the law above the heart and intent of the law what Jesus chastised the Pharisees for?

So my thought on the question of “should churches in the USA have service on Christmas Sunday morning?” is it’s up to them. The real question is are they honoring Jesus by what they do that morning, whether it’s meeting together in church or being with family at home. After all, you can be on church Christmas morning, be up-tight about the Christmas meal you have to prepare when you get home, worrying about family visits, thinking about the present you just gave or received, and be totally self absorbed, and it won’t honor Jesus one bit. And you could be home with those same attitudes and still not honor Jesus. Or, you can have the right heart, one that focuses on Jesus and His birth and what God did for us, and be full of thanksgiving and praise, and that will honor God whether you are in Church, at home, in an airport in jail, or anywhere.

So this season let someone else fight over the traditions, and instead do good to those who try to hurt you by attacking the way you choose to celebrate Christmas, because in doing that you are following Jesus’ command and example, and what could be more appropriate on Christmas?

posted by Troy In Cambodia @ 3:38 PM